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LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES
The student will use the rules of alphabetization and guide words to look up entry words in the dictionary.
CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES:
The student will use a dictionary to look up curriculum content words.
MOTIVATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
The student will:
-become interested in the research process.
-understand the importance of information skills.
-experience increased confidence in research ability.
-achieve satisfaction in research accomplishments.
Resources:
| Credits: |
| Marion Napier Adapted for SOS by Kori Gerbig School of Information Studies Syracuse University |
| Sources: |
| School Library Media Activities Monthly October 1998; 15(2); 15-16. http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com http://www.crinkles.com |
INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES:
-The library media specialist and the classroom teacher consult regarding subject content that is taught in the classroom. Curriculum related words are researched and made into flashcards.
-The library media specialist conducts the guided practice lesson, with assistance from the classroom teacher.
-The classroom teacher divides the students into groups of two, taking into account individual student ability and learning style.
-The library media specialist and the classroom teacher circulate among the students at all times and assist those who are having difficulty with their research.
-The classroom teacher conducts assessment activities and provides follow-up practice in the classroom
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION:
-Prior to the lesson, students should know the following premises of alphabetizing:
*Being able to read is not required in alphabetizing-only the knowledge of the alphabet and in which order the letters occur.
*When alphabetizing, it is important to look at only one letter of the word at a time, like beads on a string.
-Students should also have had practice with the following alphabetizing rules:
*Comparing words by first looking at the initial letters.
If the first letters match, look at the second letters.
If the second letters match, look at the third letters, etc.
-The classroom teacher divides the students into pairs. Provide each pair with an appropriate dictionary. Pairs of students that are working near each other should not have the same dictionary. This prevents the students from peeking to find the answers.
-Review alphabetizing rules with the students. Tell students that they are going to use the dictionary to look up words. Reassure them that, although it looks scary, a dictionary is a useful reference tool to look up information quickly. It is easy to use if you remember the rules.
-Discuss the term 'guide words'. These are the words at the top of the page that help people use their alphabetical order rules and tell the first and last word on each page.
-Tell students that you will give them clues and they are to find the "secret word" and write it on the overhead projector or chalkboard. Make sure that the chosen word can be found in the dictionaries used. Students must flip the pages in their dictionaries until they find any page that contains guide words that begin with the announced letter.
-When all groups have found the beginning letter of the word, announce the second letter and write on the overhead. Students must turn only a few pages at a time until guide words are located whose first two letters match those on the overhead. Remind students not to go outside of their particular section of the dictionary. For example, if the word begins with an 'M' they must stay in the 'M' section.
-When all groups have found the matching letters in the guide words, announce the third letter of the chosen word and write it on the overhead. When students have located guide words with the same beginning three letters, they should be on or near the correct page of the actual word.Occasionally, it may be necessary to have the students match the letters to the fourth letter of the word in the guide words.
-Instruct students that they are now ready to find the 'secret word' and that they should turn only one page or less to find it. It may be necessary to explain to the students that they are not to look at every word on the page, but only the ones that are printed in boldfaced print "the big, black words that stand out on the page".
-Finish spelling the 'secret word' on the overhead. Students raise their hands when they have found the word. The library media specialist and the teacher check to see that the correct word has been located.
-Select a new word and repeat the process.
-At the end of the session, remind students that they have applied alphabetical order skills to find guide words and entry words in the dictionary.
-Do not be discouraged if it takes a full thirty-minute session to go through this procedure when the lesson is introduced. Depending on the group of student, only one entry word may be located the first time students go through the lesson.
FOLLOW-UP:
-Repeat the lesson in several semi-weekly or weekly sessions. Repeat the lesson as often as needed for students to gain proficiency. Some groups of students progress at a faster pace than others. Each time this lesson is used, the students will discover that it is easier and faster to find words. When students can find three to four words in one session, it is time to proceed to the other follow-up activities.
-Between lessons, the classroom teacher can provide additional practice in using the dictionary by assigning the students a 'Word of the Day' to look up in their classroom dictionary.
-As students become proficient in looking up entry words, the same type of activity can be used to introduce them to other information contained in the dictionary, such as syllabications, phonetic spellings, parts of speech, and definitions.
