Think Before You Share?

rflint

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Fact or Fiction?

Students will be able to apply critical thinking strategies to evaluate the credibility and bias of academic and non-academic sources, fostering responsible digital citizenship and academic integrity.

In both academic and daily life, accurately evaluating information is essential. This lesson focuses on applying critical analysis to academic resources to ensure credible research and informed decision-making.

Audience

12th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, slide presentation, and a quick individual reflection with an academic focus.

Materials

Slide Deck: Think Before You Share?, Warm Up: Academic Fact or Fiction?, Cool Down: Academic Critical Thinking Checklist, and Discussion Guide: Analyzing Academic Information

Prep

Review Materials

10 minutes

Review the Slide Deck: Think Before You Share? to familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the Warm Up: Academic Fact or Fiction? (one per student) if distributing physically.
- Print copies of the Cool Down: Academic Critical Thinking Checklist (one per student) if distributing physically.
- Familiarize yourself with the Discussion Guide: Analyzing Academic Information to facilitate class interaction.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Academic Fact or Fiction? (5 minutes)

5 minutes

Distribute the Warm Up: Academic Fact or Fiction? to students.
- Instruct students to quickly read the statements and determine if they are fact or fiction, providing a brief reason, specifically considering an academic context.
- After 3 minutes, briefly discuss a few student responses to prime their thinking about evaluating academic information.

Step 2

Introduction and Slide Presentation (10 minutes)

10 minutes

Use the Slide Deck: Think Before You Share? to introduce the lesson.
- Go through slides covering: The importance of critical thinking in academics, the challenge of unreliable sources, and key strategies for analyzing information (Source, Evidence, Logic, Consistency, Corroboration – SELC+C), with examples relevant to academic research.
- Engage students with questions from the slides and encourage brief contributions.

Step 3

Guided Discussion: Analyzing Academic Information (10 minutes)

10 minutes

Transition to the Discussion Guide: Analyzing Academic Information.
- Facilitate a class discussion using the prompts provided, encouraging students to share their experiences and thoughts on verifying information they encounter for school projects and research.
- Emphasize the importance of academic integrity and the consequences of using unreliable sources.

Step 4

Cool-Down: Academic Critical Thinking Checklist (5 minutes)

5 minutes

Distribute the Cool Down: Academic Critical Thinking Checklist.
- Ask students to reflect on the lesson and fill out the checklist, noting one key takeaway and one strategy they will use in their academic work.
- Collect the cool-downs as an exit ticket.

Slide Deck

Think Before You Share?

Navigating Academic Information

Welcome students and introduce the topic, framing it around academic success. Ask them to think about how much information they see daily, especially for school. Briefly review the warm-up activity's purpose.

Why Academic Critical Thinking Matters

Essential for credible research and strong academic work.
Helps you distinguish reliable scholarly sources from unreliable information.
Protects against unintentional plagiarism and improves the quality of your arguments.
Equips you to make informed decisions in essays, projects, and daily life.

Explain that critical thinking is paramount for academic success, ensuring their research is credible, and avoiding unintentional plagiarism or using flawed information.

The Challenge of Unreliable Academic Sources

Misinformation isn't just on social media; it can appear in research papers, websites, or even some published materials.
Using unreliable sources can weaken your arguments and impact your academic standing.
It's crucial to identify these to maintain academic integrity.

Discuss how easily misleading information can appear in academic-looking contexts (e.g., predatory journals, poorly researched websites). Ask for examples if students have encountered such sources for school.

Your Academic Critical Thinking Toolkit: SELC+C

How to analyze academic information before you use or share it:

Source
Evidence
Logic
Consistency
Corroboration

Introduce the SELC+C acronym, specifically emphasizing its application to academic research. Explain that these steps are vital for any paper or project.

1. Source: Who Published It?

Authority: Is the author/institution an expert in the field? Is the journal peer-reviewed?
Purpose: What is the source's goal? (To inform, persuade, conduct original research?)
Bias: Does the source have a particular viewpoint, funding source, or agenda that might influence its findings?

Focus on checking author credentials, publication type (peer-reviewed journal vs. blog), and the potential biases of academic institutions or authors.

2. Evidence: What's the Academic Proof?

Data & Methodology: Are there clear, verifiable facts, data, statistics, or sound research methodology presented?
Claims: Are academic claims supported by strong, relevant empirical evidence or logical reasoning?
Appeals: Does the research rely on emotional appeals or anecdotal evidence rather than robust data?

Discuss how to evaluate methodology, data presentation, and the strength of arguments in academic papers. Distinguish between empirical evidence and theoretical claims.

