Basic Discovery and Common Core Connections Discovery Exercise:
1. I think my biggest discovery is the wealth of information offered in the SDSL databases. I have been recommending the databases to friends and family since I started the Electronic Resources Challenge. Some I had not used before were CAMIO, AncestryLibrary, HeritageQuest, Mango Languages, and Sanborn Maps. I have not done any family history searches myself, so the genealogy sites were particularly interesting to me.
2. Some databases I would like to share with teachers at our weekly staff meetings are CAMIO, Sanborn Maps, EBooks on EbscoHost, and Learning Express Library. I like the primary source documents and pictures in CAMIO and Sanborn Maps for use in social studies lessons with our K-5 students. I think teachers could use EBooks for reading professional development books on a large variety of topics. With the online testing that is now required of our students, I think teachers would also be interested in Learning Express Library to give their students more practice with online test taking. I think the Guides are nice with the screen shots, and these would be helpful to use in training others about the databases. A face-to-face training with SDSL staff would be a good idea for an inservice professional development activity for librarians and teachers.
For students, I used Mango Languages to do a project with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, where they studied a foreign language and went through the steps of a research paper. I also like them to be able to use World Book Kids, SIRS Discoverer, GALE Kids InfoBits, and Learning Express Library. These are particularly good for students to find research that is on their reading level and not too overwhelming.
Taking the challenge allows me to be able to offer more resources to my students and staff and allows me to offer more knowledgeable assistance to those using these databases. Thank you!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Lesson 9: AncestryLibrary, HeritageQuest, and Sanborn Maps
Common Core Connections:
1. AncestryLibrary could be used to teach standard 5.RL.6: Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described. This is in the 5th grade "Reading for Literature: Craft and Structure" strand.
In this lesson, students would look under "Immigration and Travel" and then the "Boston, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1954." Choose a date (1910), a month (June), and look at all arrivals. Choose two passengers and write a paragraph about the voyage from these two different perspectives. Notice the variety of ages of passengers: 43, 35, 27, 69, 4, 24, 18, 36. Notice the different occupations: farmer, clergyman, publisher, merchant, student, weaver, baker, cotton spinner.
Along with this primary source document, students could find information on travel by ship during the past in books such as You Wouldn't Want to Sail With Christopher Columbus! by Fiona MacDonald, They Came on Ships by Colletta, or How I Became an American by Karen Gundisch.
2. HeritageQuest could be used to teach standard SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussion with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. This is in the 5th grade "Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration" strand.
Search the Census for the the year 1900, choose South Dakota, Minnehaha county, and then a location such as "4-WD Sioux Falls." With a partner or in a group of 3, choose a family or two individuals. Write down some information about the family or individuals you have selected, and then practice pretending you are that person.
After time to research and practice, students can share their findings with the class by pretending to be one of these people from the past. Things to share could include: name, birthday, where they were born, what country their parents were born in, what their current occupation is (stone cutter, pastry cook, merchant, farmer) or their family role (brother, son, wife, servant, daughter) as well as if they can read, write, and/or speak English, and if they own or rent their home. If it is a family or two friends traveling together, they could put together a short dialogue which includes this information.
3. Sanborn Maps could be used to teach standard SL.5.5: Include Multimedia components (e.g. graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes. This is in the 5th grade "Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas" strand.
Students can look up "Sioux Falls [Minnehaha County]" and the year 1916. What is Sioux Falls like close to a century later? Compare a map from Sanborn maps to a picture of the same area today in Sioux Falls. This could be a building that is still standing, or a new building where an old one once stood. Find a picture on Google Maps of the same spot today. Try S. Phillips or Minnesota Ave. Tell us what sheet it is on in Sanborn. They could even drive to the spot and take a picture with a parent's phone and compare it to what they find in Sanborn Maps and on Google Maps.
All are interesting and a neat way to bring history to life for students.
1. AncestryLibrary could be used to teach standard 5.RL.6: Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described. This is in the 5th grade "Reading for Literature: Craft and Structure" strand.
In this lesson, students would look under "Immigration and Travel" and then the "Boston, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1954." Choose a date (1910), a month (June), and look at all arrivals. Choose two passengers and write a paragraph about the voyage from these two different perspectives. Notice the variety of ages of passengers: 43, 35, 27, 69, 4, 24, 18, 36. Notice the different occupations: farmer, clergyman, publisher, merchant, student, weaver, baker, cotton spinner.
