9th Grade Understanding Sources Lesson Plan Example

Topic: Understanding Sources

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to locate relevant sources for a given research question.
• Students will be able to evaluate sources for credibility and bias.
• Students will be able to use text evidence to support their responses

Materials:

• Research question
• List of potential sources
• Text evidence from selected sources

Warm-up

• Ask students to brainstorm a list of sources they might use when researching a topic. Write their suggestions on the board.
• Then, ask students to narrow their list down to the 5-10 sources they think would be the most useful and relevant for a given research question.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of sources, explaining that a source is any material that is used to obtain information or evidence for a research project.
• Discuss the importance of evaluating sources for credibility and bias, and explain how to do this by considering the source's authority, accuracy, and purpose.
• Provide examples of different types of sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, statistics, and interviews.

Guided Practice:

• Divide students into small groups and provide each group with a set of sources related to a specific topic (e.g. climate change).
• Have students work together to identify the sources' credibility and bias, and explain why or why not.
• Ask for volunteers to share their findings with the class.

Independent Practice:

• Assign a project-based task in which students must locate and examine sources related to a specific topic of their choice (e.g. the benefits of physical activity).
• Have students present their findings to the class, using visual materials (e.g. posters) and/or verbal presentation (e.g. presentation software).

Closure

• Review the importance of evaluating the credibility and bias of sources.
• Encourage students to continue practicing this skill throughout their academic career.

Assessment

• Formative:
• Have students complete a worksheet with a series of source-based questions. The worksheet could include questions related to the source's credibility and bias, as well as the source's relevance to the topic and overall quality. Use the worksheet as an assessment of students' understanding of the concept of evaluating sources and their ability to apply that understanding in a practical context.
• Summative:
• Have students complete an assessment similar to the one completed during the formative assessment. The summative assessment could include one or two source-based questions related to a given topic, with a written response required. The assessment could also include a presentation or video-based project in which students demonstrate their ability to evaluate sources and use text evidence in support of their claims.