1. What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information?
Search and deductive reasoning

2. About this Lesson
This lesson is designed to teach the Common Core State Standard: Reading—Informational Text
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
Nell Bang-Jensen is a teacher and theater artist living in Philadelphia, PA. Her passion for arts education has led her to a variety of roles including developing curriculum for Philadelphia Young Playwrights and teaching at numerous theaters and schools around the city.
She works with playwrights from ages four to ninety on developing new work and is especially interested in alternative literacies and theater for social change.
A graduate of Swarthmore College, she currently works in the Artistic Department of the Wilma Theater and, in addition to teaching, is a freelance actor and dramaturg. In 2011, Nell was named a Thomas J. Watson Fellow and spent her fellowship year traveling to seven countries studying how people get their names.

3. Bing in the Classroom program Resources
9/3/2018 9:13 PM
Bing in the Classroom program Resources
For Teachers
Microsoft Educator Community: Access over 1.5 million educators globally, professional development courses and thousands of inspiring lesson plans, live lessons and virtual trips.
Bing has Answers. Bing puts educational answers in your hands. A collection of Bing search features that both students and teachers can utilize for studying and research in and out of the classroom.
Bing Search Videos: Use these Bing educational videos and corresponding lesson plans with your students to teach how to search and stay safe online.
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

4. Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information?

5. Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information? 1
Web Search/Thinking
What does it mean for a website to be credible? Can you think of an example of an incredible headline? 2
What do .edu and .gov endings in websites tell us? Why do these websites tend to have good information? 3
Why might the date on a website matter? Can you think of an example where it would? 4
What does it mean to cross check your search results? 5
What other clues could tell you that a website is high quality?

6. Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information?
5 minutes

7. Evaluating Search Results
9/3/2018 9:13 PM
Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information? 1
Web Search/Thinking
What does it mean for a website to be credible? Can you think of an example of an incredible headline? 2
What do .edu and .gov endings in websites tell us? Why do these websites tend to have good information? 3
Why might the date on a website matter? Can you think of an example where it would? 4
What does it mean to cross check your search results? 5
What other clues could tell you that a website is high quality?
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

8. Evaluating Search Results
9/3/2018 9:13 PM
Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information? 1
Web Search/Thinking
What does it mean for a website to be credible? Can you think of an example of an incredible headline? 2
What do .edu and .gov endings in websites tell us? Why do these websites tend to have good information? 3
Why might the date on a website matter? Can you think of an example where it would? 4
What does it mean to cross check your search results? 5
What other clues could tell you that a website is high quality?
(Possible queries: “define: credible”, “for kids, credible v. incredible”).
From Credible%20Sources13.pdf:
Credible sources are ones the reader can trust. We trust that the author’s ideas are his or her own and can be backed up with evidence. When writing a research paper, doing research, or reading for background information, writers should ALWAYS use a credible source.
Students should then brainstorm to come up with a headline that is incredible, or non-credible. Answers will vary. For example, a headline like, “Big Foot spotted on the Empire State Building” would be incredible, because it is most likely not backed up with evidence and tells us we cannot trust that source.
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

9. Evaluating Search Results
9/3/2018 9:13 PM
Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information? 1
Web Search/Thinking
What does it mean for a website to be credible? Can you think of an example of an incredible headline? 2
What do .edu and .gov endings in websites tell us? Why do these websites tend to have good information? 3
Why might the date on a website matter? Can you think of an example where it would? 4
What does it mean to cross check your search results? 5
What other clues could tell you that a website is high quality?
(Possible queries: “for kids, websites .gov and .edu”, “what do .edu and .gov mean?”).
From
Think of this as "decoding" the URL, or Internet address. The origination of the site can provide indications of the site's mission or purpose.
.edu :A site affiliated with a higher education institution.
.gov: A federal government site.
Students should then think about why information from a higher education institution or government site may be more credible than from an organization or company. They might think about how companies or organizations may have specific missions to promote , so they may be more biased in selecting what information to share with a wider audience.
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

10. Evaluating Search Results
9/3/2018 9:13 PM
Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information? 1
Web Search/Thinking
What does it mean for a website to be credible? Can you think of an example of an incredible headline? 2
What do .edu and .gov endings in websites tell us? Why do these websites tend to have good information? 3
Why might the date on a website matter? Can you think of an example where it would? 4
What does it mean to cross check your search results? 5
What other clues could tell you that a website is high quality?
(Possible queries: “finding credible websites, checking date”, “why do dates on websites matter?”).
From
Is the page dated? Is it current enough? Is it "stale" or "dusty" information on a time-sensitive or evolving topic?
How recent the date needs to be depends on your needs. For some topics you want current information. For others, you want information put on the web near the time it became known. In some cases, the importance of the date is to tell you whether the page author is still maintaining an interest in the page, or has abandoned it.
Students should then come up with an example where the date of a particular page would matter. For example, if they did a search for “America presidential election” and found a page about Obama v. Romney, they could mistakenly think this is the current election being discussed around the country, unless the page indicated that it was written in 2012.
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

11. Evaluating Search Results
9/3/2018 9:13 PM
Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information? 1
Web Search/Thinking
What does it mean for a website to be credible? Can you think of an example of an incredible headline? 2
What do .edu and .gov endings in websites tell us? Why do these websites tend to have good information? 3
Why might the date on a website matter? Can you think of an example where it would? 4
What does it mean to cross check your search results? 5
What other clues could tell you that a website is high quality?
(Possible queries: “for kids, what is cross checking?”, “define: cross check”).
From
To check (as data or reports) from various angles or sources to determine validity or accuracy.
Students should then apply this definition to how they could evaluate search results. In order to “check” one web page, it may be helpful to look at others on the same topic. If the information on one seems very different from the majority of the other search results, then it’s probable it is not as accurate.
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

12. Evaluating Search Results
9/3/2018 9:13 PM
Evaluating Search Results
What clues tell you when you’re looking at a website with good information? 1
Web Search/Thinking
What does it mean for a website to be credible? Can you think of an example of an incredible headline? 2
What do .edu and .gov endings in websites tell us? Why do these websites tend to have good information? 3
Why might the date on a website matter? Can you think of an example where it would? 4
What does it mean to cross check your search results? 5
What other clues could tell you that a website is high quality?
(Possible queries: “how do you know a website is high quality?”, “how do you know a website is credible?”).
Answers will vary. From Reliable.htm:
Avoid Anonymous Authors
Articles or studies whose authors are named are often - though not always - more reliable than works produced anonymously. It makes sense: If someone is willing to put their name on something they've written, chance are they stand by the information it contains. And if you have the name of the author, you can always Google him or her to check their credentials.
Look at the Site's Look
If a site looks poorly designed and amateurish, chances are it was created by amateurs.
Beware Bias
Reporters write a lot about politics, and there are plenty of political websites out there.
But many of them are run by groups that have a bias in favor of one political party or philosophy. A conservative website isn't likely to report objectively on a liberal politician, and vice versa. Steer clear of sites with a political ax to grind and instead look for ones that are non-partisan.
Look for Sites With Expertise
You wouldn't go to an auto mechanic if you broke your leg, and you wouldn't go to the hospital to have your car repaired. I'm making an obvious point: Look for websites that specialize in the kind of information you're seeking. So if you're writing a story on a flu outbreak, check out medical websites, and so on.
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.