1. Investigating Reference Materials There are many types of reference materials to choose from but do you know which one is best for your situation? Begin Sara Burke EDT 530

2. Where do you start when you want to learn about something new? Many people do an Internet search. The Internet may give us a quick answer but, it is not always the best resource. In this activity you are going to learn about numerous other reference materials. Next Teacher Pages Introduction Bibliography

4. Click on the speaker to hear instructions, definitions and helpful hints. Here’s a hint… when clicking on a word or button be sure to scroll over it until you see a hand. Of course if your question is not answered you can always ask for help! Click Next to learn about Reference Materials Helpful Hints Next

5. ENCYCLOPEDIA Click on a reference material below to find out more information. Home DICTIONARY MAPS/ATLAS INTERNET MAGAZINES Primary Sources NEWSPAPERS THESAURUS Proceed to scenarios

6. ENCYCLOPEDIA An encyclopedia is a book that belongs to a set of books. In an encyclopedia you can find information about specific topics. Encyclopedias are usually found in libraries although some families have a set of their own. Examples include World Book and Encyclopedia Britannica

7. DICTIONARY A dictionary is a book that gives the meaning or meanings of most words. Dictionary entries also include the syllable break down, part of speech and other forms of the word. Some entries include the word’s origin.

8. THESAURUS A thesaurus is a book that gives you synonyms and antonyms of words. You will find a thesaurus in most libraries. They are also available for personal purchase at book stores. Some computer applications have a built in thesaurus.

9. MAPS/ATLAS A map is a picture representation of a geographic location. There are many types of maps, examples include political maps and topographical maps. A political map shows country boundaries and topographical maps shows the earth’s terrain in 3-D. An atlas is a collection of maps.

10. MAGAZINES A magazine is a periodical that contains a collection of articles. Many magazines are published monthly, some weekly and others bi-weekly. Examples of magazines include National Geographic, Sports Illustrated for Kids and American Girl.

11. NEWSPAPERS A newspaper is a periodical that contains a collection of articles, sports scores and classified advertisements. Many newspapers are published daily while others are available once a week. Examples of newspapers include The Camden Herald, Knox County Times and The Bangor Daily News.

12. INTERNET The Internet is a vast collection of websites. Because the internet contains so much information you must use caution when using websites as reference materials. Many websites provide quality research material however some web sites do not. Examples of quality information include MARVEL! and Enchanted Learning .

13. Primary Sources Examples of primary sources include personal interviews, personal journals/diaries, letters and photographs. A primary source is a reference material in which you are getting information directly from the source.

22. Scenario One Good, an encyclopedia will provide specific information about the Luna Moth. ENCYCLOPEDIA proceed to scenario two

23. Scenario One Please try again Using a dictionary would not give you enough information. It would only give you a brief definition of “Luna Moth” but would not give many details.

24. Scenario One Please try again Finding a book about moths in the library is a good choice but another resource will give you more specific information. A book about moths may be hard to narrow down.

25. Scenario Two Please try again Looking up the word “cold” in the dictionary will provide you with the many meanings of “cold” but will not give you synonyms.

26. Scenario Two Please try again Considering that “cold” has multiple meanings using the Internet to search for “cold” will give you far too many search results. It would be difficult to sift through the many websites to find synonym for “cold”.

27. Scenario Two Very good! The purpose of a thesaurus to is to give synonyms for words (as well as antonyms). Thesaurus proceed to scenario three

28. Scenario Three Please try again Looking at a Maine map in an atlas will show the reader how to get from town to town but will most likely not provide detailed enough street maps.

29. Scenario Three Please try again Asking a friend for directions may or may not be a reliable source. When asking a friend you are relying on his/her ability to remember his/her own experiences and too many variables are involved.

30. Scenario Three Wonderful! Using a specific website to obtain quality information, in this case driving directions, is an excellent way to use the Internet. Internet proceed to scenario four

31. Scenario Four Please try again It is unlikely that Sam’s dad would have the necessary tools to do an Internet search while driving in the car. This choice would not be practical.

32. Scenario Four Please try again Although reading a magazine about Maine might be interesting it will most likely not provide a map or directions.

33. Scenario Four Super! Many people keep a map or Maine atlas in the car for just such an occasion. Maps and atlases are helpful when you are lost or need directions. Map/Atlas proceed to scenario five

34. Scenario Five Please try again Doing an Internet search for her great-grandparents would probably result in many websites with Allie’s great-grandparents name but not necessarily give personal memories of life long ago.

35. Scenario Five Please try again Using an encyclopedia to research her great-grandparents will probably not yield many results, if any. Allie would have better luck with another resource.

36. Scenario Five Fabulous! Allie’s great-grandmother’s diary is going to give the most realistic and personal view of what life was like years ago. Primary Source proceed to scenario six

37. Scenario Six Please try again Using an encyclopedia to look up the word “nocturnal” would probably give the definition but would also give much much more information. Depending on your purpose an encyclopedia could be a great resource but sometimes you might not need to sift through an entire encyclopedia entry.

38. Scenario Six Please try again A thesaurus might help Rachel understand what the word means but it will not give an exact definition.

39. Scenario Six Very good! A dictionary would give just the right amount of information for Rachel to understand what the word “nocturnal” means and then keep reading. Dictionary proceed to scenario seven

40. Scenario Seven Please try again Looking up “ice storm” in an encyclopedia will most likely not give the information that Ethan is seeking. Some information regarding this weather phenomenon might be found in an encyclopedia but another resource would be more suited for Ethan’s needs.

41. Scenario Seven Please try again Visiting a weather forecasting website will give information about current weather conditions. Some weather websites also give general information about types of weather but Ethan is looking for more specific information.

42. Scenario Seven Great! A newspaper would give local/regional accounts of events that happen in your area. Newspaper articles are a good way to obtain information about local history. Local libraries often have old newspapers stored in archives or on microfiche. Newspaper Final Thoughts .