Using the Library

• Despite the prevalence of the Internet, knowing how to use a library is still a key research skill for third graders. Students should be introduced to the Dewey decimal system and learn how to find a book in the library. You can use activities such as having the students make a map of the school library, and make a graph of the the books in different sections of the library to help students gain familiarity with the library. Students should also learn when to use reference materials such as dictionaries.
  
  

Internet Research

• As students begin to use the Internet more in the third grade, they need to know that not all information is the same. Students should understand the difference between sources, such as books and subscription sites, in which poor quality and inaccurate material is weeded out, and blog sites or unattributed websites, where the information is not fact-checked and may be mere opinion. Students should also be made aware of the concept of using a variety of resources and materials for research.
  
  

Note Taking

• In third grade, students should begin learning how to take notes as part of the research process. Note taking helps kids to focus on key words and teaches them how to select key information. Students should also learn how to summarize what they have read and how to cite sources. You can start by giving students topics to research using the encyclopedia or another research source. Help students to find the information and have them write down five key facts about their topic. Students can then give an oral report on their topic, using the key facts they wrote down.
  
  

Organizational Skills

• Third grade research skills also include learning to develop and use organizational skills. This includes learning how to interpret information contained in simple graphs and charts and how to sequence and prioritize information. Students can practice their organizational skills by making a time line on a particular topic. For example, you can assign the topic of inventions in the years 1700 to 1900. Students could research inventions through time--the type of invention, who invented it and the year of invention - and organize their information on a time line.