Lesson 27: Evaluate Sources for Usefulness

This section shifts from identifying credible sources to evaluating how effectively those sources support a specific research purpose. Students learn that usefulness is determined not only by whether a source is accurate, but also by how clearly it answers the inquiry question, how accessible the information is for note-taking, and how well its features support understanding of key ideas such as contribution, impact, and recognition. Emphasize that researchers must make intentional decisions about which sources will best support their writing and that not all credible sources are equally useful for every stage of research. Students begin refining their source sets by prioritizing clarity, relevance, and informational value. Students also continue applying the popular media analysis work from earlier lessons by noticing whether headings, captions, diagrams, timelines, or sidebars make a source more useful for understanding the innovator’s contribution or impact.

Have students take out their source list from the previous lesson.

Turn and Talk

Say these Directions: Turn and talk to discuss the answer to the question.

• Ask: What might be the difference between a source that is interesting and a source that is useful?

  • A source can be interesting because it has cool facts or images, but a useful source directly helps answer my inquiry question. A useful source gives details I can use in my notes and writing, not just information that catches my attention.

Say: Interesting sources may include surprising facts, images, or stories. Useful sources must help students:

• answer inquiry questions

• collect evidence for writing

• explain contribution or impact clearly

Not all interesting sources should be kept.

A source can be credible but not useful if it does not provide enough detail or does not directly help explain the innovator’s contribution or impact.

• Credibility means: Can I trust it?

• Usefulness means: Can I use it to answer my inquiry question?

Connection to Today's Learning

Say: Now that you can name the difference between interesting and useful, you are ready to compare sources more carefully and decide which ones deserve a place in your research set.

This mini-lesson strengthens students’ research explanations by teaching a sentence structure they can use immediately in source evaluation. Students learn that a relative clause begins with which or that and adds the exact source evidence that shows why a source is useful for an inquiry question.

When explaining usefulness, students should focus less on “trust” language and more on:

• detail

• clarity

• relevance

• ability to answer the question

Use credibility language only when explaining why the source is reliable, not when explaining usefulness.

Language Lab

Say these Directions: Open your source list from the previous lesson and put your finger on one source you think might help answer your inquiry question. Today, we are going to practice a sentence pattern that helps researchers explain exactly why a source is useful instead of only saying it is good or helpful.

• Ask: What makes a source explanation stronger: saying “This source is useful” or naming the exact part of the source that helps answer your question? Why?

  • Naming the specific part of the source strengthens the explanation because it shows how the source helps. If I say which section, chart, quote, or detail answers my question, my explanation is clearer and more convincing.

Teach: Using Relative Clauses to Explain Source Usefulness

Writers use a relative clause to show exactly what in a source makes it useful. A relative clause starts with words like which or that and adds details about the source.

Model Sentence

This museum article, which includes dated photographs, a timeline of the inventor’s experiments, and information from the museum’s archives, is a useful source for my inquiry question about the innovator’s impact because it provides accurate evidence I can verify.

• Ask: What source is being evaluated in this sentence? (the museum article)

• Ask: What part of the sentence gives more information about the source? (which includes dated photographs, a timeline of the inventor’s experiments, and information from the museum’s archives)

• Ask: What do these details show about the source? (They show that the source has specific evidence that can be checked.)

• Ask: How does that help the writer judge the source? (It shows the source is credible and accurate because the information can be verified.)

• Ask: How does the sentence connect the source back to the inquiry question? (It explains that the source is useful for the inquiry question about the innovator’s impact and why.)

To explain why a source is useful, we:

• name the source

• add a relative clause with which or that to show what it includes

• explain how that evidence helps answer the inquiry question

This helps us show how the source’s evidence supports our thinking.

Say these Directions: Now, try the same structure with one source on your organizer. Start with the source name, add a relative clause, and explain how it helps answer your inquiry question.

Display frame:

• This source, which/that ____________________, is useful for my inquiry question about ____________________ because ____________________.

• Ask: Which source will you describe, and what relative clause can you add to show why it is useful?

  • The science museum website, which includes a labeled diagram and a short explanation of how the device worked, is useful for my inquiry question about the inventor’s contribution because it gives specific evidence I can use in my notes.

