Solving

Information Problems
the Big6 Way
Muskegon Catholic Central
Library Research Center
Fall 2005
Suppose:
 You miss the team
bus to your game in
Grand Rapids.
 You mom says that
she will drive you, but
neither of you knows
where Caledonia High
School is located.
You have an
Information
Problem
Or:
 You really want to see
the season premiere
of The O.C.,
 But you don’t know
what day or time the
program will be
broadcast.
You have an
Information
Problem
Or:
 Your aunt and uncle give
you $150 to buy yourself
an MP3 player for your
birthday.
 You want to get the most
for your money, but you
don’t know much about
file formats or memory
capacity.
You have an
Information
Problem
The Big6

Information Problems
can be solved quickly or over a
long period of time, but the
process usually follows six steps:
The Big6
 Defining the  Engaging the
information problem information
 Determining possible  Using the information
sources of information  Determining the
to solve the problem success of your
 Locating the information search
information
Task Definition
My Problem:
Yikes! I
need
my
library
card
number!
Information Searching Strategies

How
do I
find it?
Information Searching Strategies

I could look for

my wallet and
find my library
card.
Information Searching Strategies
 I could call my
husband on the
telephone and ask for
his library card
number to use
instead of mine.
 (He would not be
pleased, especially on
deadline…)
Information Searching Strategies
 I could lock my
workstation, leave the
school, run to the
library, show my
driver’s license, ask
for my library card
number, run back to
school, and type the
number into the
computer.
Information Searching Strategies
 I could open the file I
keep in my home
directory and find
document which has
all my secret
numbers.
Information Searching Strategies

Which
choice is
best?
Location and Access
 Of course, finding the
information on my
computer is the best
way, so…
 I open the file and
locate the number
Use of Information
I need to
engage the
information,
so I…
 Copy the
number
Synthesis
 I need to use the information, so I…
 Paste the number into the electronic form
Evaluation
 The computer
How do I accepts my library
know if I was card number

successful?  The book is delivered

as I requested
Let’s try solving
another
information
problem using
the Big6
The Big6
 Task Definition
 Information Seeking Strategies
 Location and Access
 Use of Information
 Synthesis
 Evaluation
The Big6
 How does this apply to school work?
 School assignments are usually information
problems
 Big school assignments can be big
information problems
 Let the Big6 help
The Big6
 Suppose you were given this problem:
 Writea 12-page paper on the causes of the
American Civil War.

 Yikes! What do we do?

Big6 Research Organizer
Big 6 Project Organizer Step 2 –
Muskegon Catholic Central Information-seeking Strategies
Student Name:______________________________________
Teacher Name:_______________________DueDate:______ 2.1 What are possible sources of information for this assignment?.
 Single topic book  Reference book  Web site
 Encyclopedia  Newspaper  Magazine
Step 1 – Task Definition  Human Being  Textbook  Other:

1.1 What is my task this assignment? 2.2 What are the BEST sources of information for this assignment?
Circle them above.

Step 3 – Location and Access

1.2 What information do I need?

3.1 Where will I find these sources?
1.
 School Library  Teacher’s Library  Public Library
 Home library  Computer
 Other:___________________________________________________

2.
3.2 Who can help me find what I need?
 Myself  Teacher  Librarian
 Parent  Other:__________________________

3. 3.3 How will I find the information within the sources?

 Index, T of C  Web Directories Database Search
 Page Headings  Other:______________________________
Big6 Research Organizer
Materials I will need for my project:

Step 4 – Use of Information

4.1 Engage information – read, view, listen

4.2 How will I record information that I find?
 Graphic Organizer  Note Cards/book  Audiotape
 Videotape  Other:___________________________
Step 6 – Evaluation

Step 5 – Synthesis 6.1 Check my project.

 Complete Sentences  MLA Format
 Complete Paragraphs  Works Cited Page
5.1 How will I present the information I have located? What product
 Spell Checked  Clean, neat presentation
will I make that shows the result of my research?
 My final product matches the assignment
 Written Report  Poster  PowerPoint Project
 Oral Presentation  Other:___________________________
6.2 Evaluating the Big6 process
 I understood the task my teacher wanted me to complete
Describe, in detail, what your final product will be, including your
 I decided what information I would need to complete the
teacher’s requirements:
assignment
 I selected the best sources for the assignment
 I was able to locate all the sources I needed for the assignment
 I was able to find information within each source
 I kept good records of the information I found
 I completed the project to the teacher’s specifications
5.2 How will I give credit to my sources?
 I used a Big6 project organizer to plan for the assignment
 Works Cited Page  Citation Slide
 I completed the assignment on time
 Other:____________________________________________________
AND…

Ask for help

from your
friendly
librarian

Mrs. Alexander
The "Big6™" is copyright © (1987)
Michael B. Eisenberg and
Robert E. Berkowitz
For more information visit:
www.big6.com