Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Lesson 5E Lesson
Cover Image

Alienstock

Analyzing Information, Media, and Validity

Margaret Salesky, Susan McHale | Published: October 8th, 2024 by K20 Center

  • Grade Level Grade Level 8th
  • Subject Subject English/Language Arts
  • Course Course
  • Time Frame Time Frame 3- class period(s)
  • Duration More 180 minutes

Summary

This lesson engages students in exploring, assessing, and drawing conclusions about the validity of various media sources through exploration of the 2019 "Alienstock" phenomenon. Students will work independently and in groups to compare and analyze different media sources and evaluate the validity and credibility of each one. Students will then form an opinion about the existence of aliens and create a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) statement based on the validity of various articles.

Essential Question(s)

How do different types of articles and media express similar or contradicting ideas about the same topic? How do you determine the relevance, reliability, and validity of information?

Snapshot

Engage

Students watch and compare two news clips about aliens then participate in a Four Corners activity in which they evaluate their opinions on the statement “Aliens exist.”

Explore

Students read one of four assigned articles in a group and record notes in a Note Catcher and T-Chart handout.

Explain

Students use the RAVEN strategy to evaluate articles for validity and credibility then report their findings to the class.

Extend

Student groups create Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) statements based on believing or not believing in aliens then present their statements to the class.

Evaluate

Students re-evaluate their opinions on the statement “Aliens exist” in a Four Corners activity and discuss why their opinions did or did not change.

Materials

  • Lesson Slides (attached)

  • Article Note Catcher and T-Chart handout (one per student, attached; print two-sided)

  • Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) Organizer handout (one per student, attached)

  • Four Corners Mini Posters (one set, attached)

  • Source Evaluation Checklist handout (one per group, attached)

  • Student devices or printed copies of articles

  • Poster supplies (or a digital alternative like Popplet, Piktochart, or Canva)

Engage

15 Minute(s)

Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Display slide 3 and introduce the Essential Questions. Explain to students that they will answer these questions in the lesson.

Display slide 4 and introduce the Learning Objectives. Let students know that, in this lesson, they will answer the Essential Questions by analyzing the components and elements that make up a valid, credible source. 

Move to slide 5 and ask students what the three displayed images from popular movies or television series (Arrival, Star Trek, and The X-Files) might have in common. Call on volunteers to respond. 

Tell students that these works represent a fascination many people have with the idea of aliens, creatures from other planets. 

Ask students if they are familiar with the viral Facebook event called "Alienstock," which called for participants to storm Area 51.

Display slide 6 and give a brief overview of Area 51 and Alienstock. Discuss with students how the sources covering these topics impact the opinions of the public. 

Move to slide 7 and play the linked Fox Business News clip. After the video, discuss the questions on slide 8 with the class.

Move to slide 9 and play the linked Project Blue Book video, which is a more critical look at unexplained lights in the sky as reported by U.S. Air Force pilots.

After the video, discuss with the class the questions on slide 10. 

Move to slide 11. Introduce the Four Corners strategy and ask students to form an opinion about the statement "Aliens exist.”

Guide students' attention to the Four Corners Mini-Posters displayed in each corner of the classroom. 

Ask each student to think about which poster most closely expresses their opinion:

  • Agree 

  • Strongly agree

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

Encourage students to consider their own internal reasoning, evaluate their thoughts, and then stand near the poster that matches their opinion the best. 

Ask students to share their reasoning with group members who have gathered at the same sign. Once groups have discussed, ask each group to choose a spokesperson who will share their group's thoughts with the whole class.

Explore

25 Minute(s)

Assign students to groups of four and number them off from one to four in each group. Provide each student with a paper copy of the article assigned to their number or instruct students to navigate to their article online. Students assigned the number one will read article number one below, number twos will read article two, etc.

  1. CommonLit: Will We Know Alien Life When We See It?

  2. CommonLit: Cool Jobs: Reaching Out to E.T. Is a Numbers Game

  3. KUNR: What’s The History of Area 51? 

  4. The Ohio State University: What is most likely going on in Area 51? Chris Nichols Explains

Display slide 12 and pass out the Article Note Catcher and T-Chart handout to each student. Direct students to the side of the handout with Article Note Catcher chart. Read aloud the instructions on the slide.

After the instructions and expectations have been reviewed, instruct students to begin reading and filling out their Article Note Catcher. Begin the 15-minute timer.