Connection to Today's Learning

• Say: Now, we have a stronger sentence structure for clearly explaining source usefulness. Next, we will compare real sources and use this same kind of thinking to decide which ones deserve a place in their research set.

Part A: Compare Multiple Sources (W.6.8) (15 minutes)

This guided comparison helps students evaluate the usefulness of sources before deciding which to keep. Remind students that when comparing sources, focus on only three things:

• Does it directly answer my inquiry question?

• Does it give enough detail for my notes?

• Is it easy to understand and use?

Ignore other factors for now unless they clearly help you decide.

Say these Directions: Good researchers compare sources side by side. They ask:

• Which source answers my research question most directly?

• Which source is easier to understand without losing important details?

• Which source includes helpful headings, captions, diagrams, or charts?

• Which source adds new information instead of repeating what I already know?

Teach: Model Comparing Sources

• Say: I am comparing two sources about the same innovator. Source A gives a clear background and has short paragraphs, so it is accessible. Source B is harder to read, but in the section explaining the person’s contribution, it provides more detail and a chart showing results. While Source A helps me understand who the innovator was, Source B is more useful for explaining what the innovator did and why it mattered. That means I may keep both, but I will use them for different purposes in my research.

Think-Pair-Share

Say these Directions: Choose two sources from your current list and access them. For each source, record what it helps you learn, which text features or visuals support understanding, and how well it matches one inquiry question. Don’t forget you must reference at least one piece of evidence (detail, heading, chart, or explanation from the source). Then, compare the two sources and decide which one is more useful for your research purpose right now. Finally, discuss your response to the question with a partner.

Discussion protocol:

Partner A states which source is more useful and WHY

Partner B must respond using one of the following:

• “I agree because ___”

• “I disagree because ___”

• “I would improve your idea by ___”

Then, switch roles.

• Ask: Which source seems more useful for your research question, and what makes it more useful?

  • The museum article is more useful for my question about the innovator’s contribution because, in the section describing the invention, it explains the process step by step. The diagram and caption also make the information easier to understand than the general biography page.

Part B: Choose Useful Sources (W.6.7) (15 minutes)

Students have now compared sources side by side. Next, they will refine their source lists and choose which sources they will keep for note-taking and writing.

Explain that refining a source list is a strong research move. Researchers do not keep every source. They keep the sources that are most useful, most accessible, and most aligned with the project's purpose. Remind students that a smaller, stronger source set will help them paraphrase, organize notes, and avoid getting overwhelmed.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Refine your source list by marking the sources you will keep for your project. A star next to the source means to keep it. A question mark next to the source means it’s useful but missing something. An X means remove it because it’s not helpful in answering your inquiry question. Then, write one to two sentences answering the question below.

• Ask: Which source are you choosing to keep, and why is it more useful than another source on your list?

  • I am keeping the encyclopedia article because it is more accessible and more detailed than the short profile I found. Although the short profile is interesting, the encyclopedia article gives a clearer explanation of the innovator’s contribution and includes headings that help me find information quickly.

Allow students to conduct further research if they find that none of their sources are useful. Students should have at least three useful resources to gather information from.

Checklist

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

This section consolidates students’ ability to justify source selection using comparative and evidence-based reasoning aligned to W.6.7 and W.6.8. Students should demonstrate that they can explain why one source is more useful than another by referencing specific criteria such as accessibility, depth of explanation, and alignment to inquiry questions. By the end of this lesson, students should be able to clearly articulate why comparing sources improves the quality of their final research product and supports stronger explanatory writing. They should also have a good idea as to how their final set of sources will help them build a complete explanation of the innovator’s story.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Write two to three sentences to answer the question below.

• Ask: Why is it important to compare sources when conducting research?

  • It is important to compare sources because some sources give more detailed or accurate information than others. For example, one website explains the innovator’s contribution in depth, while another only gives a short biography. Comparing them helps me choose the source that gives the best evidence for my notes.

Optional Sentence Starter:

• Comparing sources is important because ___. While one source ___, another source ___.

Instruct students to review the sources they decided to keep today and take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

• Write the title of each source and one sentence explaining what category of information it may help you with next, such as background, contribution, obstacles, recognition, or impact.