Pick trustworthy sources and credit them
Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
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“Counting the Herons at Lake Marren” (article)
Author: Delia Harrow, a bird counter for the Marren Lake Trust. Publisher: Marren Lake Trust. Date: 14 April 2024. Found at: marrenlaketrust.example/herons. Page features: shared 2,300 times; one color photograph of the nesting pines.
[1] Every April, volunteers gather on the north shore of Lake Marren to count the great blue herons that nest in the tall pines there. [2] The count has been repeated every year for twelve years, and the volunteers follow exactly the same rules each time. [3] Counters walk the same path, begin at sunrise, and record every nest that has a bird sitting on it, because an empty nest says nothing about the season.[4] Last spring the team found 61 occupied nests, up from 48 the year before. [5] I checked the total myself by counting twice, once from the path and once from a canoe. [6] Both counts matched, so we are confident that the number is accurate.
[7] Several changes may explain the rise. [8] The trust cleared fallen branches from the shore, which gave the herons more open shallows to wade through. [9] A mild winter also meant that more young birds survived until spring. [10] We cannot yet say which change mattered most, and several more years of careful counts will help us decide.
[11] The Marren Lake Trust welcomes new volunteers every spring. [12] Anyone who joins learns the counting rules during a single morning at the shore.
Source note card for Ari. Credibility: ________Ari is filling in the Credibility line of a note card. Which line tells who wrote the article, when it came out, and why to trust it?
- Who: Delia Harrow, a bird counter for the Marren Lake Trust. When: 14 April 2024. Why: the writer counted the nests twice and follows the same rules each year.
- Who: Delia Harrow, a bird counter for the Marren Lake Trust. When: 14 April 2024. Why: 2,300 readers shared the page, so many people must agree with the count.
- Who: Delia Harrow, a bird counter for the Marren Lake Trust. When: April 2023, the spring of the count. Why: the writer counted the nests twice and follows the same rules each year.
- Who: Delia Harrow, a visitor who passed the lake on a hike. When: 14 April 2024. Why: the writer counted the nests twice and follows the same rules each year.
Use this
“Counting the Herons at Lake Marren” (article)
Author: Delia Harrow, a bird counter for the Marren Lake Trust. Publisher: Marren Lake Trust. Date: 14 April 2024. Found at: marrenlaketrust.example/herons. Page features: shared 2,300 times; one color photograph of the nesting pines.
[1] Every April, volunteers gather on the north shore of Lake Marren to count the great blue herons that nest in the tall pines there. [2] The count has been repeated every year for twelve years, and the volunteers follow exactly the same rules each time. [3] Counters walk the same path, begin at sunrise, and record every nest that has a bird sitting on it, because an empty nest says nothing about the season.[4] Last spring the team found 61 occupied nests, up from 48 the year before. [5] I checked the total myself by counting twice, once from the path and once from a canoe. [6] Both counts matched, so we are confident that the number is accurate.
[7] Several changes may explain the rise. [8] The trust cleared fallen branches from the shore, which gave the herons more open shallows to wade through. [9] A mild winter also meant that more young birds survived until spring. [10] We cannot yet say which change mattered most, and several more years of careful counts will help us decide.
[11] The Marren Lake Trust welcomes new volunteers every spring. [12] Anyone who joins learns the counting rules during a single morning at the shore.
Bo is researching how many herons nest at Lake Marren. Which detail from the page gives the best reason to trust its nest count?
- The writer counted the nests twice, once from the path and once from a canoe, and both counts matched.
- The Marren Lake Trust welcomes new volunteers each spring, so the group seems active and friendly.
- The page has a color photograph of the nesting pines, so the count looks well documented.
- The page was shared 2,300 times, so many readers must have found the nest count useful and correct.
Use this
“Counting the Herons at Lake Marren” (article)
Author: Delia Harrow, a bird counter for the Marren Lake Trust. Publisher: Marren Lake Trust. Date: 14 April 2024. Found at: marrenlaketrust.example/herons. Page features: shared 2,300 times; one color photograph of the nesting pines.
[1] Every April, volunteers gather on the north shore of Lake Marren to count the great blue herons that nest in the tall pines there. [2] The count has been repeated every year for twelve years, and the volunteers follow exactly the same rules each time. [3] Counters walk the same path, begin at sunrise, and record every nest that has a bird sitting on it, because an empty nest says nothing about the season.[4] Last spring the team found 61 occupied nests, up from 48 the year before. [5] I checked the total myself by counting twice, once from the path and once from a canoe. [6] Both counts matched, so we are confident that the number is accurate.
[7] Several changes may explain the rise. [8] The trust cleared fallen branches from the shore, which gave the herons more open shallows to wade through. [9] A mild winter also meant that more young birds survived until spring. [10] We cannot yet say which change mattered most, and several more years of careful counts will help us decide.
