Information Literacy and Evaluating Sources

Assignment

 

After learning about critical thinking and information literacy in this module, you will put the information you learned to use!

 

First, explore the New York Times editorials written by students just like yourself. The editorials are contest winners of essays written on issues that mattered to students.

 

Second part of the assignment involves using critical thinking skills to evaluate two of the sources from the editorial. The qualities you are reviewing relate to “reliability”. They include: currency, authority, accuracy, relevance, and bias/purpose. (This is explained in greater detail in Part 2 of this instruction and the learning object for information literacy within this module.)

 

Finally, explore library sources (books, periodicals, websites….) to find two additional reliable sources. Remember reliable sources are those that satisfy in a positive sense, currency, accuracy, authority, relevance, and bias/purpose. Make note of this editorial contest and submit your own editorial next year!

Part 1

 

Review one of the winning essays from the New York Times student contest: “Write an Editorial on an Issue That Matters to You.”

What makes this a winning essay? Write a one- page analysis of why this essay was chosen as one of the top 10 winning essays.  Consider the following questions when reviewing the editorial:

• What is the opinion or call to action in this editorial?
• What evidence does it use to make its argument?
• How persuasive do you find the editorial? Is it effective?
• What do you notice about the language and tone of the editorial? About other choices the writer(s) have made?

 

 

Part 2

Download the attached Information Literacy Assignment document.

Review the resources cited at the end of the editorial for reliability. Pick two of the sources and provide the information for each of the criteria in the table in Part 2 on Page 2 in this document.

	Source #1	Source #2
Source:  List the website, article, or book title for each source as it appears at the end of the editorial
Currency: When was the information published? Does the source have up-to-date links and references?
Authority:Who is author or organization responsible for the information? Does the information seem trustworthy?
Accuracy:Are there false statements of information? Was the information reviewed by editors or subject experts?
Relevance:Does the information support the thesis?  Does the information add something new to your knowledge of the topic?
Bias/Purpose:Is there an obvious bias or prejudice? Is it meant to inform, provide facts, sell, amuse, or entertain the audience?

 

Part 3:

Find two additional “reliable” sources that support the thesis in the editorial from Part 1.   Use the library resources you learned about in this module.

Provide the information for each of the source citations in Part 3 on Page 3 in the Information Literacy Assignment document.

Source #1

Author (Last Name, First Name): ____________________________________________

Article Name (In Quotation Marks): __________________________________________

Title of Magazine/Journal/Website (In Italics): __________________________________

Date (Year) of Issue: __________      Volume: ______________      Issue Number: _____

Page Number(s): _____________       Database Name: ___________________________

Date Retrieved: ____________________________

Source #2

Author (Last Name, First Name): ____________________________________________

Article Name (In Quotation Marks): __________________________________________

Title of Magazine/Journal/Website (In Italics): __________________________________

Date (Year) of Issue: __________      Volume: ______________      Issue Number: _____

Page Number(s): _____________       Database Name: ___________________________

Date Retrieved: ____________________________

 

 

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