Kids Learn How to Research Effectively for Earth Day

Before we start the lesson, think about this question:

You have been studying plants in science. Your teacher
wants you to make a poster about planting a garden for Earth
Day. How could you learn more about Earth Day and plant
growth?

A. Ask your teacher to tell you.
B. Type „earth day‟ into Google.
C. Find a book in the library.
Back
D. Use a website that helps kids find articles.

Your teacher does know a lot of information, but she may
want you to do research about Earth Day on your own.
Instead, you could:
Use a website that helps kids find articles.

Many people start a search this way, but you will get a lot of
information you can‟t use. Why?
 There are too many web pages.
 The information is difficult to read and understand.
 The website does not relate to your assignment.

To find specific information for an Earth Day poster:

Starting in the library is a good idea. You could find books
about the environment, planting a garden, or Earth Day. But,
you may not be able to find all of the information you want.

To find specific information for your poster you can:

This is an excellent choice! Kids Search is an article
database that helps kids find information at their reading
level. Let‟s learn how to use Kids Search.

To move through the tutorial:
• Click yellow links to answer questions.
• Click blue arrows below to move forward or backward.
• Click Kids Search above to return to the beginning.

Your Turn will tell you when to use Kids Search
Back Next

• How to open Kids Search
• How to create a Kids Search account
• How to use the encyclopedia to start a search
• What a topic search is and how to do it
• How to do a basic search for your topic
• How to find a picture and save it to your folder

Back Next

1. Go to Arizona State Library Residents
2. Click EBSCO Database Resources (at right)
3. Enter your Arizona zip code and click login
4. Find the Kids Search logo and click the link

Your turn: Open a new window to follow the directions above.

Back Next

Having a Kids Search account lets you save information and
return to it later. Here‟s how:
1. Click the sign in link at the top of the page.
2. Click create new account. Fill in the information.
3. Click submit to complete the form.
4. Write down your user name and password.
5. Click continue to start your search.
Your turn: Go to the Kids Search window to follow the directions.

Next

When a topic is new to you, an encyclopedia is a good place
to find general information. Let‟s use the Kids Search
encyclopedia to start our search.
1. Click on the button that says
2. Type the words earth day in the look up box.
3. Click Go

Next

How many results did you get?
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 41

Your turn: Go to the Kids Search window to answer the question.

Back

Try again! Results 1-10 are shown on the first page. There are
5 pages of results.
What is the total number of results for earth day?
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 41

Yes! 41 encyclopedia entries use the words earth and day.
Click the first result: day
What does this entry tell you about Earth Day?
A. Earth Day is a solar day.
B. Earth Day lasts 24 hours.
C. Earth Day began in Babylonia.
D. Nothing. The entry is not about Earth Day.


That is not correct. Please read the encyclopedia entry more
carefully and try to answer the question again.

What does this entry tell you about Earth Day?
A. Earth Day is a solar day.
B. Earth Day lasts 24 hours.
C. Earth Day began in Babylonia.
D. Nothing. The entry is not about Earth Day.

Yes! That‟s correct. This entry is not about Earth Day.
To find specific information about Earth Day, we need to revise
the search. Using “quotation marks” will tell Kids Search that the
words should be searched together.
1. Click or Redo Search to search again.
2. Click
3. Type “Earth Day” into the look up box.
4. Click

Back Next

How many results did you get for “Earth Day”?
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 41

Try again! If you used quotation marks around the words “Earth
Day” you should have fewer results.

How many results did you get for “Earth Day”?
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 41

Yes! Gaylord Anton Nelson is a person. Click the link to find
out more about him.
Gaylord Anton Nelson was:
A. an American politician.
B. a leading environmentalist in his lifetime.
C. the person who started Earth Day.
D. all of the above.
Your turn: Go to Kids Search to read the encyclopedia entry.

This is partly correct. But, he was known for other things as
well. There is a better answer.

Gaylord Anton Nelson was:
A. an American politician.
B. a leading environmentalist in his lifetime.
C. the person who started Earth Day.
D. all of the above.

