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6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 10 of 12

Check the Source

Credible sources, AI tools and citing

What your child practices

Children practice judging whether a source is credible and accurate, reading laterally, checking text and images made by technology such as chatbots, narrowing research questions and citing sources.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 6.1.9.2; 6.2.7.1 · judging a source's credibility and relevance, and research questions

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. A credible source is written by someone who knows the topic and backs up claims.
  2. Read laterally: leave the page to see what other sources say about it.
  3. Chatbots and other tools can sound sure and still be wrong. Check their facts and cite your sources.

Example: What is lateral reading? Lateral means sideways. You go sideways to other sources to check one. Answer: leaving a page to see what other sources say about it

Check the Source in Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 10 of 12 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Text Forms & Features and before Media Techniques.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which website is most likely to be selling something rather than informing?

    • a public library site
    • a site whose main page is a store with “Buy now” buttons
    • an encyclopedia site
    • a science museum site

  2. Question 2

    A photo online shows a shark swimming on a flooded highway. What should you do before sharing?

    • assume it is real because it looks real
    • share it quickly
    • add a funny caption
    • check whether reliable news sources confirm it

  3. Question 3

    Which research question is open-ended and researchable?

    • How has plastic pollution affected sea turtles?
    • Are sea turtles cool?
    • Is the ocean blue?
    • Do I like turtles?

  4. Question 4

    A chatbot writes a paragraph for you about volcanoes. What is true about it?

    • it is a primary source
    • it never needs checking
    • it can sound confident and still be wrong
    • it is always correct

  5. Question 5

    What does “accurate” mean when judging information?

    • popular
    • correct and true to the facts
    • exciting to read
    • short

  6. Question 6

    Which is an example of content generated by technology?

    • a book written by a scientist
    • a photo you took yourself
    • a picture made by an image-making computer program
    • a letter written by your aunt

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