1. Reference Books
Research Materials

2. What is a Reference Book?
• Definition of a Reference Book:
– a book containing useful facts or specially
organized information, as an encyclopedia,
dictionary, atlas, yearbook, etc.
reference book. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from
Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reference book

3. Examples of Reference Books:
• Encyclopedia
• Dictionary/thesaurus
• Atlas
• Almanac

4. What is an Encyclopedia?
• A comprehensive reference work
containing articles on a wide range of
subjects or on numerous aspects of a
particular field, usually arranged
alphabetically.
encyclopedia. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
Fourth Edition. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from Dictionary.com
website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/encyclopedia

5. What is a Dictionary?
• A reference book containing an
alphabetical list of words, with information
given for each word, usually including
meaning and pronunciation.
dictionary. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from Dictionary.com
website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dictionary

6. What is a Thesaurus?
• A book of synonyms, often including
related and contrasting words and
antonyms.
thesaurus. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from Dictionary.com
website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thesaurus

7. What is an Atlas?
• A book or bound collection of maps.
atlas. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from Dictionary.com
website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atlas

8. What is an Almanac?
• an annual publication containing a calendar for the
coming year, the times of such events as anniversaries,
sunrises and sunsets, phases of the moon and tides.
• a publication containing future positions of celestial
objects, star magnitudes, and culmination dates of
constellations.
• an annual reference book of useful and interesting facts
relating to countries of the world, sports and
entertainment.
almanac. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from
Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/almanac

9. Group Activity
• Scavenger Hunt:
– Use one of the four types of resources to
locate information requested on the
worksheet
– Note which resource you used to locate the
information (15 mins)
– One person from each group will be the
spokesman to explain why they chose that
resource to locate the information.