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Researching with an Online Dictionary: The Free Dictionary by Farlex
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Activity Description
Use the online dictionary, The Free Dictionary as a stepping off point for developing research skills and expanding students' vocabulary and knowledge base through exploration of word of the day, today's birthday, this day in history, today's holiday and article of the day.
TheFreeDictionary.com site has many features including Word of the Day, Daily Grammar Lesson, Article of the Day, This Day in History, Today's Birthday, Quotation of the Day, Today's Holiday, Idiom of the Day and Grammar Quiz. Word games include Hangman, Spelling Bee, Match Up and WordHub.
Preparation
- Download the app to your device.
- Preview the various features.
How-To
- Demonstrate the Web site and show the students the different features available. Then explain how it relates to the app on their device.
- Show students how to download the app to their device. There are versions for both iOS and Android devices.
- Discuss ways students can use this site in class and ways an individual could use the site outside of class.
- See our other activity (above) under Related Resources, for the online Web site to see how to also use the site in your classroom.
Teacher Tips
TheFreeDictionary now allows you to create your own personal homepage. This would be a fun activity to do with students, going over the various features together.
More Ways
- Use the various features: idioms, acronyms, thesaurus, dictionaries showing students how to use this site as well as the app as a resource and way to improve their vocabulary.
- The Web site also has an encyclopedia that could prove useful.
Program Areas
- ABE: Adult Basic Education
- ESL: English as a Second Language
- ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation
- ASE: High School Diploma
- AwD: Adults with Disabilities
Levels
- Low
- Intermediate
- High
- Beginning High
- Intermediate Low
- Intermediate High
- Advanced
Lesson Plan
What types of information do we access every day? Students turn to their partners to discuss and then all join back together as a class.
Discuss the need to know if the information you receive is accurate. How do we know if something is 'fake news'?
Students discuss as partners times when they have been tricked by what they read or saw. Share as a class.
What are sources you use to determine if something is correct or false? Discuss as pairs then share as a class.
What are research skills? How might we use them? Students first talk together in pairs then in the class discussion.
Today we will use The FreeDictionary in our practice of research skills.
Demonstrate the site, showing the features such as the online dictionary, word of the day, today's birthday, this day in history, today's holiday and article of the day. The class will use these features to introduce information that will then be researched by student pairs and shared together as a class.
In pairs students access the website. Look at the different features, decide which feature will be investigated today. Share with the class the feature chosen. (If it matters that all features are used, pairs may have to changed to a different feature) Write the assigned features and student names on the board.
As a class look at the list of reliable online resources or a list you use. Discuss the pros and cons of each type.
Demonstrate the use of Wikipedia as a starting point for research. As pairs discuss which online resource they want to try. Make a table on the board where student pairs write which source they will use (avoid duplication to get a wider experience with a variety of sources.)
As pairs students decide which sources they want to try.
Encyclopedias:
Encyclopedia.com: Provides comprehensive and authoritative articles on a wide range of topics.(cost to use)
Wikipedia.org While not always considered a primary source, Wikipedia can be a good starting point for general information. It's important to verify information from other reliable sources. Use the References list at the end of the Wikipedia article for sources.
Online Databases:
Google Scholar: Offers access to scholarly articles and conference papers.
Government Websites:
Official government websites provide accurate information on laws, regulations, statistics, and public services.
Examples include the U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). There are often graphs and charts available which give students opportunities to practice reading them and spark discussions.
News Organizations:
Established news organizations with a reputation for accuracy and credibility can be reliable sources of current events and factual information.
Examples include BBC News, The New York Times, CNN, NPR, Fox News, NBC, ABC, New York Post.
Fact-Checking Websites:
Fact-checking websites specialize in verifying the accuracy of claims, statements, and news stories.
Examples include FactCheck.org, Snopes, and PolitiFact.
Specialized Websites and Portals:
Websites dedicated to specific topics or industries can provide accurate information and resources.
Examples include NASA's website for space-related information, WebMD for medical information, and Investopedia for financial information.
Using the source they signed up for, each student pair researches the item they chose at The Free Dictionary. Take notes and prepare a short presentation to share what they have learned with the class. Items to include in the presentation:
- what is being fact-checked from The Free Dictionary
- what resource is being used to investigate
- ease of use
- What did you like about this resource
- what did you not like about this resource
- conclusion from your fact-checking: accuracy of the item
Student pairs share their research findings with the class. This can be done in a variety of ways (see below). They can choose or you can have all the students share in the same way. Remind the students that this is an opportunity to learn skills that will be necessary as they go on in school or in the workplace. Possible ways to share their information
- oral presentatioin
- use visual aids such as a slide presentation
- create a poster with the information, the posters can be placed around the room and have a poster walk
- use an online app such as Flip, Zoom, Google Meet for students to present orally and be recorded. They can use interactive tools such as chat or polls to engage the students.
As pairs, discuss what they learned about researching information from the class presentations. What are pros and cons of different informaton sites? What criteria could they use in the future? Share their conclusions with the class. Write the conclusions on the board.
Documents
- The Free Dictionary Vocabulary Practice (2).docx - The Free Dictionary
Subjects
- English Language Arts
- English 1-4
- Language Arts - Reading
- Analysis
- Comprehension
- Inference and Interpretation
- Language Arts - Writing
- Language Facility
- Organization of Ideas
- Writing Conventions
- Learning and Thinking Skills
- Demonstrate ability to use critical thinking skills
- Demonstrate ability to use problem-solving skills
- Demonstrate the ability to use information and communication technology
- Demonstrate the ability to view the media critically
- Identify or demonstrate effective skills and practices in accomplishing goals
- Reading
- Vocabulary
- Reasoning Through Language Arts
- Mechanics (Capitalization, Punctuation, Spelling)
- Writing
- Mechanics (Capitalization, Punctuation, Spelling)
Standards
- Reading Foundational Skills
- RF.4 - Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. (Fluency)
- Reading
- CCR Anchor 2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
- CCR Anchor 3 - Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
- CCR Anchor 7 - Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
- CCR Anchor 8 - Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
- Writing
- CCR Anchor 1 - Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
- Language
- CCR Anchor 1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- CCR Anchor 3 - Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.