{"id":432,"date":"2025-02-12T22:59:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T22:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/chapter\/reliable-sources-2\/"},"modified":"2025-03-18T21:21:07","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T21:21:07","slug":"reliable-sources-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/chapter\/reliable-sources-2\/","title":{"raw":"Reliable Sources","rendered":"Reliable Sources"},"content":{"raw":"Point out to students that while there are a number of different ways to find out if something like this is real or fake, the easiest is often going to be turning to a source that you already know is reliable.\r\n
\r\n

Ask students to name some examples of reliable sources. If they have trouble thinking of examples, you can prompt them with some of these:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nParents or guardians\r\n\r\nTeachers\r\n\r\nLibrarians\r\n\r\nDoctors\r\n\r\nEncyclopedias\r\n\r\nMuseums\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nNow ask students: What do those sources have in common?\r\n\r\nGive students a few minutes discuss, then have students access the student chapter Reliable Sources<\/a>.\r\n\r\nGo through the handout with the class and explain that reliable sources have three things in common:\r\n\r\nExpertise<\/strong>. First, a reliable source knows about the topic. People can be experts on different things because of what they\u2019ve learned, things they\u2019ve done or experienced, where they live, and so on.\r\n\r\nUsing the handout, have students write down three different examples of topics and who would be an expert on them. (You can give students a few minutes to do this on their own, have them work in pairs, or do as a whole class.) Then have them write down something they are an expert on. Take up the examples. Make sure the following points come up:\r\n\r\nBeing an expert is not just about learning or having a title. If your father makes pizza every week, they are probably an expert at making pizza!\r\n\r\nBeing an expert is also specific. You may know a lot about the Pok\u00e9mon cartoon but not as much about the card game. In the same way, scientists and doctors are not experts on everything in science or medicine, just their specific fields.\r\n\r\nIf students have trouble thinking of things they are experts in, point out that they are experts on their own lives and themselves. Nobody knows more about that than they do!\r\n\r\nProcess<\/strong>. Next, explain that trusted sources have a process for getting good facts and making sure they are correct.\r\n\r\nRead the examples in the student chapter and ask them if they can think of any other examples of how people make sure their facts are correct.\r\n\r\nThen ask them if they can think of any sources of information that don<\/strong>\u2019t have a process for making sure their facts, or where they\u2019re not sure if they have good facts.\r\n
\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMake sure the following examples come up:\r\n\r\nYouTubers\r\n\r\nInfluencers\r\n\r\nRandom people on the internet\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\nYou can also point out that even in reliable news sources, opinion articles \u2013 where someone is telling you what they think, instead of reporting what happened \u2013 don\u2019t get fact-checked the way news articles do.\r\n\r\nMotivation<\/strong>. Finally, explain that reliable sources have a reason to give you accurate information.\r\n\r\nGo through the examples, then explain to students that many businesses have slogans \u2013 short phrases that tell you what they\u2019re selling.\r\n
\r\n

Read the three newspaper slogans to the students, then ask:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhich of the three is promising to give you accurate information? (#3, The New York Times)\r\n\r\nWhich is promising that it will be fun? (#2, The Mail on Sunday)\r\n\r\nWhich is saying that it\u2019s on your side? (#1, the Wairapa Times-Age).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\nPoint out that while not all sources are as open about what they are selling, you can usually tell by asking if reliability is a big part of why people watch, read or buy them.\r\n\r\nReturn to the list of trusted sources from earlier, and ask students if there are any other they would like to add to the list following the discussion.","rendered":"

Point out to students that while there are a number of different ways to find out if something like this is real or fake, the easiest is often going to be turning to a source that you already know is reliable.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Ask students to name some examples of reliable sources. If they have trouble thinking of examples, you can prompt them with some of these:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/header>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Parents or guardians<\/p>\n

Teachers<\/p>\n

Librarians<\/p>\n

Doctors<\/p>\n

Encyclopedias<\/p>\n

Museums<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now ask students: What do those sources have in common?<\/p>\n

Give students a few minutes discuss, then have students access the student chapter Reliable Sources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Go through the handout with the class and explain that reliable sources have three things in common:<\/p>\n

Expertise<\/strong>. First, a reliable source knows about the topic. People can be experts on different things because of what they\u2019ve learned, things they\u2019ve done or experienced, where they live, and so on.<\/p>\n

Using the handout, have students write down three different examples of topics and who would be an expert on them. (You can give students a few minutes to do this on their own, have them work in pairs, or do as a whole class.) Then have them write down something they are an expert on. Take up the examples. Make sure the following points come up:<\/p>\n

Being an expert is not just about learning or having a title. If your father makes pizza every week, they are probably an expert at making pizza!<\/p>\n

Being an expert is also specific. You may know a lot about the Pok\u00e9mon cartoon but not as much about the card game. In the same way, scientists and doctors are not experts on everything in science or medicine, just their specific fields.<\/p>\n

If students have trouble thinking of things they are experts in, point out that they are experts on their own lives and themselves. Nobody knows more about that than they do!<\/p>\n

Process<\/strong>. Next, explain that trusted sources have a process for getting good facts and making sure they are correct.<\/p>\n

Read the examples in the student chapter and ask them if they can think of any other examples of how people make sure their facts are correct.<\/p>\n

Then ask them if they can think of any sources of information that don<\/strong>\u2019t have a process for making sure their facts, or where they\u2019re not sure if they have good facts.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Make sure the following examples come up:<\/p>\n

YouTubers<\/p>\n

Influencers<\/p>\n

Random people on the internet<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

You can also point out that even in reliable news sources, opinion articles \u2013 where someone is telling you what they think, instead of reporting what happened \u2013 don\u2019t get fact-checked the way news articles do.<\/p>\n

Motivation<\/strong>. Finally, explain that reliable sources have a reason to give you accurate information.<\/p>\n

Go through the examples, then explain to students that many businesses have slogans \u2013 short phrases that tell you what they\u2019re selling.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Read the three newspaper slogans to the students, then ask:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/header>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Which of the three is promising to give you accurate information? (#3, The New York Times)<\/p>\n

Which is promising that it will be fun? (#2, The Mail on Sunday)<\/p>\n

Which is saying that it\u2019s on your side? (#1, the Wairapa Times-Age).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Point out that while not all sources are as open about what they are selling, you can usually tell by asking if reliability is a big part of why people watch, read or buy them.<\/p>\n

Return to the list of trusted sources from earlier, and ask students if there are any other they would like to add to the list following the discussion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-432","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":429,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1225,"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/432\/revisions\/1225"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/429"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/432\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=432"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=432"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/textbook.mediasmarts.ca\/discoveringstudent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}