How Do You Find Answers? Discover the Best Tools and Sources!

When you have a question, you can look for an answer! Finding answers means using tools and people to learn new facts. You already know how to ask questions from Asking Questions now you will learn where to look for the answers.

Good researchers always start by choosing a clear question. Then they pick the right source to help them find the answer.

There are many great tools that help you find answers. Each tool works best for different kinds of questions.

• A library book gives you facts and stories to read.
• A map shows you where places are located.
• A globe is a round model of Earth that shows where countries are.
• A nonfiction book contains true facts about real topics like animals or seasons.
• A trusted website on a computer or tablet gives you facts from experts.
• A newspaper tells you about news and current events.
• A weather map shows temperatures and weather across different places.
• An Elder shares knowledge and stories from their community.
• A community helper like a firefighter can answer questions about their job.

You can also use observation that means looking closely at something to learn about it yourself. You practiced this in Making Observations!

Different questions need different sources. If you want to know where Canada is, use a globe or a map. If you want to learn about life long ago, ask an older family member or an Indigenous Elder.

A dictionary helps you find out what a word means. An encyclopedia gives you detailed facts about many topics. Always choose the right source so your information is reliable that means it can be trusted as true.

It is also smart to check more than one source. This helps you make sure the facts you find are correct. You will use these skills when you explore Understanding Evidence.

Library Book: A book you find at the library that gives you real facts and stories to read.

Map: A tool that shows you where places are located, like cities and provinces.

Globe: A round model of Earth that shows you where countries like Canada are in the world.

Elder: A respected older person who shares knowledge and stories from their community.

Observation: When you look closely at something to learn about it yourself.

Nonfiction Book: A book that contains true facts about real topics.

Primary Source: Something created at the time of an event, like an old photograph, that gives you direct evidence.

Reliable: Information that can be trusted as true because it comes from a good source.

Research: When you look carefully for information to answer a question.

Source: A place, person, or item where information comes from.

Dictionary: A book that tells you what words mean.

Encyclopedia: A book or website that gives you detailed facts about many different topics.

Survey or Interview Sheet: A list of questions you use to gather information from other people.

Table of Contents: A list at the front of a book that helps you find the right chapter quickly.

Map Legend or Key: A guide on a map that explains what the symbols and colours mean.

After you find information, you should write it down so you can remember it. Then you can organize your notes and share what you learned. You can give a short presentation to your class!

Sharing what you find is an important step. You will practice this more in Sharing Findings and Sharing Ideas. You also learned how to express your ideas in Expressing Ideas.

You have already learned skills that help you find answers! In Asking Questions, you learned how to form good questions. In Gathering Information, you practiced collecting facts. These skills work together to help you become a great researcher.

Finding answers also connects to Asking About Community, where you ask questions about the people and places around you.

Finding answers connects to many other important topics you will explore:

• Understanding Evidence You will learn how to look at evidence and decide if it is trustworthy.
• Different Points of View You will discover that different people can have different answers to the same question.
• Finding Solutions You will use the answers you find to help solve problems.
• Sharing Findings You will learn how to share the information you gathered with others.
• Thinking About Learning You will reflect on what you learned and how you found your answers.
• Using Historical Sources You will use old photographs and documents to learn about the past.
• Asking About Community You will ask questions and find answers about your community.
• Finding Information You will build on these skills to find even more detailed information.
• Analyzing Evidence in Innovation You will use what you know to look closely at evidence in new ways.
• Sharing Ideas You will share what you discovered with your class and community.