Focus Skill:
Reference
Sources
Good readers
use reference
sources to help
them find
information.
There are many print
reference sources.
A few examples are.....
A dictionary is a book
people use to find a
word’s meaning, spelling,
part of speech, and
pronunciation.
Dictionaries are
organized in alphabetical
order with guide words
at the top of each page.
A thesaurus is a book people use to
find synonyms. Synonyms are words
that mean almost the same thing. A
thesaurus is set up like a dictionary.
happycheerful, joyful, glad,
delighted, pleased,
satisfied, content
An atlas is a book people use
to find a map of a state,
country, or part of the world.
An encyclopedia is a set of
books that people use to find
information. Topics are
arranged in alphabetical order.
There are also technology
reference sources.
A few examples are.....
computer
CDs
DVDs
People use the internet to find
many kinds of information. You
can read documents, see pictures
and artwork, listen to music, and
take a virtual tour of many places.
Let’s
practice!
Which reference source would
you use to find a word that means
the same as the word “smart”?
A. dictionary
B. thesaurus
C. atlas
thesaurus
If I had to do a project
on Rosa Parks, where would
I look to find information on her?
A. dictionary
B. atlas
C. encyclopedia
encyclopedia
If I want to take a trip to Disney
World, which reference source would
help me figure out how to get there?
A. atlas
B. encyclopedia
C. thesaurus
atlas
If I wasn’t sure how to spell a
word, which reference source
would I look in?
A. atlas
B. encyclopedia
C. dictionary
dictionary
What reference source could
you use to look up information
about President Obama?
A. atlas
B. thesaurus
C. internet
internet
True or False:
A printer is an example of
a reference source.
FALSE
BONUS:
What is a search engine?
It is a special tool on the
internet. People use search
engines to find out what they
need to know about a topic.
BONUS:
What is a website?
It is a location on the
internet that gives people
information about a topic.