Earlier in the course you compared sources and wrote down why you trusted them. Today you will put that comparison into a spreadsheet. You will:

1. set up the columns;
2. type in your sources, one on each row;
3. freeze the top row so it always stays in view;
4. sort and filter the rows to answer a question about your sources.

In a spreadsheet, each row is one source and each column is one fact about it. When you have more than a few sources, sorting or filtering them is quicker than rewriting a long list.

You score the four tests yourself, using Yes, No or Partial:

Follow the steps in the activity below to build your spreadsheet. The activity has one set of steps for Excel and another for Google Sheets, so make sure you follow the set for your app. Start with the three sample sources in the box, because the checks at the end of the activity use them. If you have your own sources from earlier work, add them on the rows underneath.

The two most important skills today are freezing the header row and filtering, so if you are short of time, you can skip making the columns wider. When you reach the end, save the file again.

Now add more sources to your table and use a filter to answer a real question about them.

1. Add at least one more source row, or two if you finish early, from earlier comparison work or your research log. If your log only has a title and a note on trust, look at the source again for the author and date, and score the tests yourself.
2. If you have no earlier sources, make up one realistic row about school start times. Give it the scores you think a real source like that would get. You can also use a starter title from the box and score it yourself.
3. Turn on a filter and use it to answer one question about the whole set, such as "Which sources fail Current?" or "Which ones pass every test?"
4. Write your question and a one-line answer under the table or beside it. Then save the file the class way.

Before you finish, check that:

• your table has at least four source rows;
• the header row stays frozen when you scroll;
• your filter answers the question you asked;
• your question and answer are beside the table;
• the file is saved where the class can find it.

The table lets you:

• sort by date to see quickly which sources are current and which are old;
• filter by scores to hide the sources that passed and look at the ones that did not;
• spot patterns across your sources that a long list hides.

What did your table show you that was hard to see in your research log?