The Source Analyser helps students to assess "How Useful" a source is by encouraging them to consider firstly "How Much" information is in the source (content focus) and then "How Reliable" that information is (provenance focus)

Teacher leads a discussion using the "Hints" buttons in the template to talk students through the logistics of how to assess the usefulness of a source.

Then, the class reads through a key source.

Half of the class are asked to make notes on "How Much" the source tells them; the other half make notes on "How Reliable" the source is.

These ideas are then fed back into a classroom discussion. The teacher should make notes in the appropriate cell of the template, which should be displayed on a projector screen / interactive whiteboard.

Finally, each student should provide a written answer to the question: "How useful is this source?" using the ideas in the template.

• The teacher could complete the template in advance of the lesson, but make some deliberate mistakes which the students have to identify.
• The class could be split into groups, with each one looking at a different source. Their completed templates could be saved to the school network and then compared / turned into a mini-website!