Along with this primary source document, students could find information on travel by ship during the past in books such as You Wouldn't Want to Sail With Christopher Columbus! by Fiona MacDonald, They Came on Ships by Colletta, or How I Became an American by Karen Gundisch.
2. HeritageQuest could be used to teach standard SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussion with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. This is in the 5th grade "Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration" strand.
Search the Census for the the year 1900, choose South Dakota, Minnehaha county, and then a location such as "4-WD Sioux Falls." With a partner or in a group of 3, choose a family or two individuals. Write down some information about the family or individuals you have selected, and then practice pretending you are that person.
After time to research and practice, students can share their findings with the class by pretending to be one of these people from the past. Things to share could include: name, birthday, where they were born, what country their parents were born in, what their current occupation is (stone cutter, pastry cook, merchant, farmer) or their family role (brother, son, wife, servant, daughter) as well as if they can read, write, and/or speak English, and if they own or rent their home. If it is a family or two friends traveling together, they could put together a short dialogue which includes this information.
3. Sanborn Maps could be used to teach standard SL.5.5: Include Multimedia components (e.g. graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes. This is in the 5th grade "Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas" strand.
Students can look up "Sioux Falls [Minnehaha County]" and the year 1916. What is Sioux Falls like close to a century later? Compare a map from Sanborn maps to a picture of the same area today in Sioux Falls. This could be a building that is still standing, or a new building where an old one once stood. Find a picture on Google Maps of the same spot today. Try S. Phillips or Minnesota Ave. Tell us what sheet it is on in Sanborn. They could even drive to the spot and take a picture with a parent's phone and compare it to what they find in Sanborn Maps and on Google Maps.
All are interesting and a neat way to bring history to life for students.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Lesson 9: AncestryLibrary, Heritage Quest, and Sanborn Maps
Basic Discovery Exercise:
1. I searched my own name, " Elizabeth Colleen Wells," in AncestryLibrary and could not find myself. Apparently a lot of people share or have shared my name, though!
2. I looked up my Grandmother, Selma Ardith Busick, in AncestryLibrary, and there were several results in the U.S. Census: 1925, 1930, and 1940. She also came up under U.S. City Directories for 1946, 1954, 1957, 1958, and 1959; U.S. Phone and Address Directories: 1993-2002; and U.S. Social Security Death Index: 1994. It was interesting to see my Aunt Helen was one year old when my Grandmother was 19!
3. I looked at a "Bird's Eye View" of Sioux Falls in 1907. I also checked out a view of Des Moines in 1902, when my grandmother would have been living in Iowa.
4. I looked up "Grand Island, Nebraska," in HeritageQuest, where I spent 3rd grade through high school. It gave me 455 results. It looks like there are many records from the Stuhr Museum News, with Vol. 1, Issue 1, being in March of 1965!
5. In Sanborn Maps, I found Hawthorne Grade School on 4th and N. Duluth, under the Sioux Falls, Minnehaha Co. in the 1924-July 1950 category (sheet 20). This is an interesting resource, too!
Common Core Connections to Follow!
1. I searched my own name, " Elizabeth Colleen Wells," in AncestryLibrary and could not find myself. Apparently a lot of people share or have shared my name, though!
2. I looked up my Grandmother, Selma Ardith Busick, in AncestryLibrary, and there were several results in the U.S. Census: 1925, 1930, and 1940. She also came up under U.S. City Directories for 1946, 1954, 1957, 1958, and 1959; U.S. Phone and Address Directories: 1993-2002; and U.S. Social Security Death Index: 1994. It was interesting to see my Aunt Helen was one year old when my Grandmother was 19!
3. I looked at a "Bird's Eye View" of Sioux Falls in 1907. I also checked out a view of Des Moines in 1902, when my grandmother would have been living in Iowa.
4. I looked up "Grand Island, Nebraska," in HeritageQuest, where I spent 3rd grade through high school. It gave me 455 results. It looks like there are many records from the Stuhr Museum News, with Vol. 1, Issue 1, being in March of 1965!
5. In Sanborn Maps, I found Hawthorne Grade School on 4th and N. Duluth, under the Sioux Falls, Minnehaha Co. in the 1924-July 1950 category (sheet 20). This is an interesting resource, too!
