Lesson Plan

Evaluating Information and Sources Critically

Grade Level: 6-12

Length: 30-45 minutes

DE Domain: CB SD VAR

  • Evaluating information and sources critically.
  • Identifying logical fallacies and biases in reasoning.

Students will develop crucial skills in evaluating and analyzing information sources, enabling them to distinguish reliable from unreliable content and recognize potential biases. Through hands-on practice with real-world examples and news sources, they will learn to apply critical thinking strategies that will help them make better-informed decisions in their academic work and daily lives.

CB.1- Identify cognitive biases and heuristics and the role they play in our decision-making and our views of the world.

SD.4- Gather and analyze information from multiple sources to evaluate decision options.

VAR.4- Recognize, practice, and demonstrate a truth-seeking mindset.

VAR.8- Apply scientific reasoning to problem solving and decision-making.

Lesson:

Engage (5 minutes):

  • Draw a line across the whiteboard, dividing it into two sections: “Reliable” and “Unreliable.”
  • Briefly describe a scenario or topic relevant to the students (e.g., climate change, health advice, a recent news event).
  • Present two contrasting sources—one reliable and one unreliable—related to the scenario.
  • Ask the students to collectively decide which section each source belongs to by “pulling” it to the appropriate side of the line.
  • After the sources are placed on the board, ask the students why they made their choices.
  • Highlight the importance of critically evaluating sources and explain that in real life, it’s not always as easy to distinguish reliable from unreliable information.

Apply (20 minutes):

Activity:  Where do you get your news?  (20 Minutes)

Reflect (10 minutes):

Read the attached Article

Discussion:

  • Did any of the information from the article surprise you?
  • Do you agree with the article’s findings?

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