Title: HEALTH ON THE WEB--INFORMATION &EVALUATION(HOWIE)

Grade: 8th   Subject: Health/information skills   Class: Health   Duration: 120 minutes

Purpose
Purpose: Working in teams, students will use a variety of web search techniques and strategies to research in detail a controversial health topic. They will develop techniques to evaluate the information they find on this topic. One student will look for information supporting one side of the argument, and the other will look for information supporting the other side of the argument. They will present their findings to the class and attempt to convince the class of €their€ side€s accuracy. Students will realize that often there is no easily discernable €right€ and €wrong€ side to many health issues. They will realize that there is a vast amount of misinformation on the web, and that they need the tools to evaluate what they find.

Objective
Objectives: As a result of this learning experience, the students will be able to:
€ recognize the varying purposes behind the existence of web pages
€ compare some of the various types of web pages (commercial, government, educational, personal) and explain the purposes of each
€ apply effective web-searching strategies to locate desired information about a specific health issue
€ assess the quality of information found on web pages
€ debate with a partner the validity of a position on a health issue, using a PowerPoint presentation to give results of research
€ make a reasoned judgment on the value of various health claims found on the World Wide Web
€ use information in web pages to make informed, logical choices about health care

Materials

1. Computer Lab with Internet access for each student
   
2. PowerPoint and Word Software
   
3. Inspiration Software
   

Procedures

1. € Media specialist and teacher introduce project
   
2. € Media specialist instructs students on use of search engines and evaluation of web pages, and reviews how to properly cite sources of information.
   
3. € In pairs, students draw for topics from a pre-selected list
   
4. € Students begin to research their health topic in detail, using a variety of search techniques and strategies, and take notes in Word or Inspiration
   
5. € One student searches for web pages supporting one side of the question, and one looks for information the other side. (For example: €Yes, for public health€s sake, all children should be vaccinated.€ Or €No, vaccinations are dangerous and parents should decide if their children should be vaccinated.€)
   
6. € The pair produces a PowerPoint presentation for the class, presenting their findings. This is like a debate, point and counter-point. The presentation will include a bibliography citing their sources of information.
   
7. € After presenting, the students share with the class what conclusion they have drawn from their research about the issue. (They might not be able to reach a conclusion! This is part of the learning process.)
   

Questions

1. What factors motivates people or organizations to post health-related information on the web?
   
2. What techniques can be used to evaluate information found on web pages?
   
3. Can we always arrive at a definitive answer for health questions?
   

Extensions

1. This project takes place at the beginning of the year, When I begin, the 8th graders have not yet had any work with debate, especially the concept of defending a position with which one may not personally agree. At about the same time, students in American history class are being introduced to debate by their teacher, who likes to use debate through out the year and coaches a debate team.
   He will coordinate with me and do his debate instructing when I begin this health project, and help out any students needing extra assistance with the debate component. (The students in the health and history classes are the same.)
   
   
2. I would also like the science teacher to also discuss in his classes the concepts of how scientists do research and the scientific procedure. This would help students analyze and interpret claims they will find on many web pages promoting any number of health claims.
   

Links

• The Skeptic's Dictionary
  http://skepdic.com
  Definitions of many health terms commonly bandied around on the Interent
  
• QuackWatch
  http://www.quackwatch.org
  Information and links about many health topics.
  
• Nutrition Watch
  http://www.nutriwatch.org
  Information and links about many food and nutrition topics.
  
• Dental Watch
  http://www.dentalwatch.org
  Information and links about many dental health issues.
  
• Health Care Reality Check
  http://hcrc.org/faqs/claims.html
  "Do you really believe that? Take a reality check!"
  
  
• The Dictionary of Metaphysical Health
  http://www.hcrc.org/diction/dict.html
  Definitions of many health terms.
  
• American Council on Science and Health
  http://www.acsh.org/food/index.html
  Explanations of many health controversies.
  