Common Core Connections to Follow!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Lesson 8: CAMIO: Catalog of Art Museum Images Online
Basic Discovery Exercise Part III:
1. I typed in "Sioux" in the search box on CAMIO and got 63 results. I thought it was interesting how many types of art were included, as well as the age of some of the items. There were different mediums under categories such as costume and jewelry, textiles, sculpture, photographs, and paintings. The age of the items I looked at ranged from 1846 to 1991.
2. This resource could be used by me and by the teachers in my school to supplement literature or social studies lessons as well as in a traditional art classroom. The search for #1 above under "Sioux" brings up some images that go along with Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's book, The Christmas Coat: Memories of my Sioux Childhood. For example, the doll, the star quilt, and some of the ceremonial clothing all used in the Christmas pageant could be shown to the class.
3. Choosing images to put in "View in Favorites" does offer some interesting options. You can view the ones you selected in a slideshow, compare two slides side by side, or arrange them in a different order. I chose to put in three pairs of shoes. These could be shown with Litwin's Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes. Students could draw a "favorite" pair of shoes they remember or are wearing today.
Common Core Connections:
I would use CAMIO to teach the digital component of this standard to fifth graders:
5.RI.7 Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
1. Find a picture of a star quilt by a Native American artist.
a. What is the quilter's name? (Carla Running Horse)
b. What is the museum that holds this quilt? (Minneapolis Museum of Art)
2. How does it compare to the one in Sneve's A Christmas Coat, which they placed on the doll in the manger in the nativity play? (Could compare size, colors, patterns)
3. What is the meaning or symbolism of a star quilt? Use a print or a different online source to answer.
4. What type of art is it (what category)? (Textiles)
Here is an example of how CAMIO could be used for a public speaking lesson for fifth graders:
SL.5.5 Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Find a picture of a bowl on CAMIO.
Describe the bowl to the class. (size, color, material made of)
What was it used for? (decoration or function?)
How old is it? (when was it made? used?)
Does it tell you anything about the group of people who used it? (pictures on the sides)
1. I typed in "Sioux" in the search box on CAMIO and got 63 results. I thought it was interesting how many types of art were included, as well as the age of some of the items. There were different mediums under categories such as costume and jewelry, textiles, sculpture, photographs, and paintings. The age of the items I looked at ranged from 1846 to 1991.
2. This resource could be used by me and by the teachers in my school to supplement literature or social studies lessons as well as in a traditional art classroom. The search for #1 above under "Sioux" brings up some images that go along with Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's book, The Christmas Coat: Memories of my Sioux Childhood. For example, the doll, the star quilt, and some of the ceremonial clothing all used in the Christmas pageant could be shown to the class.
3. Choosing images to put in "View in Favorites" does offer some interesting options. You can view the ones you selected in a slideshow, compare two slides side by side, or arrange them in a different order. I chose to put in three pairs of shoes. These could be shown with Litwin's Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes. Students could draw a "favorite" pair of shoes they remember or are wearing today.
Common Core Connections:
I would use CAMIO to teach the digital component of this standard to fifth graders:
5.RI.7 Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
1. Find a picture of a star quilt by a Native American artist.
a. What is the quilter's name? (Carla Running Horse)
b. What is the museum that holds this quilt? (Minneapolis Museum of Art)
2. How does it compare to the one in Sneve's A Christmas Coat, which they placed on the doll in the manger in the nativity play? (Could compare size, colors, patterns)
3. What is the meaning or symbolism of a star quilt? Use a print or a different online source to answer.
4. What type of art is it (what category)? (Textiles)
Here is an example of how CAMIO could be used for a public speaking lesson for fifth graders:
SL.5.5 Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Find a picture of a bowl on CAMIO.
Describe the bowl to the class. (size, color, material made of)
What was it used for? (decoration or function?)
How old is it? (when was it made? used?)
Does it tell you anything about the group of people who used it? (pictures on the sides)
Monday, March 3, 2014
Lesson 8: WorldCat
Basic Discovery Exercise:
1. Using the Advanced Search, I looked through the search options on the drop down menu under "Keyword" and chose "Series Title." I also clicked the limiter "Books." I searched for "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," and all five titles in the series came up.
