Activities

These worksheets offer options for incorporating active learning into your instruction sessions. You may combine and modify these exercises to meet your class goals.

Background Information (11KB .rtf)
If students are doing research that requires finding background information, these two activities will introduce them to the diversity of materials in the print and online reference collections. It also demonstrates the way that different sources provide different types of information and perspectives. The first activity focuses on print sources while the second activity involves searching online subscription resources such as Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Brainstorming Keywords (16KB .rtf)
This activity teaches the importance of writing out keywords and concepts related to a research topic before beginning the search process. Whichever method you choose, you should first have the class brainstorm together, as shown in the directions below, so that they learn the process.
(Developed by LIS, Fall 2002)

Developing and Researching Your Controversy (52KB .rtf)
This worksheet walks students through the process of researching a controversial issue, beginning with the brainstorming of keywords. Created for Rhetoric classes, this activity can be adapted to the development of any argument. It can be used in the classroom or can be distributed to students before class to prepare them for the session.
(Developed by LIS, Fall 2006)

Evaluating Library Sources
An activity designed to introduce students to the evaluation of books and articles as popular or scholarly sources. Includes a handout and an active learning exercise with instructions for introducing the activity.

Evaluating Web Sites (35KB .rtf)
Students usually start their research with the Web. This activity will teach them to be critical consumers of the information they find on the Web.
(Developed by LIS, Revised Fall 2006)

Finding Articles (Periodical Indexes/Databases) (21KB .rtf)
This activity exposes students to periodical indexes/databases and teaches them basics of searching. There are many different variables to consider when deciding how to conduct this activity. We have included just a few sample methods and worksheets, but you should combine the questions and methods in any way that meets your class goals. Download the complete document using the link above or get a single method using these links:

Finding an Article or Book from a Citation
This activity teaches students how to use the Library Catalog and other search tools to find an article or book using citation information. Students will have the opportunity to practice following a citation using samples provided to them. An outline for a session that incorporates the activity has been provided along with slides that includes four examples used during the class discussion.
(Developed by Meghan Sitar, Fall 2006)
Activity (49 KB)     Outline (33 KB)     Slides (16 KB)    

Finding Books (Library Catalog) (28KB .rtf)
This activity teaches students how to search Library Catalog and exposes them to the variety of resources available in the University of Texas Libraries.
(Developed by LIS, Revised Fall 2006)

Finding Newspapers (64KB .rtf)
This active learning exercise familiarizes students with the process of using the Catalog to locate newspapers in the Libraries while also introducing the use of specialized databases for newspaper searches. Includes both contemporary and historical newspaper searches.
(Developed by Danielle Skaggs, Fall 2006)

Popular vs. Scholarly (16KB .rtf)
Students often have difficulty distinguishing between popular sources and academic or scholarly sources. Use this exercise to teach the differences between the 2 types of resources. Since the differences are never cut an dry, the exercise and discussion afterward should present some of the difficulties in deciding whether sources are popular, scholarly or neither (e.g., trade magazines).
(Developed by LIS, Fall 2002)

Research Log (8KB .rtf)
Hand this out to students to use after the class to help them take an organized approach to their research. This log was created for freshmen but can be modified for other audiences.
(Developed by LIS, Revised Fall 2006)