Courseversity

Lesson

Reference materials

Primary EducationGrade 3English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G03-ELA-U10-L0345–60 min

You will learn

  • Name reference materials.
  • Choose the right one.
  • Use guide words and indexes.
  • Use an atlas.

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. Dictionary: word meanings.
  2. Encyclopedia: facts about topics.
  3. Atlas: maps.
  4. Thesaurus: similar words.

Words to know

dictionary
a book that explains words
encyclopedia
a book of facts about many topics
atlas
a book of maps
thesaurus
a book of synonyms

1. Discover: Which book do I need?

Kofi asks four questions. What does habitat mean? He uses a dictionary. How do volcanoes erupt? He uses an encyclopedia. Where is Kenya? He uses an atlas. What is another word for big? He uses a thesaurus.

Think: Why does each question need a different book?

2. Understand: Choosing the right reference

Idea 1: Dictionary and thesaurus

A dictionary gives word meanings. A thesaurus lists words with similar meanings.

Idea 2: Encyclopedia

An encyclopedia gives facts about many topics, in alphabetical order. Use the index and guide words.

Idea 3: Atlas

An atlas shows maps. Use its index to find a place. Online versions work in similar ways.

Remember: Choose the reference material that fits your question: dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia or atlas.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Dictionary

Which book gives the meaning of habitat?

  1. Words.

Answer: a dictionary

Example 2 (We do it together): Atlas

Which book shows where Kenya is?

  1. Maps.

Answer: an atlas

Example 3 (You try): Thesaurus

Which book gives another word for big?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Synonyms.

Answer: a thesaurus

Did you know?

The word atlas comes from a figure in old stories who carried the sky; map collections were later named atlases after him.

Why this matters

The right reference saves time and gives better answers.

4. Explore: Reference match

Match questions to books.

  1. Write four questions.
  2. Choose a reference for each.
  3. Use it to find the answer.
  4. Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can choose references.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

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

  • I need to know ___.
  • I will use a ___ because ___.
  • I found ___ on page ___.
  • The answer is ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A book that explains words is a ___.

dictionary

Question 2. A book of facts about many topics is an ___.

encyclopedia

Question 3. A book of maps is an ___.

atlas

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A book that explains words is a ___.
  2. A book of facts about many topics is an ___.
  3. A book of maps is an ___.
  4. A book of synonyms is a ___.
  5. Kofi wants to know where ___ is.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Which book for the meaning of a word?
  2. Which book for a map of Africa?
  3. Which book for facts about volcanoes?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is an encyclopedia in alphabetical order?
  2. Does an atlas have maps?
  3. Does a thesaurus list synonyms?

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

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Use a dictionary, encyclopedia and atlas to answer three questions.

Show a sample answer

three answers

Another one. Use three different reference books to answer three questions.

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 name reference materials.
  • I can choose the right one.
  • I can use guide words and indexes.
  • I can use an atlas.

9. Check and master

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

1. A dictionary explains ___.

2. An encyclopedia gives ___ about many topics.

3. An atlas is a book of ___.

4. A thesaurus lists ___.

5. Which book gives the meaning of habitat?

6. Which book shows where Kenya is?

7. Which book gives facts about volcanoes?

8. Which book gives another word for big?

9. Which is NOT a reference book?

10. Which helps find a page in an encyclopedia?

11. Guide words help you find a word in a ___.

12. Why use the right reference?

Challenge 1. You want a map of Nigeria. Which do you use?

Challenge 2. You want a word that means happy. Which do you use?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Dictionary: word meanings.
  • Encyclopedia: facts about topics.
  • Atlas: maps.
  • Thesaurus: similar words.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Simple 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 an encyclopedia? [1 mark]
  2. What is an atlas used for? [1 mark]
  3. Which book for each: word meaning, similar word, map? [3 marks]
  4. How do you find a topic in an encyclopedia? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to choose a reference book. [3 marks]

Total: 9 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a book of facts about many topics [1]
  2. to find maps/places [1]
  3. dictionary [1]; thesaurus [1]; atlas [1]
  4. use the index/alphabetical order [1]
  5. decide what you need to know [1]; match it to the book type [1]; use the index or guide words [1]

Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A book that explains words is a ___.
  2. A book of facts about many topics is an ___.
  3. A book of maps is an ___.
  4. A book of synonyms is a ___.
  5. Kofi wants to know where ___ is.
  6. Which book for the meaning of a word?
  7. Which book for a map of Africa?
  8. Which book for facts about volcanoes?
  9. Is an encyclopedia in alphabetical order?
  10. Does an atlas have maps?

Homework

Use three different reference books to answer three questions.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A book that explains words is a ___. dictionary 1
2. A book of facts about many topics is an ___. encyclopedia 1
3. A book of maps is an ___. atlas 1
4. A book of synonyms is a ___. thesaurus 1
5. Kofi wants to know where ___ is. Kenya 1
6. Which book for the meaning of a word? dictionary 1
7. Which book for a map of Africa? atlas 1
8. Which book for facts about volcanoes? encyclopedia 1
9. Is an encyclopedia in alphabetical order? yes 1
10. Does an atlas have maps? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 dictionary; 2 encyclopedia; 3 atlas; 4 thesaurus; 5 Kenya. Level 2: 1 dictionary; 2 atlas; 3 encyclopedia. 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 Name reference materials 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 Choose the right one 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 Use guide words and indexes 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 an atlas 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: name reference materials; choose the right one; use guide words and indexes; use an atlas.

Prerequisite knowledge. Finding information.

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 9-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 3 » Writing; Grade 3 » Reading: Informational Text; Grade 3 » 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 L.3.4d (use glossaries or beginning dictionaries) and RI.3.5; Cambridge Primary English Stage 3 (reference skills). These sources informed the lesson.

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