2. I searched for The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith. Eight results came up. There are 172 libraries worldwide who have this book. The top library is Rapid City Public Library (RCP).
3. The call number for The Good and Beautiful God is "231.7". The author, James Bryan Smith has written ten books that come up when you click his name, including Room of Marvels, some devotional books, and other books in this series or to accompany it. Clicking on the descriptor (subject) "God (Christianity) -- Worship and Love," other titles come up including: Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food; Waiting for God; and Be Happy You Are Loved.
Discovery Exercise part 2:
In OAIster, I clicked on the result Facts on Kids in South Dakota. Under "Access" there are some links. I clicked on one and found some reports on different issues such as teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes, food insecurity and hunger, and early care and learning system. The direct links to some primary source documents are helpful for research projects.
Common Core Connections:
In my search for common core state standards, I found a few titles that looked interesting: 1) Something in common: the common core standards and the next chapter in American education, by Robert Rothman, 2) Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading, by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Diane Lapp, and 3) Wham!: Teaching with Graphic Novels throughout the Curriculum, by William G. Brozo, Gary B. Moorman, and Carla K. Meyer.
From the link "Libraries that own this item worldwide," I found #1 could be found at USD, #2 can be found at South Dakota State Library, and #3 can be found at USD.
Worldcat seems to be well organized and easy to use. With 915 hits related to Common Core Standards, it offers a wealth of information for teachers and librarians to find ideas on implementing the standards by both subject and grade level, as well as explaining where this concept falls in terms of the history of educational reform.
Sample lesson:
Worldcat could be used to teach 3.RI.5: Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
Students could do a basic search for "Science Fair Projects."
*How many results do you get from this search? (1920)
Under drop down menus in "Limit results," choose "Juvenile" for audience.
*How many results do you get once you narrow the search to children's materials? (854)
Return to the full list of "Science Fair Projects." Under the drop down menus in "Limit results," choose both "Juvenile" for audience and "nonfiction" for content.
*How many results do you get with these 2 limiters in place? (630)
Choose a book and click on its link. Click on the "Libraries worldwide that own item" link.
*What library would you be able to get this book from? Is there one in town (Siouxland Libraries)? One in South Dakota (Brookings)?
1. Using the Advanced Search, I looked through the search options on the drop down menu under "Keyword" and chose "Series Title." I also clicked the limiter "Books." I searched for "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," and all five titles in the series came up.
2. I searched for The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith. Eight results came up. There are 172 libraries worldwide who have this book. The top library is Rapid City Public Library (RCP).
3. The call number for The Good and Beautiful God is "231.7". The author, James Bryan Smith has written ten books that come up when you click his name, including Room of Marvels, some devotional books, and other books in this series or to accompany it. Clicking on the descriptor (subject) "God (Christianity) -- Worship and Love," other titles come up including: Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food; Waiting for God; and Be Happy You Are Loved.
Discovery Exercise part 2:
In OAIster, I clicked on the result Facts on Kids in South Dakota. Under "Access" there are some links. I clicked on one and found some reports on different issues such as teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes, food insecurity and hunger, and early care and learning system. The direct links to some primary source documents are helpful for research projects.
Common Core Connections:
In my search for common core state standards, I found a few titles that looked interesting: 1) Something in common: the common core standards and the next chapter in American education, by Robert Rothman, 2) Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading, by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Diane Lapp, and 3) Wham!: Teaching with Graphic Novels throughout the Curriculum, by William G. Brozo, Gary B. Moorman, and Carla K. Meyer.
From the link "Libraries that own this item worldwide," I found #1 could be found at USD, #2 can be found at South Dakota State Library, and #3 can be found at USD.
Worldcat seems to be well organized and easy to use. With 915 hits related to Common Core Standards, it offers a wealth of information for teachers and librarians to find ideas on implementing the standards by both subject and grade level, as well as explaining where this concept falls in terms of the history of educational reform.
Sample lesson:
Worldcat could be used to teach 3.RI.5: Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
Students could do a basic search for "Science Fair Projects."
*How many results do you get from this search? (1920)
Under drop down menus in "Limit results," choose "Juvenile" for audience.
*How many results do you get once you narrow the search to children's materials? (854)
Return to the full list of "Science Fair Projects." Under the drop down menus in "Limit results," choose both "Juvenile" for audience and "nonfiction" for content.
