Become an information detective

Full explanation

Learning goal: Choose and use headings, a contents list, a sidebar, key words, and a hyperlink label to locate information efficiently. This lesson targets Ohio RI.3.5 in the 2017 framework. Plan 45 minutes. Materials are this page and a pencil; no live website is required. A teacher may later repeat the activity with a familiar library webpage.

Informational texts often include features that help readers find what they need. A contents list points to sections or pages. Headings name the topic of a section. A sidebar gives related information beside the main text. A glossary explains specialized words. On a website, a hyperlink opens another page or location, and a search tool finds information connected with the key words entered.

Choose the tool from the question. If you need opening times, look for “Hours,” not a section describing the building's history. If you need the meaning of a word, try the glossary. For a search, use specific topic words. A search for “garden” is broader than “school garden compost materials.” Read the results and verify the answer in the text: a result title is a clue, not proof that the page answers the question.

Use this original printed model, School Garden Guide. Its contents list says: “Getting Started—page 2; What to Plant—page 4; Water and Care—page 6; Compost—page 8; Glossary—page 10.” A sidebar on page 6 is titled “During School Breaks” and says, “Ask an adult volunteer to check the soil and water when needed.” The glossary says, “Compost: material made as plant scraps and other organic matter break down.” A printed website menu lists hyperlink labels “Volunteer Schedule,” “Garden Map,” and “Contact the Garden Team.” A model search box accepts typed key words. The labels are classroom examples, not working links.

Efficiency means reaching relevant information with a sensible route. It does not mean guessing without checking. Two different routes can be reasonable: a contents list can locate the Compost section, while a search for “garden compost” can locate its online version. Explain why the route fits the question.

Additional worked examples

Example 1: Find an answer about school breaks. The question asks who checks the garden when students are away. Scan the contents for care information and go to page 6. Read the “During School Breaks” sidebar. It identifies an adult volunteer. A strong response names both the answer and the feature used. Reading every page would work eventually, but the contents and sidebar provide a more direct route.

Example 2: Choose search words. You want to know which scraps may go into compost. “Things” gives almost no topic information. “School garden compost scraps” includes the setting, subject, and information wanted. After searching, choose a result about compost materials and read its details. Do not assume every result mentioning a garden is relevant.

Example 3: Follow a hyperlink label. To find out when helpers are assigned, choose “Volunteer Schedule.” “Garden Map” would fit a location question instead. Link labels predict the destination, but the reader must still check the opened page. A label alone cannot tell today's helper's name if no schedule entries are shown.

Independent practice and scoring

Guided practice: A partner asks for the definition of compost. Point to the feature you would use, identify its page, and read the definition. Then switch roles and ask about caring for plants. Explain why page 6 is more useful for that question than page 10.

Independent tasks: (1) Give the section and page for choosing plants. (2) Locate the school-break advice and identify the adult's task. (3) Write specific search words for finding the location of the garden's water tap. (4) Choose the menu link for asking the garden team a question. (5) Explain what you would do if a search result failed to answer your question.

Answers and scoring: (1) What to Plant, page 4. (2) During School Breaks sidebar on page 6; check soil and water when needed. (3) Accept focused phrases such as “school garden water tap location.” (4) Contact the Garden Team. (5) Revise key words or examine another relevant result and check its content. Award 1 point for each suitable route and 1 for a relevant answer or explanation, up to 10 points.

Support: Highlight question words and match them with feature labels. Extension: Students design a contents page and sidebar for a class guide, then exchange guides to test whether another reader can find an answer. The design task extends the lesson; the main standard here is using features and tools to locate information.