Reference Materials Teacher Resources
Hi, What do you want to do?
With all the concern about fake news, bogus sites and fact checking, 21st century learners must develop research skills that enable them to access, evaluate, and use reference materials.
Introduce primary graders to reference materials and their purposes with a lesson that lets them examine these essential tools. Kids can also engage in scavenger hunts and explore the world of reference materials such as atlases, almanacs, encyclopedias, maps, and dictionaries. A lesson on the Dewey Decimal System teaches students where to look in the stacks to find these valuable resources.
In addition to knowing what they are, what they contain, and where to find them, learners also need to know how to use reference materials to research. Here's a lesson where scientists can use reference materials to research local aquatic plants. High school historians can use reference materials to study the rich and sometimes tumultuous history of Afghanistan. The Internet has made it possible for young researchers to go far beyond the walls of the library using search engines and online materials. Here’s a lesson that employs online reference sources.
In an age of open education resources, intellectual property, and copyright concerns, it is important that students also know how to give credit to the reference materials they use, and how to determine the best references to use (check out this lesson for middle school).
Showing 859 resources
Curated OER
Amazing Alligators
Students uncover facts about the alligator: including but not limited to habitat, characteristics, food, traits, habits, offspring and interesting facts.
Curated OER
DNA-B-C's
Learners review what they already know about DNA. After reading an article, they discover a new technique to map the course of evolution. In groups, they create ways to present this material to younger children and research DNA's uses.
Curated OER
Native California Americans
Fourth graders study the differences in the ways of life of five different Native California Tribes. They assess the use of technology, computers and the Internet as valuable investigation tools.
Curated OER
Sports Participation
Students research statistics about sports participation in references such as the Statistical Abstract of the United States. They make and analyze a list of the 10 sports that the highest number of Americans participated in on an amateur...
National First Ladies' Library
The First Great Awakening
Connecting social studies and American literature, learners study the Great Awakening and draw comparisons between its impact on England and on parts of Colonial America. They research the lives and experiences of people who lived during...
Curated OER
Stars and Stripes Forever: Researching Veteran's Day and Historical Events
Sixth graders research Veteran's Day and wars that affected the United States. In this research instructional activity, 6th graders work in small groups to create an oral presentation based on Internet and conventional research. They...
Curated OER
Voyage to the New World
Students take notes as they listen to a segment from Discoverers of the New World, the Darkness of the Sea. In this Christopher Columbus lesson, students write questions based on the material read and then research the answers.
Curated OER
Insect Travel Brochure
Students explore the concept of insects and their habitats. For this insect habitat lesson, students create travel brochures for particular insects. Students must include habitat, producers, and consumers with in the vacation...
Curated OER
A Growing Success
Students create a multimedia presentation as a culmination of a plant unit. In this hyperstudio instructional activity, students research from assigned sites and create a Hyperstudio stack. Students write a...
Curated OER
Children Around the World
Learners consider the impact of family differences. In this culture lesson, students choose from a variety of cultures to research how children grow up differently in each family. Learners use a variety of resources to discover the...
Curated OER
Biomes: Coastlines and Seas
Students study the different types of coastlines and their territories. In this marine coasts lesson students identify life forms that are in the coastal regions.
Curated OER
The Census of Marine Life
High schoolers explain diversity and abundance in marine life. In this oceanic biology lesson, students collect information for various geographical areas to collect a census of marine life.
Curated OER
A Chorus For Us
Students examine "serious" choral music written for student choirs and the composers who write it. They reflect upon the notion of "serious" music, and examine the trend of concert composers writing pieces for student chorus
Curated OER
Legal Aspects of Tissue Transplantation
Students investigate the current legal status of fetal tissue transplantation, including current, legislation and court cases. They engage in role play discussion of a specific case study and explore the ethical controversies surrounding...
Curated OER
Dolphin Demeanor
Students examine new evidence of violent behavior in dolphins as a springboard for research on various dolphin behaviors, such as communication, feeding patterns, group behaviors, parenting, navigation, and interactions with humans.
Curated OER
Doctors as Detectives
Learners consider the investigative and detective work that goes into disease control. They research specific diseases and simulate a doctor-patient diagnosis situation.
Curated OER
Remembering to Never Forget
Young scholars discover how the history of a place or event affects one's present perceptions of that place or event. They examine the current tensions caused by the decision to make Weimar, Germany Europe's cultural capital.
Curated OER
Safety First
Young scholars explore safety issues and challenges related to various modes of transportation through readings and discussion. They create blueprints for technological methods to make those modes of transportation safer.
Curated OER
Banding Together
Students explore the effect that a particular culture can have on popular music. They develop their own music groups, each representing a style of music and a historical culture and perform their group's concert for the class.
Curated OER
Substance Use, or Abuse?
Students identify the medicinal benefits, and ill effects, of a variety of controlled substances. They determine whether or not they think hallucinogens should be researched for possible medicinal purposes.
Curated OER
Psychology: Blotting It from My Mind
Students research Rorschach and other personality assessment tests in order to determine if they feel these tests are used appropriately in our society today.
Curated OER
Ill At Ease
Students research infectious diseases, focusing on what scientists and journalists currently do and do not know about each one. They act as scientists or journalists as they find out more about a particular infectious disease.
Curated OER
Is There a Doctor in the House?
Students research the answers to their own health-related questions, and evaluate the various sources from which this information comes after read "Teenagers Find Health Answers With a Click."
Curated OER
The Beat Goes On
Students take their own pulse before and after exercise as they explore how the heart works. They research various ways that heart disease is treated and suggest specific treatment methods for their own imaginary patients.
