Georgia 12.T.C.2.b
The Standard
Locate the original source of questionable content to better evaluate credibility and validity. (I)
Georgia's K-12 English Language Arts Standards · Texts (T) · Context
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students trace questionable claims, images, and quotations back through reposts and links to the earliest available source. They examine authorship, date, context, evidence, and changes made along the way.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can trace a reposted claim, image, or quotation to its earliest reliable publication. The student explains how the author, date, evidence, and original context affect credibility.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat the first search result or most polished website as the original source. They may also assume that a citation proves credibility without checking what the cited material actually says.
How to Assess It
- Give students a questionable social media post with a cropped quotation. Ask them to find its earliest source and cite two details that support or weaken credibility.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups printed cards showing a claim moving across websites, then have them arrange the source trail and identify where details changed.
Ask students to write which source they would trust most and defend the choice with evidence about authorship, context, and supporting material.
Run a Source Trail race where pairs use links, quotation searches, and reverse image search to identify the earliest source.
Investigate a current viral claim from social media, then compare the original material with how a news outlet or influencer presents it.
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Printable 12.T.C.2.b Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 3.T.RA.2.b
Determine what makes a source text credible and relevant and identify examples. (I)
- 4.T.RA.2.b
Determine the credibility and relevance of a source text based on known information about the author and/or organization. (I)
- 6.T.RA.2.b
Analyze print and digital texts to identify features of credible, relevant sources and to determine indicators that might signal unreliable sources. (I)
- 5.T.RA.2.b
Determine credibility and relevance by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of source texts to support a topic or message. (I)
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