Resources

noun | Resources refers to the source material students utilize during the research process. These sources include both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are information gathered by the researcher from sources such as literary texts, art, historical documents, experiments, interviews, surveys, and experiments. Secondary sources consist of information or data gathered by or interpreted by other researchers.

Literacy Progression

Standard 6

Progression 

objectives in chronological order with shifts bolded

This objective introduces student to the resources they can use to gather information. Students begin to learn how to find information in various visual and text reference sources. They can use text and graphic features to help them navigate various reference resources.

At this level, students move from simply identifying visual and text reference resources to gleaning information from those sources. For example, students can now pull relevant information from a diagram or chart as well as find information from the text of an informational book. See objectives 2.6.R.2 and 2.4.R.5 for further reference.

3.6.R.3 Students will locate information in visual and text reference sources, electronic resources, and/or interviews.

3.6.R.4 Students will determine the relevance and reliability of the information for their specific topic of interest with guidance and support.

Relevance refers to whether information relates to the topic.

Reliability dictates that information is accurate, fair, and sound.

At this grade level, teachers may offer a variety of supports such as providing source information for students, conferencing with students during their research projects, and modeling appropriate research methods. 

Students were introduced to this standard in third grade with guidance and support from the teacher. At the fourth and fifth grade level, teacher support should be released as students independently determine the relevance and reliability of sources.

Students refer to the main idea or thesis of their paper when determining relevance of information. Does this information directly support my main idea or thesis? When students are determining the best source from a multiple choice list, they should be able to discern which source best supports the main idea.

Students learn to find the specific aspects of the source that proves its reliability: trustworthy source, author’s credentials listed, up to date, fair, balanced, no conflict of interest, listed sources, contact information, etc. Students should also learn to corroborate the information by finding the same facts using another source. (Source: Robert Harris, https://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm )

See standards: 4.6.R.1, 5.6.R.1, 4.6.R.2, 4.6.W.1, 5.6.W.2 for further reference. 

Students continue to check a source’s relevance to the topic of the paper they are writing. They can also examine a source for its reliability.

To determine validity, students should learn to to find the specific aspects of the source that proves its soundness: trustworthy source, author’s credentials listed, up to date, fair, balanced, no conflict of interest, listed sources, contact information, etc. Students should also learn to corroborate the information by finding the same facts using another source.

(Source: Robert Harris, https://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm)

Validity of sources boils down to whether the information is any good. In order to determine the validity, students can utilize the CRAAP test:

• Currency
• Relevance
• Authority
• Accuracy
• Purpose

The progression concerning to utilization of sources from eighth grade to the ninth grade focuses on the ability to not only determine viable resources, but evaluate chosen resources in more detail to create a better understanding of their usefulness.

The evaluation process includes the utilization of various methods to determine credibility/viability. Two examples of this type of evaluation are CRAAP and RAVEN. Students should be able to utilize these type of source tests to evaluate how sources can be utilized better in their research projects.