Can I Trust the Information?

To Tell the Truth

Objectives - ISTE NETS for Students #3: Research and Information Fluency

"locate and evaluate information from a variety of sources and media"

• find the source of the information: author and/or publisher
• understand that trustworthy information depends on the person who authors it
  develop good questions to ask about an author or publisher to determine credibility

Materials

computer and projector (if video is to be viewed)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p26yXdr4fLY

Directions

The 1960's television game show "To Tell the Truth" demonstrates that a good way to tell if someone can be believed is to ask them questions: questions about their training, their experience. When searching online, instead of asking a person those questions directly, it is possible to find answers to the questions by searching.

If YouTube isn't filtered at your school, or the filter can be suspended temporarily, show the first part of the program. Stop when the panelists begin to ask questions of the challengers. Encourage the children to suggest questions they would use to find which contestant is really telling the truth? Make a list of the questions.

In this case, what would make the person an expert on whale training? What makes them the most convincing? (education? what the person knows about whales? what the person looks like?, etc.)

If time permits (the whole show takes 8 minutes), show more of the clip to see what questions were asked. Before the end, stop the movie and tally the students' votes with a show of hands.

Compare the questions suggested by the students with questions found in the Evaluation Wizard (author and publisher).

Reinforce this activity by using one of the Bad Apple challenges.