What is Your Child Learning?
Eighth graders are learning to evaluate sources for reliability and credibility, identify bias in texts, and compare information across multiple sources. In today's digital world, this skill is essential for navigating news, social media, and research. Students learn to ask critical questions before believing or sharing information.
This is one of the most important real-world skills your child will develop - it helps them become informed citizens who can distinguish facts from misinformation.
Key Vocabulary
Credibility: Whether a source can be trusted and believed
Bias: A tendency to favor one perspective over others
Primary Source: Original, first-hand information (interviews, documents, photos)
Secondary Source: Analysis or interpretation of primary sources (textbooks, articles)
Corroboration: Confirming information by checking multiple sources
The CRAAP Test - Your Family's Source Evaluation Tool
- Currency: When was it published? Is it up to date?
- Relevance: Does it relate to the topic?
- Authority: Who wrote it? Are they qualified?
- Accuracy: Is it supported by evidence? Can it be verified?
- Purpose: Why was it written? To inform, sell, entertain, or persuade?
Activities to Try at Home
📰 News Source Comparison
When a major news story breaks:
- Find the same story from 2-3 different news sources
- Compare: What facts do all sources agree on?
- Ask: Does one source use more emotional language than others?
- Discuss: Why might different sources report the story differently?
- Practice identifying which details are facts vs. opinions
🌐 Website Evaluation Game
Practice evaluating websites together:
- Look at a website and apply the CRAAP test together
- Check: Who published it? (.com, .edu, .gov, .org?)
- Find: Is there an "About Us" page? Who are the authors?
- Investigate: Are sources cited? Can claims be verified elsewhere?
- Discuss: Would you trust this source for a school project? Why or why not?
📱 Social Media Fact-Check
When you see a surprising claim online:
- Don't share it yet! First, verify the information
- Search for the claim on fact-checking sites (Snopes, FactCheck.org)
- Ask: Who posted this? What's their source?
- Practice: Can you find 2 other reliable sources that confirm this?
- Discuss why false information spreads so quickly online
🔍 Bias Detective
Spot bias in everyday media:
- Watch a commercial together - what's the company trying to sell?
- Read a review online - could the reviewer have been paid?
- Find loaded words: "amazing," "terrible," "obviously," "everyone knows"
- Ask: What perspective is missing from this source?
🏠 Dinner Table Debates
Turn everyday topics into critical thinking practice:
- When discussing current events, ask "How do we know that's true?"
- Challenge claims with "What's your source for that?"
- Model good behavior: "I read this, but I should verify it"
- Celebrate skepticism: "Good question! Let's look that up together"
Parent Tip: Model Critical Thinking
Children learn by watching. When you encounter information, verbalize your thinking:
Example: "I saw this article claiming coffee cures headaches. But wait - it's from a coffee company's website. They have a reason to want us to believe this. Let me check if medical sources say the same thing."
This shows your child how to evaluate information in real life!
Questions to Practice Source Evaluation
- Authority: "Who wrote this? What makes them qualified?"
- Purpose: "Why did they write this? What do they want you to do?"
- Evidence: "What proof do they give? Can we verify it?"
- Bias check: "Are they only showing one side?"
- Corroboration: "Do other trusted sources say the same thing?"
- Currency: "When was this written? Is it still accurate?"
Why This Matters
In the digital age, misinformation spreads faster than ever. Teaching your child to evaluate sources helps them:
- Make informed decisions about health, safety, and purchases
- Avoid being tricked by scams or false claims
- Become responsible digital citizens who don't spread false information
- Succeed in school research and writing assignments
- Think critically about the information they encounter daily
Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)
Que esta aprendiendo su hijo? Los estudiantes de octavo grado aprenden a evaluar fuentes para determinar si son confiables, identificar sesgos en textos, y comparar informacion de multiples fuentes. Esta habilidad es esencial en el mundo digital de hoy.
La Prueba CRAAP:
- Actualidad: Cuando fue publicado?
- Relevancia: Se relaciona con el tema?
- Autoridad: Quien lo escribio? Es experto?
- Precision: Tiene evidencia? Se puede verificar?
- Proposito: Por que fue escrito? Para informar, vender, o persuadir?
Actividad en casa: Cuando vean noticias juntos, busquen la misma historia en 2-3 fuentes diferentes. Comparen que dicen y discutan las diferencias.
Preguntas para practicar:
- "Quien escribio esto y por que?"
- "Que prueba tienen para esta afirmacion?"
- "Dicen otras fuentes confiables lo mismo?"