3 Evaluating Online Sources – The CRAAP Test

Lesson: Evaluating Online Resources – The CRAAP Test

Introduction

This lesson (50 minutes) focuses on evaluating content using the CRAAP test to identify unreliable or misleading information, misinformation, and fake information. While primarily intended for internet research, this strategy will also transfer to everyday life to assist students in assessing any information they encounter.

We recommend using all the videos in this lesson and have designed one lesson using all three videos. However, feel free to use the content as you see fit, or design your own demos and research questions for students to practice the CRAAP method with.

For this lesson, we are using a research style question “What are the benefits of organic food?” to demonstrate the CRAAP method. As stated previously in this resource book, we strive to keep content politically and socially neutral. In follow-up work or assignments, we highly encourage you to chose topics and subjects that suit the context of your classroom and students best.

We recommend introducing/reviewing the CRAAP analysis method prior to any assignment requiring students to find information using online sources. However, it would be beneficial for:

• ELA 10B problem-solution essay
• ELA 20 persuasive essay or editorial
• ELA B30 position paper
• ELA A30 editorial
• ELA A30 panel presentation
• ELA B30 debate

While our lessons focus on using the CRAAP analysis method for online research, the method could be used as a follow-up to viewing and listening activities. Students could use the CRAAP analysis method to evaluate the quality of the information post viewing/listening.

Target Audience

Grade 12, but this strategy could be introduced in grade 10 and reviewed in grade 11.

Learning Objectives

• Students will be able to identify and analyze explicit and implicit messages, viewpoints, and concepts
• Students will be able to identify the ways in which a text’s organizational structure and elements support or confound its purpose
• Students will be able to evaluate accuracy, credibility, logic, and usefulness of ideas and information presented
• Students will be able to monitor gathered information and assess for gaps or weaknesses
• Students will be able to identify reasonable conclusions based on the analysis and interpretation of information
• Students will use research tools and indicators of authority to determine the credibility of sources, understanding the elements that might temper this credibility

Time: The content is designed to be chunked into multiple small interactive videos which can be used in one instruction session (50 minute lesson) or expanded on into multiple lessons depending on the teachers’ individual plans.

Outcomes

This lesson supports the indicators of ELA outcome CC 10/20/30.4 and the knowledge practices of ACRL Frames Research as Inquiry and Authority is Constructed and Contextual.

Video 1: The CRAAP Method

Video Summary: This video [4:20 min] goes over the CRAAP method and evaluates a website on organic food benefits. This video has formative assessment style questions built in to encourage discussion among the students.

Note: This video contains interactive elements that feature video demos. When a pop-up element appears, please play the video before answering the question.

Video 2: The CRAAP Test in Action.

This second video [6:26 min] demonstrates the CRAAP test in action as we search for information about organic food.

Video 3:

In this third video [5:56 min], you can do the CRAAP test with us by completing the interactive elements in the video. We look at another site promoting an all organic diet and evaluate the information.

Activities:

The videos contain built in assessments that would measure understanding of the concepts relayed in the video. We encourage teachers to develop additional activities and assessment as they see fit. One activity to consider if this is tied to a research and writing project is to have students evaluate each source they used in their writing using the CRAAP method.