*How many results do you get with these 2 limiters in place? (630)
Choose a book and click on its link. Click on the "Libraries worldwide that own item" link.
*What library would you be able to get this book from? Is there one in town (Siouxland Libraries)? One in South Dakota (Brookings)?
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Lesson 7: EBooks on EbscoHost
Basic Discovery Exercise:
1. I did a Basic Search on "Classroom Management." There were 94 results. I then chose to look at the second entry--Classroom Management that Works: Research Based Strategies for Every Teacher, by Robert J. and Jana S. Marzano and by Debra Pickering. Marzano was the researcher the administration/curriculum planners liked in the Sioux Falls School District. I like the table of contents link, so you can get right to the part you are interested in. Principals might look at the "Classroom management at the school level" chapter, whereas new teachers might want to looks at the "Getting off to a good start" chapter, which could complement Responsive Classroom's The First Six Weeks of School. I also like the idea of the "Most Relevant Pages from this ebook" link. Although it may not always be accurate, it can give you an idea of parts of the book or chapters you may want to read more from.
2. A Basic Search on TX (any text that has) "Constitution Day" turns up 36 results. Several are too difficult for elementary students, but 5th graders could use some of the reference sources for tidbits on information on this special day. Anniversaries and Holidays has a little bit of information on it. Another one they might be able to find information in is Speeches of the American Presidents.
3. A search of "Nebraska" under publisher gives 88 results. You can further narrow the search by choosing "history" under category, which shows 10 of the original 88 results. Biographies on several Native Americans and tribes are part of the list. For example, one title is My People, The Sioux. Another in this category is Black Elk Lives. Others that fall under the topic of Western history are Old Deadwood Days and From Fort Laramie to Wounded Knee: In a West that Was. Because of the PU restriction, all these titles were published by the University of Nebraska Press in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Common Core Connections:
5.RI.5 Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts or information in two or more texts.
To teach this Common Core ELA Standard for Grade 5 on Information Text, Key Ideas and Details,
I would ask students to use Ebooks on EBSCOhost to search under the category "Children's & Young Adult Nonfiction"on the left side bar. Then they can access two books on career choices: 1) People at Work! A Students' A-Z Guide to 350 Jobs, and 2) Young Person's Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Then students could answer the following questions to compare and contrast the two books.
1. How are the two books similar?
2. How are the two books different?
3. Which book's structure is better for finding information on jobs related to computers?
4. Which book's structure is better for finding information on jobs related to acting?
5. Which book did you like better and why? Was it easier to use? Did it give more in depth information? Did it have more career options?
This could be done individually, in small groups, or even as a whole class on the Smartboard.
1. I did a Basic Search on "Classroom Management." There were 94 results. I then chose to look at the second entry--Classroom Management that Works: Research Based Strategies for Every Teacher, by Robert J. and Jana S. Marzano and by Debra Pickering. Marzano was the researcher the administration/curriculum planners liked in the Sioux Falls School District. I like the table of contents link, so you can get right to the part you are interested in. Principals might look at the "Classroom management at the school level" chapter, whereas new teachers might want to looks at the "Getting off to a good start" chapter, which could complement Responsive Classroom's The First Six Weeks of School. I also like the idea of the "Most Relevant Pages from this ebook" link. Although it may not always be accurate, it can give you an idea of parts of the book or chapters you may want to read more from.
2. A Basic Search on TX (any text that has) "Constitution Day" turns up 36 results. Several are too difficult for elementary students, but 5th graders could use some of the reference sources for tidbits on information on this special day. Anniversaries and Holidays has a little bit of information on it. Another one they might be able to find information in is Speeches of the American Presidents.
3. A search of "Nebraska" under publisher gives 88 results. You can further narrow the search by choosing "history" under category, which shows 10 of the original 88 results. Biographies on several Native Americans and tribes are part of the list. For example, one title is My People, The Sioux. Another in this category is Black Elk Lives. Others that fall under the topic of Western history are Old Deadwood Days and From Fort Laramie to Wounded Knee: In a West that Was. Because of the PU restriction, all these titles were published by the University of Nebraska Press in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Common Core Connections:
5.RI.5 Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts or information in two or more texts.
