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West Essex JHS Pathfinder:

The 50 States


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Citation Machine

Scope
This guide introduces resources for research on topics related to your assignment.
Included below are print sources as well as sources available through school databases or free on the internet.

Research Steps for this Pathfinder

Step #1: Find basic background information
about your topic in reference materials.

Search Strategy
Unless you are an expert, you should begin your search by reading summaries or overviews to get information on the important issues related to your topic such as opposing points of view, historical background, and related subtopics.

Start with Specialized Encyclopedias and Almanacs.
These reference sources are limited in scope to a particular subject or time period and are more thorough in their coverage than the general encyclopedias such as Britannica or WorldBook. All of these books are generally found in the Reference Section of the library. They also may be on the reserved books cart for your class. Please make copies of articles as these books do not circulate.

Some sources in this library useful for research on your topic include:
How Geography Affects the United States REF 910 HOW
Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States REF 910 JUN
America the Beautiful Series (50 States) REF 910 USA

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Step #2: Find in-depth information from books owned by the library by searching in the electronic catalog: Spectrum Patrons’ Cat.

Although the librarian may provide a reserved cart of books for your class's project, you may want to use the electronic catalog to find a book that is about your specific topic. Type the topic word(s) in the search box and click on 'subjects.' If you don’t get any or enough hits, branch out to wider search terms. Use all the information you gained in your initial reading to make a list of relevant search terms and synonyms! THlNK! How can I ask for this information?

Call Number for this topic: 910

Step #3: Find more current or specific information, including magazine articles, in the Library's databases.

West Essex Databases - Databases are search engines like Google, but they search a database of journal articles or essays to which the Library has subscribed. These journal articles are not otherwise available on websites. You often can obtain full-text articles and graphic media, which can be printed from the site. These databases are also available from home.
School Databases are accessed from Information Central or www.westex.org.

Note: If you try it from home, you will need the Library’s list of user names and passwords to access the databases.

School databases useful for this project's research are:

1. Facts on File - You will find biographies, subject entries, primary sources, timelines, maps and charts.
>Geography Database Center
>U.S. States
>Click on a State

***Use the Compare/US States Tool. You can compare up to four states for a specific statistic.

2. Grolier Online. You will find essays, graphics, articles, and maps.
>America the Beautiful

3. WorldBook Encyclopedia Online. You will find essays, articles, maps, diagrams, graphics, charts, web sites, magazine articles.

 

 

 

 
Step #4: Find Information on the Internet.

Although the librarian has reviewed these sites, you should always make sure you are getting reliable information by checking "Evaluation of Internet Sites".

Librarian-selected sites for homework help on all topics.

Librarian-selected sites for this pathfinder:
State Fact Sheets www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts
Ben's Guide to U.S. Gov't: Quick Facts about States http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/state/index.html
50 States www.50states.com
Stately Knowledge www.ipl.org/youth/stateknow/
Travel & Tourism for 50 States http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel_Tourism/State_Tourism.shtml
netstate.com http://www.netstate.com/states/index.html

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Web site created by Kathy Rohr, Librarian
West Essex Junior High School
URL: http://euclid.westex.org/krohr