Source Reliability Sorter¶
Specification¶
The full specification below is extracted from Chapter 6: Health Literacy and Goal Setting.
Type: microsim
**sim-id:** source-reliability-sorter<br/>
**Library:** p5.js<br/>
**Status:** Specified
Bloom Taxonomy: Evaluate (L5)
Bloom Taxonomy Verb: judge, assess, justify
Learning objective: Students evaluate short example sources (a health agency web page, an influencer post, a doctor's advice, an ad) and sort each into "Reliable," "Not Reliable," or "Depends — Check Further," building justification skills rather than memorized labels.
Canvas layout:
- Top (280px): A source card showing a short mock example (a headline, a one-line quote, and a labeled source type icon)
- Bottom (270px): Three drop zones — "Reliable," "Not Reliable," "Depends — Check Further" — plus a "Why?" button
Visual elements:
- Icons representing source type: a stethoscope (doctor), a government building (health agency), a phone with a heart icon (social media post), a price tag (advertisement)
- Color-coded zones: green for Reliable, red for Not Reliable, amber for Depends — Check Further
Interactive controls:
- Drag-and-drop the source card into a zone
- Button: "Why?" reveals a short explanation of the reasoning after sorting
- Button: "Next Source"
- Button: "Reset"
Default parameters:
- 8 example source cards cycling in random order, mixing clearly reliable, clearly unreliable, and "depends" cases
Data Visibility Requirements:
Stage 1: Show the source card with its short example claim and icon
Stage 2: Show the three sorting zones
Stage 3: After sorting, reveal the correct zone and a short explanation naming the trait involved (expertise, accountability, or bias)
Final: Show a summary list of all 8 sources with their correct categories and one-line reasons
Behavior:
- Every sort reveals an explanation regardless of correctness, reinforcing the three reliability traits rather than just right/wrong answers
Instructional Rationale: This is an Evaluate-level objective requiring learners to judge sources by criteria, not recall a fixed list. Sorting with guaranteed justification builds the habit of asking "why" before trusting a source, which transfers beyond the specific examples shown.
Implementation notes: Use p5.js. Keep example claims realistic and age-appropriate; avoid naming real social media influencers or real brands.