Part One: 1. The U.S. Constitution requires presidential and vice-presidential candidates to be from different states. False: Reliable sources, including government archives of the Presidential Election Laws, confirmed that the VP and the POTUS do not have to be from different states. a. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/favorite-sons/ b. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/provisions.html c. https://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/apr/16/lawrenceodonnell/president-vice-president-same-state-allowed/ 2. Red Bull energy drink contains a banned stimulant that has been proven to cause cancer. False: While there seem to be many reasons not to drink Red Bull, there is not enough evidence to claim that it causes cancer as of yet. These types of energy drinks are categorized as supplements and are not regulated in the same way other products are. So it has not been banned. a. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bull-marketed/ b. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/health/01brody.html c. https://utswmed.org/medblog/energy-drink-alcohol-cancer/ 3. It is illegal to contact space aliens. False: It looks like the precaution for NASA astronauts and anyone who came in contact with them would need quarantine got twisted to mean “aliens” from another planet. a. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/et-make-bail/ b. https://www.truthorfiction.com/aliens/ c. https://listverse.com/2017/03/12/10-laws-rules-and-regulations-for-extraterrestrialcontact/ Part Two: 1. While the sponsor of a site is often responsible for the content of their site, it is the user that must verify the accuracy of the site and the information on it. Part Three: 1. How would you teach your students to evaluate and verify information of the web? I would direct students to reliable sites as guides. They need to look at the source of the information and determine if it is an unbiased source or if the source has an agenda. I would encourage students to look for more than just one or two sources to verify the information. I have found when many sources have similar information the likelihood of it being correct is higher. 2. Make a bulleted list of 6 rules that you would discuss with them during a lesson on accuracy of information. Be very specific, giving details and examples. 2.1. Verify the site. The site should be from a legitimate person or organization. That information should be easy to verify and clearly marked on the website. Another search on the validity of site should be done. 2.2. Clarify the site’s overall purpose. The site’s objectivity may not be immediately obvious. Again a simple search of the source site can provide information. A bias site may have correct information, but the site may not be credible. Check for advertising on the site. Is it differentiated from the informational content? 2.3. Find a least 3 sources with the same information. One site is alone may provide all the information you need, but in order to sure the information is correct, you should verify your source by cooperating it with additional sites. 2.4. Identify the author. Is the author of the information qualified on this particular topic? An additional search on the author can provide additional verification. Check the author’s credits and other posts. 2.5. Make sure the information is current. Depending on your topic, checking to see how current the information is, may be vital. Check to see when the article was written/posted. Check the sources of their information. 2.6. Check the appearance of the site. While it is easy to create a site, they do require maintenance. Sites that pay attention to details and look professional are more likely to be maintained and contain information to help you verify their information. Part Four 1. Top 5 List of “Effective Ways to Improve Student Learning” 1.1. Give constructive feedback 1.2. Allow extra time for students that need it to succeed. 1.3. Allow students time to practice 1.4. Use creative ways to check for understanding. 1.5. Present information in different ways, using graphs, info graphs, pictures, videos etc.
