Reference Materials Teacher Resources
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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
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A Matter of Life and Death
Young scholars research burial tombs of ancient Egypt and Acting as pharaohs of Egypt, students create burial plans to illustrate what items they would include in their own tombs and why. They then act as archaeologists and analyze other...
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One Giant Leap
Students brainstorm important scientific advancements of the twentieth century. They examine the implications of the completion of the first rough draft of the human genome on society. They research a selected scientific advancement of...
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A Nobel Cause
Students research the lives and accomplishments of Nobel Prize-winning scientists and compose stories about what the world would be like without the accomplishments of these scientists.
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The ABC's of DNA
Students describe genetics as if they were explaining it to a young child. After reading an article, they discover new discoveries in the human genome project. Using the internet, they research a pair of genetic terms and develop a...
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"A MLA Style of Life"
Students effectively research using the internet, encylopedias, magazines and newspapers. They desegregate into needed and un-needed information based on their research findings. Pupils recognize and appropriately site sources using a...
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Ecosystems at School
For this ecosystem worksheet, students use a string and make a large circle. Everything in the circle is part of the ecosystem the students will study. They identify everything in their ecosystem and classify their data. They answer 2...
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The Importance of Tropisms
Middle schoolers investigate plant tropisms using the scientific method. In this life science instructional activity, students learn about tropisms and test the response of corn seedlings to gravity. Response questions, extensions,...
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Plant Pollination
Middle schoolers investigate methods of pollination for various flowers. In this plant biology lesson, students learn the parts of a flower and form a hypothesis about the method of pollination for the flower. They determine the...
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Bizarre Food
Students research foods from other countries. In this multicultural food lesson, students view a list of foods that kings and queens ate on an overhead transparency and go to the website www.jamessolheim.com/teachers1.htm to read about...
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History of Chemistry: The Alchemists
Students research alchemy and the history of chemistry. In this chemistry history instructional activity, students examine laboratory apparatus and compare it to those used by the Alchemists. Students complete a research paper on an...
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So You Think You're Tough
Fourth graders learn how to classify animals. In this invertebrates lesson, 4th graders discuss how we classify thinks into groups and move into a discussion about classifying animals. Students learn about the differences between...
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Tree Seedling Planting- My Relationship and Responsibility to our Forests
In this trees lesson, 4th graders read the book, A Tree is Growing and complete a KWL chart on how trees grow and how they are used. Students research the symbiotic relationship of humans and trees, create tree collages, plant a...
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Infusing Equity Vs Gender into the Classroom
Students explore the effect of gender bias in the classroom. In this statistics instructional activity, students discuss the effects of stereotyping, discrimination, and gender bias in the classroom. They collect data on different work...
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Continents Game
Students study geography. In this geographic terms lessons, students compare the continents based on their different features. They work as a class to put the continents in order from least to greatest based on the different geographic...
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What is a National Forest
Students select and research a National Forest near their local community. They read and discuss the pamphlet "A Guide To Your National Forests," view photos of national forests, conduct Internet research, and complete the student...
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A Year (a Day or a Week) In My Life as a Shorebird
Students describe the basic life history of one shorebird common to their area. They use the writing process which includes brainstorming, rough draft writing, peer editing, and re-writing to create a factually and grammatically...
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Design a Deep- Sea Vertebrate or Invertebrate
Students design a deep-sea animal. In this research based lesson, students research and design a vertebrate or invertebrate that lives in a methane hydrate habitat. They compile a class chart of the adaptations animals have in this...
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Woodland Indians
Third graders research Woodland Indians. In this Woodland Indian lesson, 3rd graders have a classroom discussion and write facts about the Miami Indian group. They write a narrative from the perspective of an Indian child.
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Five Paragraph Essays
Students can learn important writing skills, such as how to complete a five paragraph essay, with these lessons.
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Scratch, Glue, Foil & Paint: Connecting Classics and the Art Curriculum
Students construct a reliquary using foam board, researching basic Greek and Roman architecture and basic construction methods. They record their research and information in an architectural journal.
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Coasts
Students explain the different types of marine coasts and where they are located in the United States and its territories. They explain and identify some of the life forms that inhabit different marine coastal regions.
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FLIGHT FAIR
Young scholars conduct their personal investigations into paper airplane flight. Cooperative teams are formed, with students choosing the paper airplane design that they are most interested in building.
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Tribal (or Ethnic) Self Portrait
Students create self-portraits in which they represent themselves as a member of a tribe.
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Fantasy Creature
Students, in groups, create three-dimensional sculptures from found objects. They paint their sculptures and write essays that reflect on the collaborative creative project.
