ABC Animal Find

Students will:

• Be able to search online by using the alphabet.
• Be exposed to websites including Britannica school located in MeL Library.
• Be exposed to tools to help them read the content.
• Be able to apply the results of their alphabet search to create a picture dictionary. 

Vocabulary Words:

1. Search: To search is to look for information on the internet.

2. Dictionary: A dictionary is a book giving the meaning and usually the pronunciation of words listed in alphabetical order.

3. Results: Results are what are produced during your search based on your keywords.

To prepare for this lesson:

• To use MEL Kids, go to the Mel library, select KIDS and then select LEARN to get to the search engines.
   
• Get acquainted with MEL searches first before demonstrating. Encyclopedia Britannica School (Elementary) is a good place to start as it has pictures for topic searches. 
   

• Decide how you want students to access the site.

• Decide how you want them to present information. See the assessments in the Assessment Options section. 

See Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students.net site in the Teacher Resources. 

Directions for this activity:

1. Show students a dictionary.
2. Explain to them that a dictionary is a book that gives information in ABC order.
3. Tell the students that today they will use their ABC’s to find information about an ANIMAL.
4. Demonstrate first:
5. Go to MeL Kids. 
   • Click on KIDS
   • Click on LEARN
   • Click on BRITANNICA SCHOOL ELEMENTARY
   • (TIME PERMITTING): If you have time, take this opportunity to talk about why this is a site that FITS them- e.g., colorful, easy wording, pictures to go with words)
6. Say to students “Today, you find an animal that has the same letter as your first letter in your name. So, my name begins with C, so I’m going to click on the ANIMAL KINGDOM Button and then click on C. So now this gives me the RESULTS PAGE. This is a page of all the animals that start with C."
7. At this point demonstrate by clicking on an ANIMAL.
8. Show them how they can listen to the words by pressing the play button. You can also show them how some animals have videos that they can watch.
9. Give students time to explore the site.  

Different options for assessing the students:

• Observations
• Check for understanding
• Exit ticket: Have students explore. Give students a topic. Have them find one-two facts on a given topic using sites given. Have them cite where their information came from.
• Use this assessment from Common Sense Media.