MINDS ON
Amazing Creatures are All Around Us!!
Click on the image below of the Pacific Northwest tree octopus to learn more about this endangered species!
by www.zapotopi.net
CRAAP Resources!
As you move through this course, there will be a number of opportunities to incorporate information from scientific journals and news articles into your learning. This is an expectation – not just random internet searches that lead to things on Ask Jeeves, Wikipedia, etc that can be written and editted by anyone!
Thousands of articles are published every month. Many of these articles claim remarkable breakthroughs and life-altering discoveries, only to be revealed later as having stretched the truth about some less than amazing data. It is very easy to find misleading information on the Internet.
Like that Pacific Northwest tree octopus. It sounds pretty real but doesn’t actually exist!
With all this fake or embellished science news, how can someone possibly determine which articles are truly based on legitimate science? Well, CRAAP is your answer!
What is CRAAP?
The CRAAP test is a way to evaluate the reliability of the information found in articles and websites. As you look at this interactive that describes the CRAAP process, think about how each step helps us to determine if a source of information is reliable.
Take a minute to watch the video of how to apply CRAAP and take some notes on what it is! and this site too – https://www.lib.uwo.ca/tutorials/evaluatingsources/
Task 1: CRAAP Article
Armed with your knowledge of CRAAP, find a quality article that relates to the diversity and vastness of life in a particular Canadian biome or ecozone that interests you. For example, you may find an article on the appearance of a new species or the disappearance of another. Be sure to choose an article that is appropriate for a Gr. 11 Biology course. No need for a university level research article here! Resources such as science magazines, newspapers, Canadian mainstream media, and university websites are a good place to start. You may access the library resource in Brightspace (links that have username and passwords in them that will enable you to locate quality resources) or through the CSS Library icon – Destiny’ on your desktop (on board computer!).
Create a citation reference for your article using the American Psychological Association (APA) style. In addition to your citation, use good self-regulation skills as you include a brief explanation of the factors that convinced you that your article is a quality resource.
Share your citation, explanation, and a link to the article in the comment section below.
**It will not publish right away as it will go into moderation first.
If you need to brush up on your APA formatting, refer to OWL Purdue – APA formatting.
Remember, having low quality or incorrect information is worse than having no information at all, so always think “CRAAP” whenever you are asked to do research.
CRAAP Collaborative Resources
You have just collaboratively created a resource list full of CRAAP articles that focuses on the diversity of Canada! Take a look at your classmates’ articles and keep note of any that interest you in your use in this class. You will find these resources useful as you work through this unit.
Task 2: Ligers and Tigons and Grolar Bears, Oh My!
OK, maybe this image is Photoshopped, but truth can often be stranger than fiction! Click on the cat-bird image above to explore a list of hybrid animals that are said to actually exist.
**For each one please state where you would place it in your classification system and why – is it closer to the paternal or maternal species? Is it a subspecies or a new species on its own?
Submit these to the Teams submission box
Even if that cool cat-bird doesn’t exist, scientists are continually learning more about the species with which we do share the planet. This is one of the reasons why a robust classification system is so important in Biology. Not only does the system need to include information we already know, but we have to ensure that new information can be incorporated, as well.
Did You Know?
About 18,000 species are discovered and named each year. Unfortunately, we lose many species each year, as well. With this constant change, you can appreciate why a robust classification system is so important. The International Institute for Species Exploration (IISE) releases a Top 10 New Species list every year. Take a look at their website to see what is new this year!
The Hudson Plains Ecozone; Tundra Swan: This swan can be goose-sized or larger, living on the arctic tundra. They are entirely white in feather colouring, with a mostly black beak.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tundra_Swan/id
I think that the website included is CRAAP positive because of a couple reasons. Firstly, the source for my information is a data base for birds specifically, and it looks like its target audience is bird watchers and bird enthusiasts. Again, the authority is a bird identification website, made specifcally to identify birds – no other animals involved. Thirdly, this information is verifiable by looking elsewhere on the internet. You can find all the information from this website elsewhere. And lastly, this website is reliable because it is made to educate people on different species of birds and to help anyone who looks on that website to identify what bird they might have seen.