[11] The Marren Lake Trust welcomes new volunteers every spring. [12] Anyone who joins learns the counting rules during a single morning at the shore.
Source note card for Esme. Citation pattern: Last, First. “Title.” Publisher, Date, Location. Citation: ________Esme is finishing the Citation line of a note card. Which line follows the pattern Last, First. “Title.” Publisher, Date, Location?
- Harrow, Delia. Marren Lake Trust. “Counting the Herons at Lake Marren.” 14 April 2024, marrenlaketrust.example/herons.
- Harrow, Delia. “Counting the Herons at Lake Marren.” Marren Lake Trust, 14 April 2023, marrenlaketrust.example/herons.
- Harrow, Delia. “Counting the Herons at Lake Marren.” Marren Lake Trust, marrenlaketrust.example/herons.
- Harrow, Delia. “Counting the Herons at Lake Marren.” Marren Lake Trust, 14 April 2024, marrenlaketrust.example/herons.
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“Ferry Will Leave Earlier in November” (news report)
Author: Tobias Wren, the harbor reporter for The Dunmere Courier. Publisher: The Dunmere Courier. Date: 3 October 2023. Found at: p. B2. Page features: shared 640 times; a photograph of the dock.
[1] The Dunmere ferry will leave the harbor twenty minutes earlier on weekday mornings starting in November. [2] Harbor Master Rosalind Teague announced the change on Monday at a meeting of the port council. [3] She said the ferry has been arriving late at the mainland dock because the morning tide slows the loading.[4] According to the harbor's own logs, the ferry reached the dock behind schedule on 41 of 60 weekday mornings last spring. [5] The logs record the exact arrival time each day, and the council reviewed them before voting. [6] The vote was five to two in favor of the earlier schedule.
[7] Two council members objected. [8] Councilor Idris Pomeroy said the change would force commuters to wake earlier, and he asked the council to wait for a survey of riders. [9] Teague answered that a survey would take months, while the delays continue each week. [10] Afternoon sailings will not change.
[11] Riders can find the new timetable at the harbor office or on the council's page. [12] This reporter attended the full meeting and wrote down each speaker's words on the spot.
Source note card for Jun. Credibility: ________Jun is filling in the Credibility line for this news report. Which line tells who wrote it, when it came out, and why to trust it?
- Who: Tobias Wren, the harbor reporter for The Dunmere Courier. When: 3 October 2023. Why: the reporter attended the full meeting and took the late-ferry count from the harbor's logs.
- Who: Tobias Wren, the harbor master who runs the Dunmere port. When: 3 October 2023. Why: the reporter attended the full meeting and took the late-ferry count from the harbor's logs.
- Who: Tobias Wren, the harbor reporter for The Dunmere Courier. When: Monday, the day the port council met. Why: the reporter attended the full meeting and took the late-ferry count from the harbor's logs.
- Who: Tobias Wren, the harbor reporter for The Dunmere Courier. When: 3 October 2023. Why: 640 readers shared the story, and it has a photograph of the dock.
Use this
“Ferry Will Leave Earlier in November” (news report)
Author: Tobias Wren, the harbor reporter for The Dunmere Courier. Publisher: The Dunmere Courier. Date: 3 October 2023. Found at: p. B2. Page features: shared 640 times; a photograph of the dock.
[1] The Dunmere ferry will leave the harbor twenty minutes earlier on weekday mornings starting in November. [2] Harbor Master Rosalind Teague announced the change on Monday at a meeting of the port council. [3] She said the ferry has been arriving late at the mainland dock because the morning tide slows the loading.[4] According to the harbor's own logs, the ferry reached the dock behind schedule on 41 of 60 weekday mornings last spring. [5] The logs record the exact arrival time each day, and the council reviewed them before voting. [6] The vote was five to two in favor of the earlier schedule.
[7] Two council members objected. [8] Councilor Idris Pomeroy said the change would force commuters to wake earlier, and he asked the council to wait for a survey of riders. [9] Teague answered that a survey would take months, while the delays continue each week. [10] Afternoon sailings will not change.
[11] Riders can find the new timetable at the harbor office or on the council's page. [12] This reporter attended the full meeting and wrote down each speaker's words on the spot.
Source note card for Luz. Citation pattern: Last, First. “Title.” Publisher, Date, Location. Citation: ________Luz is finishing the Citation line of a note card. Which line follows the pattern Last, First. “Title.” Publisher, Date, Location?
- Wren, Tobias. “Ferry Will Leave Earlier in November.” The Dunmere Courier, 3 October 2023, p. B12.
- Wren, Tobias. “Ferry Will Leave Earlier in November.” The Dunmere Courier, 3 October 2023, p. B2.