3. Logic: Does the Argument Hold Up?

Reasoning: Is the argument presented logically and coherently within the academic framework?
Flaws: Are there any logical fallacies, contradictions, or unsupported leaps in conclusion?
Plausibility: Does the information align with established academic knowledge or present a compelling new perspective?

Explain that even in academic contexts, arguments need to be logically sound. Look for fallacies in reasoning or unsupported conclusions.

4. Consistency: Does it Align with Scholarship?

Internal Consistency: Is the information consistent within the research paper itself (e.g., methods match conclusions)?
External Consistency: Does it align with findings from other peer-reviewed studies or reputable academic texts?
Updates: Is the research current, or has it been superseded by newer findings?

Emphasize looking for consistency within a research paper and across other reputable academic sources. If a finding is isolated, it needs more scrutiny.

5. Corroboration: Check Multiple Academic Sources!

Cross-reference: Can you find the same information or similar findings reported by several independent, credible academic sources?
Diverse Perspectives: Look for a variety of peer-reviewed research to get a full and balanced academic picture.

Highlight that corroborating information from multiple independent, peer-reviewed sources is the strongest way to verify academic claims. Think of it like building a robust literature review.

Be an Academic Critical Thinker!

Don't take any source at face value, especially for academic work.
Question everything; apply the SELC+C toolkit rigorously.
Ensure your research is solid, credible, and academically sound.
Your academic reputation depends on it!

Summarize the main idea: be proactive and questioning in your academic pursuits. Encourage students to adopt a habit of critical thinking for all their schoolwork.

Your Academic Turn!

Complete your Academic Critical Thinking Checklist. How will you apply these skills in your next assignment?

Encourage students to use the Cool Down to reflect on what they learned and how they will apply it to their academic studies.

Warm Up

Academic Fact or Fiction? Warm Up

Instructions: Read each statement below, imagining you encountered it while researching for a school project. Decide if you think it's a Fact or Fiction, and briefly explain why you think so, considering its academic credibility. There are no wrong answers here, just your initial thoughts!

Statement: "A study published on a personal blog claims that eating chocolate daily significantly boosts IQ by 50 points."
Fact or Fiction?
Why?
Statement: "A university research paper, peer-reviewed and published in a recognized scientific journal, discusses the long-term impacts of climate change on specific ecosystems."
Fact or Fiction?
Why?
Statement: "An encyclopedia entry from 1995 states that Pluto is definitely the ninth planet in our solar system."
Fact or Fiction?
Why?
Statement: "A news article, dated last week, cites an anonymous source to claim a major historical event happened entirely differently than widely accepted textbooks teach."
Fact or Fiction?
Why?

Cool Down

Academic Critical Thinking Checklist Cool Down

Instructions: Reflect on today's lesson. Please answer the following questions to wrap up our discussion about academic critical thinking.

What is one new thing you learned about evaluating academic information or sources?
Which part of the SELC+C framework (Source, Evidence, Logic, Consistency, Corroboration) do you think is most important for you personally to remember when working on school assignments?
Name one specific strategy you will use next time you encounter information for an academic project or paper before you decide to include it.

Discussion

Analyzing Academic Information Discussion Guide

Objective: To encourage students to apply critical thinking skills specifically to academic resources and discuss the implications of misinformation in scholarly work.

Discussion Prompts:

Opening Question: What are some common places where you typically find information for school assignments (e.g., library databases, Google Scholar, Wikipedia, general web searches, AI tools)? How often do you pause to think about the academic credibility of that information before you use it?
Identifying Unreliable Sources: Can you recall a time when you used a source for a school project that you later realized might have been unreliable, biased, or outdated? What happened, and how did you identify the issue?
The Impact of Academic Misinformation: Why is it especially important to critically analyze information before you cite it or incorporate it into your academic work? What could be the potential consequences of using unreliable sources in essays, research papers, or presentations?
Applying SELC+C in Academics: Let's think about a hypothetical academic scenario: You're researching for a science fair project and find a research paper online that makes an extraordinary claim about a new scientific breakthrough. Using our SELC+C toolkit, what's the very first thing you would check? What would be the next step?
- Source: Who are the authors? What institution are they affiliated with? Is it published in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal or a predatory one?
- Evidence: Does the paper present clear methodology, data, and statistical analysis? Or is it based on weak claims or anecdotal evidence?
- Logic: Do the conclusions logically follow from the data presented? Are there any logical fallacies in their arguments?
- Consistency: Do other credible academic sources report similar findings? Is this an isolated claim?
- Corroboration: Can you find other independent, peer-reviewed studies that support or refute this breakthrough claim?
Personal Responsibility & Academic Integrity: What role do students play in upholding academic integrity by carefully evaluating their sources? How can we encourage our peers to think more critically about the academic resources they use?
Challenges & Solutions for Academic Research: What are some challenges to being a critical thinker when conducting academic research in today's digital age? What are some practical tips or habits you can develop to overcome these challenges and ensure your academic work is always based on credible information?

