• Access a variety of information sources (encyclopedias, picture books, Internet).
• Identify an effective format for sharing information.
• Organize ideas by making notes and drawings.

Activity

• Each day display a picture of a whale. Choose one which is relatively unfamiliar to the children but one on which information can be found in the classroom library.
  
  
• Challenge the class to identify the name of the whale and to locate 3 or 4 facts about the whale. This can be a "free-time" activity or one to which a particular time is assigned to.
  
  
• At the end of the day provide a sharing time.
  
  NOTE: Children can work either individually or with a partner. If Internet access is available, children might also be encouraged to use this as a resource.

Assessment Tips from Old Tom the Turtle

• Use conferences to question students on their information gathering process.
  
  What resources did they use? Which reference materials were most useful? How did they share their learning?, etc.