Active Engagement Pathfinder
Hardin Intermediate Library
Duncanville ISD
American Government
5th Grade Social Studies
Prepared by Mr. Hood, Library Media Specialist
October 2015
Lesson Links.
Click on Links as one would a regular web page.
Howard Chandler Christy's Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States. 1940.
More Information about the Painting. (CLICK)
Declaration of Independence – Congress for Kids
Articles of Confederation – Library of Congress
Weakness of the Articles of Confederation
Our Government from the White House
Branches of the United States Government – usa.gov
George Mason – Biography.com
James Madison – Father of the Constitution – history.com
Roger Sherman – U.S. History.org & Roger Sherman – Connecticut Compromise
Charles Pinckney and the U.S. Constitution – Charleston County Public Library
U.S. Government for Kids – kids.usa.gov
Congress for Kids – U.S. Congress
Democracy Project – PBS Kids
Ben’s Guide to Government
U.S. History General Links
U.S. History - www.ushistory.org – Free On-Line Textbook.
Facts on File American History – Great resource for engaging learning
Time for Kids - Around the World – From the Publishers of TIME Magazine
America’s Story from America’s Library
Fun With History – Videos and Lots More!
Britannica Kids – On-line encyclopedia
Search Terms. Boolean Search.
Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution, branches of government,
federal government, democratic-republic, John Locke, James Madison, Roger Sherman, George Mason,
Charles Pinckney
Search Engines.
Safe Search for Kids
Kidz Search
GooGooligans
Kids Click!
Sweet Search
instaGrok - Creates a Thinking Map of Searchable
Terms
Reference.
Macmillan Dictionary
Your Dictionary
Fact Monster
Duncanville ISD Databases
School Internet Resources
Citation Help.
Citation Machine MLA Format
TEKS
Social Studies
3. The student understands the events that led from the Articles of Confederation to the creation of the U.S.
Constitution and the government it established.
3.A. identify the issues that led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, including the weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation;
3.B. identify the contributions of individuals, including James Madison, and others such as George Mason, Charles
Pinckney, and Roger Sherman who helped create the U.S. Constitution.
Does the Web Site Pass the Test?
Test for Web Site Evaluation
Currency: the timeliness of the information
 When was the information published or posted?
 Has the information been revised or updated?
 Is the information current or out-of date for your topic?
 Are the links functional?
Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs
 Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
 Who is the intended audience?
 Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
 Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
 Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?
Authority: the source of the information
 Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
 Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
 What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
 What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
 Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
 Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
examples: .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (U.S. government),
.org (nonprofit organization), or .net (network)
Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content, and
 Where does the information come from?
 Is the information supported by evidence?
 Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
 Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
 Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
 Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
Purpose: the reason the information exists
 What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
 Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
 Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
 Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
 Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
Source: Bluford Library. North Carolina State University. Web:
http://libguides.library.ncat.edu/content.php?pid=53820&sid=394505