Evaluate sources with the CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) (CCSS W.7.8)
Exercise
Difficulty 3
~10 min
eng.g7.f.ex_05
Apply Craap To Source
Prompt
Apply CRAAP to a sample source: a 2014 New York Times article on climate change in East Africa, written by a staff reporter, citing IPCC data and quoting 3 African agricultural experts. For each of the 5 criteria, score STRONG / CAVEAT / WEAK and explain. Reach a use/use-with-caveat/reject decision.
M-7-F-RES-EX-05-A
Interactive
Physical / non-image
CRAAP source-evaluation worksheet with source-info field + 5-criterion scoring rows + decision box. Print-ready 8.5x11.
Answer criteria
type
rubric
rubric
5 criteria scored + reasoned + decision = 4; 5 scored only = 3; <5 scored = 2; no decision = 1
Hints
- Currency 2014: recent but climate data moves fast — caveat.
- Authority: NYT staff reporter (journalist not climate scientist) but experts quoted have authority — mixed.
Misconceptions to watch
- Treats journalist credentials as identical to expert credentials.
- Forgets to note caveats for borderline scores.
Used in lessons