Best for
Source comparison, research preparation, media analysis, and any lesson where students need to justify why one source is more useful than another.
English / Social Sciences / Inquiry • Years 9-11 • Ready to use tomorrow
Evidence Evaluation Framework
Use this handout to help ākonga decide whether a source is strong enough to trust, quote, or build an argument from. The focus is not just “true or false”, but how evidence, perspective, authority, and omission work together.
Free source-checking scaffold, premium adaptation path
This handout is ready to print and use as-is. If you want a class-specific version built around a local issue, article pair, or current event, Te Wānanga can adapt the source set while keeping the evaluation frame intact.
- Swap in local environmental, social, or historical sources that matter to your ākonga.
- Generate junior or senior versions with lighter or heavier analytical language.
- Save the adapted version and reopen it later in My Kete or Creation Studio.
Kaiako planning snapshot
- Use length: 20-30 minutes for one source pair, or a full lesson if students compare multiple sources and justify a recommendation.
- Grouping: Whole-class modelling first, then pairs or small groups for comparison and independent justification.
- Prep: Bring two or three sources on the same topic with uneven quality so students can see why evidence judgement matters.
- Teaching move: Push students beyond “I trust this” toward “This source is stronger because…”
Resources already provided
- Source-checking prompts
- Evidence-strength rating frame
- Comparison and recommendation scaffold
- Aotearoa-context source prompts
- Self-check for discussion or writing
- Curriculum companion for planning/reporting
If the lesson asks students to compare sources or judge reliability, the key scaffold is already here so kaiako are not left creating a worksheet at the last minute.
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga / Learning Intentions
- We are learning how to judge whether evidence is strong, weak, or incomplete.
- We are learning how to identify authority, bias, relevance, and missing perspectives.
- We are learning how to justify why one source is more useful than another.
Paearu Angitu / Success Criteria
- I can explain who created a source and why that matters.
- I can identify at least one strength and one limitation in the evidence.
- I can justify which source I would trust more for a specific task.
Curriculum integration / Te Marautanga alignment
This handout works best when curriculum links are made explicit. Use the companion page for planning, moderation, and reporting around reading critically, evaluating information, and using evidence to support oral or written response.
Evaluating evidence in Aotearoa
In Aotearoa, evidence evaluation is not just about polished presentation or statistics. Students need to ask whose knowledge is being centred, whose voice is absent, and how mātauranga Māori, community expertise, and lived experience sit alongside formal reports and media texts.
Strong evidence judgement means asking not only “Is this accurate?” but also “Who benefits if this version of the story is accepted as the whole truth?”
Four evidence-checking questions
Who made this source?
Identify the person, organisation, or institution behind it and note what expertise or agenda they bring.
What evidence is actually used?
Look for data, quotations, examples, direct observation, or references rather than confident wording alone.
What is missing?
Ask whose perspective, context, or counter-example is absent from the source.
How useful is it for this task?
Judge the source in relation to the question you are actually trying to answer, not in the abstract.
Quick evidence rating frame
- Strong: Clear evidence, named source, relevant expertise, useful detail, and a perspective you can identify.
- Mixed: Some useful evidence, but gaps in detail, authority, or balance.
- Weak: Little evidence, sweeping claims, poor sourcing, or unclear purpose.
Source comparison scaffold
- Source A: ________________________________________________
- Source B: ________________________________________________
- Main claim in each: _____________________________________
- Evidence used: __________________________________________
- Strengths and gaps: _____________________________________
- Which source is more useful and why? ______________________
Sentence starters for discussion or writing
- This source is stronger because...
- The evidence is limited because...
- A missing perspective here is...
- For this task, I would trust Source ___ more because...
- To strengthen this source, I would want...
Self-check before I use a source
- I know who created the source and what perspective they may bring.
- I can identify what evidence is actually used.
- I have noticed at least one limitation, omission, or risk of bias.
- I can explain whether this source is useful for my purpose.
- I am not trusting it just because it sounds formal or confident.
Tautoko / Support
- Model one source with the class before students compare two independently.
- Reduce the scaffold to the four core questions for younger or less confident learners.
- Use sentence starters during pair discussion before asking for writing.
Whakawhānui / Extension
- Ask students to rank three sources for usefulness and justify the order.
- Have students redesign a weak source to make it stronger and more balanced.
- Ask learners to compare formal evidence with community or local knowledge sources.
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Social Sciences — Tikanga ā-Iwi
Level 3–4: Investigate social, cultural, environmental, and economic questions; gather and evaluate evidence from diverse sources; communicate findings and reasoning clearly for different audiences and purposes.
English — Communication
Level 3–4: Read, interpret, and evaluate information texts; write clearly and purposefully for specific audiences; apply critical thinking skills to evaluate sources and construct well-reasoned responses.
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
This resource sits within a kaupapa that recognises mātauranga Māori as a living knowledge system with its own frameworks, values, and ways of understanding the world. The New Zealand Curriculum calls for learning that reflects the bicultural partnership of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which means every subject area has an obligation to engage authentically with Māori perspectives — not as cultural decoration but as substantive contributions to how we understand our topics. The concepts of manaakitanga (care for others), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whanaungatanga (relationship and belonging), and tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) provide a values framework applicable across all learning areas, and all are relevant to the work in this handout.
Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts
Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Support Materials
This handout is designed to be used alongside the broader unit resources available at Te Kete Ako handouts library. Related resources from the same unit are linked in the unit planner. All resources are provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.
Inclusion: Support ELL students with vocabulary pre-teaching. Provide accessibility options as needed.
Curriculum alignment
- Social Studies — Understanding: Students understand how systems thinking helps us analyse complex social, economic, and environmental challenges and identify leverage points for change.