Yeung, J. (2020, November 11). Scientists discover new primate species that’s already in danger of extinction. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/10/asia/myanmar-new-primate-species-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html
Scientists have found a new species in Myanmar called the Popa langur. This species is a monkey with a long tale and there is said to be only around 200 to 260 left so it is already at risk of extinction. I believe that this article is real and can be trusted because it was updated Wednesday, November 11, 2020. In the article they describe the species in great detail and there is a lot of information presented. The author of the article is Jesse Yeung some of her accomplishments are writing for CNN in New York and Hong Kong. Yeung covered some of the greatest breakthroughs in the past few years including the 2018 US midterm elections. There are many other articles about this topic and it matches my understanding of the species. The article says this about the purpose “The hope is that by giving this species the scientific status and notoriety it merits, there will be even more concerted efforts in protecting this area and the few other remaining populations.”
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/black-footed-ferret
The Black-Footed Ferret are a small species that are slowly coming back from near extinction. They look like a regular ferret except that they are grey/brown in color with a small black streak around it’s eyes and feet.
It is current because the last time the website was updated was this year, 2021. It is also relevant, it gives information about endangered animals and that is a requirement for this task. This information is on the authority of the World Wildlife organization. This article is very accurate because it if from a reliable and trustworthy organization, the WWF. I also cross referenced the information with other reliable sources and they match up. The purpose of this website is to keep people informed and aware of the ecosystem and the animals around them.
Overall, this site meets all 5 of the CRAAP test requirements.
Moore, S. (2017, October 19). Monster discovered in Canadian Arctic. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://news.umanitoba.ca/monster-discovered-in-canadian-arctic/
I found this source to be credible because it was published by the communications officer at the university of Manitoba. They sourced his information from the graduate who found the creature; there also are no ads and the author Sean Moore has shown no bias in this article.
I chose the Beluga Whale (Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, March 16). Beluga. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/beluga). The Beluga Whale is a small, toothed whale found in the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean. Adult whales are completely white, the whales can mimic lots of different sounds and they have no dorsal fin. This article is accurate because it follows CRAAP. The information on the article follows currency because it was updated September 8, 2018 and the article link was modified March 16, 2020. Relevance is shown because it is meant for a general audience. Authority is shown because all of the editors of the article are Encyclopaedia Britannica editors and many of them are either information architects or teachers in the fields of geology, zoology and climatology. They have the appropriate credentials to have trustworthy information. The information follows accuracy because it sounds correct, there is clear research and the sources are trustworthy. The purpose of the article is to inform people about the Beluga Whale.
The species I have discovered is a meshweaver spider. This type of spider is pretty big, and is black with greyish spots on its back. This article passed the CRAAP test because the information seems relevant, the article was published in April, 2020 which is pretty recent. It relates to the topic of the spider throughout the whole article explains the finding the scientists saw. As well, it is on a news place that is in Nunavut therefore, having accurate information. That is how this website passes the CRAAP test.
Citation;
Nunatsiaq News. (2020, April 28). Four possible new species of spider and others previously unknown in Canada found in Nunavut. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/four-new-species-of-spider-and-eight-new-to-canada-found-in-nunavut/
Activity 1: Amazon Rainforest
Cited: Thomson, A., Thomson, A., Rajput, M., & Santos, M. (2020, May 27). Biodiversity and the Amazon rainforest. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/biodiversity-and-the-amazon-rainforest/
Website: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/biodiversity-and-the-amazon-rainforest/
Currency- Last updated on May 22nd 2020
Relevance- The information is affectively laid out and is intended to educate people
Authority- Green Peace Biodiversity and the Amazon Rainforest
Accuracy- The links work
Purpose- educate people about biodiversity in the Amazon Rainforest
The species I chose is the Popa Langur which was discovered in 2020. They’re a type of monkey that have long tails, rings around their eyes and fur on top of their head containing a unique colour of a greyish/white. The website I chose is https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/scientists-discover-new-endangered-primate-species-with-only-260-left-1.5184557. It passes the CRAAP test because the article was made on November 11th 2020, making it recent and not outdated. Also a fair amount of information is provided which is easily understandable and provides the exact information I wanted to learn about. The writing uses high school biology terminology making it perfect for a viewer like myself. The writer of the article is Jessie Yeung who is a worldwide producer and has a bachelors degree in biology. The source is also accurate because I checked other resources and the information was similar, also another way I checked is because the writer linked other resources and journals she referred to. These journals were written by scientists observing the animal making it extremely reliable. Lastly the purpose is stated where she clearly said that we’re focusing on this new species and how it was found and all the information on it. Though news networks don’t seem reliable off the bat, this website met all the requirements and have great sources to back up their information making it credible. Overall that is why It is a reliable source for learning more about the Popa Langur species.
