Courseversity

Lesson

Locating information

Primary EducationGrade 4English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G04-ELA-U10-L0345–60 min

You will learn

  • Use contents and index.
  • Use headings and keywords.
  • Search a library catalogue.
  • Use a search engine safely.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Choose keywords.
  2. Use contents or index.
  3. Skim headings.
  4. Read the right section.

Words to know

table of contents
a list of chapters and page numbers at the front
index
an alphabetical list of topics at the back
keyword
an important word to search for
skim
to read quickly for the main idea

1. Discover: Finding turtle facts

Zainab wants to know what sea turtles eat. She looks at the table of contents of her animals book and sees Chapter 4: Ocean Reptiles, page 38. In the index she finds turtles, sea: 38, 41. She skims the headings and finds What turtles eat. Online, she types the keywords sea turtles diet.

Think: Why are keywords better than a long sentence?

2. Understand: Finding fast

Idea 1: Contents and index

The table of contents lists chapters in order. The index lists topics alphabetically with page numbers.

Idea 2: Headings and skimming

Headings tell you what is in each section. Skim them to find the right place.

Idea 3: Keywords

Choose keywords that name your topic: sea turtles diet. Use a safe, child-friendly search engine with an adult’s guidance.

Remember: Use contents, index, headings and keywords to find information quickly and safely.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Contents

Where is the chapter on ocean reptiles?

  1. Page.

Answer: page 38

Example 2 (We do it together): Index

Which pages list sea turtles?

  1. In the index.

Answer: pages 38 and 41

Example 3 (You try): Keywords

What keywords did she use?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Short words.

Answer: sea turtles diet

Did you know?

The index at the back of a book lets you find any topic without reading every page.

Why this matters

Knowing how to locate information saves time and effort.

4. Explore: Find it fast

Use finding tools.

  1. Choose a book.
  2. Find a topic in the index.
  3. Use the contents.
  4. Skim headings for the answer.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can locate information.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • I found it using the ___.
  • My keywords were ___.
  • The answer is on page ___.
  • The heading says ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A list of chapters at the front is the table of ___.

contents

Question 2. An alphabetical list at the back is the ___.

index

Question 3. An important word to search for is a ___.

keyword

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A list of chapters at the front is the table of ___.
  2. An alphabetical list at the back is the ___.
  3. An important word to search for is a ___.
  4. To read quickly for the main idea is to ___.
  5. Chapter 4 is on page ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Which chapter has sea turtles?
  2. What did she type online?
  3. What heading did she find?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is the index alphabetical?
  2. Should keywords be short?
  3. Should you search online with an adult’s guidance?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Use the index and contents of a book to find three facts.

Show a sample answer

three facts with page numbers

Another one. Use the index of a book to find three facts and record the page numbers.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can use contents and index.
  • I can use headings and keywords.
  • I can search a library catalogue.
  • I can use a search engine safely.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. The table of contents is at the ___ of a book.

2. The index is ___ and at the back.

3. A keyword is an ___ word to search for.

4. To skim is to read ___ for the main idea.

5. Which page has the Ocean Reptiles chapter?

6. Which tool lists topics alphabetically?

7. Which are the best keywords?

8. What does a heading tell you?

9. Where do you look for chapter order?

10. Where do you look for a topic by name?

11. How should you search online?

12. Why use these tools?

Challenge 1. Which keywords find information on elephant diet?

Challenge 2. Which tells you the page of a topic?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Choose keywords.
  • Use contents or index.
  • Skim headings.
  • Read the right section.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Note-taking. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a table of contents? [1 mark]
  2. What is an index? [1 mark]
  3. Give keywords for a search about baobab trees. [1 mark]
  4. What does skim mean? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to find information in a book. [3 marks]

Total: 7 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a list of chapters and pages at the front [1]
  2. an alphabetical list of topics with page numbers at the back [1]
  3. e.g. baobab tree facts [1]
  4. read quickly for the main idea [1]
  5. use the contents or index [1]; skim headings [1]; read the right section carefully [1]

Score guide: 6 to 7 = secure. 5 to 5 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A list of chapters at the front is the table of ___.
  2. An alphabetical list at the back is the ___.
  3. An important word to search for is a ___.
  4. To read quickly for the main idea is to ___.
  5. Chapter 4 is on page ___.
  6. Which chapter has sea turtles?
  7. What did she type online?
  8. What heading did she find?
  9. Is the index alphabetical?
  10. Should keywords be short?

Homework

Use the index of a book to find three facts and record the page numbers.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A list of chapters at the front is the table of ___. contents 1
2. An alphabetical list at the back is the ___. index 1
3. An important word to search for is a ___. keyword 1
4. To read quickly for the main idea is to ___. skim 1
5. Chapter 4 is on page ___. 38 1
6. Which chapter has sea turtles? Chapter 4: Ocean Reptiles 1
7. What did she type online? sea turtles diet 1
8. What heading did she find? What turtles eat 1
9. Is the index alphabetical? yes 1
10. Should keywords be short? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 contents; 2 index; 3 keyword; 4 skim; 5 38. Level 2: 1 Chapter 4: Ocean Reptiles; 2 sea turtles diet; 3 What turtles eat. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Use contents and index Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Use headings and keywords Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Search a library catalogue Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use a search engine safely Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: use contents and index; use headings and keywords; search a library catalogue; use a search engine safely.

Prerequisite knowledge. Primary and secondary sources.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 7-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 4 » Writing; Grade 4 » Reading: Informational Text; Grade 4 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core W.4.8 and RI.4.7 (interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively); Cambridge Primary English Stage 4 (locating information). These sources informed the lesson.

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