helping kids learn through research

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Helping Kids Learn Helping Kids Learn through Research: through Research: What Parents Can do to What Parents Can do to Help Help

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Page 1: Helping kids learn through research

Helping Kids Learn Helping Kids Learn through Research:through Research:

What Parents Can do to HelpWhat Parents Can do to Help

Page 2: Helping kids learn through research

What is Research?What is Research? Research is a process that involves knowing Research is a process that involves knowing

you need information, knowing where to go to you need information, knowing where to go to find that information and then knowing how to find that information and then knowing how to use that information to meet your needs.use that information to meet your needs.

The Internet is not the only source for The Internet is not the only source for information today. There are other electronic information today. There are other electronic resources that can meet our information resources that can meet our information needs more fully and more efficiently.needs more fully and more efficiently.

It is important to use information ethically It is important to use information ethically when we do research, even from the youngest when we do research, even from the youngest age.age.

Page 3: Helping kids learn through research

What resources are available What resources are available when doing research?when doing research?

Print resources including books, Print resources including books, magazines, and encyclopedias.magazines, and encyclopedias.

Electronic resources including Electronic resources including Internet websites and online Internet websites and online databases. databases.

Primary resources including letters or Primary resources including letters or interviews.interviews.

Page 4: Helping kids learn through research

What online resources are What online resources are available?available?

WebsitesWebsites

A website is information posted by an A website is information posted by an individual or a group about a topic. It can be individual or a group about a topic. It can be searched using any search engine on the searched using any search engine on the Internet.Internet.

Online DatabasesOnline Databases

An online database is a group of reference An online database is a group of reference materials paid for and hosted by a specific materials paid for and hosted by a specific organization. The material has been edited, organization. The material has been edited, often by experts in the field, before being often by experts in the field, before being placed online.placed online.

Page 5: Helping kids learn through research

What is the difference between What is the difference between a website and a database?a website and a database?

Websites can be Websites can be produced by anyone from produced by anyone from a 1a 1stst grade class to an grade class to an educational institution.educational institution.

Information on websites Information on websites can be extremely reliable can be extremely reliable or not at all reliable.or not at all reliable.

Websites can be Websites can be produced for the purpose produced for the purpose of making money or for of making money or for the purpose of educating the purpose of educating or both.or both.

Not all websites are Not all websites are written by an authority in written by an authority in the field.the field.

Databases are reference Databases are reference materials that have materials that have been gathered by been gathered by professionals.professionals.

Information on Information on databases is extremely databases is extremely reliable because the reliable because the people who put them people who put them together depend on together depend on their credibility in their their credibility in their fields.fields.

Databases are paid for Databases are paid for by organizations so their by organizations so their primary intent is to primary intent is to inform.inform.

Databases cannot be Databases cannot be searched using an searched using an Internet search engineInternet search engine

Page 6: Helping kids learn through research

Best Online Resources to Begin Best Online Resources to Begin With For Your ChildWith For Your Child

• DISCUSDISCUS: : South Carolina’s online library; South Carolina’s online library; www.scdiscus.org

• StudySCStudySC: : Information about South Information about South Carolina culture, history, geography, Carolina culture, history, geography, and more. and more. www.studysc.org

• SCIWAYSCIWAY: : South Carolina’s place to go South Carolina’s place to go for information related to all things for information related to all things about our state. about our state. www.sciway.net

Page 7: Helping kids learn through research

What is the difference between What is the difference between Google and a resource?Google and a resource?

This is a question students ask all the time and This is a question students ask all the time and they may ask you.they may ask you.

Google, and other search engines such as Yahoo, Google, and other search engines such as Yahoo, Ask.com, etc. are ways to search the Internet for Ask.com, etc. are ways to search the Internet for sites containing information about topics.sites containing information about topics.

Google and other search engines do not provide Google and other search engines do not provide us with actual information. Therefore, we can us with actual information. Therefore, we can never credit Google as a reference source.never credit Google as a reference source.

Once you find a site that is applicable to you and Once you find a site that is applicable to you and your research topic, then you have found your your research topic, then you have found your source of information.source of information.

