It looks like you've learned that it is important to evaulate websites, and that a rubric can help you do that.  If you don't like the rubric in your textbook, you found another that you could use--and more importantly, that your students can use--and posted it in your discussion.  

There is a new strand in the Sunshine State Standards called information literacy, and it has to do with finding, evaluating, and using information.  Although it falls under language arts, you can see how important it is in all subject areas.  There's great stuff out there--and not so great stuff, too!  In order to help students become information literate, you need to be sure that you have information skills, too!

Many of you pointed out that ads can be distracting and misleading on websites.  A survey of ADULTS indicated that many can't tell ads from real info, so again, it's important that we teach students to tell the difference.  And you're right, even on a page with good information, ads can lead them to some places you probably would prefer they not visit.

The first two sites you were asked to evaluate were real websites that could have some potential for students.  The third site was a hoax--designed only to fool you.  And it fooled a lot of you!!  To review, here are those sites some of the sites you reviewed.  Click on them to see clues to the fact that they are hoaxes!  (These links may take you to annotated sites, not the original sites using the Awesome Highlighter, a handy tool for this!)

• Facts About the Civil War

One of your classmates got it and described the clues she found.   She said, " Well, the first thing I did was to Google Scheisthaus University. Needless to say, all of the results I got in return were, “Don’t be Fooled,” or “Preparing for College.”  Also, the URL was quite funny and raised another red flag for the website. I was quite put off by the way the website was set up, mostly because it was all text with one image. The only semblance of an author and credit was at the bottom with the “author,” Dr. Eunich Sweeney. And also, as an adult who has gone through years of formal history lessons, it is with great ease that I can identify the clearly false information! However, I can see how children would easily be duped into using this. That’s why it is the teacher’s job to provide legitimate websites."

Check these sites to see some of the clues highlighted there:

• Google Technology
• Drivers' License Search  (check the image and address on the driver's license you find! Plus all the ads on the page....Plus the Gotcha!  You didn't really think it was serious, did you? Some of you did!!)

• General Delivery University  (America's Diploma Mill?)
• Facts About Beluga Whales
• Dog Island

Very few of  you evaluated these, so you might try your hand at finding the clues:

• Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie
• RYT Hospital
• First Genetics
• Golf Cross

Now that you know you sometimes have to be super-critical, there is a chance to get extra credit for finding the clues in a hoax website.  Find the info in the class blog.