That‟s right! Gaylord Anton Nelson was an American
politician who was also an environmentalist. He started the
first Earth Day in 1970.

Next

Now that we know who started Earth Day let‟s find out more
by doing a Search by Topic.
1. Click the Kids Search logo on the webpage or Home.
2. Look at the images and topics on the first page.


Back Next

Kids Search is organized by topic. A Topic Search will help
you find specific information for your poster. You want to
learn more about Earth Day.
Click the topic picture below that best relates to Earth Day:

Your turn: Go to the Kids Search window to look at the topic names.
Back

Try again! You want to research Earth Day. This picture is for
Geography. Which topic would be a better choice to search?

Try again! Your want to research Earth Day. This picture is for
Sports. Which topic would be a better choice to search?

Try again! You want to research Earth Day. This picture is for
Mathematics. Which topic would be a better choice?

Great choice! Earth Day would be a topic under Science.

Let‟s find out how to a topic search:
1. Click the Science topic picture.
2. Look at the checklist of sub-topics.

Your turn: Go to the Kids Search window to look at the sub-topics.

Back Next

Which ONE of the sub-topics would be the best to check?
A. Environment
B. Energy
C. Exploring Earth
D. Exploring Life


Back

Try again! You won‟t find very many articles about Earth Day
if you check this sub-topic for your search.

Which ONE of the sub-topics would be the best to check?
A. Environment
B. Energy
C. Exploring Earth
D. Exploring Life

Excellent! The Environment would be a great place to search
for articles about Earth Day. Let‟s try to do that now:
1. Check the sub-topic Environment
2. Type “Earth Day” in the search box
3. Click Go


Back Next

Look for the article called “Earth Day Update” on the results
page. What is the title of the magazine article comes from?
A. Scholastic News
B. Skipping Stones
C. Scholastic Super Science
D. Time for Kids


That‟s not correct. That is the name of a magazine but not the
one with the article “Earth Day Update”. Go to Kids Search
and look at the results again.

What is the title of the magazine the article comes from?
A. Scholastic News
B. Skipping Stones
C. Scholastic Super Science
D. Time for Kids

That‟s correct! “Earth Day Update” can be seen at a web
page or as a PDF file. Let‟s look at the PDF version.

To see the article, click

Your turn: Go to the Kids Search window to open the article.

Back Next

Look at the graph at the center of the page. What do people
surveyed think is the most important environmental issue?
A. Water resources
B. Energy resources
C. Wildlife conservation
D. Global climate change


Try again. The bars on the graph show that over 700 people
surveyed thought another issue was more important.

What do people surveyed think is the most important
environmental issue?
A. Water resources
B. Energy resources
C. Wildlife conservation
D. Global climate change

That‟s correct! Over 700 people said that Global Climate
Change was the most important. Plant life affects global
climate change. You have been studying plants.

Adding AND to a search will find articles that relate to both
Earth Day AND plants. Let‟s change the search to find
information about how plants relate to Earth Day.

Back Next

To change your search, you need to:
1. Click Redo Search at the top of the article window.
2. Click the Science topic picture.
3. Click Clear
4. Check the sub-topic Environment again.
5. Type “Earth Day” AND plants in the search box
6. Click

Back Next

Using AND limits your results. Let‟s look at the PDF version
of the article titled “Earth Day Your World Day.”
This article is about young people who are helping the
environment. Who is growing native plants in Utah, USA?
1. Lindsey Williams
2. Gardening for Families
3. Shannon Babb and her friends
4. Arcata High School

Try again. Lindsey Williams started the group Gardening for
Families but she lives in Missouri and does not work with
planting native plants. Read the article again.
Who is growing native plants in Utah, USA?
1. Lindsey Williams

That‟s not correct. Beth Rickard and the kids from Arcata
High School in California are installing solar panels at their
school. Their project is not about plants.
Who is growing native plants in Utah, USA?
1. Lindsey Williams

Yes! That‟s right. Shannon and her friends in the 4-H club are
pulling out invasive plants in a meadow and replanting native
plants there. Native plants are better for the environment
because they protect wildlife and use less water to grow.

