C3 Inquiry Studio | Land Use Case

Dimension 3: Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence

Work in your home group as if you are fourth graders. Read short sources, compare perspectives, decide what is fact and opinion, evaluate primary and secondary sources, and select evidence that actually helps answer the land-use question.

1Questions
2Disciplines
3Evidence
4Conclusions
TimeAbout 20 minutes
StructureHome group discussion
ProductOne saved group record + PDF
Dimension 3 in one sentence: Students evaluate where information comes from, distinguish fact from opinion, consider perspective and purpose, and select information that can actually serve as evidence for a claim.
Experience the activity as a fourth grader

Your home group's job

Recorder: Type the group's shared thinking. Do not work ahead by yourself. Read, discuss, and decide together before entering the group's response.

Imagine your class is helping a city think about a 20-acre piece of land near Oak Street. The city is considering homes, a public park, or stores and small businesses.

Compelling Question

How should a growing community use a 20-acre parcel of undeveloped land?

Group members: Sign in to load your home group.

1. Read Sources
2. Evaluate
3. Gather Evidence
4. Tentative Claim
5. Class Debrief
Step 1 | About 5 minutes

Read six short sources

Read each source together. Before classifying it, ask who made it, why it was made, and what it helps you understand. Each source is fictional and was created for this activity.

Fictional Source Created for the EDU 5120 Land Use Inquiry

Source 1: City Planning Notice

Notice from the city government

City Planning Notice

The city owns a 20-acre piece of land near Oak Street. The land is not being used right now.

The City Council is studying three possible uses for the land:

  1. Build new homes.
  2. Build a public park.
  3. Build stores and small businesses.

The city will hold a public meeting on May 12. Residents may speak at the meeting or send written comments to the city.

Talk with your group:
  • Who made this notice?
  • Why was it made?
  • What information might matter to the land-use decision?
Fictional Source Created for the EDU 5120 Land Use Inquiry

Source 2: Letter from a Nearby Resident

Letter sent to the City Council

Dear City Council,

I have lived near this land for 18 years. I think the city should turn it into a park. Our neighborhood needs more places for children to play and families to spend time outside.

I am worried that new stores will bring more cars and traffic to Oak Street. A park would make our neighborhood a better place to live.

Sincerely,
Maria Lopez
Oak Street Resident

Talk with your group:
  • Which statements sound like facts?
  • Which statements are opinions?
  • What perspective does Maria bring?
Fictional Source Created for the EDU 5120 Land Use Inquiry

Source 3: Developer Information Flyer

Flyer from Green Valley Homes

A New Neighborhood for Our Community

Green Valley Homes would like to build 75 new homes on the 20-acre property.

The project would include 75 homes, sidewalks, trees along the streets, and a small playground.

New homes would give more families a chance to live in our community. The project would also bring new property tax money to the city.

We believe this is the best use of the land.

Talk with your group:
  • Why did the developer make this flyer?
  • What information might be factual?
  • What part shows the developer's opinion?
Fictional Source Created for the EDU 5120 Land Use Inquiry

Source 4: Local Newspaper Report

News report

City Studies Future of Empty Land

The City Council is deciding what to do with a 20-acre piece of land near Oak Street.

City planners are studying several ideas, including homes, stores, and a public park.

Some residents support a park because they want more open space. Other residents support housing because the city needs more places for people to live.

Business owners have also said that new stores could create jobs and bring more shoppers to the area.

The City Council has not made a final decision.

Talk with your group:
  • How is this different from the resident letter?
  • Whose ideas are included?
  • Does the newspaper make a decision for the reader?
Fictional Source Created for the EDU 5120 Land Use Inquiry

Source 5: Oak Street Traffic Count

City data

Oak Street Traffic Count

City workers counted cars traveling on Oak Street during the afternoon.

TimeCars Counted
2:00 to 3:00210
3:00 to 4:00315
4:00 to 5:00402
5:00 to 6:00465

The city collected these numbers before any new construction began.

Talk with your group:
  • What does this data show?
  • What does it not show?
  • Could this data prove what future traffic will be?
Fictional Source Created for the EDU 5120 Land Use Inquiry

Source 6: Community Blog Post

Community opinion post

Keep Oak Street Green!

The city should stop thinking about buildings and make the entire property a park.

Everyone knows that our city already has too much traffic. Building more homes or stores will only make the problem worse.

A beautiful park would help everyone. Children could play, families could picnic, and people could enjoy nature.

The choice is easy. The city should choose the park.

Talk with your group:
  • Which sentences are opinions?
  • Does "Everyone knows" give evidence?
  • What perspective does this source represent?
Step 2 | About 6 minutes

Evaluate the sources together

For each source, make one group decision. Keep your notes brief. An opinion can still help explain a person's perspective, and a factual source is not automatically useful for every question.

SourcePrimary or Secondary?Fact, Opinion, or Both?Perspective / PurposeHow useful is it?
1. City Notice
2. Resident Letter
3. Developer Flyer
4. Newspaper Report
5. Traffic Count
6. Blog Post
Step 3 | About 6 minutes

Move from information to evidence

A source is not automatically evidence. Choose information that actually helps your group answer the compelling question. Use at least two different sources.

Evidence 1

Evidence 2

Evidence 3

Teacher Lens

Step 4 | About 3 minutes

Develop a tentative claim

Teacher Lens: Quick Reflection

Home Group Record
Sign in before saving. Your browser also keeps a temporary local draft.
Stop Here | Whole-Class Debrief

Debrief the process, not just the answers

After groups finish, compare how different groups interpreted the same sources and how those choices affected the evidence they selected.

Different Perspectives

  • Which sources viewed the land-use issue differently?
  • How did the resident, developer, city, newspaper, and community writer define the issue differently?
  • Did a point of view make a source less useful, or did it tell us something important?

Primary and Secondary Sources

  • Which sources did groups identify as primary?
  • Which were secondary?
  • Was one type automatically more useful than the other?
  • What could a secondary source tell us that one primary source could not?

Facts and Opinions

  • Which sources mixed facts and opinions?
  • Did groups disagree about any statements?
  • Can an opinion still be useful evidence about someone's perspective?
  • Why is "Everyone knows..." not strong factual evidence?

Gathering Evidence

  • Which pieces of information did groups select most often?
  • Did different groups choose different evidence from the same sources?
  • What information did groups reject?
  • What did the traffic count establish, and what did it not establish?
  • How did evidence choices shape the tentative claim?

Teacher-Education Debrief

  • Where would fourth graders need the most support?
  • Which supports would preserve the thinking rather than do the thinking for students?
  • Which source would you model first, and why?
  • How would you help students move from identifying information to selecting evidence?
Source -> Information -> Evaluation -> Evidence -> Tentative Claim