Library Research Worksheet

NFC Library website: www.nfc.edu/learning-resources

Use the Library Catalog to find books & eBooks
Use the Library Databases to find journal articles
See our Research Guide on the Library website

Topic Development
1. Topic idea: that they need.
Education & Poverty: Why Students Who Are 3. Pick one aspect & write a research
in Poverty Do Not Receive the Same question:
Education as Richer Students Students who come from a wealthy
2. Name some different aspects of the background can go to schools that have
topic: extensive money for resources for better
a) Students who come from a wealthy education compared to students who come
background can go to schools that from a poor background.
have extensive money for resources
for better education compared to
students who come from a poor Topic finder databases:
background. *CQ Researcher
b) Students in poverty usually go to *Opposing Viewpoints
public schools that might not be in *Issues: Understanding Controversy &
the best conditions to teach Society
compared to students who are Finding background information:
wealthy. *Google searching
c) Poverty can prevent students to get *Google Scholar
certain things that they are required *Wikipedia
to have for their school, as opposed *The databases listed above also provide
to wealthy students, who do not background information
have to worry about buying things

4. Background information:
Students who are in poverty have major disadvantages compared to students who are from a wealthy
background. According to the article Statistics on Underprivileged Children in the World by the
ChildFund Organization, about 30% of students who are in poverty do not finish high school, resulting
in students who do not earn a high school diploma. Because of this, they are more likely to stay in
poverty. Of course, children who are in poverty attend public schools because they are free, paid
through taxes. Children who are wealthy can attend a private school, which are funded through
tuition. Private schools can also cater to a student’s needs as Hudson Lindenberger, a writer from
Fatherly, states “since they are not under state supervision, private schools can offer a curriculum
that suits their focus.” This means that most private schools are more attentive to what a student
wants & can do than public schools. This is because public schools are restricted to their funding from
the government & what the government requires public schools to teach.
Finding & Evaluation Resources
5. List some keywords & (synonyms): Find synonyms:
Poverty, scarcity, wealthy, prosperous, https://www.thesaurus.com/
capability, literacy, schooling Wikipedia
6. List some subject terms: Database: Academic Search
Education, poverty, private school, public Find subject terms:
school Library Catalog
Database: Academic Search
Search statements how-to:
Research Guide on the Library Website

7. Construct some search statements (include Boolean operators, nesting, truncation &
phrases):
Education & poverty, education & wealth, public schools & private schools,
8. Catalog search — write down a book title, author, & year of publication:
A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Ruby K. Payne, 2009

9. Catalog search — write down an eBook title, author, & year of publication:
Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids’ Brains & What Schools Can Do About
It, Eric Jensen, 2009
10. Database search — write down your search statement, how you limit the results, & how
many search results you end up with:
Education & poverty, limited to “full text,” “United States,” & “references available,” there are 12
results available
11. Database search — write down a different search statement, how you limit the results, &
how many search results you end up with:
Private & public schools, limited to “full text,” “United States,” & “education from United States,”
there are 44 results available
12. Evaluate & compare the results of the two different database searches:
They both show results, however the first database search only shows 12 results, while the second
one shows 44 results; there’s a 32-result difference between the two search results. The first
database search is valuable because it shows the relationship being poor has on education. The
second database search is valuable because it shows the difference between public & private schools,
showing their educational difference & the benefits & downsides it comes to enrolling in a private or
public school.

Citation
13. Which citation style & edition are you using?
I am using MLA 8th Edition Citation Format
14. Write the citation of the most relevant academic journal article:
Norton, Margaret Alltucker. “Public and Private School Curricula.” Review of Education Research, vol.
1, no. 1, 1931, pp. 46-49.
Works Cited (for background information)

Lindenberger, Hudson. “Which One Is Better: Private School or Public School?” Fatherly, Fatherly, 18
Feb. 2021, www.fatherly.com/love-money/private-school-vs-public-school-facts-benefits-
statistics/.

Ourkids.net. “Private Schools Versus Public Schools: Private Vs Public.” Private Schools Versus Public
Schools | Private Vs Public, 2020, www.ourkids.net/private-schools-versus-public-schools.php.

“Statistics on Underprivileged Children in the World.” ChildFund, ChildFund, 4 Nov. 2013,

www.childfund.org/Content/NewsDetail/2147489206/#:~:text=30%25%20of%20children
%20raised%20in,did%20not%20grow%20up%20poor.