Teacher Commentary

I ask students to review the sources we have used in the unit and to consider whether or not they trust each one. They talk about this some, and then I ask, “What makes a source more trustworthy than other sources?” and from that discussion, we generate criteria for trustworthiness. For example, students typically say that sources that show both sides are more trustworthy than sources that only show one side of a conflict. Also, students will say that publications with stellar reputations, like the New York Times, are more trustworthy than less well-known sources.

Asking students to create criteria about trustworthiness creates opportunities for rich discussion because some students will bring up issues that are debatable, such as that eyewitnesses are more trustworthy than people who weren’t there. Coming up with a clear set of criteria ins’t really the point of the task. What is more important is that students have an opportunity to grapple with issues of trustworthiness.