- Farmwell Station Middle School
- 6th grade Science - Energy
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6th Grade Science - Energy Research Pathfinder
What Subscription Resources (Databases) and Recommended Websites Should I Use?
We have many subscription databases for you to choose from. You can access the school's databases through LCPS GO both here and at home. To find the databases once you are logged in to LCPS GO, find the "Library Resources" folder.Coal- Britannica - Coal
- World Book - Coal
- National Energy Education Development Project - Coal
- U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Department of Energy - Coal
OilNatural GasNuclear PowerSolar Power- Britannica - Solar Energy
- World Book - Solar Energy
- National Energy Education Development Project - Solar
- U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Department of Energy - Solar
HydroelectricWind- Britannica - Wind Power
- World Book - Wind Power
- National Energy Education Development Project - Wind
- U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Department of Energy - Wind
Further ResearchIf you need more information on any of the energy topics listed above, or to dig deeper into alternative energy sources, you may find some of the articles and databases listed below helpful:- 17 Emerging Energy Technologies That Will Change the World (Business Insider article - if you're stuck, this article may give you ideas for an alternative energy topic to research further in some of the databases or other websites)
- National Academies of Science and Engineering
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory - look at the Research section
- GALE databases
- EBSCO Science Reference Center
- Power-Technology.com
Any Tips for Searching the Internet?
Remember the tips for strategic searching. Refer to your strategic searching tips sheet. You can also, watch the "Internet Search" BrainPop video so that Tim and Moby can give you some tips on making your internet searches better. To access BrainPop, go through LCPS GO. These tips can also help you when searching our online subscription databases.Don't forget that when using information from the internet, it's always important to evaluate your source to determine whether it's the right kind of source to use for your assignment. You can use the 5 W's. The 5 W's are:Who: Who made the website (it may be a person, company, or other type of organization)? Are they an expert? Remember you can sometimes tell what type of organization is responsible for a website by the URL.- .com - commercial - anyone can have a .com URL. May or may not be reliable.
- .org - organization - originally used by non-profit organizations, but now anyone can register a .org. May or may not be reliable
- .net - network - generally someone's personal website. May or may not be reliable.
- .edu - educational institution. Probably reliable.
- .gov - U.S. national and state government agencies. Probably reliable.
What:- What information is on the website? Is it the information you need?
- What is the purpose of the website?
- Are they trying to sell you something? If there are a lot of ads or links to purchase products, they may be trying to sell you something and this may not be the most reliable information source.
- Persuade you to agree with a point of view? If the website creator uses a lot of emotional language or other persuasive techniques, they may be biased and trying to persuade you of one particular opinion. A website that is trying to persuade you, may not be the most reliable information source.
- Educate and inform you? Does the website present mostly facts? Is the information presented balanced? If the information is factual and balanced, it may be a reliable information source.
When: When was the website made or updated? Are you looking for current, or up-to-date information?Where: Do you know where the information on the website came from? Did the website creator cite their sources? Are their sources reliable and trustworthy?Why: Why should you use this website?- Is it better than another website on the same topic?
- Is it easier to understand than another website?
- Is the information verifiable? Hint: if you read the same information in more than one source, that helps you verify it.
Last Modified on April 19, 2017
