This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Now more than ever students need to learn not only how to prepare themselves for college level research but also how to sift truth from falsehood / fake news from real news in their daily lives. Using a fun graphic novel / comic book style textbook, we will learn the benefits and the pitfalls of the information age – and how to navigate our way through it.
Total classes: 6
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: 1/2 semester credit Research Skills
Description
This course will foster critical analysis of information systems, algorithms, the SIFT method, how to spot propaganda and more. The goal is to teach students how to tell true information from false and biased information on the web, a skill they can apply both in college and for the rest of their lives.
Outline
The Process: Steps to Finding and Using the Right Information. Anytime. Anywhere.
How Information Is Organized and Found: The Basics
Journals and Databases
Searching the Open Web
Evaluating Your Sources
Using Information Ethically
Materials and Homework
Course materials: Information Now, Second Edition: A Graphic Guide to Student Research and Web Literacy. ISBN-13: 978-0226766119 / ISBN-10: 022676611X (https://amzn.to/3sPfYAE)
Homework: Weekly research assignments to be submitted and occasionally shared with the class. Plan on about two hours of homework each week.
