Information Literacy

What YOU need to know before you research in any class.

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3

• Overview-Quiz • Review • Review• Identifying a

Research ?• Resource

locations (including Primary Sources

• Creating project

• Selecting Keywords

• Validating websites

• Gather• Summarize• Synthesize

Activity Activity• Locate information-

Using Boolean Operators and Search modifiers

• Evaluating websites

• Citing Sources

Activity Activity

Four Questions?

• Can you locate a “good” source that answers your research question (including primary documents)?

• Can you evaluate information you find?• Can you create from information you

find?• Can you cite the information source?

Quiz DataCorrect 43.5% Incorrect 56.5%

Research Knowledge3. 68%5. 73%6. 89%7. 72%8. 80%9. 57%10. 40%11. 76%12. 85%13. 84%14. 32%15. 24%16. 73%17. 34%19. 32%20. 10%

3. 32% 5. 27%6. 11%7. 28%8. 20%9. 43%10. 60%11. 24%12. 15%13. 16%14. 68%15. 76%16. 27%17. 66%19. 68%20. 90%

Learn the four…1. Locate- THINK about research question2. Evaluate- 5 Ws3. Create- Organize, summarize,

complete, self (or group) assessment4. “Citate”- give credit to author (cite, citation)

and you’ll be ready for more.

LOCATE Information

• Ms. Ballard, President of the American Association of School Librarians, says "Students have a false sense of security that they can find anything online, but that's mostly quick facts…”

• Finding in-depth information requires careful consideration of the research question and using keywords to search Internet, databases, and print material.

Finding information to answer a research

question is not the same as searching for a fact to

answer a question.

Starting with a strong research question will

determine the success of your finished project.

Be sure you answer the question!

LOCATE InformationDevelop a “Research Plan”

• What is best source for your research question? **THINK!

• Consider appropriate **KEYWORDS• How can you locate them? – Destiny (books and websites), Internet (using

Boolean search operators, domain extensions), Gale databases with subject-specific information, Primary and/or Secondary Sources

One size does not fit all!

LOCATEUsing Keywords

• Three questions1. What keywords MUST be included in

search?2. What keywords MIGHT be included in

search?3. What keywords SHOULD NOT be

included in search?

What role did women play in the American Civil War?

MUST MIGHT SHOULD NOT

LOCATE Using Search and Boolean Operators

• AND or (+) sign - narrows search

ex.- birds + eagles• NOT or (-) sign- do not include (Google-use (-))

ex. Eagles - football• OR- searching for both terms together

ex. Eagles OR hawks

Boolean Operators are always CAPITALIZED

LOCATEMore Search Modifiers

• (“ ”) marks- includes every word in searchex. “Georgia red-tailed hawk”

• (~)- similar wordsex. ~mobile phone

• define: - defines a word or phraseex. define: plethora

• site: - searches only particular types of websitesex. site: global warming site:edu

Day 2

• Review• Resource locations (print & non-print)

• Validating websites• Activity

• Evaluating websites• Activity

“Information wants to be free.” Stewart Brand

Internet 101

• Extensions and what they represent:.org- organization.com- company/commerce.sch- school (outside U.S.).k12- most U.S. schools.edu- U.S. higher education.gov- government.ac- higher ed. Outside U.S..net- network.mil- military

Why are domain extensions useful?

Most reliable domain exts:.edu , .gov , .k12

.biz, .name, .pro, .infoNew domain extensions for

commercial purposes

What does URL mean? Where is it used?

Uniform Resource Locator(Address bar)

LOCATE Sources

• Primary Sources– What are they? Where are they? When to use?– Dr. D’s Class

• Destiny Quest: Print materials in media center.

• Gale Databases (Home tab on Destiny & BMMS webpage)

• CultureGrams (same as above) ** Passwords from home

Gale- benrpa CultureGrams- bmms, broncos

Is a Primary Source always the best

choice?

Is a Primary Source the only source you

should use?

Primary SourcesWhere are they?

• Internet (using Boolean and search modifiers)“American Civil War” + women NOT men AND “primary sources”

Results

• Destiny Quest- Advanced SearchCivil War + women or woman NOT fiction, Civil War AND “primary

sources” Results

• Gale Database- Student Resources in ContextWomen in the Civil War (type of documents on left)

ResultsNote:

Search terms and techniques used

were different for each source!

