Ray’s Rockin’ Resources for the SOLs Today is _____________________________ Name________________________ Source: Lesson 11, Buckle Down/Ray XI. Objective: To learn how and when to use resources such as an encyclopedia, atlas, almanac. – Source, Lesson 11 in Buckle Down. A resource is something that gives you information you want. Libraries are one resource. The reference section of your library holds encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, and many other helpful materials. 1) An almanac is updated and published every year. It contains up-to-date facts about all kinds of topics. Much of the information in an almanac is printed in the form of lists. You can find facts from a particular year in an almanac, such as 1) names of people induced into the Baseball Hall of Fame 2) major export products of the United States 3) imporant events that took place during a certain year 4) number of votes each presidential candidat received in the last election 5) real names of actors and movie stars 6) names of movies that won Academy Awards. 2) An atlas is a book of maps. Some atlases show maps of one part of the world, such as of the United States and Canada. Other atlases show maps of the enttire world. In addition, many atlases have a specific purpose. For example, a road atlas shows all the roads in a certain area, and a historical atlas shows all the important places where historical events took place, such as battlefields, courhouses, etc. Use an atlas to find the local of 1) borders and boundaries between counties, states, nations, etc. 2) bodies of water such as oceans, glaciers, rivers, lakes, etc. 3) land formations sch as continents, mountain ranges, deserts, plains, etc. 4) population facts such as cities, countries, etc. Using an old atlas is not a good idea in some cases because borders of countries change, cities are renamed, etc. 3) An encyclopedia contains facts and explnations about a wide variety of subjects. It also has drawings, diagrams, maps, and photographs. Topics are arranged in alphabetical order, and sometimes there are as many as 26 volumes, one for each letter of the alphabet. An encyclopedia may contain more information than a dictionary or atlas, but it may not contain the most current information on a topic. 4) Newspapers are printed once a day with the most recent news. 5) Magazines usually focus on a particular topic. 6) Computers provide information in a variety of sources. a) CD-ROMS are compact discs containing information that can be read by a computer. Encyclopedias and dictionaries may be contained on a CD-ROM.

b) An electronic database is a collection of information organized so that you can easily find the information you need. c) The Internet is a network of computers around the world and almost any topic can be found through Internet websites. One way to search for information on the Net is through a search engine. d) A search engine is a program that collections information from websites all over the Internet and makes a list of what’s in them. Search terms are key words you would use when talking about your subjet. The search engine quickly presents a list of websites that have the words of phrases you want. e) Use words such as and, or, and not to limit your search. f) Use quotation marks to search for a phrase. Entering “Baltimore Ravens” would eleminate websites from your search that discuss Baltimore and ravens separately. Key words to know when searching for information: Biography – a book about someone’s life. An autobiography is a book a person writes about his or her own life. Manual – a set of instuctions telling how to use and care for a product, such as a computer game or a walkie-talkie set. Textbooks- designed to be used by students and teachers who are studying a specific subject. An essay is a discussion of a topic in writing much sharter than a book. An editorial is an essay published in the opinion section of newspaper that gives the writer’s viewpoint on an issue. A journal or diary records a person’s thoughts and experiences, often for personal use only. A newsletter is a small publication that contains information of interest to a specific group of people. Some schools end out monthly newsletters informaing parents about policies, news, and events at the school. Authors often include helpful resources with their writing, such as illustrations, diagrams, maps, photos, tables, charts, sidesbars, and so on. Most resources fall into one of the following categories: Primary sources are direct sources. A primary source is created by someone who has ‘been there” and “done that.” A letter written by a soldier from the War Between the States to his wife is a primary source.

Secondary sources are indirect sources. A secondary source is created by someone who “wasn’t there,” but has done a lot of research on the subject. A history book describing battles of the War Between the States is an example of a secondary source. Text features help readers better understand a piece of writing. For example, text features include titles, chapter headings, preface, appendix, bibliography, etc. Table of contents- shows how the piece of writing is organized by giving a list of the first page of each chapter , and other sections of the book. Preface- an introduction to a work often written by the author to explain what the book or work is about. Appendix- a section of material that supports the main body of the text by giving numbered tables, graphs, etc. An appendix is usually found at the back of the book. Index- an alphabetical list of topics covered in the book, along with the page numbers where the topics can be found. The index is usually in alphabetical order. Bibliography – a list of all the sources the author used or consulted or quoted when writing his or her own work. It usually includes the title, publisher, publication date, and page number where the topic that the author used was found. Captions – brief word descriptions that go with pictures or photos. Play the game on the reverse page. Then make a game of your own! My name is ________________________________________/Ray

Draw the symbol representing the resources where you would find the items below: For example, in the box about the life span of a crocodile, you would draw a , because you would find it in an encyclopedia. Name___________________________________ Dictionary

Thesaurus

Encyclopedia

★ Almanac

Atlas

Who won the 1976 World Series

How many lakes the state of Michigan has

The origin of the word “clique”

How to pronounce the word “misanthrope”

The part of speech of the word “happened”

How many hole-in-one shots golfer Arnold Palmer hit during his career

How many states between Virginia and Alabama

The names of silver and gold medalists at the last Olympic Games

A synonym for the word “intrapsychic”

Which direction to travel when visiting Mrs. Ray’s home state

The name of the mountain range in Colorado

The meaning of the word “diligent”

The Grammy Award winners of 1998

The habitat of kangaroos

A famous river that runs through Africa

How many miles from Richmond to Emporia, Virginia

The winner of Best Actress for the 1999 Academy Awards

The causes of the Great Depression

Several meanings of the word “antagonist.”

A synonym for the word “urchin”

Read about the Indians of Virginia

Check the number of battles in WWII

When the danger of frost is over so you can plant potatoes this year!

The life span of a crocodile.

If you want to check spelling of the word “quadrangle”