Open an Internet browser.  At the URL or address bar, type in:  http://www.poncacity.k12.ok.us     On the left side click on Resources, then on the right side click on Students.  (At home use the User ID: ponca, and the Password:  city).  Click on EBSCO.

General information and help sheets are available on the blue sidebar on the left of the EBSCO page.

The opening screen is often called the Profile page.  Several links are listed, click on School Libraries.

All available databases through EBSCO are listed.  Select MAS Full Text Ultra.  The toolbar is at the top of the screen and is your map to the functions that are available at all times during a search session.

The basic search is a Keyword search.  Enter your search term.  (Try a basic term such as "penicillin")  The search results include:  The number of hits; Whether the article has full text or an abstract; If images or pictures are available.

Select an article to read or examine.  When you scroll all the way to the end of the article, if photos are available you should be able to view them.

To search a new term in the same database, use the New Search button on the toolbar.  To try a new database, use the Choose Databases button from the toolbar.

Try a keyword search.  Once you have found some hits, select the Biography button on the toolbar.  This provides biographical resources related to the topic you've chosen.

Try a new search.  This time set limiters and expanders.  Those options are at the right hand lower portion of the screen.

Note the lexile information available in the school databases.  Lexile refers to reading level.

"Best parts" refers to the section of the article that has the search term listed most frequently.

Once you have an article you want to use, you may e-mail, print, or save the article.  To Print:   select the item you want to print.  Click the Print button. The Print Manager Window appears.  To find out how many pages you are about to print, select Estimate Number of Pages link.    To e-mail the item to yourself, from the result list, select the item you want to e-mail.  Click the e-mail button.  The E-mail Manager Window appears.  You can e-mail Articles or Links to searches.

You can search different ways for information.  Natural Language means that you simply ask a question.  To do this, select Natural Language from the sub toolbar.  Type in a question and click "search" to begin.  To use the Advanced search, select Advanced Search from the sub toolbar.  In the Advanced Search Window, you can combine terms together on a single line.  For example, "car or automobile."  You can also perform Expert Keyword Search.  This gives much more ability to limit your search.  In the expert search mode, you can save your search history.

Try a Company Search.  Select Company Directory from the toolbar.

Note that on the toolbar, you can search a subject, a magazine, the American Heritage dictionary, for company information and for images.

Try a search for maps and charts about a country.  Select Image Collection from the toolbar.  Select maps and other limiters of your choice.  Enter the name of a country and select Search.

Note that Primary Search and Middle School Search are databases with age-appropriate resources (magazines, almanacs, etc.)  Primary Search is the backbone of Searchasaurus.  Searchasaurus employs a graphical interface.