This set practises the four skills from sources and credibility: tracing a claim, judging expertise, checking numbers and recording uncertainty. All sources, people and figures are invented for practice.
Write each answer in full sentences before opening the worked answer. The questions run from easier to harder, and the last few mix skills.
Questions
Question 1 (easy)
A post says “Recent research shows teenagers need ten hours of sleep.” It links to a news site, which links to a health charity’s page, which links to a published study. Which source do you try to read first, and why?
Show answer
The published study. It is the origin of the information, so it shows who was studied, how and what the exact finding was. The news site and charity page are useful pointers, but each may have changed the wording.
Question 2 (easy)
Label each sentence as a fact, a source’s viewpoint or an interpretation.
a) “The library opened at 8 a.m. on Monday.” b) “The mayor says the library is a good use of public money.” c) “The rise in visitors suggests people want longer opening hours.”
Show answer
a) Fact, which can be checked against records. b) Viewpoint: it is the mayor’s opinion, and it can be reported accurately as what the mayor said. c) Interpretation: it is a reading of the data that goes beyond the visitor count itself.
Question 3 (easy)
Dr Lena Park is a marine biologist. She says a school should start at 10 a.m. because “teenagers learn better later”.
Is her expertise relevant? What would you check next?
Show answer
Her expertise is in marine life, not sleep or education, so it is not directly relevant. Check whether she cites studies on adolescent sleep, whether her method is shown and whether education researchers support the claim. Her view could still be correct, but her title does not show it.
Question 4 (medium)
A report published in 2024 says “Only 12% of homes in Eastvale have fast internet.” The figure comes from a 2014 survey. What is the problem and what should you write?
Show answer
The date. The report is from 2024, but the figure describes 2014 and may be out of date after ten years. Write: “A 2014 survey found 12% of homes had fast internet; I could not confirm the current figure.”
Question 5 (medium)
A shop says “Online sales rose from 250 orders in March to 300 in April.” Calculate the percentage increase.
Show answer
Increase = 300 − 250 = 50. Percentage increase = 50 ÷ 250 = 0.2, which is 20%. Check: 20% of 250 is 50, and 250 + 50 = 300.
Question 6 (medium)
A council claims “Library loans rose by 20%, so more residents are reading.” Loans went from 3,000 to 3,600. The town’s population rose from 10,000 to 14,400. What does the claim miss?
Show answer
First check the rise: 600 ÷ 3,000 = 20%. The arithmetic is correct. Loans per resident were 3,000 ÷ 10,000 = 0.30 before and 3,600 ÷ 14,400 = 0.25 after, so loans per resident fell. The count rose, but the rate did not, so “more residents are reading” is not supported.
Question 7 (medium)
A bottled water company publishes a study saying its water “improves concentration”. Explain how you would treat this source without simply rejecting it.
Show answer
Note the interest: the company gains if people believe the claim. Then test the study itself. Look at who took part, how concentration was measured, whether there was a comparison group and whether independent researchers found the same. The interest is a reason for extra care, not proof that the claim is false.
Question 8 (harder)
Two sources report visitors to Seabright Museum last year. Source A says 15,000 and Source B says 12,500.
Give three reasons why the figures might differ and what you would check.
Show answer
Possible reasons: different definitions (visits versus individual people), different periods (calendar year versus financial year) and different counts (paid entries only versus all entries including events). Check each source’s definition and dates, and find the museum’s own published figures if they exist. Until then, report both figures with their sources.
Question 9 (harder)
A student finds a claim in a screenshot with no author: “Three in four teenagers in Northport have been bullied online.” The student’s note reads: “This is true because it matches what I think.” Rewrite the note properly.
Show answer
Example: “Claim: three in four teenagers in Northport have been bullied online. Source reached: an unattributed screenshot. Checked: I searched for a matching survey and found none. Not checked: who produced it, the sample and the definition of bullying. Confidence: low. I will use it only as an unverified claim and look for an official survey.” The original note confuses agreement with evidence.
Question 10 (harder)
Read this sentence from a draft: “Everyone agrees the new bus lane works because journeys are 20% faster.”
Identify two problems and rewrite it with the evidence in mind. Assume a transport report gives: average journey 30 minutes before, 24 minutes after, measured on weekday mornings for one month.
Show answer
Problems: “everyone agrees” is unsupported, and “works” and “20% faster” lack context. Check the figure: 30 − 24 = 6 minutes, and 6 ÷ 30 = 20%, so the number is correct. The measure covers weekday mornings for one month only.
Rewrite: “A transport report found that average weekday-morning journeys fell from 30 to 24 minutes, a 20% reduction, over one month. The report does not cover other times, so the long-term effect is not confirmed.”
If you got these wrong
Match each error to the lesson that fixes it.
| What went wrong | Revise |
|---|---|
| You cited a repost or summary instead of the origin (Q1) | Identify the original source behind a repeated statement |
| You rated a source by title or by whether you agreed (Q3, Q7) | Separate source expertise from agreement with its conclusion |
| You missed the date, base, unit or definition (Q4, Q5, Q6, Q8) | Check the date and context of a numerical claim |
| You overstated or hid what you could not check (Q9, Q10) | Record uncertainty when evidence cannot be verified |
Q2 mixes fact, viewpoint and interpretation, which you will meet again across the course. Return to the module overview to rebuild your route.
Next step
Re-do any question you missed after a day. If a type of question still trips you, a teacher in online one-to-one Global Perspectives tuition can go through your reasoning with fresh examples while your assessed work stays your own.