Searchasaurus Database Tutorial

1. Searchasaurus Database Tutorial • EBSCO Encyclopedia of Animals • EBSCO Dictionary • EBSCO Pictures Created by Carol Rodriguez SLIS Student @ IUPUI June 7, 2006

2. This tutorial will teach you how to use three of the items or databases found on the Searchasaurus map. These databases will help you with your upcoming animal projects. • Encyclopedia of Animals: In this database you can search for an animal to find out a lot of cool information about it! • Dictionary: This database will help you out if you run into a word from the encyclopedia that you don’t understand. • Pictures: In this database you can search for a picture of the animal you want to know more about.

3. Getting Started To get to Searchasaurus, you first need to go to INSPIRE.net. This site can be found on the media center’s website. This is what the INSPIRE page looks like!

4. Next Page Getting to Searchasaurus First, click on to get to

5. Next Page Almost there! Then, click on this to get to Searchasaurus!

6. Next Page Explore Encyclopedia of Animals Now that you are in Seachasaurus, click on the map icon for the Encyclopedia of Animals.

7. By search word or words. #1 By type of animal. Next Page Searching The first screen you will get lets you search in 2 ways. #2

8. Searching by Type of Animal. To search by type of animal, you click on the category that you want Let’s see what happens when we select Mammals!

9. Searching Mammals Here is what you get if you click on Mammals: Now, Let’s click on Wild Animals!

10. Searching Wild Animals Here is what you get: There are 128 articles on wild animals. You would need to look through them all to find what you want. This might take some time, so if you already know what animal you are looking for, try searching by word or words!

11. Searching by Word or Words Anytime you want to start a new search, just click on the dinosaur in the top left corner. To search by word or words, type your word(s) into the search box.

12. Searching by Word(s) We got 8 results for “wolf,” but look closely and you will see that not all are for the animal wolf. The first 3 are actually for wolf spiders. We want the animal, so let’s click on Arctic wolf. Let’s try a search for “wolf.”

13. These words are all ways to identify animals that you will learn later, but for now, don’t worry about them. Looking at an Article This is what the article on Arctic wolf looks like: Notice that you can print this article or send it by e-mail: To go back, click on:

14. How do I know if an article has a picture? On the search results screen, look for the symbols that tell you what an article has. The article on the Gray wolf has a picture. Let’s check it out!

15. Gray Wolf Article We moved or scrolled down to the bottom of the article to find the picture of the gray wolf.

16. What if I want to see other wolf pictures? To find other wolf pictures, you will need to go to the Picture database. To get back to the Searchasaurus map, click on the compass image.

17. By search word or words. #1 By type of picture Pictures Database To go to Pictures, click on Again, you will have 2 ways to search: #2

18. Searching Pictures by Type You can select one or more types to search. Let’s try “Natural science photos.”

19. Natural science photos results Wow! We got 8,196 results! That is way too many to go through! Let’s try something else! 8,196 Results!!! Click on the dinosaur to start a new search.

20. Searching Pictures with Word(s) wolf In the search box, type the word wolf. Now we get 102 results. That is better, but one picture is not of a wolf! Let’s try one more thing!

21. Searching Pictures with both Type of Picture and Word(s) You can use both words in the search term box and select a picture type to get even closer to what you want. Let’s try typing in “wolf” and selecting “Natural science photos.”

22. Picture Results Using both ways of searching, we now have only 33 results that are of the animal wolf.

23. Dictionary Database There will be words in the articles that you will not know. Don’t worry, just use the Dictionary database to help you out. Click on the compass to return to the map. Then, click on the Dictionary icon.

24. Searching the Dictionary There is only one way to search with the dictionary. You need to type in the word or words you are looking for.

25. health Searching the Dictionary Let’s try searching the dictionary for the word “health.” There are two results to our search for “health.” We want to look at the first one.

26. Dictionary entry for “health” The Dictionary entry gives you two definitions that each have an example sentence and the part of speech for the word “health.” definitions example sentences part of speech

27. Searching with more than one word Now let’s try searching for the words “food chain.” food chain There is only one result for a search of “food chain.”

28. Dictionary entry for “food chain” The Dictionary entry for “food chain” has only one definition and no example sentence. It also gives you the part of speech and a plural form of the word. definition part of speech plural form

29. One Last Tip to Searching If you are typing in a search word, you need to check that you have spelled the word correctly. If you have spelled the word wrong, you will get no search results. In the search box, the word “wolves” is spelled wrong. Let’s see what happens. wolfs

30. Spelling Tip The Dictionary gave no results because the word was spelled wrong. It does not tell you that you have spelled your word wrong, so if you get no results for a search, check your spelling!

31. Help! When you are using Searchasaurus, and you find you need more help: click here. Then, on the map, click here to get a help menu.

32. Even More Help! If you want to learn even more about Searchasaurus, use the tutorial on the main map. Click here, To get a tutorial menu.

33. Now it is Your Turn!! Encyclopedia of Animals Search Practice Try out what you have just learned by answering some questions. • Using the Encyclopedia of Animals, search by word for “lion.” How many results did you get? • How many results were for the lion that is the big cat from Africa? • Does the article have a picture? Answers on next page.

34. Answers • 14 results in all. • 1 for the big cat from Africa. • Yes, there is a picture in the lion article. If you got all of these right, you are ready to search the Encyclopedia of Animals on your own!

35. Still Your Turn! Picture Search Practice Try answering these questions: • Using the Picture database, type the word “frog” into the search box. How many results did you get? • Now, in addition to typing “frog” in the search box, also click on “Natural science photos.” How many results do you get now? • What number is the result for an Amazon Tree Frog? Answers on next page.

36. Answers • 61 results for “frog” in search box. • 47 results for “frog” and “Natural science photos.” • 19 is the number result for the African Tree Frog. If you got all of these right, you are ready to search the Pictures database on your own!

37. Last Questions! Dictionary Search Practice Try answering these questions: • Using the Dictionary, type in the word “microscope” into the search box. Remember to watch your spelling! How many results are there? • How many definitions are there for “microscope?” • Is there an example sentence? • What part of speech is “microscope?” • What is the plural? Answers on next page.

38. Answers • 1 result for “microscope.” • 1 definition. • No, there is no example sentence. • Noun is the part of speech. • Microscopes is the plural. If you got all of these right, you are ready to search the Pictures database on your own!

39. The End!! Now you can search for animals, pictures, and the definitions of words using the databases of Searchasaurus. Hooray!!