Case 8 of 20 · Evidence & Research

Lessonbeginner⭐ 30 XP🔍 Detective Academy

Bias in Sources

🔎Case Brief #8

Your class is having a discussion about recognizing when sources have an agenda.

🎯 Your mission

Learn it, then use it.

⚡ The twist

How do you know what you know?

What You'll Learn

💪 A candy company's study says 'candy is healthy. When the source has something to GAIN, their evidence might be biased. To use this skill, follow these steps: First, understand the problem. Read it again if you need to. What is it really asking? Next, think about what you know. Have you seen something like this before? What worked last time? Then, come up with ideas. Try to think of at least TWO possible answers before picking one. The first idea isn't always the best! Finally, check your work. Does your answer make sense? Can you explain WHY you chose it? If you can explain your thinking, you really understand it. Remember: smart thinkers aren't people who never make mistakes — they're people who LEARN from mistakes!

Key Concept: Recognizing when sources have an agenda

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Think About This

Your class is having a discussion about recognizing when sources have an agenda. One student says one thing, another says something different. How would you figure out who has the stronger point?

Thinking Steps

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🔍 Understand

Read carefully. What is the question about recognizing when sources have an agenda really asking?

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📋 Gather Info

What facts and clues do you have? List what you know.

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💡 Think of Options

Come up with at least 2 possible answers. Don't pick the first one yet!

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✅ Choose & Explain

Pick the best option. Say: 'I chose this because...'

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🪞 Reflect

Was your reasoning solid? What would you do differently next time?

Key Points

Master recognizing when sources have an agenda

Apply evidence & research in real situations

Build habits of evidence & research

Key Vocabulary

Analyze

Looking at something carefully to understand it

Predict

Guessing what will happen using clues

Compare

Finding what's the same and different

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Why This Matters in Real Life

Scientists, teachers, doctors, and business owners all need strong evidence research skills. You're building the same toolkit they use!

Talk About It

Discuss these questions with a friend, parent, or classmate.

1How could you use recognizing when sources have an agenda outside of school this week?
2What would happen if everyone was really good at this skill?
3What question do you still have? Write it down and try to find the answer.

Solve the Case

Case 1

1 of 3

What is the main idea of recognizing when sources have an agenda?

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Ask: how does this person know what they're saying?

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For the dinner table

“How do you know when to trust what someone tells you?”

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Next Smart Case

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