Purpose:To provide practice in using various reference materials through the use of a game.Sunshine State Standards: Standard 1: The student demonstrates knowledge of the concept of print and how it is organized and read. Standard 8: The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of the elements of a variety of nonfiction, informational, and expository texts to demonstrate an understanding of the information presented. Standard 19: The student comprehends the wide array of informational text that is a part of our day to day experiences. Standard 20: The student uses a systematic process for the collection, processing, and presentation of information. Standard 21: The student develops and demonstrates an understanding of media literacy as a life skill that is integral to informed decision making.Materials:1. encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauruses, almanac, card catalog and other reference materials (including computer-based resources)2.
a prepared set of ten questions for the first reference hunt3. pencils4. paperProcedure: This lesson is designed for use after students have learned how to use each reference material.1. The lesson begins with a review of how to use each reference material.2.
The students are divided into groups of three or four students. Each group receives a number from one to ten as their team name or identification.3. Each group is given a list of the ten prepared questions.4. Each group works together to locate the answer to each question using the different reference materials.5. When an answer is located, it is written down and includes the source and page number it was found on.
Closure The class gathers back together as a group. Students are encouraged to share which references were easy to use and which were more difficult. They are also invited to share their strategies for finding information with the entire group. The teacher has the opportunity to ask the students questions to gain a clear idea of how each student was able to use the different reference materials.Assessment: The answers students provide can be used as an assessment for this particular lesson. Teacher observation is also a valuable assessment tool for this lesson because it provides an opportunity to watch the students in action to see how well each is able to use the different reference materials.
An assessment extension could include the use of the same activity with different questions but each student would work independently. This would ensure that each student is grasping reference concepts since they would not be able to rely on group members for help. An additional assessment idea would be for students to come up with specific questions they wish to find the answers for and allow them to repeat the reference hunt in order to find those answers.Florida Department of Education. (2007). Reading/Language Arts Standards for Florida. Retrieved on March 21, 2009 from http://etc.usf.edu/flstandards/la/index.html.
