April Fool's Hotlist
by Janice Cooper
Introduction · rubric · conclusion · teacher's guide
General · Business · English · Family & Consumer Sciences · Health · Math · Science · Social Studies · Technology · Web Site Evaluation Tools · Hoax or Bias?Introduction · rubric · conclusion · teacher's guide
General · Business · English · Family & Consumer Sciences · Health · Math · Science · Social Studies · Technology · Web Site Evaluation Tools · Hoax or Bias?Introduction
'. . . but it has to be true! I read it on a Web site with great graphics.'
Not all of the information on the Internet is 'created equal.' In fact, the World Wide Web is notorious for unauthorized, inaccurate, biased information. 'Prank' or Hoax Web sites can be some of the funniest things in the Internet. They can also be the most misleading and dangerous - - if you can't tell the difference between them and accurate sites.
Evaluation guides and checklists can guide you through the process of determining whether a Web site is fact or fiction. How can you analyze the information you locate through search engines and from friends? What are the important, meaningful, insightful questions you need to ask yourself when researching on the Internet?
Use the links below to explore and evaluate. The Web offers some incredibly unique resources that are simply unavailable anywhere else. Some of the questions you need to ask yourself are just as unique. Some of the questions are similar to those you would ask of any print resource. If you would like to read what good, meaningful exploration and evaluation looks like, read the rubric.
. . . Oh, and just for fun, one of the hoax sites is a 'real' Web site. Can you determine which one it is?
Internet Links
General
- The First Page of the Internet
- This is it, the very first page of the WWW.
- This Page Intentionally Left Blank
- In an effort to provide Internet searchers with 'a place of quietness and simplicity,' this philanthropic project invites you to participate.
- The End of the Internet
- And now, we have reached The End.
Business
- Mankato, Minnesota
- Come visit the beautiful resort of Mankato, where the whole family can enjoy many water activites, including visiting an underwater city and whale watching on the Minnesota River.
- Lake Michigan Whale Watching
- Once fabled to cause shipwrecks on Lake Michigan, come to see these gentle marine mammals in their natural habitat. Stay to swim with fresh water dolphins.
- Tadoos
- Want to make some money? Why not rent out space on your body for tatooed-on advertising?
- The Official KRESKY Homepage
- An extensive Web site for fans of that famous '70s detective television series.
- The Time Travel Fund
- You CAN take it with you. With this amazing fund, you can pay people from the future to come and retrieve you . . . for a small fee.
- Britain for Americans
- Businesspeople and tourists have no fear of making ghastly faux-pas when they learn the social 'Dos and Don't's' from this helpful Web site.
English
- The Framley Examiner
- The Examiner is now online! This newspaper serves 'the people of Framley, and the surrounding villages' and is chock-full of 'human interest' stories.
- Annals of Improbable Research
- Interested in researching 'questions for the ages,' such as which scientists truly have luxurious, long, flowing hair? The Annals are THE resource for you.
- Feline Reactions to Bearded Men
- This exhaustive research project painstakingly examines how cats react to men with beards, with important findings for all men, indeed, important for all humans.
- CASE ANALYSIS OF A HISTORIC KILLER TORNADO EVENT IN KANSAS ON 10 JUNE 1938
- Detailed examination of the path of destruction cut by a Midwestern tornado, a classic of weather literature.
Family & Consumer Sciences
- Velcro Crop under Challenge
- How will we keep our clothing on? California's most important crop was threatened by drought in 1993 and it could happen again.
- MeatShake
- Forget fruit or plain old vanilla shakes, try beef or chicken!
- Ninja Burger
- Fastest of the fast foods, you are sure to be satisfied by the philosophy and food of Ninja Burger.
- The Dangers of Bread
- In addition to carbohydrates, this Web site details little known health hazards of bread.
- The Ova Prima Foundation
- This prestigious foundation has unimpeachable proof to answer the age-old conundrum: which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Health
- Brain Transplantation
- Transplant your brain and get a whole, new body.
- GenoChoice
- Featuring nanotechnology, prospective parents can create perfect babies right on the Internet with GenoChoice.
- The First Male Pregnancy
- Watch the ultrasound, read the journal, access the media coverage of the first male pregnancy.
- YogaKitty
- Order now! Videos to help you and your cat achieve a higher consciousness.
- Lacuna Inc.
- Painful memories hampering you from enjoying your life to the fullest? Simply erase those memories at Lacuna Inc.!
Math
- Metric Time
- Forget the 24 hour day, go metric with the decimal clock. Only ten hours a day!
Science
- Dihydrogen Monoxide - DHMO Homepage
- A warning on the prevalence and dangers of the dreaded chemical that is infiltrating our environment.
