Fact Checking Tools: 

All of the following organizations are members of the International Fact Checking Network 

• FactCheck.org - a nonpartisan organization that "aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." 

• PolitiFact -a nonpartisan fact-checking website that "rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter." 

• Snopes - the oldest and largest fact-checking site online, Snopes reports on news, urban legends, & viral media, committed to "combating misinformation online"

The COR Curriculum, developed by the Digital Inquiry Group / Stanford University, provides free lessons and assessments to teach students to evaluate online information using lateral reading.  

In 10 entertaining episodes, John Green explains how to navigate online information. 

• How to evaluate websites through "lateral reading;" 

• How to decide which sites are trustworthy...and which aren't

• How to use Wikipedia effectively

• ...and more! 

Check out this analysis of the reliability of popular media. Sources used for factual research should be towards the top center of the media bias chart. 

NOTE: this chart - which is available to view online - rates popular media (news sources, blogs, and other websites). It does not include academic journals, which are typically found in subscription services.