(Part A) Evaluating Climate Change News Reports and Information Sources (Climate Literacy)
Step 1: First, visit the UWF Library Guide for this class, be sure to read through all the links found on the upper left side of
the page. You will refer back to this source to answer some of the questions below:
http://libguides.uwf.edu/c.php?g=436278&p=2974275.
Next, read the “Rising temps, differing viewpoints_case study” file (found in Canvas). After reading it, answer the
following questions:
1. Is the case study based on primary or a secondary source of information? (5)
2. What overriding message is being communicated by the information in this case study? What is the author of the
case study trying to get readers to consider? (10)
3. What important information is missing from this case study? What information would you need to evaluate
whether this case study is accurate or not? What questions are you left with? (10)
Now read the Wall Street Journal and New York Times articles. Then, answer the following questions:
4. List two possible reasons (or motives) for the publishing of each of the two articles cited in this case. (10)
5. Which of the following best describes the information presented in this study? (5)
a. Differing opinions regarding which parts of the EPA report are newsworthy
b. Conflicts within the science community
c. c. Differing political agendas
d. d. Conflicts between scientists and politicians
6. List two reasons for your answer to question #5. (10)
Step 2: The objective of this portion of the assignment is to help you learn to distinguish between reliable websites and
unreliable websites in understanding scientific information. Your task is to visit the websites below and to select a
reliable one and an unreliable one based on the criteria checklist provided. This checklist is intended to help you
determine which websites are reliable or unreliable.
7. Your main assignment is to answer all of the questions in the checklist for every 5 criteria (CRAAP) that compare
the two websites you selected and justify why you identified them as “reliable” or “unreliable”. The rubric that
follows will be used to evaluate your answers. Type your answers directly in the space provided in the checklist a minimum of 40 words for each answer (when appropriate). (50)
http://newscenter.lbl.gov/news-releases/2012/03/05/snow-albedo/
http://www.oism.org/s32p1853.htm
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases
http://www.wnho.net/global_warming.htm
Evaluating Sources Checklist
Fill out this checklist to evaluate the websites you selected.
Website:
Currency (10 points)
When was it published? (put “doesn’t
say” if you can’t find a date).
Is the information current enough for
the topic in question? Explain your
answer.
Relevance/Reliability (10 points)
Does the information relate to the topic
in question? Explain your answer.
Is the information opinion or fact? Is the
point of view objective, unbiased,
impartial? Explain your answer.
Authority (10 points)
Who wrote the article? (if no author is
listed put “don’t know”)
What are his/her credentials? (if no
author is listed put “not applicable”)
Who published the article? (if no
publisher is listed put “don’t know”)
What are the publisher’s credentials? (if
no publisher is listed put “not
applicable”)
Accuracy (10 points)
Is the information supported by
evidence/references? Explain your
answer.
Does the language seem unbiased or
free from emotion? Explain your answer.
Purpose (10 points)
What is the purpose of the information
(to inform? to entertain? to raise money,
etc.) Explain your answer.
What is the target audience? Is it a
scholarly or popular site?
Is the website reliable or unreliable?
Website:
Grading Rubric for Question #7: Information Literacy
Accomplished 3
Developing 2
Inadequate 1
Student:
Student:
Student:
● Comments on the source’s
● Either comment on the
● Do not comment on the
publication year.
source’s publication year or
source’s publication year.
Currency
comment on whether the
● Comments on whether the
● Do not comment on
source is current enough for
source is current enough for
whether the source is
the topic in question.
the topic in question, but
current enough for the topic
does not do both.
in question.
Student:
Student:
Student:
Relevance/
● Shows adequate evidence of
● Shows superficial evidence
● Does not show evidence of
Reliability
whether or not the source is
of whether or not the
whether or not the source is
trustworthy.
source is trustworthy.
trustworthy.
Student:
Student:
Student:
● Briefly identify the author’s
● Does not identify the
● Shows sufficient evidence of
Authority
and publisher’s credentials
author’s and publisher’s
the author’s and publisher’s
and qualifications.
credentials and
credentials and qualifications.
qualifications.
Student:
Student:
Student:
● Provides a thorough
● Provides a superficial
● Does not explain the
Accuracy
explanation of the accuracy of
explanation of the accuracy
accuracy of the source.
the source.
of the source.
Student:
Student:
Student:
● Identifies the purpose and
● Briefly identify the purpose
● Does not identify the
Purpose
intended audience of the
and intended audience of
purpose and intended
website in detail.
the website.
audience of the website.
(Part B) Analyzing Graphs (Climate Literacy)
Analyze the graphs below. Carefully study the horizontal and vertical axis of the graphs.
Describe in detail the trends of the three parameters in the two figures (carbon dioxide
concentration in the atmosphere, anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, temperature
deviation) and the timing of the trends. Include in your description the similarities and
differences between the trends of the three parameters and an explanation for the trends.
What conclusions can you draw from your observations? Justify your conclusions. Use the
space below the graphs to answers the questions.
Figure 1: Carbon dioxide concentration and emissions. The blue line shows CO2 concentration
in atmosphere. Currently at 415 ppm. The black line represents CO2 emissions caused by
human activity. Currently at 35 billion tons per year.
Figure 2. Global surface temperature. Bars show a deviation of annual temperature from average
global temperature for the 20th century. Blue bars show years that the annual temperature was below
the average for the century, red bars mark years when the temperature was above the average for the
century.
(Part B) Use this space below to write your answers to the following questions; make sure to
describe in detail trends, conclusions you can draw from your observations and justify your
conclusions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Trends in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere:
Trends in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions:
Trends in temperature deviation:
Similarities and differences in each trend: