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Library
Help and Reference Page
| Hi!
I'm Merry Media and I'm here to help you with your
research. Select a topic below to start. If
you need further help, visit Mrs. Dowdy in the Library
Media Center. |
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Getting Started
The hardest part of a
research project is getting started. Using some strategy can
help make your task easier! The information and links below
can also help you along your way.
GET
ORGANIZED!! When a football team takes the field, they have a
game plan...a plan of action. Research requires the same
thing...a game plan. One strategy of organization is called
the Big6 and its first step is Task Definition. In other
words, before you start your research, make sure you know what you
are looking for and what kind of presentation you're going to
make..a report? Poster? Brochure? Advertisement?
Demonstration? Use the links below to help you get
started.
Big6
Strategy Steps
Ideas
for Presentations
You also want to organize the notes you take as you do your
research. An outline is an excellent way to organize your
notes. Outlines can usually be found at the end of an
encyclopedia article (which makes an encyclopedia a good place to
start). If there is no outline, one can be made by using the
main headings and subheadings of the encyclopedia article.
Other types of organizers are listed (and linked) below.
Now
you're ready to RESEARCH!
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Reference Tools
There are
many sources of information and most are located in the Reference
Section of our school library. Don't forget that the Daviess
County Public Library, with Reference Librarians downstairs and a
Reference Section in the Children's Department, is also an excellent
place to look for information. Many reference sources are
found on the Internet as well. Listed below are types of
reference tools and some links to online sources.
Encyclopedia - a work of reference that
covers a broad range of subjects listed in ABC order
The
Knowledge Adventure Encyclopedia
Encarta Concise
Free Encyclopedia
Atlas - a book of maps and information
about geographical places
50
States and Capitals
Geographia
Almanac - a book of facts and
statistics, updated annually
Yahooligans!
Kids' Almanac
Dictionary - a book that lists words
and their meanings, arranged in ABC order
Merriam-Webster
Word Central for Kids
Little
Explorer's Picture Dictionary
Thesaurus - a book that lists synonyms
and antonyms of words
Roget's
Thesaurus
Biographical Dictionary - a book that
provides a brief biography of notable personalities
Copper
Hill Library Biography Section
Quotation Index - a book that lists
famous quotations arranged by subject
Bartlett's
Familiar Quotations
Periodicals - magazines and newspapers,
a good source of up-to-date information. Magazine articles are
indexed in The Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature
(located in the DCPL Reference Dept.)
Internet
Public Library Reading Room - Magazines
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Writing Tips
You're
organized, you've researched and now you are ready to start your sloppy
copy or first draft. Using your notes and your outline
(or any organizer) as a road map, introduce your topic with a good main
idea
sentence. Then support that main idea with information from
your notes and you are off to a good start. (Keep in
mind that each paragraph in your report needs a main
idea sentence.)
The web sites listed below can help you as you construct your
sentences and paragraphs.
The
WritingDEN - Writing Tips
Writing
Effective Paragraphs
The Five
Paragraph Essay Wizard
As you write
your sloppy copy, double space your lines. This will
provide space for notes when you edit and revise your work. It
is also a good idea to let someone else read your report during the
editing phase--he or she can let you know if your writing is
understandable.
After editing and fixing anything that needs changing, you are ready
for your neat sheet or final copy. Your
final copy will also need a cover sheet (with the report title and
your name) and a bibliography
of the sources you used for your notes.
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Preparing a Bibliography
You've
developed a plan of action, researched and taken notes, and have
prepared your presentation. You're not quite finished
yet...you need to prepare a BIBLIOGRAPHY.
A bibliography lists (or cites) the books, magazines or
other sources of information that you've used in preparing your
research project. To prepare your bibliography you need
publishing information about your source: author,
title of book, title of article, place of publication, publisher,
copyright date, page numbers (for magazines), or URL
(web address). To save a trip back to the library, it is
a good idea to write down the publishing information about your
source on your notes organizer.
There are
different format styles for preparing bibliography entries.
The most common style is the MLA style.
Entries are listed in alphabetical order by the author's last name.
Entries are single spaced with a double space between each entry.
The link below is an interactive web site that helps you prepare
bibliography citations (entries) for your sources.
Nueva
Library Research - MLA Bibliographic Format
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Pathfinders
A pathfinder provides you with a path of information (sources)
to follow as you locate information on your topic. Three
pathfinders are listed below to help you. Other pathfinders
are available in the school library and the Daviess County Public
Library.
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People
|
Places
|
Things
|
| 1. World Book Encyclopedia -
start with the index |
1. World Book Encyclopedia -
start with the index |
1. World Book Encyclopedia -
start with the index |
| 2. Card Catalog - keyword:
person's name (last name first) or Biography |
2. Children's Atlas of the World
or other atlases |
2. Card Catalog - keyword: your
topic |
| 3. Biography section - books shelved
in ABC order of notable people |
3. Card Catalog - keyword: name
of place |
3. Yahooligans Search Engine |
| 4. Biographical Dictionary (DCPL
Reference Dept) |
4. Non-fiction books - look for Dewey
Number 900's |
4. Text books |
| 5. World Almanac - keyword:
Notable personalities |
5. Yahooligans Search Engine
- Select Around the World: Countries or
search for keyword: name of place |
5. KidsClick
web search for kids by librarians |
| 6. Yahooligans Search Engine |
6. Reader's Guide to Periodical
Literature (DCPL Reference Dept.) |
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| |
7. Specialty Encyclopedias (Children's
Department Reference Section @ DCPL) |
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Book
Report Help
Writing a book
report follows the same process as writing a report or research
paper. Your outline or organizer should contain information
about the book's characters (traits and
wants or needs), setting, theme,
plot summary, author's
message and your evaluation of
the book. Sometimes your teacher will ask you to include
author information also. The web sites listed below can help
guide your writing process.
Book
Report General Information
Writing
a Book Review
How
to Write Book Reports
Just For Kids
Who Love Books - Authors
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 Need
a Study Break? 
It's a good
idea to take a break now and then while you work. A break can
make you feel refreshed and keep you from making careless mistakes.
The links below are fun to explore, but watch out...you might learn
something!
Copper
Hill Library Media Center Study Break
Seminole County Public
Library Kid's Page
Mt. Laurel
Hartford School's LIBRARY WITHOUT WALLS
700+
Great Sites
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