Driving Safety (Raad)

Project Resources

• Unit Project - Ad Campaign

• Ms. Raad's Science Site - Motion Unit

  • Database Passwords (must be logged on to Spyponders)

Recommended Research Databases

• • Opposing Viewpoints in Context (don't miss the good stuff here)

• Science in Context

• Science Online

• General OneFile

  • Gale Power Search (search across all Gale databases at once)

Search Strategies

Save time by searching trusted sources. Library research databases and government websites may be more likely to provide you with high-quality results than a search of the open web. For example:

driving safety site:gov searches only .gov sites

Combine keywords to get more precise results. Just searching for cars or even car accidents will give you too many hits. For example:

car accidents AND texting will give you fewer, more targeted results

Use quotation marks to find complete phrases, especially proper names and titles. For example:

"response time" will give you results with that exact term

Search for the answer, not the question. What words or phrases will appear in your ideal resource? Use targeted keywords rather than questions. For example:

motor vehicle deaths vs. how many people die in car crashes

Sample Search Terms

A great source for keywords is your teacher's assignment sheet. Then mix and match. How many more can you think of?

• • driving

  • safety

  • cars

  • automobiles

  • motor vehicles

  • accidents

  • injuries

  • response time

  • braking time

  • Newton's Law of Inertia

  • Newton's Second Law

  • momentum

  • seat belt

  • cell phone

  • texting

  • distraction or distracted

  • statistics

Then chain from one source to another to keep going, using ideas for search terms or cited sources.

Website Evaluation Criteria

Remember, there's a lot of garbage on the web. If you aren't sure about a site you would like to use, use the CRAAP test!

• • Currency - the timeliness of the information

  • Relevance - the importance of the information for your needs

  • Authority - the source of the information

  • Accuracy - the reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content

  • Purpose - the reason the information exists

Need more help? Learn more about the CRAAP test and evaluate your sources using the AHS Research Handbook.

Citing Sources & Academic Integrity

Why cite sources? Besides avoiding plagiarism and increasing credibility, you are participating an ongoing scholarly conversation. It is important for your readers to be able to find your sources, so they can enter into the dialogue as well.

Your school subscription to EasyBib EDU can help you format and track citations. Use your Spyponders account to set up EasyBib so that your account will last all four years and you can access the subscription level EasyBib EDU features. If you do not have the "EDU" blue tag at the top of your screen you will need to enter a coupon code from the librarian.

In EasyBib, use the automated citation feature on the Website tab with caution and careful proofreading. Many of our databases can send citations directly into EasyBib, and ready-made database citations can be copied and pasted directly in the Database tab. Click on the All 59 options tab for help citing images.

Cars Are Not Toys!

Remember, cars are not toys! Except for these. These are toys.

Refer to the AHS Research Handbook for additional information about citing and using sources.

Citation Reminders

Reminders for Works Cited pages:

• • Put the citations in alphabetical order by the first word of the entry.

  • Indent all lines after the first line of each citation.

  • Double space the entire list with no extra spaces between citations.

  • Title it Works Cited in the same size and font as the rest of the page.

  • Use EasyBib to take care of the formatting for you! Just remember that YOU have to proofread the content.

Reminders for parenthetical citations:

• • Put the appropriate reference information in parentheses at the end of each sentence with a statistic, and under the image.

  • The appropriate information is ether the authorʼs last name (if there is one) or the first few words of the title. It should be the first thing you read in the citation.

Source: Adapted from Ms. Raad. Thanks, Ms. Raad!

Finding Copyright Friendly Images

Did you know that YOU are a copyright holder? According to US law, you AUTOMATICALLY hold the copyright to papers you write, pictures you take, music you record, etc. But what if you want to make it okay for other people to use those images, words, or sounds? That's where Creative Commons comes in. It's not about what you CAN'T do, but what you can.

These sites allow you to search for images with Creative Commons licensing:

• Creative Commons Search

• Wikimedia Commons

• Flickr Advanced Search (use the search options below)