Know What to Ask

October 15, 2012
Grades 3-5 These new books in the Information Explorer: Super Smart Information Strategies series all define and explain their topics adequately with minimal help from generic-looking photos. The authors emphasize collaboration, preparation, and etiquette in both online and in-person settings. What sets these books apart are the Try This! activities at or near the end of each of the four or five sections per book. These activities are the most colorful, lively, and well-designed parts of each titleand the most valuable. Know What to Ask has students brainstorm and categorize questions, list questions from the point of view of an alien visitor to school, change closed Red Light questions to open-ended Green Light questions, complete a KWLtypechart, and create a question-and-answer notebook. The books and activities provide a great start for students doing an interview, research, or wiki project.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)