WikiWomen Erasmus+/Schools toolkit/Wikipedia essentials
Lesson 2: Wikipedia essentials
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Lesson Outcome
- Gain a basic understanding of Wikipedia.
- Recognize the significance of Wikipedia as a platform for sharing knowledge.
- Understand the goals of the project in developing research, critical thinking, and writing skills.
- Lesson Duration: 40 minutes —
Introduction (10 minutes):
- Have students share one interesting fact about a notable woman from their region which they looked up since the last lesson.
- Quick Intro to Wiki
- What is Wiki?
- Introduce the importance of Wikipedia as a global knowledge platform.
- Discuss the goals of the project: developing research, critical thinking, and writing skills through contributing to Wikipedia in their minority language.
Class Discussion (10 minutes):
- Prompt 1: What do you think about Wikipedia?
Encourage students to share their perceptions, experiences, and any concerns they might have.
- Prompt 2: When do you think it is appropriate to use Wikipedia?
Discuss situations where Wikipedia can be a valuable resource and when it might not be suitable.
- Prompt 3: Do you use Wikipedia in your language?
Explore the availability of Wikipedia in different languages and dialects. Slide Deck Presentation (10 minutes):
- Present a slide deck providing an overview of Wikipedia, including its history, structure, and the collaborative nature of editing.
- Highlight The Five Pillars of Wikipedia
- Full WikiEssentials slide deck can be found here: >>LINK<<
- Include visuals to engage the students, such as screenshots of Wikipedia articles in different languages (these screenshots should correspond to the language in question).
Group Activity (5 minutes):
- Divide students into small groups.
- Each group discusses a specific Wikipedia article related to women's history in their region.
- Groups identify reliable sources used in the article and evaluate the article's credibility and completeness.
- Discuss as a wider class, have each group talk about their article - pros and cons.
Individual or Group Work Activity (5 minutes):
- Hand out a brief passage from a Wikipedia article in their minority language.
- This could be created as a resource for teachers with a Wikimedian having already identified pros and cons of the article, possible improvements etc.
- Ask students to identify reliable sources mentioned in the passage and evaluate the quality of the information provided.
- Discuss their findings briefly as a class.
Conclusion (5 minutes):
- Recap the key points about Wikipedia's significance and the project's goals.
- Emphasise the importance of critical thinking and reliable sources in contributing to Wikipedia.
- Assign a small homework task: Each student finds a Wikipedia article in their language and evaluates its reliability and completeness based on the criteria discussed in class.
Notes for the Facilitator:
- Encourage an open and inclusive atmosphere where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences.
- This lesson plan aims to foster critical thinking and active engagement with Wikipedia, preparing students for the upcoming research and writing activities in the following lessons.