- Wren, Tobias. “Ferry Will Leave Earlier in November.” The Dunmere Courier, 3 October 2023.
- Tobias Wren. “Ferry Will Leave Earlier in November.” The Dunmere Courier, 3 October 2023, p. B2.
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“Why the River Pell Turns Brown” (web page)
Author: Dr. Ines Falk, a river scientist at the Pell Valley Water Lab. Publisher: Pell Valley Water Lab. Date: 22 June 2024. Found at: pellwaterlab.example/color. Page features: shared 1,100 times; a bright banner with a photograph of the river.
[1] People who live along the River Pell often ask why the water turns brown after a heavy rain. [2] The short answer is soil, not pollution. [3] Rain washes loose soil from the farm fields and the steep banks into the river, and the tiny particles stay in the water until the current slows.[4] Our lab tested this idea last year. [5] We took water samples every week from five places along the river and weighed the particles in each one. [6] Samples taken the day after a storm held about ten times more particles than samples from dry weeks. [7] The results are posted in full on this page, so other scientists can check our work.
[8] Brown water is not always harmless, however. [9] Soil can carry fertilizer from the fields, and too much fertilizer can harm plants that grow in the river. [10] For that reason, the lab also measures nutrients, and those results will appear in a second report. [11] Readers who want the sample dates can download the table at the bottom of this page.
Source note card for Milo. Credibility: ________Milo is filling in the Credibility line of a note card. Which line tells who wrote the web page, when it was posted, and why to trust it?
- Who: Dr. Ines Falk, a farmer whose fields lie beside the River Pell. When: 22 June 2024. Why: the lab took weekly samples and posted the results so others can check them.
- Who: Dr. Ines Falk, a river scientist at the Pell Valley Water Lab. When: 22 June 2024. Why: the lab took weekly samples and posted the results so others can check them.
- Who: Dr. Ines Falk, a river scientist at the Pell Valley Water Lab. When: last year, when the lab ran its tests. Why: the lab took weekly samples and posted the results so others can check them.
- Who: Dr. Ines Falk, a river scientist at the Pell Valley Water Lab. When: 22 June 2024. Why: 1,100 readers have shared the page, so many people must agree with it.
Use this
“Why the River Pell Turns Brown” (web page)
Author: Dr. Ines Falk, a river scientist at the Pell Valley Water Lab. Publisher: Pell Valley Water Lab. Date: 22 June 2024. Found at: pellwaterlab.example/color. Page features: shared 1,100 times; a bright banner with a photograph of the river.
[1] People who live along the River Pell often ask why the water turns brown after a heavy rain. [2] The short answer is soil, not pollution. [3] Rain washes loose soil from the farm fields and the steep banks into the river, and the tiny particles stay in the water until the current slows.[4] Our lab tested this idea last year. [5] We took water samples every week from five places along the river and weighed the particles in each one. [6] Samples taken the day after a storm held about ten times more particles than samples from dry weeks. [7] The results are posted in full on this page, so other scientists can check our work.
[8] Brown water is not always harmless, however. [9] Soil can carry fertilizer from the fields, and too much fertilizer can harm plants that grow in the river. [10] For that reason, the lab also measures nutrients, and those results will appear in a second report. [11] Readers who want the sample dates can download the table at the bottom of this page.
Source note card for Pia. Citation pattern: Last, First. “Title.” Publisher, Date, Location. Citation: ________Pia is finishing the Citation line of a note card. Which line follows the pattern Last, First. “Title.” Publisher, Date, Location?
- Falk, Ines. “Why the River Pell Turns Brown.” Pell Valley Water Lab, 22 June 2024, pellwaterlab.example/color.
- Falk, Ines. “Why the River Pell Turns Muddy.” Pell Valley Water Lab, 22 June 2024, pellwaterlab.example/color.
- Falk, Ines. “Why the River Pell Turns Brown.” 22 June 2024, pellwaterlab.example/color.
- Falk, Ines. “Why the River Pell Turns Brown.” 22 June 2024, Pell Valley Water Lab, pellwaterlab.example/color.
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“The Clock Tower on Corvane Street” (newsletter)
Author: Albrecht Lund, the town historian of the Corvane Historical Society. Publisher: Corvane Historical Society. Date: 9 May 2022. Found at: p. 3. Page features: shared 380 times; an old photograph of the tower.
[1] The clock tower on Corvane Street has told the time to the whole neighborhood for more than a hundred years. [2] It was built in 1911, and the town paid for it with money raised at a spring fair. [3] The original clock came from a workshop in the next valley, where a clockmaker named Odette Brisk made the gears by hand.[4] The tower stopped for the first time in 1957, when one of the gears wore completely smooth. [5] Volunteers took the whole clock apart and spent an entire winter rebuilding it. [6] Their work is described in the minute books of the Historical Society, which I have read from beginning to end.
