Website+Evaluation

Evaluating Websites Unit Overview:

Having so much information available on the Internet makes it hard to know where to even begin your research. In this unit, you will learn some simple ways to weed out websites that are not going to be very useful just by knowing how to look at the website domain.You will also learn how to evaluate websites with the use of a website evaluation checklist.Knowing how to evaluate websites using specific criteria will help you reduce the time you spend searching the Internet and provide you with quality search results. Anyone can have a website, this is why it is important to know how to evaluate websites.

Some websites contain reliable information, some contain questionable information and some are just plain hoaxes. By the end of this unit you will be able to tell which kind of website you are looking at, and decide whether or not it contains information that is useful to you.

This link on Evaluating Websites, by Leslie University contains explanations to any questions that you might have concerning the website evaluation checklist that you will be using for all the activities in this unit. Take some time to check it out, as it is a valuable resource. Be sure to spend some time learning about different domain names. This site has activities for the different criteria for evaluating websites to help you understand each criteria better.

Questions to ask yourself as you evaluate websites:
 * Objectivity (is the site biased towards someone or something; is it trying to sell something, is it trying to persuade you to believe something?, etc.)
 * Authority (who developed or sponsored this page? Do you know them? Do you trust them?)
 * Accuracy (is the information accurate?)
 * Currency (is the information up to date?)

Unit Learning Targets:
 * Know what criteria you should use when evaluating websites
 * Know how to use the website evaluation checklist
 * Know what a domain name is and how it can help you with your research
 * Students will understand the reasons websites are developed
 * Know how to evaluate the site for use as a reference.

Unit Tasks: Work with a partner or on your own to complete the activities in this unit. Work together to help each other locate information on the Website Evaluation Checklist.docx.

Unit Activities:


 * 1) **Activity 1:** Evaluate the "Coolmath" website. Complete the **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 14pt;">Website Evaluation Checklist.docx. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 14pt;">Click on the link for the "Coolmath" website: ** **<span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 14pt;">coolmathwebsit **
 * 2) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 14pt;">**Activity 2:** Website Evaluation Activity 2 directions: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 14pt;">**website_evaluation_activity2.docx**
 * 3) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Click on the link to access the Website Evaluation Checklist: **Website Evaluation Checklist.docx**. You will need to complete 2 website evaluation checklists

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 170%;">**Extra Credit:**
 * 1) <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; line-height: 24px;">Complete a Website Evaluation Checklist for each of the three remaining websites for Activity 2.
 * 2) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; line-height: 24px;"> **Detective Challenge** . Click on the link for the ** Detective_Challenge_Activit.docx ** and for the worksheet: **Dectective Challenge Worksheet.docx**