Is This Source Reliable?
Computer Science Fundamentals Grades 9–12 3-day lesson 25 deliverables Students practice evaluating sources with checks that work on any source: currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose. They sort short source problems by the check each one fails, then rate made-up sources about a town pool and pick the most reliable one.
● Instant download · Lifetime access · Editable & print-ready
Print + digitalPDF, PowerPoint, Word & Google
Answer keysA key for every page
Built-in assessmentExit tickets + lesson quiz
45-minute daysEvery day planned and timed
What does this lesson cover?
Telling students to use reliable sources doesn't show them how to find one. This lesson gives them named checks to run on every source and a way to compare sources for the same question. Every source and website is made up, and nobody searches the real Web.
Rate the Sources
Students check five made-up sources about the Brightmere town pool on all five checks, then pick the best one and explain why.
Everything that's included
00 Start Here
- READ FIRST: every file in the lesson and when you use it
- Teacher guide and pacing: the plan for each day, what to print and how to grade
- Skills map: which standards each day teaches
01 Present
- One editable PowerPoint deck for all three days, 27 slides, with speaker notes
- Slide script: the speaker notes, printed
- Bell ringers: a short warm-up for each day
02 Student Handouts
- Guided notes for all three days, in PDF and editable Word, with the word bank on the page
- Vocab slip: the lesson's words and what they mean, on one page
04 Activities
- Which Check? Sort eight short source problems by the one check each one fails, and write why
- Rate the Sources: check five made-up sources about the Brightmere town pool on all five checks, then pick the best one and explain why
- Two Questions, Three Sources: match sources to two questions in a new case on paper
05 Assessment
- Exit tickets, one per day: quick questions that show who needs more help
- Lesson quiz: 10 multiple-choice questions and 2 written answers about all three days
06 Answer Keys
- 5 answer key files: a key for each day (its bell ringer, notes and exit ticket) and the activity keys, plus the quiz key
Digital: Google Forms™ + Google Slides™
- 4 Google Forms™ of the exit tickets and the quiz, ready to copy into your Drive
- The multiple choice grades itself, and you grade the written answers
- A Google Slides™ copy of the deck, with the same slides and speaker notes, for Google Classroom™
Why teachers love this lesson
Whether a source is reliable depends on the questionIn a new case, students match each source to the question it can answer. They see that the same source can be right for one question and wrong for another.
No real website or news outlet appearsEvery source, website and town in the lesson is made up. That keeps the talk on the checks, and students can use the same checks on any real source later.
Print and digitalEvery page is a print-ready PDF, and the Google Forms™ and Google Slides™ let you teach the same lesson in Google Classroom™.
A key for every pageEvery day has its own answer key, and every written question has a sample answer and what to look for.
Every day fits a 45-minute classEach day's plan is timed activity by activity against real reading and writing speeds.
Written for your studentsEvery student page is checked for reading level, with plain words and complete sentences.
What Teachers Say
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How do I get the files after I buy?
Instant download right after checkout: PowerPoint and Word files you can edit, print-ready PDFs, and links that copy the Google Forms™ and Google Slides™ into your Drive.
Can I buy the whole unit or course instead?
Yes. This lesson is part of the Unit 4 bundle and the complete Computer Science Fundamentals course. Both cost less than buying the lessons one at a time.
Is this AP Computer Science?
No. It is a full-year, non-AP intro course for grades 9 to 12. For AP, see AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A.
What formats are the files in?
Every page is a print-ready PDF. The slides are an editable PowerPoint and the guided notes an editable Word file. The exit tickets and the quiz also come as Google Forms™, and the deck as Google Slides™.
Which standards does it cover?
Written for Florida's Advanced Information Technology course (9007610). The skills map in the lesson shows which standards each day teaches.