Best for
The 30-minute structured research session in Lesson 8.
Research skills • Years 7–8 • Unit 10 Week 8
Source Evaluation Guide
You need at least two real sources, and you need to know why you trust them. This sheet holds the record: who wrote it, when, what it claims, what evidence it gives, and whether it stands up.
Free to teach tomorrow, adaptable to your rohe
The suggested source list is Aotearoa-specific and current. Te Wānanga is useful when you want a starting source list for a particular topic.
- Generate a starter source list for the topics your class chose.
- Add a simplified version with two sources instead of three.
- Save your adapted Unit 10 research pack in My Kete.
Kaiako planning snapshot
- Use length: 30 minutes research, with a 5-minute warning before drafting.
- Grouping: Individual, with devices.
- Prep: Device access. Have the suggested source list visible for students who stall.
- Teaching move: Call time at 25 minutes. Students who research to the bell never draft, and the draft is what Lesson 9 needs.
What this sheet already gives you
- A ranked list of source types to try first
- Suggested Aotearoa organisations and outlets
- A four-question record for three sources
- A plain credibility test
- A key-facts summary that feeds the poster draft
Wikipedia is not a source for this task, but it is a good place to find one. Teach the distinction — students use it either way, so name the honest use.
Ngā Whāinga Ako / Learning Intentions
- We are learning to find sources that answer our own research questions.
- We are learning to record who wrote a source and when.
- We are learning to judge whether a source is credible enough to use as evidence.
Ngā Paearu Angitū / Success Criteria
- I have recorded at least two sources with author or organisation and date.
- For each source I have noted the main claim and the evidence it gives.
- I have at least one specific fact — a number, a named event or a named organisation.
Where to look first
In order of reliability for this task:
- Organisation websites — KiwiHarvest, Mana Kai, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Environment Canterbury, Tairāwhiti Emergency Management, Stats NZ, NIWA, Ministry for Primary Industries.
- News articles — RNZ, Stuff, NZ Herald. Check the date; within three years is ideal for this topic.
- Government and NGO reports — Child Poverty Action Group, Food Secure Communities, MPI food security reports.
Search terms that work: “[community name] food security”, “[organisation name] Aotearoa”.
Source record
Complete this for each source. You need at least two.
| Question | Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who wrote it, and when? | |||
| What is the main claim about the challenge? | |||
| What evidence does it give? | |||
| Is it credible? |
The credibility test
- Yes — an organisation's own website, or a news outlet with a named journalist and a date.
- No — an anonymous blog, or Wikipedia. Use these to find better sources, then cite the better source.
- Careful — anything without a date. If you cannot tell when it was written, you cannot tell whether it is still true.
My key facts
Pull out the specific facts you will actually put on the poster. Numbers, names, dates — not general statements.
| Fact | Which source it came from | Which poster element it supports |
|---|---|---|