Using Information Resources
by V. Martinez
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A dictionary tells about words and their meanings.Dictionary Brainpop
A dictionary is a book filled with many of the words that make up a language. All words are listed in alphabet order.
Guide words appear at the top of each page in a dictionary. They show the first and last words that are listed on that page. Guide words can also be found in other resources.
Tip 2: Use a Thesauraus to find synonyms and antonyms for words.A thesaurus is a useful tool for learning new words. It's like a dictionary, but it gives synonyms for words instead of word meanings.
Thesaurus Sample
beach 1 (noun) shore, shoreline, seashore, seaside, seafront, waterfront
beach 2 (verb) run aground, run on the rocks, run onto land
below (prep.) under, beneath, underneath
build 1 (verb) create, make erect, set up, get up, put together, piece together
build 2 (noun) form , shape, figure, frame
Tip 3: An encyclopedia tells a little bit about almost everything.
An encyclopedia contains facts and explanations about a wide variety of subjects. The topics are arranged in alphabetical order. Some encyclopedias such as the World Book Encyclopedia contain information about almost every subject you could think of.
In which volume would you find information about Louisiana?
In which volume would you find information about Shreveport?
Tip 4: Magazines contain articles about all kinds of things.
Magazines are published about all kinds of subjects. Some magazines have articles about hobbies -- music, drawing, painting, cooking, building models, or repairing things. Other magazines, like Sports Illustrated for Kids, have articles about sports. Some magazines contain stories, like the ones in American Girl and Boys' Life.
Magazine articles tend to be more up to date than encyclopedia articles. Magazines like Newsweek and Time contain information about important events in the news. Because magazines are printed less often than newspapers, they usually have less information about day to day events.
Tip 5: Newspapers tell about important day to day events.
Most newspapers are printed daily . They have articles about important day to day events. If you want to learn about what the president said in a speech yesterday, you would probably look in a newspaper.
To find the meaning of the word dewlap, where would be the best place to look? dictionary, encyclopedia, magazine or newspaper?
To find an article that has general information abou the Kisatchie National Forest, where would be the best place to look? dictionary, encyclopedia, magazine, newspaper?
Tip 6: Use computers and the Internet to find information.
Nearly every school and library has computers. Computers can be used to store words, pictures, movies, and sounds. Many resources are now available on electronic form for computers. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other materials have been stored on compact discs (CDs).
Your library might also have databases. A database is collection of information that a computer can quickly search. You can think of a database as a sort of electronic filing system. Your library might have a database about science or art. A library worker can help you to use a database. Ask your librarian about the electronic resources available to your library.
You can use computers to search the Internet, also called the World Wide Web. The Internet is a series of pages with information from around the world. You can find resources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and magazines on the Internet.
Some locations on the web, called search engines, help you to find information on a topic. Using a search engine like Google, Alta Vista, or Yahoo makes searching by keywords easy. The engine will look for words matching your topic, then list web pages that deal with your topic. But be careful. Your keywords should list exactly what you are looking for. If your keywords are too general, you'll get far too many results. For example, if you you used google to find the keyword Louisiana, you would see an entry menu of 219 million websites that deal with Louisiana.
Book Parts
Once you have chosen a book about your topic, you must find the information you need. It would take far too long to read the whole book cover to cover. You need a shortcut. The easiest way to find information in a book is to use the title page, table of contents, or index.
Tip 7: The title page tells a book's title and author.
The first page in most books is the title page. The title page tells the name of the book (the title) and the name of the person who wrote the book (the author).
Tip 8: The table of contents gives a quick glance at what's in a book.
The table of contents is an outline of the book. it gives a quick overview of what you'll find inside.
Table of contents So You Want to Know About Cars? .............. 1 The Early History of Cars................................ 19 Cars for everyone ............................................ 36 Big Cars of the 1950s and 1960s ...................... 53 |
What do you think this book is mostly about?
What is the author's purpose for writing this book?
On What page does the early history of cars end?
Tip 9:The index shows a book's topics and where to find information about them.
If you want to find information on a certain topic, the index of a book is the place to look. The index gives a more detailed list of topics than the table of contents. In fact, the index lists every subject covered in the whole book --- in alphabet order, and it tells the page numbers where each subject can be found.
Index B backbone frame, 12 backfire, 22 backflash, 48 baffle, 202 ball, 49, 106, 193 bar, See ROLL BAR barrel, 87 battery 3, 72-75, 119 bearing, 161 |
A glossary is a list of important words and their meanings.
Some books have a glossary at the end. The glossary lists important words from the book along with their meanings and sometimes how to say them.
When you use information from a book in your own writing, you must tell your readers.
Following is an example of a bibliography.
1. Studyzone lessons on research - references sources http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/e4topic.cfm?TopicID=54
2. Library Resources Brain Pop: http://www.brainpop.com/english/studyandreadingskills/research/preview.weml
3. Dictionary Brain Pop http://www.brainpop.com/english/studyandreadingskills/dictionaryandthesaurus/preview.weml
Dictionary Scavenger Hunt: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/scavengerhunt/dictionary/
4. English text pg. 216-217 for independent practice.
5. Discuss text Features to think about: http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/o/textfeatures4p.cfm
6. Review parts of a book from above notes and information and studyzone site:. http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/searchresultsela.cfm
Parts of a book worksheet: http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/research/book/basic/index.html
7. Review LEAP sample on Using Info Resources:http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/3723.pdf
7. Test on Charlie French site: http://www.sabine.k12.la.us/fes/leapresourcepage/infores.htm
8. Take the Louisiana LEAP Practice Test .