- The students will see how the Internet can be used for research and how it can be misused.
- The students will see that information posted on the Internet cannot always be regarded as true.
- Internet access
- Website: http://www.snopes.com/
- Navigate through the urban legends that this site proved both right and wrong, but don’t go to section marked “Lost Legends”.
- Explain how these short persuasive essays find many different sources to prove these legends.
- Show how every page has a bibliography on the bottom so one can check the information presented.
- Explain that for a research paper, only websites that contain a way to check the information presented should be used.
- Now, go to section of the website titled “Lost Legends”.
- Navigate this page to find out that Mister Ed was really a zebra and that Tarzana, CA was named after Tarzan.
- Click on the page’s links to check the information presented there.
- After a little investigation, you will find that everything listed on the page called “Lost Legends” is a complete lie (Yes, Mister Ed was really a horse).
- Explain to the students that even sites that contain a bibliography will not always be accurate. You MUST check the information on every website used because you may write in a paper that Mister Ed is really a zebra.
- For homework, have the students do some research on the Internet about the topic they will be writing the paper. Have the students write a paragraph that follows every step that they took in the research process.