Why is it important to check when a source was written?

Older articles may be outdated or no longer relevant depending on the topic.

What does it mean to 'strike through' a source in your document, and why should you do it?

To 'strike through' a source means to cross it out with a line. You should do it to remember that you've already assessed the source and found it not credible, without completely deleting it.

Evaluating Historical Sources

6th Grade•80 minutes•2.Evaluate the Credibility of the Sources and Relevance of the Information to the Inquiry

Learning Objective

I can determine if a source is credible for historical research.

Key Concepts

When evaluating a source, it is important to determine who the author is and whether they are an expert in the field.

A website's URL can give clues about its credibility; for example, a URL ending in ".gov" indicates it is a government website, while ".edu" indicates it is an educational website.

To verify information, check if the facts are consistent with what you already know and see if you can confirm the content on at least three different sites.

Practice Questions

This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.

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1. Why is it important to evaluate the credibility of sources?

2. What is one clue you can look for in a web link (URL) to get an idea about the source's origin?

3. What should you do if an article makes claims that contradict something you already know to be true?

...and 9 more questions

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Assess Source Credibility

Google's Applied Digital Skills

Learning Objective

Key Concepts

Practice Questions

Educational Video

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