Research and Information Fluency: Grades K-1

A-B-C Searching

Download Student Sheet(s) for printout in PDF format.

Read a Letter to Educators about Internet research and information fluency from CyberSmart!

Overview

Children search for animal pictures online by clicking letters of the alphabet. They then print the pictures and, in an offline activity, color them and arrange a display.

Objectives

  • Find the link for a specified letter of the alphabet on a children's Web site
  • Explain how to search online for animal pictures by using the alphabet

National Educational Technology Standards for Students © 2007

Source: International Society for Technology in Education
  1. Research and Information Fluency
    1. plan strategies to guide inquiry.
    2. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

Home Connection

Download the Home Connection sheet related to this lesson.

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Materials

  • Activity sheet (1)
  • Picture dictionary; crayons; stapler
  • Online computer access
  • Printer access

Introduce (offline)

  • Show children a picture dictionary. Explain that pictures of things that begin with A are first, followed by pictures of things that begin with B, and so on.
  • Ask: Where in this book will you find words that begin with Z? (On the last page.)
  • Tell children that they can also use letters to find pictures online.

Teach 1 (online)

  • Take students to www.becybersmart.org or www.cybersmartcurriculum.org, click on Student Links, and then click on the circle. Find the title of this lesson, and open its links.
  • Have children find the alphabet display across the top of the page called "Animal Printouts."
  • Click on the letter A to find pictures of animals whose names begin with that letter.
  • Demonstrate how to scroll along the A page, allowing the class to choose an animal and click on its name or picture.
  • Print two copies of the page for the selected animal.

Teach 2 (online)

  • Allow each child to click on a letter, choose an animal, click its link, and print two copies.
  • Ask children to color the pictures on their two animal printouts.

Teach 3 (offline)

  • Distribute the activity sheet.
  • Have children color the alphabet and then write the letter they used to search online.
  • Help them staple one copy of their animal printout to the activity sheet.

Assess (offline)

The following items assess student mastery of the lesson objectives.

  • Collect the remaining animal printout from each child. As they hand them to you, ask: What letter did you use to search for animals? Assemble an "Animal Alphabet" display or booklet by posting or binding the animal printouts in order, each labeled with the letter of the alphabet used to find it.

Extend (offline)

The following activity can be added for students who completed this lesson in a previous grade.

  • Have children suggest the names of animals, identify their first letter, and search for that animal in the "Animal Printouts" site.

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