Encyclopedia Information Investigators

Webmaster

Paula M. Stevenson

PaulaStevenson@BellSouth.net

 Audience/User Group:

Grade: 4th (20 students)

Setting: The elementary school media center.

 Instruction Need

 Students need to learn the basics of encyclopedia use and how to apply that information to in-depth homework assignment and research papers.

 Learning Objectives

    1. Comprehend topics that can be researched in an encyclopedia.
    2. Apply alphabetical ordering and guide words to find entries.
    3. Analyze pertinent information.
    4. Evaluate the difference between the dictionary and an encyclopedia.
    5. Comprehend the severity of plagiarism.

 Student Outcomes:

The student will:

    1. Give examples of topics that can be researched in an encyclopedia.
    2. Demonstrate use of alphabetical order and guide words to locate subject entries.
    3. Differentiate pertinent information from non-pertinent information.
    4. Summarize related information in written form.
    5. Compare and contrast a dictionary and encyclopedia.
    6. Understand the importance of original work based on research.

Instructional Method

Verbal, visual and tactile modes of teaching will be incorporated in the teaching process.

(Statistics have proven that when multiple senses are aroused during the teaching process student outcome is enhanced through increased retention of newly learned information.)

The instructional method will begin with asking students questions. Next a verbal presentation of the various parts of the encyclopedia coupled with visual power point presentation will be given. A unit that they are currently being taught in science class will become the focus of the instruction as the instruction progresses. Students will practice placing words from a list between two guide words in order to demonstrate student's understanding of the alphabetical guide word selection process. Finally students will then gain hands-on knowledge of an encyclopedia as they look up entries according to guide words, finding answers to questions relating to space. After locating the information on the subject entries to the space questions students will write in their own words short answers to the questions, volume number and letter.

Assessment

 

This exercise performed by the students will allow the teacher to assess if the students have a basic understanding of how to use an encyclopedia by:

 

 

  1. Choosing correct encyclopedias alphabetically in order to find answers to questions.
  2. Demonstrating the use of guide and entry words.
  3. How to read and synthesize information into a concise answer.
  4. How not to plagiarize.

 

*See attached handouts:

Handout # 1 Guide Word Exercise

Handout # 2 Finding Space through Encyclopedias- this handout is broken into four separate parts with 5 different questions on each part with a total of 20 questions.

(Four teams-five questions each = 20 questions)

 

Class Outline

(Note: During the long range planning for instructional media, the specialist will confer with teachers to ascertain which units are being covered in class and can also entice the children to learn research methods. In this case, space is in the 4th grade science curriculum.)

  1. Introduction
    1. Attention Getter - How can I find out who was the first man in space?
    2. Introduce Encyclopedia. Power Point Frame 1
    3. Space Web - Brainstorm related topics that we could find in the encyclopedia. Power Point Frame 2
  1. Parts of the Encyclopedia
    1. Entry Words - Power Point Frame 3
    2. Guide Words - Power Point Frames 4-8
    3. Layout of Encyclopedia - Power Point Frame 9
    4. Index - Power Point Frame 10
  1. Research information
    1. Research - Buried Treasure Analogy
    2. Discuss Pertinent Information - Read 1st paragraph on Space Exploration. What details are irrelevant, and which tell us what we want to know.
  1. Dictionary vs. Encyclopedia

(Compare and contrast to show children when to use which reference tool)

    1. Dictionary - gives pronunciation, part of speech, short definitions, and sometimes an example sentence.
    2. Encyclopedia - provides an in-depth summary of subject matter and is more commonly used when doing research papers, reports, and in-depth homework assignments.
    3. Purpose: To give children an appreciation for how much information is provided by the encyclopedia.
  1. Original Work
    1. Explain to students that once they have found the information they are searching for they just don't copy the information word for word because that is illegal and called plagiarism.
    2. They may read a few lines at a time or a paragraph and then summarize what the paragraph said in their own words.
    3. Sometimes this takes some practice in order to be comfortable with putting information in your own words.

 

Guide Word Exercise

(Handout # 1)

Instructions: Place the words that fit between the guide words.

 

Cent Coat

Maple Mint

Spy Sugar

_______________ _______________ ________________

_______________ _______________ ________________

_______________ _______________ ________________

 

Choose from the following list of words

 

Sunday, matter, bovine, star, machine, climb, copper,

 

Nuclear, story, century, meter, stamp, coach, milk,

 

Hint: (You should have 5 words that you did not use)

 

 

Finding Space through Encyclopedias

(Handout # 2)

 

Instructions - Write a short answer and include the volume number and volume letter you used and the page number where you found the answer.