Think Before You Share?

rflint

Tier 1

For Schools

Lesson Plan

Fact or Fiction?

Audience

12th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, slide presentation, and a quick individual reflection with an academic focus.

Materials

Slide Deck: Think Before You Share?, Warm Up: Academic Fact or Fiction?, Cool Down: Academic Critical Thinking Checklist, and Discussion Guide: Analyzing Academic Information

Prep

Review Materials

10 minutes

Review the Slide Deck: Think Before You Share? to familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the Warm Up: Academic Fact or Fiction? (one per student) if distributing physically.
- Print copies of the Cool Down: Academic Critical Thinking Checklist (one per student) if distributing physically.
- Familiarize yourself with the Discussion Guide: Analyzing Academic Information to facilitate class interaction.

Step 1

Warm-Up: Academic Fact or Fiction? (5 minutes)

5 minutes

Distribute the Warm Up: Academic Fact or Fiction? to students.
- Instruct students to quickly read the statements and determine if they are fact or fiction, providing a brief reason, specifically considering an academic context.
- After 3 minutes, briefly discuss a few student responses to prime their thinking about evaluating academic information.

Step 2

Introduction and Slide Presentation (10 minutes)

10 minutes

Use the Slide Deck: Think Before You Share? to introduce the lesson.
- Go through slides covering: The importance of critical thinking in academics, the challenge of unreliable sources, and key strategies for analyzing information (Source, Evidence, Logic, Consistency, Corroboration – SELC+C), with examples relevant to academic research.
- Engage students with questions from the slides and encourage brief contributions.

Step 3

Guided Discussion: Analyzing Academic Information (10 minutes)

10 minutes

Transition to the Discussion Guide: Analyzing Academic Information.
- Facilitate a class discussion using the prompts provided, encouraging students to share their experiences and thoughts on verifying information they encounter for school projects and research.
- Emphasize the importance of academic integrity and the consequences of using unreliable sources.

Step 4

Cool-Down: Academic Critical Thinking Checklist (5 minutes)

5 minutes

Distribute the Cool Down: Academic Critical Thinking Checklist.
- Ask students to reflect on the lesson and fill out the checklist, noting one key takeaway and one strategy they will use in their academic work.
- Collect the cool-downs as an exit ticket.

Slide Deck

Think Before You Share?

Navigating Academic Information

Why Academic Critical Thinking Matters

Essential for credible research and strong academic work.
Helps you distinguish reliable scholarly sources from unreliable information.
Protects against unintentional plagiarism and improves the quality of your arguments.
Equips you to make informed decisions in essays, projects, and daily life.

Explain that critical thinking is paramount for academic success, ensuring their research is credible, and avoiding unintentional plagiarism or using flawed information.

The Challenge of Unreliable Academic Sources

Misinformation isn't just on social media; it can appear in research papers, websites, or even some published materials.
Using unreliable sources can weaken your arguments and impact your academic standing.
It's crucial to identify these to maintain academic integrity.

Your Academic Critical Thinking Toolkit: SELC+C

How to analyze academic information before you use or share it:

Source
Evidence
Logic
Consistency
Corroboration

Introduce the SELC+C acronym, specifically emphasizing its application to academic research. Explain that these steps are vital for any paper or project.

1. Source: Who Published It?

Authority: Is the author/institution an expert in the field? Is the journal peer-reviewed?
Purpose: What is the source's goal? (To inform, persuade, conduct original research?)
Bias: Does the source have a particular viewpoint, funding source, or agenda that might influence its findings?

Focus on checking author credentials, publication type (peer-reviewed journal vs. blog), and the potential biases of academic institutions or authors.

2. Evidence: What's the Academic Proof?

Data & Methodology: Are there clear, verifiable facts, data, statistics, or sound research methodology presented?
Claims: Are academic claims supported by strong, relevant empirical evidence or logical reasoning?
Appeals: Does the research rely on emotional appeals or anecdotal evidence rather than robust data?

Discuss how to evaluate methodology, data presentation, and the strength of arguments in academic papers. Distinguish between empirical evidence and theoretical claims.

3. Logic: Does the Argument Hold Up?

Reasoning: Is the argument presented logically and coherently within the academic framework?
Flaws: Are there any logical fallacies, contradictions, or unsupported leaps in conclusion?
Plausibility: Does the information align with established academic knowledge or present a compelling new perspective?