Vocabulary

• abstract:  
  
• accuracy:  
  
• affiliation:  
  
• authority:  
  
• bias:  
  
• boolean terms:  
  
• broader term:  
  
• catalog:  
  
• citation:  
  
• credentials:  
  
• currency:  
  
• database:  
  
• directory:  
  
• domain:  
  
• editor:  
  
• evaluate:  
  
• field:  
  
• full text:  
  
• gateway site:  
  
• header and footer:  
  
• inflammatory:  
  
• journal:  
  
• metasearch engine:  
  
• narrower term:  
  
• objective:  
  
• peer-reviewed:  
  
• periodical index:  
  
• popular:  
  
• plagiarism:  
  
• record:  
  
• reviewer:  
  
• scholarly:  
  
• search engine:  
  
• sensational:  
  
• synonym:  
  
• tilde:  
  
• uniform resource locator:  
  

Standards

1. Health  8  
   McREL Health standard #1 Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information
   Benchmarks: (grades 6-8)
   € Knows the costs and validity of common health products, services, and information
   € Knows how to locate and use community health information, products, and services that provide valid health information
   
   
2. Health  8  
   McREL Health Standard # 7 Knows how to maintain and promote personal health
   Benchmarks:
   € Knows that making health-related decisions and setting health goals sometimes requires asking for assistance
   € Understands how changing information, abilities, priorities, and responsibilities influence personal health goal
   
   
3. Language Arts  8  
   McRel Language Arts Standard #4 Determines the appropriateness of an information source for a research topic
   Benchmarks:
   € Gathers and uses information for research purposes
   € Uses appropriate methods to cite and document reference sources (e.g., footnotes, bibliography)
   € Writes research papers (e.g., separates information into major components based on a set of criteria, examines critical relationships between and among elements of a research topic, addresses different perspectives on a topic, achieves balance between research information and original ideas, integrates a variety of information into a whole, draws conclusions)
   
   
4. Language Arts  8  
   McRel Language Arts Standard #8 Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
   Benchmarks:
   € Makes oral presentations to the class (e.g., uses notes and outlines; uses organizational pattern that includes preview, introduction, body, transitions, conclusion; and point of view; uses evidence and arguments to support opinions; uses visual media)
   € Evaluates strategies used by speakers in oral presentations (e.g., persuasive techniques, verbal messages supported by nonverbal techniques, effect of word choice, use of slanted or biased material)
   € Listens in order to understand topic, purpose, and perspective in spoken texts (e.g., of a guest speaker, of an informational video, of a televised interview, of radio news programs)
   € Conveys a clear main point when speaking to others and stays on the topic being discussed
   
   
5. Information Literacy  8  
   Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.
   Descriptor b. recognizes that accurate and comprehensive information is the basis for intelligent decision making.
   8th Grade Benchmark: Explains the differences between accurate and inaccurate information and complete and incomplete information for decision-making
   
   
6. Information Literacy   8  
   Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.
   Descriptor b: Distinguishes among fact, point of view, and opinion
   8th Grade Benchmark: Explains how fact, point of view, and opinion are different from one another.
   Descriptor c: Identifies inaccurate and misleading information.
   8th Grade Benchmark: Explains why inaccurate and misleading information can lead to faulty conclusions
   
   
7. Information Literacy  8  
   Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.
   Descriptor d: Produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats.
   8th Grade Benchmark: Chooses an appropriate format for presenting information based on the information itself, the audience, and the nature of the information problem or question.
   
   

Technology
Technology used:
The World Wide Web as a source of information
The WWW is rapidly becoming the most frequently used source of health information. While the web has is a great deal of excellent information, there is also a great deal of misinformation as well. To be informed, students (and adults) need to develop skills to evaluate information found on web pages.
Inspiration software to take notes and organize thinking
Inspiration is an excellent tool for organizing thoughts and notes. Webs can be easily converted into outlines, and material arranged however needed.
PowerPoint to share the results of research with the class
PowerPoint will be used in order that students can effectively share the results of their research with their classmates and even with the community via the Internet.
PowerPoint is the most widely used presentation software, and is used extensively at the high school that these students will be attending next year. Having some experience with it in 8th grade will make them even more proficient for next year. I feel that PowerPoint presentations shown through a video projector will be a great improvement over students standing in front of the class with a piece of poster paper on which they have hand written research results.

Credits

• Cathy Conway
  Mid-Prairie Middle School
  Kalona, Iowa 52356
  319-656-2241 cconway@mid-prairie.k12.ia.us