Relying on Resources

By Sarah Wiggins
A reference skills unit that helps students to understand how reference
books can be organized as well as how to use them.

Title of Unit: Grade Level: 3rd

Relying on Resources

Curriculum Area: Reading, Time Frame: 4 days

Information Literacy, and Science

Stage 1: Identifying Desired Results

Content Standards:

Standards for the 21st Century Learner

1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
1.2.2 Demonstrate confidence and self- direction by making independent choices in the selection of
resources and information.
2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that
express new understandings.
GPS:
ELA3R3 The student uses a variety of strategies to gain meaning from
grade-level text. The student
o. Uses titles, tables of contents, and chapter headings to locate information quickly and accurately
and to preview text.
ELA3W1 The student demonstrates competency in the writing process. The student
j. Uses a variety of resources to research and share information on a topic.
ELA3W2 The student writes in a variety of genres, including narrative, informational,
persuasive, and response to literature.
f. Uses a variety of resources (encyclopedia, Internet, books) to research and share information on
a topic.
ELA3C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English
language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and
grammar in both written and spoken formats. The student
j. Uses resources (encyclopedias, Internet, books) to research and share information about a topic.

Students will understand that…

•
Understandings
Gathering information is not a difficult task, you just have to know where to look.
• There are a variety of reference materials available for students to locate
information. In order to use these effectively, the students must understand the parts
of the books as well as the purpose for each.
• Knowing the parts of a book can help locate the information faster.
• Creating an informational piece of literature is not difficult if you use the correct
resources.
 Related Misconceptions…
Often time’s students become confused by the variety of reference materials. It is important they
identify each one for its appropriate use.

Essential Questions
Overarching Questions: How can using Topical Questions: What is each reference
reference materials help me locate source used for?
information?
How do I find information in the reference
materials?

Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge & Skills students will know:
Students will need prior knowledge that
reference materials help us locate
information.
Skills students will be able to do:
Students will be able to locate the parts of a
book.
Students will be able to identify the function
of each reference source.
The students will be able to locate needed
information to create a piece of
informational writing.

Stage 2
Performance Task(s)
Goal: Your goal is to create a digital book that contains all of the
parts of a book as well as collected information about the Regions
of Ga.

Role: Your role will be to write a page about each region that
demonstrates you understand the textual features of
informational text.
Audience: Your audience is the other students who will see the
book when you share it during celebration.

Situation: The challenge you are faced with is that you must
learn the parts of the books, and the different reference materials
in order to locate the information you are seeking.

Product Performance and Purpose: You will have three

separate tasks

a. To demonstrate an understanding of the reference materials.

b. To collect the information needed to answer the questions in

which you have been provided.

c. To create a digital book that shows your overall

understandings.

Standards and Criteria for Success:

The standards that align are listed above, and the criteria for
success can be seen in the rubric that is below.

Performance Task(s) Rubrics

Rubric: Digital Book – Ga. Regions
1 2 3
Parts of a Book The parts of a book You did not include All of the parts can
cannot be seen all of the parts; title be seen in your book:
page, table of title page, table of
contents, glossary contents, glossary

Factual Evidence You wrote your I can see some facts You used wonderful
opinions, but you did throughout your facts that helped your
not write the facts book. reader to learn about
you discovered in the regions.
your research.

Textual Features You do not have any You have included at You have included a
extra textual features least one other variety of features
other than the words. feature: chart, graph, throughout your
 picture, and/ or book.
caption on each page.

Final Your final product is You completed your You completed a

Presentation not complete. final project, but your very nice book. It
project is lacking was well organized
neatness or and very neat.
organization.

Other Evidence
(e.g. tests, quizzes, work samples, observations)
Pathfinder for Relying on Resources
http://swigginsmediaspecialist.pbworks.com/w/page/Relying-on-Resources-Pathfinder
Power Points to use when teaching parts of a book:
http://reading.pppst.com/partsofabook.html
Research Tic-Tac-Toe
This book is made of This book is made This book is dated by the year.
maps, and I can find a up of synonyms. I It shows me records that were
map of Georgia in this can look up a word set in this particular year.
book. and find another
This is a : word that means the This book is an:
____________________ same thing. _________________________
(color this square red) This book is a: (color this square orange)

(color this square

blue)
This book has This is not a book, This book has phone numbers
definitions. I can look up it is on the and addresses. I can look up a
a word and see what it computer. I can use phone number or address for a
means. this to help me find pizza restaurant in my town.
This book is a: information on the This book is a:
GA regions.
(color this square green) This is a: (color this square yellow)

(color this square

red)
This book is a book we This book has This is a series of books. I can
use in our classrooms. definitions and look up Georgia (the state) in
There are different kinds synonyms. If I want this book and then find the
 of them. This one has
math, but there is one I
could use to find out
regions.
This is a
The book I COULD use
that is like this one is my
(color this square pink)
to know what the topic regions of. This book is
Spanish word an:
means OR if I want
to know a Spanish (color this square red)
word for and
English word, I can
use this book.
This is a :
(color this square
purple)

Quizzes: Parts of a Book

Using a Table of Contents
Using an Index
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Home.jsp.
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences
Day 1: Students will be introduced to the parts of a book
• Using various kinds of reference books, the students will explore the parts of a book; title
page, table of contents, body, captions, charts, diagrams, index, and glossary.
• The students will work together to locate answers about the Regions of Ga. using their
social studies text books. They will need to use their parts of the book to locate the
answers.
• Students will take the 3 formative assessments
Day 2: Students will be introduced to reference materials that will help them research.
• Students will explore encyclopedias, almanacs, atlas, thesaurus, dictionary, internet, and
other various topical books about the regions.
• Using these books, the students will complete a scavenger hunt that will help them to
understand the purpose of each book.
• The results of the scavenger hunt will help them to know which books to eliminate from
using during their research and which to use.
Day 3: Beginning to research
• The students will be put into groups of 3. Each group will research the 3 regions
(Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont Region, and Coastal Plains). The students in each group
will each take a different region and research to find the answers to these questions:
1. Where is the region located
2. What kind of land or landforms are in your region?
3. What habitats are found in your region?
4. What kind of animals lives in this habitat?
5. Any interesting facts?
6. Using the map of GA, show where your region is located.
Day 4: Creating the Book in mini lab (students will finish the books with the laptops in
their classrooms)
• Using the program PIXIE the students will create a digital book. The book will show the
title page, table of contents, a page (or two if needed) for each region, ** for the
accelerated students (gifted) the Horizons teacher will work with them to create an index
and or a glossary**