[7] Many residents believe that the tower once held a bell from a sailing ship. [8] I looked for evidence of this story in the town records and found none. [9] The bell was cast at a local foundry, and the receipt for it is still in the archive. [10] Legends are charming, but I prefer to report what the documents show.
[11] The Society will open the tower to visitors on the first Saturday of June. [12] Anyone who would like to attend should ask for a ticket at the library.
Source note card for Ren. Credibility: ________Ren is filling in the Credibility line of a note card. Which line tells who wrote the newsletter, when it came out, and why to trust it?
- Who: Albrecht Lund, the town historian of the Corvane Historical Society. When: 9 May 2022. Why: the writer read the society's records and reports what the documents show.
- Who: Albrecht Lund, the town historian of the Corvane Historical Society. When: 9 May 2022. Why: 380 readers shared the newsletter, and it has an old photograph of the tower.
- Who: Albrecht Lund, the clockmaker who built the tower's first gears. When: 9 May 2022. Why: the writer read the society's records and reports what the documents show.
- Who: Albrecht Lund, the town historian of the Corvane Historical Society. When: 1911, the year the tower was built. Why: the writer read the society's records and reports what the documents show.
Use this
“The Clock Tower on Corvane Street” (newsletter)
Author: Albrecht Lund, the town historian of the Corvane Historical Society. Publisher: Corvane Historical Society. Date: 9 May 2022. Found at: p. 3. Page features: shared 380 times; an old photograph of the tower.
[1] The clock tower on Corvane Street has told the time to the whole neighborhood for more than a hundred years. [2] It was built in 1911, and the town paid for it with money raised at a spring fair. [3] The original clock came from a workshop in the next valley, where a clockmaker named Odette Brisk made the gears by hand.[4] The tower stopped for the first time in 1957, when one of the gears wore completely smooth. [5] Volunteers took the whole clock apart and spent an entire winter rebuilding it. [6] Their work is described in the minute books of the Historical Society, which I have read from beginning to end.
[7] Many residents believe that the tower once held a bell from a sailing ship. [8] I looked for evidence of this story in the town records and found none. [9] The bell was cast at a local foundry, and the receipt for it is still in the archive. [10] Legends are charming, but I prefer to report what the documents show.
[11] The Society will open the tower to visitors on the first Saturday of June. [12] Anyone who would like to attend should ask for a ticket at the library.
Tala is writing about the Corvane clock tower. Which detail from the newsletter gives the best reason to trust its claim that the tower's bell was cast in town?
- The newsletter has an old photograph of the tower, so its claim about the bell looks well supported.
- The newsletter was shared 380 times, so its claim about the bell must be right.
- The writer searched the town records and found the foundry's receipt for the bell.
- The Society will open the tower on the first Saturday of June, so the group seems well organized.
Use this
“The Clock Tower on Corvane Street” (newsletter)
Author: Albrecht Lund, the town historian of the Corvane Historical Society. Publisher: Corvane Historical Society. Date: 9 May 2022. Found at: p. 3. Page features: shared 380 times; an old photograph of the tower.
[1] The clock tower on Corvane Street has told the time to the whole neighborhood for more than a hundred years. [2] It was built in 1911, and the town paid for it with money raised at a spring fair. [3] The original clock came from a workshop in the next valley, where a clockmaker named Odette Brisk made the gears by hand.[4] The tower stopped for the first time in 1957, when one of the gears wore completely smooth. [5] Volunteers took the whole clock apart and spent an entire winter rebuilding it. [6] Their work is described in the minute books of the Historical Society, which I have read from beginning to end.
[7] Many residents believe that the tower once held a bell from a sailing ship. [8] I looked for evidence of this story in the town records and found none. [9] The bell was cast at a local foundry, and the receipt for it is still in the archive. [10] Legends are charming, but I prefer to report what the documents show.
[11] The Society will open the tower to visitors on the first Saturday of June. [12] Anyone who would like to attend should ask for a ticket at the library.
Source note card for Zee. Citation pattern: Last, First. “Title.” Publisher, Date, Location. Citation: ________Zee is finishing the Citation line of a note card. Which line follows the pattern Last, First. “Title.” Publisher, Date, Location?
- “The Clock Tower on Corvane Street.” Corvane Historical Society, 9 May 2022, p. 3.
- Lund, Albrecht. “The Clock Tower on Corvane Street.” Corvane Historical Society, 9 May 2022, p. 3.
- Lund, Albrecht. “The Clock Tower on Corvane Street.” Corvane Heritage Society, 9 May 2022, p. 3.
- Lund, Albrecht. “The Clock Tower on Corvane Street.” p. 3, Corvane Historical Society, 9 May 2022.