We‟re almost done with the tutorial. Let‟s learn a bit more
about Kids Search.

Back Next

Now that you know how use the encyclopedia and topic
search, let‟s do a basic search to find more articles for your
educational poster.
1. Click Redo Search at the top of the article window.
2. Click Clear
3. Type “Earth Day” AND education in the search box
4. Click Go

Back Next

Open the PDF for the article titled “Earth Day Every Day.” The
article is about a Green School in Tucson, AZ. A Green
School is Earth-friendly and cares about the environment.
How is this school Earth-friendly?
A. The children ride bikes or walk to school.
B. They collect rain water for their school garden.
C. They reuse things to make less trash.
D. All of the above.

Your turn: Go to the Kids Search window to read the article.

That‟s true. This is one Earth-friendly thing the children do. The
article gives several examples, so there is a better answer.
How is this school Earth-friendly?
A. The children ride bikes or walk to school.
B. They collect rain water for their school garden.
C. They reuse things to make less trash.
D. All of the above.

Yes! These children do many Earth-friendly activities. That is
why they are the most Earth-friendly school in the U.S.
This article would be useful for your Earth Day poster. Let‟s save
it to your folder.
1. Click the Result List link at the top of the window.
2. Find “Earth Day Every Day” on the list.
3. Click add under the folder icon at the right.
4. The folder should open and say “added”.
Back Next

So far we have learned:
• how to use the encyclopedia,
• how do a topic search,
• how to do a basic search,
• and how to save an article to your folder.

Now let‟s finish the tutorial by learning how to find a picture.

Back Next

Kids Search also has pictures. Let‟s find an image for your
poster about plants and Earth Day.
1. Click images at the top of the results list.
2. Check natural science photos to limit your search.
3. Type plants in the search box.
4. Click Go

Next

What could the FIRST picture be used to show?
A. The life cycle of a plant.
B. Different groups of plants.
C. Plants people eat.
D. The different parts of a plant.

Your turn: Go to the Kids Search window to read the article.

That‟s not correct. Another picture on the results list shows
this, but the first picture does not. Look at the results again.
What could the FIRST picture be used to show?
A. The life cycle of a plant.
B. Different groups of plants.
C. Plants people eat.
D. The different parts of a plant.

Yes! This image shows the different parts or anatomy of a
plant. You could use this picture on your poster.

Do you remember how to save something to your folder?
A. Click the Home button.
B. Click the link to the picture.
C. Click the add link under the folder.
D. Click the Kids Search logo.

That‟s not correct. Doing this will take you to the main Kids
Search page. Look at the results list again.
How do you save something to your folder?

Try again. Clicking the link to the picture will open the file
with the image and caption. You can copy the image from
here, but you cannot save it to your folder.
How do you save something to your folder?

That‟s right! Now go back to the results list and save the
picture to your folder. You can also save other pictures.
Your turn: Go to Kids Search to save the picture to your folder.

Now that you know how to use Kids Search, you can use it to
find other information for your poster. Have fun exploring.

Back Next

You have finished the tutorial. Now you can use Kids Search
to:
• Open your account.
• Do an encyclopedia search.
• Find information by topic or basic search.
• Find pictures and other images.
• Save the information you find to your folder.
Have fun using Kids Search for research in the future!

Back Credits Next

This tutorial was created by Kierstin Van Camp-Horn as a class project for
University of Arizona IRLS 585 (Information Literacy Instruction). Thank you
to Dr. Cheryl Malone for her guidance and support.

Access to EBSCO‟s Kids Search through the AZ State Library Website:
Statewide Access to Databases retrieved 14 April 2011 from
http://www.lib.az.us/extension/statewidedb.aspx#linking

Kids Search logo and topic search images retrieved 1 April 2011 from
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.az.us:2048/srck5/search?sid=fd53d5
c7- 593b-4bdd-b102-294886c8a5b2%40sessionmgr12&vid=1&hid=11

Kids Learn How to Research Effectively for Earth Day

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