Encyclopedia Teacher Resources

Google, Wolfram/Alpha, Fact Monster? Kids may be familiar with these names, but have they heard of one of the original search tools? Here's a video that details one of the first encyclopedias and the controversies surrounding it.

Students conduct research on the Civil Rights Movement and participants in order to create an encyclopedia with alphabetical articles about some of the leaders and the ordinary people who made a difference in the movement. The articles...

Learners use an online encyclopedia to gather information about animals. They identify habits of ten animals they find interesting. They share their information with the class.

Explore connections within and between informational texts with this lesson about encyclopedia articles. Middle schoolers write encyclopedia articles focusing on topics in American history. They discuss how to determine credibility...

Gaius Plinius Secundus, known as Pliny the Elder, should not to be confused with Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, known as Pliny the Younger. Video describes the process of Pliny the Elder creating what turned into the first...

In this desert vocabulary worksheet, students look up the definitions of 10 words in either the dictionary or encyclopedia. They write the definition of words associated with the desert in the table on the worksheet.

Learners elucidate themselves by writing up to six entries in different formats. Some formatting choices include a dictionary, encyclopedia, or atlas entry, a magazine article, a newspaper article, and a table of contents. Some...

Third graders develop encyclopedia skills to locate information. In this Jan Brett library lesson plan, 3rd graders research animals in the encyclopedia and complete a worksheet on one animal. Students relate their work to the work of...

Second graders demonstrate how to use reference materials. In this library media lesson, 2nd graders are introduced to the encyclopedia and are shown how to use the encyclopedia as a reference. Students use encyclopedias to complete a...

For this encyclopedia usage worksheet, students observe encyclopedia spines A-Z and determine in which volume the nouns airplanes, cats, Ohio, and sugar will appear. Students answer four questions.

Students explore a variety of reference resources while seeking information. atlases, almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, and online search engines as well as library card catalogs are utilized in this instructional activity.

After being introduced to non-fiction texts, second graders meet a different type of non-fiction text that can help them locate factual information. They discuss and examine all of the features found in typical encyclopedias such as,...

Lead young learners to understand new vocabulary with this series of word maps. The first of these organizers asks children to determine the definition and provide examples and descriptions of each word with the help of dictionaries,...

Eleventh graders investigate the time of the late 1800's. They conduct research using a variety of resources that could include the internet. Students create an alphabetized encyclopedia of important historical people of the time period.

To begin a study of Walt Whitman's poem, "Election Day, November 1884," learners first call out a word or two that describes their reaction to the recent presidential election. They then read an encyclopedia entry about the Presidential...

Second graders examine a set of encyclopedias to see that there are numbered set of books that include facts on a variety of subjects. They watch a the teacher demonstrates how to use the books. They complete a "Encyclopedia Match"...

Fourth graders, in groups, practice using the encyclopedia as a reference tool. They research animals today using the encyclopedia. Their job be to find three or more strange but true facts about the animal listed on their card.

In this classifying information and parent communication form worksheet, students write where they would look to find the information listed. Students options are fiction, encyclopedia, or atlas. Students must also get their parent or...

Fifth graders explore the encyclopedia and take notes from it in a formatted way. They analyze and compare the encyclopedia to an almanac and begin to take information on their chosen president.

Students use maps and other geographic resources to learn about their world while problem solving. They read clues each day and use classroom resources to narrow down where the prize is located.

Take a look at the credibility of online sources such as Wikipedia. Discussion points and handouts are included to facilitate a meaningful and informative dialogue. Tips are given on how to determine if a Wikipedia article is reliable...

Remember learning to spell “encyclopedia” by singing along with Jiminy Cricket? How about using a singing exercise to learn the names of the presidents? “The Presidents Song,” includes the names, in order, from Washington to Coolidge....

After a class discussion where kids share how they find answers to their questions, learners explore the world of reference materials such as, an atlas, an almanac, and an encyclopedia. The Internet is also discussed as a way to access...

Students explore different countries, their locations, and their cultures. Using an encyclopedia, they locate the information, then write a report. Ultimately, they create a paper doll to represent their chosen country.