Fake Websites that Teach Website Evaluation

[Pages:1]Fake Websites that Teach Website Evaluation

Students often believe that everything on the internet has been researched and documented. A great way to help them understand the need for evaluation of internet information is to have them visit some websites that are fakes by design. The facts of the fake websites can be easily researched by comparing them with facts found in printed material, film and legitimate websites. A few fun sites for students to explore are:

Save the Tree Octopus ? this is a spoof on endangered species and will be easy for the children to identify as a fake. treeoctopus/

Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie ?is another spoof that children will recognize. This site explains the importance of wearing a foil hat and how to make one. afdb/

Dihydrogen Monoxide ? this site warns about the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide (H20). Some adults have been fooled by this site so you may need to explain it to your students. Still it is a good example of how people can use scientific words to sound like real information.

Save the Guinea Worm ? is another spoof on endangered species. guineaworm/index.htm

Fake websites can provide a lively classroom discussion about how to evaluate the truth of a website.

What are the qualities of a reputable website? How do you find out who wrote the material on the website? What are the reviews of the website? How do you cite a website in a research paper? How do you find websites that are trustworthy?

Once you have begun the discussion on digital literacy your students will be better prepared to use the internet in their research projects and meet the goals of the Common Core.

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