Put it to WorkUSE ALTA VISTA AS YOUR SEARCH ENGINE

1. Information about penguins in South Africa.2. Walking tours in San Francisco3. Information on Orlando, but not information

on hotels.4. Information on cars and trucks, but not Ford5. Your choice

Try several different combinations of operators and modifiers.

EVALUATE

1. Does it answer my research question?2. Is it a personal page with only opinion?– Name in URL– ~ in URL– Trace the address back to main domain– Are the links created by the same

person/company– % sign in web address

EVALUATE

• Did you know about the Velcro shortage in California? http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html

• Victorian Robotshttp://www.bigredhair.com/robots/index.html

• 16th Street Baptist ChurchBirmingham Sites - Alabama: Focus on Civil Rights

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7puUF3dQbWUAk0kPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMTNuNTZzBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkAw--/SIG=128luhv9t/EXP=1350010900/**http:/www.alabamacivilrights.ua.edu/bham/sites.html

Day 3

• “Research is like searching for a precious jewel in a haystack. If you don’t know where and how to look you may never find the jewel, but only a lot of unwanted straw.”

Ms. Evans

• WHO?

• WHAT?

• WHEN?

• WHERE?

• WHY?

EVALUATEWebsites- Five W’s

Who wrote the pages and is that person an expert? Is a biography of the author included? Is there a way to find out more about the author?

What is the purpose of the site? What else might the author have in mind? What makes the site easy to use? What information is included? Is it different from other sources?

When was the site created? When was it last updated?

Where does the information come from? Where can I look to find out more about the sponsor or publisher of this site?

Why is this information useful for my purpose? Why should I use this information? Why is this page better than another?

• Choose a subject to research. Using the Boolean Operators and search modifiers you have been taught, search using one of the following search engines: AltaVista

• Select a website to evaluate. Record your answers on your handout.

• BMMS webpage

EVALUATING website ACTIVITY

What’s the difference between a Search Engine and a Web Browser?

CREATE• Gather- multiple sources (Be sure all of your information

from each source is actually from that source.) Use Google docs: Put source information before each information entry.

• Summarize- Organize informationlogically, summarize like informationfrom all sources.

• Synthesize- oral presentation,,visual presentation (Prezi, video,PowerPoint or other), written.

• Assessment- self or group (what could you have done better?)

Note: Synthesis of your

information will only be the

best part of the information

you have gathered.

“CITATE”

• Why? – Give credit to author is more important than

the format.– Trace path back to source– Avoid plagiarism- summary helps to put info.

in your own words. – Copyright adherence – Information for bibliography, works cited page

DO NOT COPY AND PASTE DO NOT COPY AND PASTE

“CITATE”

• Where?–Completed for you: Gale Databases,

Destiny Quest (book or website)–Other websites- use NoodleTools, Citation

Machine, or other citation generating program recommended by your English teacher.

“CITATE”

• How to make bibliography, works cited page.– Author’s name first, publisher– Title– Copyright date– URL – Alphabetical order

Give credit to author/publisher for photographs, music, charts, graphics, video etc.. These must

be cited in the same way as text.

Works Cited

Gewertz, C., “Common Core Thrusts Librarians into Leadership Role”. Education Week. September 12,2012. Online: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/09/12/03librarians_ep.h32.html?tkn=TLNFT0zYL3Uk3uu0ACEhKPS8PhRN7b%2BbtaPW&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1 . Accessed 17 September 2012.MrDsClass. “Mr. D's Class - Sources: Primary vs. Secondary”, Utube. 1 April 2011. web Accessed 20 September 2012.November, A., November Learning Resources. http://novemberlearning.com/resources/information-literacy-resources/, Accessed September 12, 2012.Schrock, K., “Five W’s of Website Evaluation.” Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything. http://www.schrockguide.net/information-literacy.html , Accessed Sept.13, 2012.

This is not the end…

IT IS THE BEGINNING OF LEARNING.

You have the tools, & now you are prepared to

research.

EXTRA ACTIVITY• Find a primary source document from one of

these topics, using search strategies taught: (Internet Boolean Search, Destiny Quest, Gale Database) Copy and paste citation ONLY and then summarize the article (in your own words)

1. Women’s role in Civil War2. Speech during Civil Rights3. Holocaust Survivor information