Teacher

Objectives of Lesson:

Know the meaning of various domain names on the Internet
Discuss criteria for the evaluation of websites
Gather information on three websites and present evaluation of one of the sites to the entire class.

Materials:

Web Evaluation Checklist or Alternate Checklist (3 per group)
Web Evaluation Worksheet (3 per group)
List of groups with three to four students each (Three seems to work best.)
Folder for each group of three students with the topic of the websites they will evaluate on the outside of the folder
Website for students to use to access various selected websites.

Procedure:

Ask students how they would decide if the information on a website is reliable. Write their answers on the board.

Discuss web domains

Show students the website checklist. Discuss it and clarify any items that students do not understand.
Demonstrate several sites and have them use the checklist along with you. Discuss the reasons for checking different criteria as you go through the site with the checklist.
http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html
http://www.50states.com/
http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html
Demonstrate the final oral presentation using the checklist information to give students an idea of what will be expected of them for their final evaluation.
Have all three students in each group evaluate each site (each group will need 3 worksheets and 3 checklists).
Students get together to decide what they will say about each website and then choose the one they want to give their presentation on. It is best to have them use the Website Evaluation Worksheet to write down their thoughts.
Students give their presentations as a group. It can be done also using PowerPoint, we just had them stand up as a group. Our thoughts were that they would feel more comfortable with their team around them.

Evaluation:

Use the Evaluation Rubric on the main page. Be sure to discuss it prior to the project.

Revise date: April 17, 2008