The Librarian's Internet: Desperately Seeking Study Skills

Sites to help students who struggle with research projects

By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 6/1/2004

Research Rocket
www.kyvl.org/html/kids/f_homebase.html

This top-notch Web site is one of the few designed to teach middle schoolers research skills. Its creative use of sound and animation and its game-board format are sure to engage young learners. Created by: Kentucky Virtual Library—Kids and Teachers Workgroup, Frankfort, KY. Don't Miss: The "Take Notes" section (especially the fact finder, note cards, and data sheets) and the "Use the Information" section (check out the "Five Finger Test" and "True or Bogus"). Plug-ins: Macromedia Flash. Detour: Students will love the puzzles and quizzes. To access them, click on the "Teacher's Toolbox" link at the bottom of the home page.

This well-organized 30-minute tutorial designed for University of Texas undergrads is also ideal for high schoolers. Students select from six different topics: censorship and freedom of speech, global communities, Internet business, laws and regulations, new trends, and security and privacy. Log on by clicking on the "Guests" link. Created by: The University of Texas System Digital Library, Austin, TX. Don't Miss: The creative exercises throughout the site. (To find them, click on the "sitemap" link, once you've selected one of the topics.) Plus, the "Tiltometer" and "Think Fast" are great fun! This site also offers the best glossary of any research Web site. Plug-ins: Macromedia Flash.

Here's another college-level tutorial that's an excellent tool for teaching high school students about research. The site is divided into six sections—the basics, information cycles, topics, searching, finding, and evaluating. The info-cycles unit describes different resources—everything from broadcast news to reference books—and when it's appropriate for students to use them. Created by: The University of Washington Library—UWill Team, Seattle, WA. Don't Miss: The great exercises such as how to create a search query (within the "Searching" section). The "Reading Citations" animation in the "Finding" section is especially effective and worth modeling if you're creating a similar Web site. Plug-ins: Macromedia Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and Microsoft Word.

Another terrific resource from the Kentucky Virtual Library, this site is one of the few tutorials that introduces students to plagiarism, copyright law, and fair use. The information on research is easy to print out and will come in handy at any reference desk. Created by: Kentucky Virtual Library—Information Literacy Work Group, Frankfort, KY. Detour: For another brief introduction to research, visit "A+ Research and Writing for High School and College Students" at www.ipl.org/div/aplus.