This article provides a preview of a new specie discovered in the Canadian arctic. The unnamed specie is an insect that is 2mm long with bristly legs, a translucent body, no mouth, two antennas with hair, and contains a weak eye. This article is a quality resource because it fully passes the CRAAP test. For the currency, the information was posted and updated recently in 2021, making the information current and accurate. The relevancy of the article is also reliable. The information relates to the topic briefly. Based on the professional wording format, the audience of this article is probably meant for adults that students can use. The author of this website is qualified to write this information since he is known as an experienced practitioner, writer, and teacher on public-policy advocate, making him highly trusting. The website’s URL contains “.ca” which proves it to be Canadian information. The accuracy of the information is accurate as well, the information is supported by evidence of pictures. The information is also facts with no bias opinion. The information is directly from professional discoverers. The purpose of the article is to inform the world about a new discovery that is made clear by the author.
Citation: Moore, S. (2021). New species discovered in Canadian arctic: Arctic Focus, Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.arcticfocus.org/stories/new-species-discovered-in-canadian-arctic/
Help the Bats. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/bats/?src=ESB
the article is about bats and how they are in trouble from white nosed syndrome.
this website reaches CRAAP.
Eskimo Curlew – long billed, brown and white shore bird
Currency: fairly current – article published in 2018
Relevance: about the animal I choose
Authority: from well known National Audubon Society
Accuracy: agrees with the other websites I looked at
Lewis, A., & 20, A. (2018, April 20). The Eskimo Curlew Hasn’t Been Seen in 55 Years. Is It Time to Declare It Extinct? Retrieved from https://www.audubon.org/news/the-eskimo-curlew-hasnt-been-seen-55-years-it-time-declare-it-extinct
Willis, K. (2020, July 15). Scientists identify new species of sea sponge off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.ualberta.ca/science/news/2020/july/new-sea-sponge.html
– Down in the inky ocean abyss off the coast of British Columbia, reefs made of glass sea sponges cover hundreds of kilometers of the oceans floor. The sponges form habitats, their glass skeletons stacked on top of one another and create intricate reefs. These reefs are home to creatures with whom we are very familiar, including halibut, rockfish, and shrimp.
– This website passed the CRAAP test because when it was put into citation machine it went through and the article was published July 5th 2020 meaning it was posted less than a year ago, so the information is recent and usable.
Moore, S. (2021). New species discovered in Canadian arctic: Arctic Focus. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.arcticfocus.org/stories/new-species-discovered-in-canadian-arctic/
A University of Manitoba graduate student discovered a new species lurking under our Arctic sea ice. In adult form, it has eight legs which are used to paddle its mostly translucent body through the dark water. It has one weak eye, no mouth, and two antennas adorned with ragged, flowing hairs. But, it is only 2mm long.
This website passed the CRAAP test. It uses current information and was published in 2021. This article was very relevant and is exactly what I was looking for. It is also appropriate information for a grade 11 level and I understood the information very well. Sean Moore is the author who is the founder and principal of Advocacy School and one of Canada’s most experienced practitioners, writers and teachers on public-policy advocacy. He is very experienced and is qualified to write on the topic. The purpose of this article was to educate others on this new very interesting species and was not published for the purpose of making money.
