Never Too Young to Cite

You've got to be kidding! Teach first graders how to do research? Teach second graders how to cite their sources?

If it seems that teaching information literacy skills to elementary students is a little overwhelming (or even impossible), think again. Capstone has created an innovative new database designed for K-2 students that will make teaching kindergarten students how to perform library research child's play.

For students in grades K-2.

The cost for a single school's one year subscription is $395.

PebbleGo is an animal database designed specifically for K-2 emergent readers and beginning researchers. Featuring more than 200 animal articles correlated to life science standards, animal audio and video, carefully leveled text, educational games, and innovative read-aloud capabilities, this database provides a cornerstone for the development of information literacy at the elementary level. Through web-based accessibility from school or home, PebbleGo is an ideal resource to introduce early learners to serious database and research concepts while still having fun.

By introducing elementary students to information on hundreds of animals, PebbleGo makes teaching the research process in elementary school much easier for both the classroom teacher and the elementary school librarian. Aligned to national curriculum standards, the database also features word-by-word highlighting and read-aloud audio of carefully leveled and age-appropriate text. Now even the youngest of animal enthusiasts can easily access information independently.

PebbleGo's simple, colorful, clean look provides younger students with the choice of 12 boxes (or search categories) filled with easy-to-read terms paired with an image of the subject. Through a simple mouse-over of the search box, students hear the search term. By clicking on the subject box, students are then provided with both a second and third level of additional subject content or choices available for research.

Research articles contain a colorful image of the animal, along with a short, age-appropriate text consisting of two to three sentences and the option to hear the text read aloud. As the text is read, words are also highlighted.

A Listen button above the photograph of the animal provides the sound that the animal makes, while a Watch button provides a short video clip of the animal in its natural habitat.

Students can print the photographs of the animals, select Cite the Article to create a citation, or print the article. A Share What You Know link opens a PDF document worksheet that allows students to print the page and add information that was learned such as the animal's natural habitat, food preferences, and life cycle. Users may choose to draw their own picture of the animal being studied.

A Games link allows children to test their knowledge by playing games based upon the database content such as animal sounds or even breeds of dogs.

Younger children can use the Visual Search to select one of 12 boxes that highlight their favorite mammals, amphibians, or even insects (and spiders are included). Older children can practice their spelling skills by using the Search box at the top of the page. As the student begins typing the subject or keyword term needed, a drop-down list of words with the same beginning letters appears to help the user quickly identify the correct spelling and term.

Once the animal or insect is located within the database, students have the option to read through the basic facts or have those facts read aloud. By selecting the Subject Tabs (listed as Body, Habitat, Food, Life Cycle, and Fun Facts), new Fact pages appear, providing the student with additional information and options, such as to Print and Label the animal's photograph and label the body parts.

As students move throughout the database, selecting specific animals for their research, PebbleGo continues to provide resources on the left-hand side of the page to encourage more investigation into animal groups similar to the one being researched. For example, an article about Meerkats provides the user with additional research topics on Prairie Dogs and Jackrabbits.

Resources for Educators provides teachers with the links to state and national standards that directly relate to the database content, as well as Lesson Plans, and a library filled with reproducible pages. Lesson plans also include integrated content standards such as the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner, the Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning, and the National Educational Technology Standards for Students.

Elementary students will not only enjoy this content—which is filled with hundreds of examples of their favorite pets, dinosaurs, and birds—but will begin to search independently using the Visual Search option along with the Read Aloud option. Because this database provides an intuitive search screen, even the most timid students will easily become engaged in locating their favorite animals.

By using the national and state curriculum standards provided within the Educator's Resource section, teachers and librarians will easily discover how they can integrate PebbleGo's database content in various subject areas such as science, reading, or social studies, while teaching information literacy skills and technology.

Capstone's PebbleGo provides a unique database for early elementary students by offering factual content that can be used by both beginning and non-readers alike. By introducing age-appropriate research content while providing information literacy elements, including how to cite the articles found, it enables teachers and librarians to easily integrate the research process at even the kindergarten level. While this database provides hundreds of research articles on animals (a favorite among most children), it is hoped that Capstone will develop additional subject areas to increase user appeal within the various subjects taught in elementary education. In the meantime, this database deserves an A+ for breaking new ground.