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Year 10: Term 2: Elements

Claims - Choose 1

CLAIM 1: Elements on the left of the periodic table are more reactive than those on the right.

CLAIM 2: Elements become more reactive moving down a group

ONESearch

The ENTIRE collection of resources provided by the BBC Birtles Library can be searched on ONE single, powerful search platform, which retrieves print books, eBooks, database articles and websites. Click HERE for assistance.

C.R.A,A.P. Test for Evaluating Websites

Check the quality of your websites using these criteria (adapted from QUT Library):
Currency: Timeliness of the information
  • When was the information published, posted or last updated?
  • Is the information current for your topic and field of study? How recent does it have to be? Can older sources work just as well?
Relevance: Importance of the information for your needs
  • Is the information appropriate for a senior secondary course?
  • Is this an adequately in-depth examination or a quick summary of the topic?
  • Who's the intended audience? Is it the general public, a student, a researcher or industry?
  • Is the level of information too basic or too advanced for your needs?
Authority: Source of the information
  • Is the author/authoring body (individual person, or institution, or organisation) established and reputable?
  • Are their qualifications, credentials, expertise, experience, educational background and previous work (if any) relevant and do they add credibility to the source?
  • Has the piece been published by a well-known and respected publisher or organisation?
  • Do references to other sources support the writing ie is a Reference List provided?
Accuracy: Reliability and correctness of the information
  • Where does the information come from, and is it supported by evidence?
  • Does it have a Reference List or Bibliography so you can easily find and verify the sources used?
  • Are there any spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
Purpose: Reason the information exists
  • What is the purpose of the information? Why was it written?
  • Does the point of view appear objective, unbiased and impartial?
  • Is the viewpoint of the author's affiliation/ sponsors reflected in the message or content?
  • Does the author acknowledge alternative versions of the issues or facts?

Purpose: Reason the information exists

  • What is the purpose of the information? Why was it written?
  • Does the point of view appear objective, unbiased and impartial?

Source Evaluation Sheet (Based on C.R.A.A.P. Test)

C.R.A.A.P. Test Evaluation Sheet for Sources Used 

Save to your tablet, complete and print out to attach to the back of your assignment.

DO NOT give one-word responses!

MyBib Referencing Generator - APA 7

Manage your bibliography using "MyBib" - Referencing - LibGuides at  Melbourne High School

MyBib is an online referencing generator to help you with in text references and your List of References.

NOTE: 

  • Sign up for an account so that it will store the references for your assignment. Add it to your bookmark bar to find it quickly.
  • Install the Chrome extension to make your referencing even faster.
  • Make sure everything in your Reference List has a corresponding In-Text citation in the body of your essay.

Useful Subscription Databases

Web Searching Techniques

1. Use 'Ctrl F' (Control + Find) to search for particular terms easily in a long document, whether from a website or a database article.
2. Use a Google domain command eg site:edu OR site:gov to limit results to a CERTAIN DOMAIN such as education or government eg biodiesel site:edu
3. Use a Google command to limit results to the MOST RECENT: After you get your results, choose the Google Menu Bar, and choose 'Tools'. Then on the far left, at the drop-down menu next to 'Any Time', you can choose 'Within the last year' (or less, if you prefer), but generally, you can choose 'Custom Range' at the bottom, as often the last 3-4 years would be sufficient for a recent search.

Sample Rationale

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How to reference an image in your essay

Shows exactly how to reference your in-text graphic sources ieTables OR Figures (Diagrams, Graphs, Charts, Photos, Pictures). Just follow either the example for Websites, or the example for Journal Articles. 

Zotero - Online Referencing Tool

Zotero can be set to the same Harvard AGPS (Australia) style that CiteAce uses, called 'Melbourne Polytechnic - Harvard'. Please read the instructions carefully.

Any issues - see your Library Staff

Data Sets

Groups of the Periodic Table

Discovery Service database - Research Starter: Alkali metals
From Thomas, Nicholas C., Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science, 2022.

Gale Science in Context database: Alkali metals
From World of Chemistry, Publisher: Gale, 2013

Stanford University: Information on alkali metals

Angelo University: Group 1A — The Alkali Metals

LibreTexts Chemistry University of California Davis: 12.16: The Properties of a Group: The Alkali Metals

LibreTexts Chemistry University of California Davis: Group 1: Properties of Alkali Metals

Discovery Service database - Research Starter: Alkaline earth metals
From Renneboog, Richard M., Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science, 2022

Gale Science in Context database: Alkaline earth metals
From UXL Encyclopedia of Science, 2014.

LibreTexts Chemistry:   Group 2 - Chemical Properties of Alkali Earth Metals

LibreTexts Chemistry: Group 2: General Properties

Angelo University: Group 2A — The alkaline earth metals

BlueBox: The alkaline earth metals

ThoughtCo: What Are the Properties of the Alkaline Earth Metals?

Discovery Service database - Research Starter: Transition metals
From Renneboog, R., Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science, 2022

LibreTexts Chemistry: 23.1: General properties of transition metals

LibreTexts Chemistry: 19.1: Properties of transition metals and their compounds

Purdue University: Transition metals

Angelo University: The transition metals

Bluebox: Transition metals

Vedantu: How do transition metals react with water?

LibreTexts Chemistry: Group 4 Elemental Properties

LibreTexts Chemistry: The Trend from Non-Metal to Metal in Group 4 Elements

MyDigitalKemistry: Group IV-A Elements Properties

StudySmarter: Group 4A

Angelo University: Group 4A

Discovery Service database - Research Starter: Halogens
From Teske, David R., Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science, 2022. 

The Science Hive: Group 7 halogens

LibreTexts Chemistry: Group 17 Physical properties of halogens

LibreTexts Chemistry: Group 17: The Halogens

AQA GCSE Chemistry: Group 7: The Halogens (1.2.6)

Chemguide: Atomic and physical properties of the Group 7 elements (the halogens) 

PassMyExams: Physical properties of halogens

Discovery Service database - Research Starter: Noble gases
By John R Phillips, Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science, 2022.

Angelo University: Group 8A - the noble or inert gases

ThoughtCo: Noble Gases Properties, Uses and Sources

Vedantu: Noble gases

ChemTalk: Noble gases - periodic table

Chemistry Websites

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Academic Science Websites

The world’s largest collection of open access research papers

An inclusive journal community which believes all rigorous science needs to be published and discoverable, widely disseminated and freely accessible to all

A free distribution service and an open archive for scholarly articles in the fields of science


An American website that aggregates press releases and publishes lightly edited press releases about science

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Breaks down the stories behind the most interesting news and photos on the Internet

Offers the best intelligent, informed science and technology coverage and analysis on a daily basis

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Provides the latest science news, in-depth articles, analysis and opinion, photo galleries, video and podcasts from the ABC

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Google Scholar's searches are set to cover scholarly material more often than 'regular' Google. Google Scholar's searches are set to cover scholarly material more often than 'regular' Google.  Read the article below on the advantages an disadvantages of using it. TIP: To get PDFs only, type in 'filetype:pdf'. It's great!

Advantages / Disadvantages of Google Scholar  

How to use Google Books

Google Books can be very frustrating because often much of the book is missing and you are expected to purchase it to read the full content. So after you put in your search term you are interested in (eg biodiesel), and get some results up,  you should then go immediately to the search box (on the left - above 'About this box') undefined 
and type in a particular word or term you are interested in (eg CO2 emissions OR methanol) you should get a number of pages pop up. Choose one that looks useful - you should get some good results this way!