Primary vs. Secondary Sources is an excellent YouTube video explaining the difference between these two types of sources. The video provides several examples of each type of source and tells why it fits into that category. If your district blocks YouTube, then this video may not be viewable.

tag(s): evaluating sources (54), primary sources (146), Research (91)

Use the lessons, discussion questions, and news articles provided by NewseumEd to help young adults understand what media literacy is and to tell the difference between good and bad information. Though the lessons seem to center around a visit to Newseum and their galleries, there is a lot to be learned just by examining and discussing the materials presented here. There are discussion questions, media issues to think about, suggested in-class activities, and worksheets. Find a Unit plan with lessons that are standards aligned and Common Core compatible. The Unit plan and worksheets are available in both PDF and Word document formats. You must be a registered NewseumEd member to access this resource; however, membership is free.

tag(s): evaluating sources (54), media literacy (130), news (223)

This free interactive site is an extensive digital literacy curriculum that improves technology proficiency, builds information literacy and digital citizenship skills, and provides 21st-century and project-based resources online. The 21 Things are 'big ideas' in technology and learning such as Visual Learning, Global Collaboration, Powerful Presentations, Search Strategies, Digital Footprint, and many others. The student activities use free web resources designed to address the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. The non-sequential Things, delivered as project-based Quests, provide links, resources, and activities for students to earn badges and awards. Registration for teachers is required and gives access to teacher resources and a downloadable Moodle version of the site; Moodle is not required to use this site. To access certain external activities and tools, students may need to register with an email. Each Thing contains a Teacher Lesson Guide, Student Checklist, Learning Objectives, and links to various web resources and apps. Choose a Thing and see that the Quests have roadmap documents for students to use for tracking progress. A Quest includes an introduction (frequently as a short, animated video), vocabulary, directions, tutorials, standards, apps, and a student checklist. Extensive teacher resources and support are provided. Assessments are through multiple-choice quizzes at ProProf with a provided password. You may want to choose MITECHKIDS, where you will find grade-level links and categories by curriculum.

tag(s): blended learning (28), careers (184), computers (114), consumers (15), cyberbullying (44), digital citizenship (110), digital storytelling (180), evaluating sources (54), game based learning (320), internet safety (121), media literacy (130), organizational skills (91), social media (64), social networking (55), thinking skills (137), webquests (9)

Make history relevant to the world today and learn more about First Amendment issues at the same time. Find lesson plans, a multimedia collection of primary sources and artifacts, interactive tools, and worksheets. These are searchable by type, topic, collection, and time period. The lessons focus on historical connections, media literacy, and civics and citizenship. There are several EdCollections with titles like "Election 2016: Stumped!?," "Making a Change," "Women, Their Rights and Nothing Less," and "Freedom in the Balance." The latter focuses on teaching and learning about 9/11 and the attacks in Paris, France, in 2015, and adhering to the First Amendment freedoms and concerns for safety and the public good. All of this is free with an email sign-up. Check back frequently to see NewseumEd's newest EdCollections.

tag(s): civics (130), civil rights (223), elections (87), evaluating sources (54), freedom of speech (15), media literacy (130), politics (121), primary sources (146), sept11 (19), terrorism (41), terrorist (12)

Find an interactive rubric for evaluating the quality of Internet sources students use in academic writing and projects. Fill out a short registration form to have immediate free access to the rubric as a PDF. The criteria for the rubric includes Authoritative, Educational Value, Intent, Originality, and Quality. Below the rubric see an example of three popular sites evaluated with SEER and the scores given for each criterion. Download the rubric to your computer. Once filled in save it to your computer and print.

tag(s): evaluating sources (54), media literacy (130), rubrics (40)

This collection of primary sources from the Library of Congress is organized around key topics and themes in American History. View Primary Source Set titles in alphabetical order from Abraham Lincoln through Women's Suffrage. Choose any topic to view Teacher's Guides and analysis tools including graphic organizers for students. Sort information to find materials meeting Common Core Standards, State Standards, or national organization standards.

tag(s): 20th century (171), authors (114), black history (132), civics (130), civil war (145), constitution (104), evaluating sources (54), hispanic (54), history day (38), immigration (86), jefferson (20), lincoln (64), new deal (5), primary sources (146), Research (91), segregation (20), thanksgiving (25), veterans (37), washington (33), westward expansion (42), womens suffrage (64), wright brothers (17)

RADCAB is a way to evaluate information and resources. RADCAB is a mnemonic acronym: Relevancy, Appropriateness, Detail, Currency, Authority, and Bias. Click on each word for details on that topic. An excellent rubric is available for download in PDF format at the bottom of the home page. This simple site is a great resource for discussing and teaching information literacy lessons about evaluating information and sources.

tag(s): evaluating sources (54), internet safety (121), media literacy (130), Research (91), rubrics (40)

Learn to think like a historian. See how we know about the past by using this interactive poster. All you have to do is hover your mouse over one of the quadrants and click. More information, activities, and links will appear. Each of the quadrants also has additional teaching resources. On the far left column you will find links to "What Is Historical Thinking?" a video, "What are Primary Sources?" and "What are Secondary Sources?" Unfortunately the video link is not working at this time so here is the one that works Historical Thinking Video.

tag(s): civil rights (223), evaluating sources (54), history day (38), infographics (73), primary sources (146)

Think like a historian using this interactive poster! Consider how your life would have been different if you were born as a slave, an immigrant, living in the city, etc.. Think about how your wardrobe would be different. All you have to do is hover your mouse over one of the quadrants and click. More information, activities, and links will appear. Each of the quadrants also has additional teaching resources. On the far left column you will find links to "What Is Historical Thinking?" a video, "What are primary sources?" and "What are secondary sources?" This site is content RICH and definitely worthy of your time. Some of the video clips require Flash.

tag(s): evaluating sources (54), history day (38), primary sources (146)

Look at political, national and international issues from all sides: left, right, and center. Colored banners identify the perspective. Current content focuses on political discussions, find other topics by clicking the Topics menu tab at the top. There you'll find health care, finances, parenting, abortion, gun control, and many others. Choose from different tabs to view issues, bias, and the site's blog. Especially interesting is the bias section. Readers rate their own bias on several issues to determine their bias toward left, center, or right. Don't miss the Schools tab. Email signup is available to become involved with the site but isn't necessary to access all of the articles and content.
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tag(s): elections (87), evaluating sources (54), media literacy (130), politics (121)

This site teaches teachers and students to critically view and read historical documents. Historical Thinking Matters will help students find and view primary sources critically as they decipher the past. The site is broken down into student investigations and teaching materials and strategies. There are maps, videos, activities, and more. Although there are some portions of the site that still include Flash which is no longer supported, much of the information is still available and is worth using.

tag(s): critical thinking (189), evaluating sources (54), primary sources (146)

This Cornell University Library guide is a trusted, thorough resource for teaching students to critically evaluate information sources. It walks users through key criteria, including the author's credentials, institutional affiliation, publication date, and whether the source has been cited by other respected scholars. The guide emphasizes that learning to assess the relevance and authority of a given resource is one of the core skills of the research process, making it an excellent reference for students from middle school through college, engaged in research across any subject area.

tag(s): evaluating sources (54), resources (80)