Drive-By Web Site Evaluation

Below are 17 Web sites that students have found as sources for research on their persuasive essay topic. Using whatever criteria you like, you are to visit each Web site and make an evaluation of the quality of the site. You should not spend more than 20 minutes on this assignment. After you visit each site, you are to rate each one on the assignment sheet given to you in class by circling the number 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, with 1 being the worst quality and 5 being the best. Feel free to add a comment after your rating if you’d like.

1) Eating Disorders: Mirror, Mirror
http://www.mirror-mirror.org/eatdis.htm

2) Information on the White House:
The White House http://www.whitehouse.net

3) Dangers in the environment:
Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division http://www.dhmo.org/

4) Reducing animal suffering:
Animal Welfare Institute http://www.awionline.org/

5) New fossil discovery:
Great Discoveries in Archaeology
http://pantheon.yale.edu/~bgw3/greatdiscoveries/dec11.html

6) A news report on an endangered species:
Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus  http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus

7) Capital punishment:
Capital Punishment: All Viewpoints on the Death Penalty
http://www.religioustolerance.org/execute.htm

8) Aids:
The True But Little Known Facts About Women and AIDS
http://147.129.226.1/library/research/AIDSFACTS.htm

9) World news today:
The New American Magazine http://www.thenewamerican.com/

10) Dangerous foods:
The Dangers of Bread http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/REQUESTS/bread.html

11) Cosmetic Surgery:
Cosmetic Surgery for Dogs and Cats
http://www.idausa.org/facts/cossurgery.html

12) The search for extraterrestrial life:
SETI Institute http://www.seti.org/

13) The state of the Republican party today:
Republican National Committee http://www.gop.com/

14) Evolution or Intelligent Design:
Intelligent Designs on Evolution
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/inteldesign/

15) Facts About the Civil War
http://www.idiotica.com/cranium/encyclopedia/content/civilwar.htm

16) Tourism in Mankato, MN:
 Mankato, MN Web Site http://city-mankato.us/

17) The town of New Hartford, MN:
New Hartford, MN Web Site
http://descy.50megs.com/NewHartford/newhtfd.html

Adapted from and added to Art Wolinsky’s WiredSafety