GoalSay why the internet is useful but its information must be checked, and follow the steps of online research.
New words
internet · a huge network that joins computers all over the worldsearch engine · a website that helps you find information when you type a questionreliable · something you can trust to be correctground truthing · finding out directly from people or from evidence you can see
Explanation
The internet brings information from all over the world, and it can also carry important messages. You can type a question into a search engine and get answers in seconds. But not every answer is correct. Anyone can put something on the internet, so we must check. Imagine Salma sees a fruit she does not know at a market. She could look it up with a grown-up. She then checks the answer in a second, reliable source, such as a school book or an expert’s report. And she can ask the seller or a farmer. Asking people or looking at the real thing is called ground truthing. A good researcher uses the internet and the real world together.
Ask a question→Search with a grown-up→Read more than one source→Check with an expert or a school book→Ask people or look for yourself→Share what you learned
Worked examples
Karim types a question about how deep the sea is. Two websites give different numbers. He does not guess. He checks a school book and asks his teacher.
Mina wants to learn about the camels in his town. He searches with his mother, then talks to a camel owner at the market. Talking to the owner is ground truthing.
The step after searching is “read more than one source”. If three reliable sources say the same thing, you can trust it more than if only one says it.
Class activity
Be a careful researcher. Choose one question, for example “How do bees make honey?”. With a grown-up, write which two reliable sources you could use (a school book, a teacher, a beekeeper). Write one person you could ask for ground truthing. Put your steps in order on a paper flow chart with arrows.
Practice
1
Why must we check information from the internet?
Anyone can put things on the internet, so some answers are wrong.
2
What is ground truthing?
Finding out directly from people or evidence you can see.
3
Put in order: (a) read more than one source, (b) ask a question, (c) search with a grown-up. Say the letters.
b, c, a.
4
Which source is more reliable for a school project: an expert’s report or a rumour?
