Courseversity

Source credibility

Primary EducationGrade 6English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G06-ELA-U10-L0445–60 min

You will learn

  • Check the author.
  • Check the date.
  • Check purpose and bias.
  • Check evidence.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Who wrote it?
  2. Why was it written?
  3. When?
  4. What evidence is given?

Words to know

credibility
how trustworthy a source is
expertise
special knowledge in a field
currency
how up to date information is
bias
a one-sided leaning

1. Discover: Two pages about malaria

Page A is from a health ministry: it names doctors, cites studies and was updated last year. Page B is a blog by an anonymous author selling a “miracle cure”, with no references and an old date.

Page A has expertise, currency and evidence. Page B has bias (selling a product), no evidence and low credibility.

Biola uses the questions: Who wrote it? Why? When? What evidence?

Think: Which page would you trust?

2. Understand: Can I trust this source?

Idea 1: Check the author

Does the author have expertise?

Idea 2: Check purpose and date

Is there bias, such as selling something? Is the information current?

Idea 3: Check evidence

Does the source cite evidence?

Remember: Judge credibility by author expertise, purpose and bias, currency and evidence.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Credible

Which page is credible?

  1. A.

Answer: page a, from a health ministry

Example 2 (We do it together): Bias

What is Page B’s bias?

  1. Selling.

Answer: selling a miracle cure

Example 3 (You try): Questions

Name a question.

Show the steps and answer
  1. Who wrote it?

Answer: who wrote it or why or when or what evidence

Did you know?

Information that is old can be wrong, especially in health and technology.

Why this matters

Evaluating credibility protects you from misinformation.

4. Explore: Credibility check

Evaluate a source.

  1. Choose a source.
  2. Ask who, why, when.
  3. Check evidence.
  4. Rate it.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can judge credibility.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The author is ___.
  • The purpose is ___.
  • The date is ___.
  • The evidence is ___ so it is ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. How trustworthy a source is is its ___.

credibility

Question 2. Special knowledge is ___.

expertise

Question 3. How up to date information is is ___.

currency

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. How trustworthy a source is is its ___.
  2. Special knowledge is ___.
  3. How up to date information is is ___.
  4. A one-sided leaning is ___.
  5. Page B sold a miracle ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Who wrote Page A?
  2. What does Page B lack?
  3. What was Page B’s author?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is anonymous more credible?
  2. Should you check the date?
  3. Does evidence help credibility?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Evaluate two sources on one topic and say which is more credible.

Show a sample answer

an evaluation

Another one. Pick a claim from the internet with a family member and check the source’s credibility.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can check the author.
  • I can check the date.
  • I can check purpose and bias.
  • I can check evidence.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. Credibility is how ___ a source is.

2. Expertise is special ___.

3. Currency means how up to ___ it is.

4. Bias is a one-sided ___.

5. Page A is ___.

6. Page B’s bias is ___.

7. Which question checks the author?

8. Which question checks purpose?

9. What should reliable sources cite?

10. What about very old information?

11. What does an anonymous author lower?

12. Why check credibility?

Challenge 1. Which is more credible?

Challenge 2. Which shows bias?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Who wrote it?
  • Why was it written?
  • When?
  • What evidence is given?

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Evidence and unsupported claims. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. Define credibility. [1 mark]
  2. Name four questions to ask about a source. [4 marks]
  3. Why is Page B not credible? [2 marks]
  4. What is currency? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to evaluate a source. [3 marks]

Total: 11 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. how trustworthy a source is [1]
  2. who wrote it [1]; why was it written [1]; when [1]; what evidence [1]
  3. bias from selling a product [1]; no evidence or references [1]
  4. how up to date information is [1]
  5. check author expertise [1]; check purpose, bias and date [1]; check evidence [1]

Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. How trustworthy a source is is its ___.
  2. Special knowledge is ___.
  3. How up to date information is is ___.
  4. A one-sided leaning is ___.
  5. Page B sold a miracle ___.
  6. Who wrote Page A?
  7. What does Page B lack?
  8. What was Page B’s author?
  9. Is anonymous more credible?
  10. Should you check the date?

Homework

Pick a claim from the internet with a family member and check the source’s credibility.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. How trustworthy a source is is its ___. credibility 1
2. Special knowledge is ___. expertise 1
3. How up to date information is is ___. currency 1
4. A one-sided leaning is ___. bias 1
5. Page B sold a miracle ___. cure 1
6. Who wrote Page A? a health ministry 1
7. What does Page B lack? references or evidence 1
8. What was Page B’s author? anonymous 1
9. Is anonymous more credible? no 1
10. Should you check the date? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 credibility; 2 expertise; 3 currency; 4 bias; 5 cure. Level 2: 1 a health ministry; 2 references or evidence; 3 anonymous. Level 3: 1 no; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Check the author Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Check the date Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Check purpose and bias Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Check evidence Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: check the author; check the date; check purpose and bias; check evidence.

Prerequisite knowledge. Reliable sources.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 11-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 6 » Writing; Grade 6 » Reading: Informational Text; Grade 6 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core W.6.8 (assess the credibility of each source); Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (evaluating sources). These sources informed the lesson.

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