Black Hawk Elementary Media Center

Research Help
Home - Hours, Policies, and Schedule
Students - Research, Reading, and Games
Bookmarks - Links to educational and fun websites
Teachers - Professional Materials, Copyright, and Technology
Parents - Reading, Books, and Policies

"Research means that you don't know, but are willing to find out." - Charles F. Kettering

Media Center Resources
Have a question? Visit the media center and use these books to find an answer!
  • Encyclopedias - Find information and facts on many subjects in the New Grolier Student Encyclopedia and WorldBook
  • Atlases - Find maps in the Rand McNally Picture Atlas of the World and The WorldBook Atlas
  • Almanacs - Find up-to-date and interesting facts in the World Almanac from 1999 to the current year
  • Dictionaries - Look up the meanings of words and how to say them in the American Heritage Children's Dictionary, American Heritage First Dictionary, Illustrated Dinosaur Dictionary, Webster's Biographical Dictionary, and Webster's New Geographical Dictionary
  • Non-fiction - read facts about lots of different subjects. Click on non-fiction to learn more.
 
 
AEA Resources
Still can't find what you need? Try these resources from the our Area Education Association. You will need to get the username and password from your classroom teacher or the media specialist!
 
Internet Resources
If you looked at the media center and AEA's resources and STILL can't find an answer try these Internet resources!
  • The CIA World Fact Book - Maps and facts for every country in the world
  • 50 States.com - States and US territory information like state symbols, flags, nicknames, and more
  • Infoplease.com - Facts on lots of subjects. Includes a dictionary, almanac, atlas, and encyclopedia. Check out the Fact Monster games and quizzes for kids!
  • Google Maps - find directions from anywhere to anywhere and views maps. Download Google Earth to your computer and take virtual trips around the world!

Research Help

  • Ask the Media Specialist! - Get help with topics,sources available,and more...
    "Google doesn't teach students how to use information, but librarians do!" - Walter Minkel, School Library Journal.

    • Web Page Evaluation Tool - Learn how to tell if a web site is a good source of information

    • Copyright Law - For students, teachers, and parents. Learn about copyright laws and how to cite sources

For Teachers and Parents - How to Follow the Research Process

  • The Big6 Information Skills for Student Achievement - An approach to teaching information literacy and technology skills. Students and adults alike can use the Big6 process to solve information problems.

  • Guided Inquiry: A framework for learning through school libraries in 21st century schools. - a resource from Rutgers' Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries of research and scholarship about the guided inquiry approach to help students "learn meaningfully from the diverse and complex information sources"