BASIC RESEARCH
Often, you will find yourself needing more information on a topic. For instance, in my series on Astrology, I wanted to know just how popular astrology was, how it worked, etc. This information not only makes the lesson more interesting, but also helps me come across with more confidence and authority. So where can you go to get this information?
Encyclopedias. Here I got an overview of Astrology.
People Who Know More Than You About The Subject>. Do you know someone who has dealt with this issue? Not only can they inform you, but they can recommend other materials and people.
Christian Books. Find a good Christian book on the subject, and you�ve found someone who�s done most of the legwork for you. Josh McDowell's book on world religions had a chapter that set me way ahead. Footnotes and endnotes can lead you to other sources. Think well in advance of what subjects you will be teaching. Ask some knowledgeable Christians for books they recommend.
Secular Books. By "secular", I don�t mean "anti-Christian." I mean just not necessarily written from a Christian perspective. All truth is God�s truth. Just be discerning enough to view their conclusions from the perspective of a Christian worldview. If your local library doesn�t have what you want, ask them if they can order a book. Through Inter-Library Loan, I get books, usually free, mailed from other libraries within our system, or even from outside our system.
Magazines and Other Sources. Magazines can give you current statistics and information, like the Life Magazine article I quoted from in the "Astrology" series. Go to your public library and search through the Periodic Literature indexes. You can also find professional journals to read more scholarly studies on various issues. Major fields have their own reference sources, such as Psycological Abstracts, for Psychology literature.
On Line Services. I subscribe to "The Electric Library," via the Internet. For about $5.00 per month (if I pay yearly), I can do library research from my home computer, accessing scads of magazines, newspapers, and even chapters of certain books. I hit the "Electric Library", typed in "Astrology", and selected a couple of articles of interest to me. (Via CompuServe, Go ElectricLibrary. Through the Internet, find http://www2.elibrary.com.) The information is not as extensive as a really good library (e.g., you don�t get the older periodicals) but it�s great for getting current information fast. If you're in college or have a child in school, you can often access this and other sources such as Galilieo through the school free of charge.
Web Sites. Sure, there�s great information out there, but if you just do a general search you have to wade through scores of useless sites before finding something substantial. Fortunately, the editors of Encyclopedia Britannica have done the wadding for you and come up with their list of what they consider the best sites on a wide variety of issues. And it�s free! Access them at http://www.britannica.com/