Explain that even in academic contexts, arguments need to be logically sound. Look for fallacies in reasoning or unsupported conclusions.

4. Consistency: Does it Align with Scholarship?

Internal Consistency: Is the information consistent within the research paper itself (e.g., methods match conclusions)?
External Consistency: Does it align with findings from other peer-reviewed studies or reputable academic texts?
Updates: Is the research current, or has it been superseded by newer findings?

Emphasize looking for consistency within a research paper and across other reputable academic sources. If a finding is isolated, it needs more scrutiny.

5. Corroboration: Check Multiple Academic Sources!

Cross-reference: Can you find the same information or similar findings reported by several independent, credible academic sources?
Diverse Perspectives: Look for a variety of peer-reviewed research to get a full and balanced academic picture.

Highlight that corroborating information from multiple independent, peer-reviewed sources is the strongest way to verify academic claims. Think of it like building a robust literature review.

Be an Academic Critical Thinker!

Don't take any source at face value, especially for academic work.
Question everything; apply the SELC+C toolkit rigorously.
Ensure your research is solid, credible, and academically sound.
Your academic reputation depends on it!

Summarize the main idea: be proactive and questioning in your academic pursuits. Encourage students to adopt a habit of critical thinking for all their schoolwork.

Your Academic Turn!

Complete your Academic Critical Thinking Checklist. How will you apply these skills in your next assignment?

Encourage students to use the Cool Down to reflect on what they learned and how they will apply it to their academic studies.

Warm Up

Academic Fact or Fiction? Warm Up

Statement: "A study published on a personal blog claims that eating chocolate daily significantly boosts IQ by 50 points."
Fact or Fiction?
Why?
Statement: "A university research paper, peer-reviewed and published in a recognized scientific journal, discusses the long-term impacts of climate change on specific ecosystems."
Fact or Fiction?
Why?
Statement: "An encyclopedia entry from 1995 states that Pluto is definitely the ninth planet in our solar system."
Fact or Fiction?
Why?
Statement: "A news article, dated last week, cites an anonymous source to claim a major historical event happened entirely differently than widely accepted textbooks teach."
Fact or Fiction?
Why?

Cool Down

Academic Critical Thinking Checklist Cool Down

Instructions: Reflect on today's lesson. Please answer the following questions to wrap up our discussion about academic critical thinking.

What is one new thing you learned about evaluating academic information or sources?
Which part of the SELC+C framework (Source, Evidence, Logic, Consistency, Corroboration) do you think is most important for you personally to remember when working on school assignments?
Name one specific strategy you will use next time you encounter information for an academic project or paper before you decide to include it.

Discussion

Analyzing Academic Information Discussion Guide

Objective: To encourage students to apply critical thinking skills specifically to academic resources and discuss the implications of misinformation in scholarly work.

Discussion Prompts:

Opening Question: What are some common places where you typically find information for school assignments (e.g., library databases, Google Scholar, Wikipedia, general web searches, AI tools)? How often do you pause to think about the academic credibility of that information before you use it?
Identifying Unreliable Sources: Can you recall a time when you used a source for a school project that you later realized might have been unreliable, biased, or outdated? What happened, and how did you identify the issue?
The Impact of Academic Misinformation: Why is it especially important to critically analyze information before you cite it or incorporate it into your academic work? What could be the potential consequences of using unreliable sources in essays, research papers, or presentations?
Applying SELC+C in Academics: Let's think about a hypothetical academic scenario: You're researching for a science fair project and find a research paper online that makes an extraordinary claim about a new scientific breakthrough. Using our SELC+C toolkit, what's the very first thing you would check? What would be the next step?
- Source: Who are the authors? What institution are they affiliated with? Is it published in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal or a predatory one?
- Evidence: Does the paper present clear methodology, data, and statistical analysis? Or is it based on weak claims or anecdotal evidence?
- Logic: Do the conclusions logically follow from the data presented? Are there any logical fallacies in their arguments?
- Consistency: Do other credible academic sources report similar findings? Is this an isolated claim?
- Corroboration: Can you find other independent, peer-reviewed studies that support or refute this breakthrough claim?
Personal Responsibility & Academic Integrity: What role do students play in upholding academic integrity by carefully evaluating their sources? How can we encourage our peers to think more critically about the academic resources they use?
Challenges & Solutions for Academic Research: What are some challenges to being a critical thinker when conducting academic research in today's digital age? What are some practical tips or habits you can develop to overcome these challenges and ensure your academic work is always based on credible information?