106 information-literacy-research results | sort by:

Refdesk - Refdesk
Grades
2 to 12In the Classroom
Use this link in the resources section of your wiki, blog, or website for students to quickly find or use information from the Internet. Build information literacy as your students do research. As a beginning activity, have students use the same search term but use different search engines and identify the differences in the top results. Use Refdesk to find interesting information for writing prompts or discussions/blog posts for the day. Use this site for research projects, homework help, and more.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Spezify (beta) - Spezify
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use Spezify on an interactive whiteboard or projector as you introduce a new topic in science or social studies or when the class asks "What is ____?" . With very young students or non-readers, use Spezify to help them find information they can understand and to inspire them to try to read some of the short text excerpts alongside the images. Activate students' prior knowledge as they recognize the images and remark, "I didn't know Edison was the one who invented that!" Visually show the "big picture" on any topic. As you teach research skills, try a comparison of Spezify results with Google results for both functionality of the search engine and reputability of the results. NOTE: Preview any search terms you plan to display in class if the terms could possibly bring up inappropriate images. You may need to adjust your terms. Of course your students know what they are supposed to do if something inappropriate comes up when using a search themselves, right? If you have not discussed this, now is the time!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Video: Web Search Strategies in Plain English - Common Craft
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): search engines (50)
In the Classroom
Share the video clip on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students apply the tips from this video during independent or cooperative learning research projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Visual Dictionary Online - Merriam-Webster and QA International
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): images (250)
In the Classroom
Science teachers will love this site. Most of the 15 categories revolve around science terminology that benefit from images. ESL and learning support students who have difficulty with verbal definitions will also find this resource helpful. Speech and Language teachers can use the Clothing and Articles categories to build student vocabulary. Use your whiteboard alongside your science text to clarify terms. Encourage students to study for tests by perusing this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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refseek - refseek.com
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): news (230), newspapers (90), search engines (50)
In the Classroom
Use this site to compare the validity of various types of reference material sources. Compare results of searches to teach critical reading skills and 21st century information literacy. Compare info from sources on this site to those in print materials. Encourage your students to use this tool for individual as well as group projects. Encourage ESL and ELL students to find sources with lower reading levels that still give the necessary information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Think Tank - ALTEC at the University of Kansas
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): air (106), science fairs (22)
In the Classroom
Share this site with your students before a new research project is assigned. Have students explore the site on individual computers while you model how to navigate the site on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Use this site to help students narrow down their research topic.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Define It Fast - WordNet 3.0 Princeton University
Grades
K to 12tag(s): dictionaries (49)
In the Classroom
Definitely investigate the free Search Engine download that's available to make this tool even more useful. This may become your favorite dictionary-- bar none. You may want to save this site in your favorites on your class computer(s), but see the cautionary note above about the FULL database of words available.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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YourDictionary - LoveToKnow Corporation
Grades
K to 12tag(s): thesaurus (21)
In the Classroom
Send students to this site to look up those difficult words. ESL and ELL students can use this site to practice the pronunciation of new words. Be sure to mark this site as a favorite or share on your teacher web page for easy access.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lingro - lingro.com
Grades
2 to 12Important technical note: Lingro cannot "see" words included in Flash interactives such as the "What's New" rotating content on the TeachersFirst home page. If you RIGHT click on an area of text and see "About Adobe Flash Player...," this means that the text is displayed in Flash and not "legible" to Lingro. Often pages offer a non-Flash version as an alternative.
tag(s): french (71), german (45), germany (25), italian (26), spanish (97), vocabulary (230), vocabulary development (85)
In the Classroom
When your ESL/ELL, learning support, or weaker readers do Internet research on sites above their independent reading level, have them open Lingro first and then enter the URL (web address) they wish to read. Use Lingro for vocabulary development in any subject. Mark this site as a favorite on your classroom computer or on your teacher web page so that ESL/ELL, world language students, or weaker readers can use the definition and translation feature and benefit from instantly-created word lists. If your school permits individual student accounts on web tools, this is a good one. If not, create a single teacher account to compile class word lists.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Word Reference - wordreference.com
Grades
2 to 12There are also immediate clicks to other languages, so a student could check the same word in Spanish and French very easily. In addition to the translation dictionaries, there are also "English Dictionaries" (non-interactive) available in Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic (coming soon). Many of the foreign language dictionaries will increase in volume as the site developers add more vocabulary.