After students have finished reading and filling in their charts, assign students to new groups. Arrange them so that students are in groups with others that read the same article.

Display slide 13 and review the instruction for the side of the handout with the T-Chart. Encourage students to collaborate with their group members to fill in the chart. Tell them to focus on credible evidence found in the articles as they form their opinions. Begin the 15-minute timer.

Explain

25 Minute(s)

Once groups have completed their T-Charts, pass out a copy of the attached Source Evaluation Checklist handout to each group. 

Display slide 14 and review the components of the RAVEN instructional strategy with students. As you explain the strategy, reference the different sections of the Source Evaluation Checklist. Assist students in understanding that this strategy is used to assess the validity of sources.

Display slide 15 and explain to students that they will go over the checklist as a group and determine if their group’s article is valid and reliable or untrustworthy. Explain that the group should review the checklist and determine how each question should be evaluated. Begin the 10-minute timer and allow students time to work.

After students have completed their charts, ask one volunteer from each group to report on whether their article is reliable and valid or untrustworthy. Ask each group to report two reasons as to why the article is credible or not. As groups share out, record their responses on slide 16.

After all groups have shared, instruct students to return to their original groups. Each group member will now be knowledgable about a different article.

Display slide 17 and introduce the Jigsaw activity. Instruct students to take turns sharing the information from and credibility of their articles to the rest of the group. Explain that each student will serve as the expert on their article and summarize it for the others in their group, offering observations about the validity of the article in addition to important information. Instruct all group members to record the information for each article in their T-Charts.

Extend

30 Minute(s)

After groups have discussed all four readings, pass out a copy of the attached Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) Organizer handout to each student. Display slide 18 and introduce students to the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) strategy. Explain to students how to create a CER statement.

To assist them in understanding how to create a CER statement, direct their attention to the example on the slide and ask them to consider the opposite claim of the one presented on slide 18. Explain that while the evidence may not change, their claim and reasoning can still change. Explain that the opposite claim, “Doing your assignments on a computer is not easier than writing them on paper,” could be supported by the reasoning that everyone may not have access to a computer at home, or some may not have enough experience with computers to use them effectively.

Transition to slide 19 and introduce the CER activity to students. Tell students that they will use their organizer and notes to work with their group to create their own CER statement based on one of the claims listed on the slide. Students should support their claim using evidence found in the four articles, keeping in mind the validity of each article.

Once each group has finished creating their statements, have each group create a poster or similar representation that displays their CER statement.

After students have completed their posters, invite each group to present their CER statement to the class using their poster.

Evaluate

15 Minute(s)

After each group has presented, display slide 20. Revisit the Four Corners strategy and explain to students that they will have the opportunity to revise their opinion from the original Four Corners activity. Tell students to move to the corner of the room that indicates whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the statement, “Aliens exist.” Invite any students who changed their minds to share out why their opinion changed.

Display slide 21. Facilitate a class discussion using the reflection questions on the slide.

To assess student progress in the lesson, review the Article Note Cather and T-chart handouts and the CER Organizers.

Resources

Publisher

K20 Center

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Downloads

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Standards

ACT College and Career Readiness Standards (6-12)
IDT402: Identify a clear central idea or theme in somewhat challenging passages or their paragraphs
ARG301: Analyze how one or more sentences in somewhat challenging passages offer reasons for or support a claim when the relationship is simple
Oklahoma Academic Standards for English Language Arts (Grade 8)
8.6.R.3: Students will determine the relevance, reliability, and validity of the information gathered.
act.org (6-12)
D&S 301: Building and strengthening the argument. A score in this range indicates that the writer is able to: -Make use of mostly relevant reasoning and examples to support the thesis and arrive at a general or simplistic understanding of the issue -Offer a rationale that largely clarifies the argument -Provide elaboration of ideas and analysis that is somewhat repetitive or imprecise

Facilitator Resources

Click on a file type icon to download an attachment.

  • Four Corners Mini-Posters—Alienstock
  • Lesson Slides—Alienstock

Learner Handouts

Click on a file type icon to download an attachment.

  • Article Note Catcher and T-Chart—Alienstock
  • Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) Organizer—Alienstock
  • Source Evaluation Checklist—Alienstock

Related Resources

Cover Image Formative Assessment for the English Language Arts Classroom
Professional Learning

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