Does Art Play A Role In Academic Achievement?

Evaluating Web Pages Worksheet

First Article

Title of web page:    
The Arts and Academic Improvement: What the Evidence Shows Executive Summary Harvard Project Zero Reviewing Education and the Arts Project (REAP)

URL of the web page:
http://www.arteducators.org/advocacy/HarvardT.pdf

Authority
Is there an author of the document or web page? If yes, who is the author?
 none

Are his/her affiliations and qualifications given? If yes, list them.
none

Is contact information provided (address, phone number, email)?
Dr. Mary Erickson Arizona State University Tempe, AZ 85287-1505; e-mail: m.erickson@asu.edu

Who is the publisher or sponsoring organization for this web page?
Funded by the Bauman Foundation, Ellen Winner, Principal Investigator, Boston College and Harvard Graduate School of Education Lois Hetland, Project Manager, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Accuracy
Do you trust the information given on the web page? Is it reliable and valid?
no sources

Does the web page document its sources? In other words, does it tell you where the information comes from?
 no

How does the information on the web page compare with what you already know?
accurate

Currency
Does the web page tell you when it was created and last revised?
winter 2001

Are there outdated (dead) links?
no links

Coverage
What is the depth and breadth of the information on the web page?
The arts have typically played a relatively unimportant role in American schools.

Does it contain original information or just links to other sources?
original information

Does the information have real value? Explain.
Yes, this article goes into great detail about its topic.

Objectivity
What is the web page's purpose or intent? Why was it created?
To explain why art does not improve academic achievement.

Is the information biased? Is it designed to sway opinion? 
This article uses information to show that art is not important in schools.


Second Article

Title of web page:

Does Studying the Arts Enhance Academic Achievement?

URL of the web page:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2000/11/01/09winner.h20.html

Authority
Is there an author of the document or web page? If yes, who is the author?
Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland

Are his/her affiliations and qualifications given? If yes, list them.
none

Is contact information provided (address, phone number, email)?
no

Who is the publisher or sponsoring organization for this web page?
Aleks

Accuracy
Do you trust the information given on the webpage? Is it reliable and valid?
yes

Does the web page document its sources? In other words, does it tell you where the information comes from?
yes

How does the information on the web page compare with what you already know?
accurate

Currency
Does the web page tell you when it was created and last revised?
no

Are there outdated (dead) links?
no

Coverage
What is the depth and breadth of the information on the web page?
how art in schools is important

Does it contain original information or just links to other sources?
The article contains original information as well as links to other sources.

Does the information have real value? Explain.
The information given in this article has is important to the sake of the argument. It states facts rather than only thoughts.

Objectivity
What is the web page's purpose or intent? Why was it created?
explain

Is the information biased? Is it designed to sway opinion?
The information explains facts, though is designed to keep art in schools.