Grade 8 - SS - Civil Rights: Research

• Now that you have your chosen topic. You need to read about it more in depth. The more you know, the more you have to talk about it. 

Places to start - look at the table of contents and subheadings on these websites to see if they provide more information about your focus. 

History.com - Civil Rights Movement

Kahn Academy - Civil Rights Movement

• Search your topic in the Gale Databases (LINK right below). Use Biographies for people and In Context: Middle School for for other landmarks and events. 

• As you read more about your topic you find more keywords or phrases to look up. 

Use Gale Databases for resources on your chosen person. 

Use Gale Databases for resources on chosen landmarks or topics about the civil rights movement. 

Below are some best practices to use when searching the internet. Utilize these skills for better search options and better quality resources to access.

1. Use specific keywords - Before you begin searching, identify some keywords for your topic. These keywords and phrases will evolve as you research more, but begin with what you know. Take out unhelpful words and keep it simple. 

2. Use "quotation marks" around a word or phase to find that exact name or phrases. You can also use Boolean Operators like AND (+), OR, and NOT (-) to broaden or narrow your search (see Google Better Searches, Better Results). 

3. Use Advance searches or apply filters when needed. 

4. Evaluate websites using the CRAAP or OPVL method. This is a great habit to develop as you research more on online, asking yourself these questions and evaluating all the cites you plan on using.

.   

5. If you take information from a source, site it right away using NoodleTools. Do not wait! Remember you can also make notes in NoodleTools on the resource you are using.