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First Year Seminar: Finding Sources

This guide contains information for PALs to help with library research related assignments and curriculum planning.

Materials for In-Class Activity

Personalize This Lesson!

This activity was developed with generic resources that may not pertain to your students' discipline areas or assignments. All of the worksheets and handouts are in editable formats (Word, PowerPoint, etc.) and you are welcome to customize the content to meet your needs.

If you have questions about choosing subject-specific resources, or have an idea but aren't sure how to change the activity to suit, ask a friendly librarian!

Finding Sources In-Class Activity

Rather than lecturing students about using library databases, this lesson turns the tables and lets the them become the experts. The students, working in groups, complete worksheets (linked below) that encourage them to explore library databases. They then present that tool to the others in the class. You guide their presentation as needed.

Time Required

  • Option 1: 50 minutes
    • 30 minutes to explore the research tool (complete worksheet)
    • 20 minutes to teach the research tool (not every group will be able to present)
  • Option 2: 50 minutes
    • Homework assignment to explore the research tool (complete worksheet)
    • 10 minutes for groups to discuss how they will teach the research tools
    • 40 minutes to teach the research tool

Required Equipment

  • One computer for each group. (only necessary for Option 1)
  • One demonstration computer (connected to a projection system).
  • Enough worksheets so each group gets at least one copy.

Research Tools Used

Worksheet

  • Using the worksheets provided, students will explore three general library databases, the UT Arlington Library Catalog, and Google Scholar. The questions are designed to help students discover what they can expect from the research tools when looking for sources for assignments.
  • The worksheet is an editable Word document. Feel free to switch some of the databases to those that are directly related to the discipline area the students are studying.

Session Details

  • Introduction
    • Indicate what students will be doing and why you are asking them to do it.
    • Break students into groups of no more than 4 students.
    • Let them know that they will be teaching the rest of the class how to use the research tool. They will want to make certain to teach their fellow students those things they find most important.
    • Show students how to get to the library's web site and to the Library's A to Z list.
  • Group Activity
    • Each group needs to select a topic.
      • The students can choose any topic with which to complete their sheet. You may want to encourage them to choose a topic related to content in their FYS textbook or the course's discipline concentration.
      • Have a few topics in mind in case a group struggles with choosing one.
      • You may also want every group to research the same topic so it easier to determine the differences among the research tools.
    • Each group gets at least one copy of the worksheet.
      • Every group should be exploring a different research tool.
      • If you have more than 5 groups, two groups can explore the same research tool.
    • Students work together to discover the answers to the questions on the worksheet.
  • Teaching the Research Tools
    • Each group will present how to use the research tool their group was assigned.
    • Make certain that students address the following:
      • How to get to the research tool.
      • How to get use the research tool when off campus.
      • What kind of information can they expect to find using the research tool (books, magazine articles, newspaper articles, journal articles, web sites, scholarly/peer reviewed sources, non-scholarly sources, etc.).
      • How to enter in search terms.
      • How to put limits on the search (specific dates, full text only, scholarly/peer reviewed articles only, Central Library only, etc.).
      • Whether or not the full text for each of the search results can be found online. If not, how to the access the material?
      • How to print the full text, if possible.
      • How to email the search results, if possible.
      • How to email the full text source, if possible.
      • How to access the citation for the source, if possible.
      • The strengths and weaknesses of the research tool.

Instructor Talking Points

  • See the Finding Sources Talking Points document below.

Supplemental Instruction Materials