Nishida, T. (2020, March 6). Bonobo. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/bonobo
For this assignment, I chose to do research on the Bonobo, a subspecies of the Chimpanzee. I struggled to find a trustable website, but when I found this one, I knew it was perfect. It passed the CRAAP test immediately. Firstly, the website was published recently. It was first displayed on March 6, 2020, less than a year ago. This means that the information is current and reliable. Secondly, the information given is relevant. The website gives important details like the species size, habitat, diet, etc. Thirdly, the author of this article is a reliable source. The author’s name is Toshida Nishida. She is a professor of Zoology at the Kyoto University in Japan, and has written many other articles. Fourthly, the grammar and punctuation, along with the information given is correct and up-to-date. The author’s choice of words is excellent and proper. Last but not least, the purpose of this article is to inform and educate. They’re not trying to tell a story or persuade anyone. The main goal is to educate students and other people. In conclusion, it’s clear that the website is in fact, safe to use. It passes the CRAAP test, 100%. I was able to learn without the worry of being taught false information, and that says a lot.
A fish called Wakanda
This article passes the CRAPP test with all the right qualities. This article was written in 2019 so its currency is pretty up to date. This article talks about actual facts and doesn’t have a biased opinion because they’re a news station. Being a news stations its their job to report facts and not randomly make things up. The purpose this article was published was to inform people of the new species that were discovered in 2019.
The barrel-eye fish
A fish with tubular eyes and a transparent head. Weird.
Garcia, S., & Dalit, M. (2021, February 08). Barreleye fish. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.mbari.org/products/creature-feature/barreleye-landing-page/
C- This article was published/updated on February 8th 2021
R- The article is about the fish
A- It was published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
A- The information provided matches that of other sources
P- The MBARI is an institute for research and learning
C: My article was last revised 2020/06/09
R: The information in this article relates to my topic because it is a species found in Canadian Forests
A:There is no author but its the government of Canada website and there is no affiliate links
A:The tone is completely unbiased and if strictly facts, the info comes from the government of Canada website
P:The information is facts and the purpose of the paper is to inform, and there is no biases
therefore I believe this website is reputable and passes the CRAAP test
Brian Hearn, B. Thompson, I. (2020, June 29). Marten. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/our-natural-resources/forests-forestry/sustainable-forest-management/conservation-protection-canadas/marten/13195
C- Currency
-When was the information published or posted?
-Has the information been revised or updated?
-Is the information current or out-of date for your topic?
-Are the links functional?
The Website i found says it was updated in November 19th 2020.
R- Relevance
-Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
-Who is the intended audience?
-Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
-Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
-Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?
The information on my website talks all about the eastern elk and other elk species related. it talks about the extinction of the eastern elk, the loss of its habitat, its hunting, the elk in today’s society, and more! And after relating the information to other sites the information seems to be correct.
A- Authority
-Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
-Are the author’s credentials or organizational affiliations given?
-What are the author’s credentials or organizational affiliations given?
-What are the author’s qualifications to write on the topic?
-Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
-Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
On my website it has a small blurb about the author it says shes been a writer since 2004 it says she served as a newspaper reporter and her freelance articles have appeared in magazines such as “Horses Incorporated,” “The Paisley Pony” and “Alabama Living.” and talks a bit about her post secondary schooling. the site is made up of multiple authors for the different sections and has a site email address if you would like to contact.
A- Accuracy
-Where does the information come from?
-Is the information supported by evidence?
-Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
-Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
-Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
-Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
i talked a bit about the site references in the Authority section, and the Relevance section but yes i can verify the information and the grammar and spelling seems to all be correct.
P- Purpose
-What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
-Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
-Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
-Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
-Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
the purpose of the information on my website is to teach people about the now extinct species of the Eastern Elk.
some information from the site-
“The Eastern elk was extinct in the United States prior to the Civil War. While these large mammals were once plentiful throughout the Appalachian Mountains and into Canada, they have not been seen in North America since the 1800s. The Eastern elk was very similar to other type of elk commonly found in the United States”
site citation-
Davis, J. (2020, November 19). Causes of the extinction of the eastern ELK (cervus Canadensis Canadensis). Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://animals.mom.com/causes-extinction-eastern-elk-cervus-canadensis-canadensis-7325.html
Malsbury, E. (2020, December 7). Rare iridescent Snake discovered in Vietnam. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-of-natural-history/2020/12/07/rare-iridescent-snake-discovered-vietnam/.