Page 8: Helping kids learn through research

Some Kid-Friendly Search EnginesSome Kid-Friendly Search Engines(start with these before Google)(start with these before Google)

www.about.comwww.about.com www.yahooligans.comwww.yahooligans.com www.askkids.comwww.askkids.com www.onekey.comwww.onekey.com www.awesomelibrary.orgwww.awesomelibrary.org

The benefit to these is that they are hand The benefit to these is that they are hand chosen to include appropriate information chosen to include appropriate information for students rather than “crawling” the for students rather than “crawling” the whole web.whole web.

Page 9: Helping kids learn through research

How do I know if a website is reliable?How do I know if a website is reliable?

There are some key questions to ask There are some key questions to ask when deciding if a website contains when deciding if a website contains reliable information:reliable information:

•Do you know who is sponsoring the site?

•If so, is this person an authority on the subject? How do you know?

•Are there lots of ads on the page? If so, then the primary purpose of this site might be to get you to buy something rather than give you information.

•Is there a way to contact the people who produce this site in case you have further questions?

Page 10: Helping kids learn through research

More questions to More questions to consider…consider… How up to date is this information? In a book there is How up to date is this information? In a book there is

a copyright date, on a webpage there should be a copyright date, on a webpage there should be some indication of how recently the information was some indication of how recently the information was updated.updated.

Does the information on the page concur with other Does the information on the page concur with other information that you know to be true about your information that you know to be true about your subject?subject?

In general, trustworthy websites end with .org, .edu, In general, trustworthy websites end with .org, .edu, or .govor .gov

Websites ending in .com or .net are usually intent on Websites ending in .com or .net are usually intent on selling a product or information or the person selling a product or information or the person providing the information on the website has paid to providing the information on the website has paid to have the website hosted.have the website hosted.

Page 11: Helping kids learn through research

What about Wikipedia?What about Wikipedia? Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia

that is edited by users of the Internet.that is edited by users of the Internet.

Most information on Wikipedia is reliable Most information on Wikipedia is reliable but not everything is.but not everything is.

Because it is a type of website called a Because it is a type of website called a “wiki”, it can be edited by anyone who has “wiki”, it can be edited by anyone who has an account, including you or your child.an account, including you or your child.

Be cautious when an article says that Be cautious when an article says that some facts have not been checked yet.some facts have not been checked yet.

Page 12: Helping kids learn through research

Bottom line…Bottom line…

Websites can look pretty and look reliable, but there are many factors to rely on when determining if a website actually contains good, useful, accurate information.

Let’s look at some sites together to determine if they are reliable or not.

Don’t be fooled by the “official” looking address of this site. Let’s take a look at what could be wrong.http://www.thomasedison.com/

Now, here’s a good one:http://edison.rutgers.edu/

Page 13: Helping kids learn through research

A Few Final Tips for ParentsA Few Final Tips for Parents Encourage good note-taking, Encourage good note-taking, not copyingnot copying..

Be sure to remind your child to credit where Be sure to remind your child to credit where he/she got information. Part of learning to use he/she got information. Part of learning to use information ethically is to say where it came information ethically is to say where it came from, even if your child is a 1from, even if your child is a 1stst grader. grader.

If you use a picture from a website or book, you If you use a picture from a website or book, you must also credit where that came from.must also credit where that came from.

Sit with your child during research. Talk together Sit with your child during research. Talk together about whether a website is reliable or not. about whether a website is reliable or not.

Encourage your child to think about the Encourage your child to think about the information they are gathering. This helps them information they are gathering. This helps them to determine how to best use the information to determine how to best use the information when it comes to project time.when it comes to project time.

Page 14: Helping kids learn through research

Research is Fun!Research is Fun!

Working together from an early age on proper research skills leads to less frustration as children age. When kids know where to go for information and how they are allowed to use the information they have, they have a lot of fun looking for new facts and applying them!

Page 15: Helping kids learn through research

Questions…Questions…

Email Tara White at Email Tara White at [email protected]@lex5.k12.sc.us