Extensions

In this extension, you will insert a footnote in an article to cite a source.

A "footnote" is a clarifying piece of information located at the bottom of a document.

When you use other people's work for a report, essay, or other project, it's important to give them credit and tell the reader where you got your information.

Giving credit to your sources demonstrates that you are a responsible author because you: respect others for their ideas or words, do legitimate research and use accurate information, and allow your reader to track down and consult the sources you used.

To give credit to a source, include a citation.

A "citation" is a reference to the source of your information.

It allows readers to fact-check or find out more about the information you used.

There are different styles of citations, but they all contain the same basic information — who the author and publisher are, when the piece of content was written, and what its title is.

Ask your teacher if they want you to use a specific style.

To add a citation in a footnote, you will: select a piece of information in the article that does not have a citation, search online to find a credible source for the information, and insert a footnote to cite your source.

To begin, open your document from the main lesson.

The article you chose may or may not have any citations.

If there are no citations, it's impossible to know where the information came from or if it's accurate.

To investigate the accuracy of the information in the article, choose one sentence in the article you would like to verify.

You will verify this information by searching online for supporting evidence.

Search online for sources that validate this information.

If you can find one, confirm that the source is credible.

You can use the five "W" questions to help you evaluate the credibility of your source.

If you cannot find a source, it's possible that the piece of information is not credible.

Choose something different from the article, and look for a credible source online.

Once you find a source, insert a footnote in your article.

Include who wrote the article, what the title is, when you accessed the article, and where you found it online.

Good job! Now, if your reader wants to see the source of the information, or consult it to do their own research your footnote tells them how to find it.

Now, it's your turn: choose a piece of information in your article from the main lesson, find a credible source to support the information, and insert a footnote.

In this extension, you will design a poster using Google Drawings to teach others how to evaluate the credibility of online content by asking key questions.

Creating a poster is an effective way to share information visually, which enables people to read and understand your message quickly.

A poster that explains how to evaluate credibility can be a convenient reference guide for you.

As you create your poster in Google Drawings, you will: type five "W" questions, and choose at least two additional elements, such as lines, background color, or an image.

To begin, open a new browser tab and go to Google Drive.

Then, create a new drawing.

Name your drawing.

Add a textbox and give your poster a title.

Align the text.

Next, search for five images that visually represent the five "W" questions.

For example, you can search for images of people for the first "W" question: Who wrote the article?

You can use Google search to find your images.

Search for the image and make sure you have the right to use the image.

Resize and move the image until it fits on your poster.

Repeat this process for the remaining images.

Then, create five text boxes to indicate the "W" question the image represents.

Change at least two elements of your poster.

For example, you may want to: change the font style or color, choose a background color, crop your images into shapes.

Great work! If you have time, continue to change design elements on your poster to create your own masterpiece.

Hang your poster near your computer or somewhere in your classroom to remind people how to evaluate sources for credibility! Now, it's your turn: open a new drawing, name it, add five images, add text to your poster, and change at least two design elements.

In this extension, you will use Google News to find credible articles about current events.

You can see different kinds of news and video stories on Google News.

The order of articles and videos in Google News, and in some sections like "For You", are generated by a computer based on things you've done with your Google account, like articles you've clicked on before or searches you've made.

It's important to know about what's going on in the world around you and to learn about current events at the local, national, and global levels.

It's also important to get your news from credible sources.

This way, you can form knowledgeable opinions and make informed judgements about issues that affect your community, your country, and your planet.

To learn more about current events, you will: use Google News to find a credible news article, insert a link to the article in your document, and write two or three sentences about the news reported in the article.

To begin, open Google Drive.

Create a new Google Doc and rename it.

Write a title at the top of your document.

Open a new browser tab and go to "news.google.com" to check the latest headlines.

Google News collects news from around the world.

Its webpage has a menu that allows you to sort news based upon: popularity, scope, or topic.

You can use this menu to help you find news articles that you're interested in.

Remember to choose only credible articles.

You can use the five "W" questions to help you evaluate credibility.

Search for a news article from local, national, or international news.

After you choose a news article, write its title in your document.

Next, insert a link to the article.

Read your article and write two or three sentences summarizing the news it reports and why it's important to know about.

Good work! You're now more informed about current events! Keep investigating the world around you using credible news sources.

Now, it's your turn: open a new document, use Google News to find a credible news article, insert a link to the article in your document, and write two or three sentences summarizing the article.