Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
Aligned to C3.D3 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Evaluating a source means judging its reliability by checking the author's expertise, the purpose behind it, and whether its claims can be verified elsewhere. Primary sources come from the time or people being studied, while secondary sources analyze those materials afterward. Strong civic arguments combine evidence from multiple credible sources rather than relying on a single one.
Worked example
To argue about a proposed tax law, a student might compare the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's cost estimate with an advocacy group's press release, weighing which source has less incentive to distort the facts.
Practice questions
- State two questions you should ask to judge whether a source is reliable.
- Explain the difference between a primary source and a secondary source.
- Analyze why relying on a single source can weaken a civic argument.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Evaluar fuentes y usar evidencia
Evaluar una fuente significa juzgar su confiabilidad revisando la experiencia del autor, el propósito que hay detrás y si sus afirmaciones se pueden verificar en otro lugar. Las fuentes primarias provienen de la época o de las personas que se estudian, mientras que las fuentes secundarias analizan esos materiales después. Los argumentos cívicos sólidos combinan evidencia de varias fuentes creíbles en lugar de depender de una sola.
Ejemplo: Para argumentar sobre una propuesta de ley tributaria, un estudiante podría comparar la estimación de costos de la Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso, que es imparcial, con el comunicado de prensa de un grupo de presión, sopesando qué fuente tiene menos incentivos para distorsionar los hechos.
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