Evaluate sources using the WHO-WHEN-CHECK-IT three-question routine (entry-level Wineburg sourcing)
Exercise
Difficulty 3
~4 min
eng.g4.s.ex_04
Red Flag Source Identification
Prompt
Read these 4 source descriptions. Identify which 1 is a RED-FLAG source (fails WHO-WHEN-CHECK-IT). Explain why. (A) A 2019 biography by a children's-lit historian (B) A 1950 encyclopedia entry (C) An anonymous unattributed undated blog post (D) A 2020 magazine article by a journalist
How it's presented
mode
matching with justification
Answer criteria
type
matching
correct
C
justification
anonymous + undated + no verification possible
Hints
- WHO checks the author.
- Look for missing author or missing date.
Misconceptions to watch
- Picks the oldest source as automatically red-flag.
- Misses the anonymous/undated combination.
Used in lessons