Teaching for Information Literacy

Obtaining an Overview: Using an Encyclopedia and the Textbook
Encyclopedia are excellent tools for gaining a general understanding about a topic. They provide a broader context of the research and in general terms explain what is known about the topic. Classroom textbooks are also very good sources for general information. Especially useful in many textbooks are the bibliographies that can be used to obtain further information.

Three Useful Encyclopedias:

1. The Encyclopedia Britannica is freely available to Saskatchewan schools and libraries and offers access to 3 encyclopedias:
   
   1. Encyclopedia Britannica for high school students
   2. Compton's Encyclopedia for middle years Students
   3. Britannica Elementary for elementary students
      *these encyclopedia can only be accessed from within the school building.

1. The Canadian Encyclopedia: great Canadian information
2. Wikipedia: excellent source for current information especially with regards to technology and pop culture.

For more information on the differences and some of the issues with these encyclopedia read the post from Classroom Tech Tips

And... be sure to check out the student made video, What about Wikipedia, from Springfield High School in Philadelphia.