Overview

Along with traditional reference sources, students can now access relevant, up-to-date information via electronic references. Using groups of related persons, places and things,
students will research factual information, with the eventual goal of presenting findings to the class using presentation software.The featured facts (called “factoids”) should represent
little-known trivia about the related categories.

Concepts

Electronic references can be utilized as effectively as traditional encyclopedias.

Indicators

• Students will access information pertaining to related topics.
  
  
• Students will select a little known piece of factual information related to topics.
  
  
• Students will document source of information through oral presentation and on slides prepared for a possible slide show.
  

Precomputer

• Students, in groups of 3 or 4, will devise a list of related topics/focuses related to various interests and areas. Some examples include -
  
  
  • birth dates of three famous writers.
    
  • construction dates of three famous buildings/landmarks.
    
  • original air dates of three famous TV shows.
    
  • the year that each of three sports was introduced to America.
    
    

On the computer

• Using electronic references
  

Students will research information related to the list of topics, with the purpose of finding one piece of information that is not common knowledge about the topic. For example -

THREE HOLIDAYS IN ORDER OF CELEBRATION ORIGIN - Fourth of July
Mother’s Day
Father’s Day

(Factoid - The idea of Mother’s Day was conceived by a man in 1910.)

• Using traditional reference sources
  

Students will verify for accuracy the “factoid” obtained from the electronic reference sources using traditional references found in school library.

• As a culminating activity, students will prepare a group slide presentation of information obtained through research. Each slide will contain an image/picture related to the topic, the
  

“factoid” about the topic, and the title of reference source used to obtain the information.

Postcomputer

• Categories will be expanded to provide possible topics for future research reports.
  

• Examples - “History of the Golden Gate Bridge”
“The Development of TV Situation Comedies”

Related resources

• Traditional library references - yearbooks, atlases, encyclopedias (To be used for verification purposes throughout project)