- The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus
- Learn about this gentle, endangered species, and follow links to other animals destined for extinction, on this professionally designed Web page.
- The JACKALOPE CONSPIRACY
- Be aware that this elusive animal is very temperamental. Rare photographs capture it in action around the globe and featured in famous works of art.
- Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie
- A very helpful resource that provides detailed plans for making, accessorizing, and maintaining your own AFDB.
- Christmas Island Red Crabs
- Learn about the brilliant red crabs of Christmas Island. Watch them take dips in the sea. Mating rituals can not be observed, as the crabs prefer the privacy of their burrows.
- The Thermodynamic Law Party
- This new political party is active in the U.S. and 70 other countries. 'By using a Thermodynamics-orientated, 'Make Sense' approach to government, we will be able to offer policies that are in harmony with the Universe thereby insuring a problem-free government.'
- BuyDehydratedWater.com
- An unimpeachable source for understanding and purchasing dehydrated water.
- Sellafield Zoo
- Due to its powerful location near a nuclear station, the new and varied animal species bred there have a half-life.
Social Studies
- The Republic Of Cascadia Bureau of Sasquatch Affairs
- Everything you ever wanted to know about Sasquatch, Sasquatch services and Sasquatch-human relationships.
- BELGIUM DOESN'T EXIST!
- The nefarious plot to dupe people into believing in the fictional country of Belgium is exposed!
- Dog Island
- Home of free, happy dogs, Dog Island even has its own anthem which you can listen to on their web site.
- The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency
- This government agency is responsible for 'controlling the nation's vampire and zombie populations while overseeing scientific research into the undead.'
- Americans With No Abilities Act
- Archived news article announcing the U.S. Congress's approval of the famous Americans With No Abilities Act in 1998.
- WingMakers
- Archaelogists in New Meixco discovered the first of seven 'knowledge repositories,' spiral-shaped underground chambers filled with enigmatic paintings left by the WingMakers eons ago.
- Cloning of George Washington Reported
- Have the Germans cloned our first president? How old and where is he now?
- Republic of Molossia
- Fortunately, His Excellency, the President of Molossia has been able to establish his government-in-exile in Nevada, where he performs unique wedding ceremonies.
Technology
- FunPhone
- Use your computer as a phone, just speak into your monitor with FunPhone technology and your voice is transmitted over the Internet. Save time AND money.
- Boilerplate: Mechanical Marvel of the Nineteenth Century
- Introduced at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Boilerplate was a Victorian-era robot that circumnavigated the globe and fought in three wars.
- NonProfitableTech
- Why invest in technology that works when you can just pay NonProfitableTech for nothing?
- Telco Powered Products
- Use your telephone jack to power your appliances -- with Telco's unique, cutting edge technology, developed by Chernobyl's leading scientist.
- Microsoft Plans Toilets With Web Access
- The title says it all.
- First Genetics
- Talk online with the first genetically engineered animal that can communicate with us in his own chat room.
Web Site Evaluation Tools
- Critical Evaluation of a WebSite, Middle School Level
- Kathy Schrock's one-page checklist for evaluating Web sites.
- NVRHS Web Site Evaluation Checklist
- A tool designed to help high school students evaluate Web sites.
- Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask
- One in a series of online tutorials by UC Berkeley Library . This lesson clearly details why and how to evaluate Internet sites.
- Web Research Evaluation Checklist
- Another evaluation tool, written for college-level students, and with the connections listed explicity that this project will prompt MS/HS students to develop for themselves.
Hoax or Bias?
- McWhortle Enterprises, Inc.
- An exciting investment opportunity in this cutting edge bio-hazard detecting technology. . . . But is it real? Anything that seems too good to be true, usually is. Carefully consider this site developed by the Better Business Bureau.
- Oxford Open University
- An affordable option for those students interested in earning their undergraduate and graduate degrees through distance learning. But, maybe not. Another example of a Web site set up to teach the difference between fiction and reality.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: A True Historical Examination
- When does a hoax become bias? This Web site on the African-American Civil Rights leader was, in reality, written by a hate group. Follow the links to see the true agenda.
- Home Page of Arthur R. Butz
- Although posted on an '.edu' Web site, this Holocaust Denial page is the work of a computer scientist, not a historian. Again, this author has a specific, personal agenda. Follow the links to view the 'big picture.'
Conclusion
Because anyone can publish on the Web, it reflects the chaotic, uneven, and sometimes confusing world around us. By exploring and evaluating these Web sites, you've journeyed into real learning where you must judge between fact and opinion, playfulness and bias, insight and insignificance.
And, hopefully, you had some fun.
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created by Janice Cooper email: cooper_j@nvnet.org ; jj71688@optonline.net http://web-and-flow.com/members/jcooper/fool/hotlist.htm |