This species is a burrow snake that has dark, iridescent scales. This is a reliable source because it passes the CRAAP test. C- Since it was published on Dec 7/20 the information in the article is not outdated. R- The article is relevant to the topic of a new species. It describes the discovery of the snake and some information on the origin of the name. A- The Author of the article Erin Malsbury, is an intern at the Smithsonian National Museum. She graduated from the University of California with a degree in science communication. A- Information within the article is sourced from the discovery paper about the snake written by the Institute for Ecology and Biological Resources from the Smithsonian’s National Museum and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. P- The articles purpose is stated without bias from the author.
My article is Craap because, it has all the requirements needed, it has CURRENCY the date it was published which is December 15, 2018 and, my topic is a standardized ecosystem classified for the coordination and design of long-term terrestrial ecosystem monitoring in arctic sub-artic biomes, which means it requires current information.
My article is also RELEVANT because it has all the information I need based on the topic above and it is appropriate for high school students and college students too, I am also comfortable citing this source.
My article has AUTHORITY because the author’s credentials are in the article so are his information too and the source is .com.
My article has ACCURACY because it is free of typographical errors and it seems unbiased and I know some things on the article from personal knowledge and it is also supported by some evidence.
My article has PURPOSE because the information on it is supposed to teach, the intentions on the article is clear. the article is also based on facts and I don’t think it is biased.
McLennan, D. S., MacKenzie, W. H., Meidinger, D., Wagner, J., & Arko, C. (2018). A Standardized Ecosystem Classification for the Coordination and Design of Long-term Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring in Arctic-Subarctic Biomes. Arctic, 71(5), 45+.
Stains, H. J. (2021, January 7). Hudson Plains Ecozone. Retrieved from http://ecozones.ca/english/zone/HudsonPlains/index.html
I think that this website passes the CRAAP test because It was last updated January 7th 2021 so it was not that long ago.
This sources can provide a reader with a lot of information about bears, I learned that bears are omnivores not carnivores. The article was written by Howard James Stains. I know its accuarate because the authour is a Emeritus Professor of Zoology, at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The grammar, the punctuation and imformation is correct. This articles purpose is to infom.
‘The Reaper of Death’ is a species closest related to the T-rex found in Canada. Its bone structure was very complex, to put it into perspective it took two years for Jared Voris, a masters student at the University of Calgary, to carefully and precisely put it together. The dinosaur is said to stretch over 26 feet and stand at 8 feet tall, with razor-sharp teeth that were two inches in length. Two years later, in 2020, it had been identified the first new Canadian tyrannosaurid to be found in 50 years by Voris and his colleagues. It is the biggest dinosaur, even bigger than the T-rex, to have been discovered in Canada.
CRAAP information:
C- Currency
This article was published on February 10, 2020, making it recent. However, the project itself has been going on since 2018.
R- Relevance
The writing used isn’t too advanced making it easy for someone like me, a high school student, to understand without questioning a lot. This wasn’t the first article about the dinosaur I had read, there were a couple of others, but I chose this one in particular since it had given me a lot more background information about the dinosaur itself including its territory, the size of the fossil found, and how it came to be.
A- Authority
Two authors wrote this article. Maya Wei-Haas is a science writer at National Geographic, She has traveled the world in the name of science, but particularly likes to focus on rocks and reactions. She does have a Ph.D. in environmental chemistry from Ohio State University. Her Twitter is linked at the end of the article as contact information.
The second author who wrote alongside Wei-Haas was Michael Greshko. Greshko is a writer for the National Geographics science desk, He covers anything from dinosaurs (perfect for this article) to dark matter. He has a Master’s degree in science writing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Vanderbilt University. Just like Maya, his Twitter is linked at the end of the article.
A- Accuracy
Most of the information about the dinosaur bones comes from Voris himself. The other information going into more detail about the dinosaur while it was still roaming the earth is not referenced or cited, so I am not sure if one should believe it or not. There are no typos or grammatical errors found in the article.
P-Purpose
The purpose of this information is to inform anyone interested in the study of dinosaurs, fossils, or archaeology for that matter, though anyone can access this information. Everything stated in that article is nothing but facts, it talks about the research of the bones, fossils, and dinosaur and includes other pictures and illustrations of other dinosaur fossils.
Voris, I. (2020, February 10). ‘Reaper of Death’ Tyrannosaur discovered in Canada. Retrieved February 10, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/new-reaper-of-death-tyrannosaur-discovered-canada/