Be aware: this site does include minor advertisements. There is a link to Language Forums. It is probably best to advise students to stay away from the forums.
tag(s): chinese (43), dictionaries (49), italian (26), japan (55), japanese (46), korea (18), portuguese (21), russia (33), russian (23)
In the Classroom
Save this site in your favorites on your classroom computers for use by ESL/ELL and foreign language students or for use when studying derivations and word families in English (compare the same word across several languages to see how close they can be!). Students can take an active role in vocabulary preview work by using this site in prior to reading. Be sure to list this site on your class webpage so students can access this information both in and out of the classroom.If you are introducing new vocabulary words to your foreign language class. Have them use this site to find the appropriate translations. Then have the students work in cooperative learning groups to create online vocabulary guide books using a tool such at Bookemon (reviewed here). Have the groups share the online books on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to keep the links for future students to use the guides, as well.
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Fact Monster Printables - Education World
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): search strategies (21)
In the Classroom
This site can be used for individual students, in a technology class, or as a parent-and-student together assignment. Be sure to see the Ideas for Using Hunt the Fact Monster in Your Classroom page for tips on using the hunts in your classroom. Before you launch your research project with younger students, use this exercise to solidify research basics or as a pretest to be sure everyone is ready. Challenge your more able students to create their own Fact Monster hunts on individual research topics and share them with classmates. Reading teachers can also use these activities to help students practice skimming and scanning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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QUICK: the Quality Information Checklist - HDA and CHIQ
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): evaluating sources (13)
In the Classroom
This site would be great on a projector as a teacher-centered lesson, returning to each point as you build the understanding throughout the year. Use one point at a time as you show students various websites throughout the school year. Simply open this site prior to sharing a site with the class. You can use the points here to "evaluate" the source together. Be sure to include it as a reference link on your teacher web page, as well. Parents will appreciate it and students can "show" their parents how to judge sources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Englishbanana.com Picture Dictionary - Matt Purland
Grades
1 to 6tag(s): speech (67), vocabulary (230)
In the Classroom
A great dictionary site to bookmark on your classroom computers for limited English speakers! This one would also be good for speech and language practice for special ed both at home and at school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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English Picture Dictionary - Heinle Newbury House Publishers
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): dictionaries (49), ELL/ESL (20), word study (52)
In the Classroom
A great dictionary to bookmark for your ESL learners on your classroom computer for handy reference anytime.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rhyme Zone
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): shakespeare (91), thesaurus (21)
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Copyright Terms and the Public Domain - Cornell University
Grades
1 to 12Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Copyright with Cyberbee - Cyberbee
Grades
2 to 12In the Classroom
Introduce this site to the class with a projector or whiteboard, have students use the interactive, and then replace pencil and paper notecards by having partners take notes with an online tool such as Memo Notepad, reviewed here; tell students to be sure to save the URL to share their notes and questions with you and their peers. Next, at the end of your copyright and fair use unit, enhance student learning by challenging them to demonstrate their learning by creating an inforgraphic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Educator's Reference Desk - Information Institute of Syracuse
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): professional development (309)
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Copyright Kids - The Copyright Society of the U.S.A.
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): air (106), copyright (43), plagiarism (30)
In the Classroom
Share with students on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector. The site is text heavy so pair weaker readers with stronger ones, or you could use a tool such as Immersive Reader, reviewed here, or Text to Speech Reader, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Dictionary of Units of Measurement - Russ Rowlett, University of North Carolina
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): measurement (129)
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