 

 

  1. Who was the first American astronaut in space? _____________________________
  2.  How long was his flight? ____________________________

  3. Who were the first two men to walk on the moon? ___________________________
  4. and _________________________________

  5. When was the first moon walk? ___________________________
  6. What do astronomers observe? ___________________________________________
  7. _____________________________________________________________________

  8. When did space exploration begin? _______________________________________
  9. How was Pluto discovered? _____________________________________________
  10. In what direction do planets move across the sky as seen from Earth? _____________
  11. How far away does the space station orbit the Earth? _________________________
  12. What is Skylab? ______________________________________________________
  13. When was Skylab built? ________________________________________________
  14. When did space exploration first begin? ___________________________________
  15. In reference to space exploration, when did Robert Goddard launch the first liquid propellant rocket? (Hint: timeline) ________________________________________
  16. Define the word planet. _________________________________________________
  17. What are the seven main things that astronauts do when they work in space? (Hint: Look at bold sub-headings)
  18. __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

    __________________________________________________________________

  19. In U.S. Space exploration, what were the names of the first seven American astronauts? (Hint: Look at picture.)
  20. _______________________________ _________________________________

    _______________________________ _________________________________

    _______________________________ _________________________________

    _______________________________

  21. When did the first Space Shuttle go into space? ______________________________
  22. Who was the first American woman to explore space and what date did it occur?
  23. _____________________________________________________________________

  24. If we establish a base on the moon, what is the most valuable resource that we will need?
  25. _________________________________

  26. Meeting seven basic needs by astronauts are:

_________________________________ ______________________________

_________________________________ ______________________________

_________________________________ ______________________________

_________________________________

  

 

Teacher Talk

Turn on power point frame 1

Power point frame 2. Web

 

So this broadens the search perimeters and gives the child a greater opportunity for success.

  

Treasure Map Analogy

Power Point Frame #4 read definition

Children open encyclopedias and give examples of a guide word at the top of the page.

Let's see if you can follow the clues. Close encyclopedias for just a moment.

Power Point frames 5-8. Now if these were the guide words on the encyclopedia page what main topics would be on this page?

 

  

Guide Word Exercise

(Handout # 1)

Answer Key

Instructions: Place the words that fit between the guide words.

Cent Coat

Maple Mint

Spy Sugar

 

_______________ ______________ ________________

_______________ _______________ ________________

_______________ _______________ ________________

 

Choose from the following list of words.

 

Sunday, matter, bovine, star, machine, climb, copper,

Nuclear, story, century, meter, stamp, coach, milk,

 

Hint: (You should have 5 words that you did not use)

 

*Answers are in word list accented with bold print.

 

Encyclopedia Worksheet

(Teacher Answer Key)

 

  1. Alan B. Shepard, Jr. V1 A Pg.828.
  2. His flight was 15 minutes long. V 1 A Pg.828
  3. Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. V1 A Pg. 829
  4. July 20, 1969. V 1 A Pg. 829.
  5. They observe the location and motions of heavenly bodies. V1 A Pg. 834.
  6. October 4, 1957. V 1 A Pg. 840.
  7. Using mathematics discovered Pluto. V 15 P Pg. 580.
  8. They move westward across the sky. V 15 P Pg. 510.
  9. The space station usually orbits 200 to 300 miles above the earth. V18 SO - SZ Pg. 721.
  10. Skylab is the first U.S. space station launched into space. V18 SO - SZ Pg. 721
  11. Skylab was launched into space May 14, 1973. V 18 SO - SZ Pg. 721
  12. Space exploration began October 4, 1957. V 18 SO - SZ Pg. 695
  13. Goddard launched the first liquid propellant rocket in 1926. 18 So - SZ Pg. 695
  14. The following are the seven main things done in space by astronauts: navigation, activate equipment, conduct scientific observation and research, docking, maintain and repair equipment, assemble space station and leave the spacecraft. V18 SO - SZ Pg. 704
  15. It is any of nine large objects that orbit the sun. V 15 P Pg. 509
  16. The following are the first seven American astronauts to explore space: Slayton, Schirra, Cooper, Carpenter, Grissom, Glenn, and Shepard. V 18 So - SZ Pg. 713
  17. April 12, 1981. V 18 SO-SZ P.723
  18. Sally Ride was the first American woman to explore space on June 18, 1983. V 18 SO - SZ Pg. 725
  19. The most valuable resource will be oxygen. V 18 SO - SZ Pg. 728
  20. The seven basic needs are: breathing, eating and drinking, eliminating body wastes, bathing, sleeping, recreation, and controlling inventory. V 18 SO - SZ Pg. 703

 

References

The World Book Encyclopedia. 1998 ed. 20 vols. Chicago: World Book Inc. 1998.