2. As students read the article, they highlight sources and the information attributed to them. They might use a blue pencil to mark the source’s name (e.g., Teresa Marks, director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality), and a green pencil to mark the information they provide (e.g., “This is not going to be the Armageddon that some people think”).

3. Then, they can determine how reliable each source is, and therefore the information attributed to her or him. Students can rate each source for reliability using the Imvain checklist (PDF).

4. The class can discuss which sources they think seem most reliable and why, and they can consider possible biases that sources might have, based on their job title or background. Then, armed with new insight gained from evidence analysis and source evaluation, they can discuss the complex issues raised in the article.

5. After practicing in the classroom, students might be challenged to apply this news judgment to things they read on their own, whether on the Internet, in a newspaper, via social media or anywhere else. Invite them to bring in examples of pieces that fail the Via or Imvain tests and explain why.