To teach this Common Core ELA Standard for Grade 5 on Information Text, Key Ideas and Details,
I would ask students to use Ebooks on EBSCOhost to search under the category "Children's & Young Adult Nonfiction"on the left side bar. Then they can access two books on career choices: 1) People at Work! A Students' A-Z Guide to 350 Jobs, and 2) Young Person's Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Then students could answer the following questions to compare and contrast the two books.
1. How are the two books similar?
2. How are the two books different?
3. Which book's structure is better for finding information on jobs related to computers?
4. Which book's structure is better for finding information on jobs related to acting?
5. Which book did you like better and why? Was it easier to use? Did it give more in depth information? Did it have more career options?
This could be done individually, in small groups, or even as a whole class on the Smartboard.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Lesson 6: Gale Virtual Reference Library
Basic Discovery Exercise:
1. I clicked on "Title List" and chose "Novels for Students, 1998, Vol. 1". Then on the left, I searched within this resource for Tom Sawyer, and I changed the search to "all volumes". Then The Adventures of Tom Sawyer does come up in Volume 6 of the Novels for Students resource. I selected this title, because one of our fifth grade teachers just requested a copy of this book. Students are usually very interested in the books their classroom teachers read aloud to them, so I thought I might get some questions on this book and its author. The sections on author biography, plot summary, characters, and themes could all be of interest to students. I also liked the sidebar notes. I think "What do I read next?" and "Media Adaptations" would be particularly interesting to students who enjoyed this title.
2. If you do a Basic Search on "foods with zinc," and limit to the nutrient zinc, you can find foods with various concentrations of zinc in them: oysters, beef, chicken, turkey, and yogurt are a few.
If you do a Basic Search on "Huckleberry Finn," and limit the document type to "Plot Summary," you will find a summary of the novel. Then, exploring further, you can look in the resource Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream, and click on "Full Text" and the "Plot Summary" link, and you will get to a section that describes the book in 3 to 6 chapters at a time. The "Listen" feature does work and reads you any section you have highlighted in the resource. Although it isn't eloquent or flawless in fluency, it would be beneficial for ELL students who need to get through a bunch of text in a short amount of time.
3. I read and commented on Mark Kenefick's and Kristi Jones' blog posts. It is interesting to see what others used for searches. Different searches can lead to learning different things about the databases.
Common Core Connections:
I clicked on "Education" on the left sidebar, and then searched for "creativity" within the "Education" subject. There were many articles under this search. One I skimmed was Team Teaching. I like how this article explains how team teaching can encourage creativity. Collaborating is something we want to do as teacher librarians. Part of our job is to work and teach along with classroom teachers so we can best meet the needs of all our students and help them learn in a variety of ways.
Another article I looked at that could be used to tie in to the common core standards is Lifelong Learning.
In The Encyclopedia of Education, lifelong learning is defined as:
Lifelong learning is the development of human potential through a continuously supportive process which stimulates and empowers individuals to acquire all the knowledge, values, skills, and understanding they will require throughout their lifetimes and to apply them with confidence, creativity and enjoyment in all roles, circumstances, and environments. (Longworth and Davies, p. 22)
I think the idea of applying skills such as learning new vocabulary is important. We want students to learn this in school but also keep using the skill throughout their lives as they read and come across words they don't know.
5.L.4 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:
Strategies
a. context
b. affixes and roots
c. reference materials
To teach this skill, I would copy a page from one of this year's Prairie Pasque books such as "Harry Houdini: The Legend of the World's Greatest Escape Artist" or "The Elephant Scientist" and have students highlight a word they either don't know the definition of or would like to know the exact definition of (even if they "sort of" know what it means). I would model one word like this for the class and show them how I would use the strategies of context, affixes and or roots and reference materials such as dictionary.com to learn its meaning. If using Elephant Scientist, for example, I might model the word "vibrational." Then I would ask them to go through the same process for a word they found. This could be done individually or in pairs.
Works Cited
LONGWORTH, NORMAN, and DAVIES, W. KEITH. 1996. Lifelong Learning: New Vision, New Implications, New Roles for People, Organizations, Nations and Communities in the 21st Century. London: Kogan Page.
1. I clicked on "Title List" and chose "Novels for Students, 1998, Vol. 1". Then on the left, I searched within this resource for Tom Sawyer, and I changed the search to "all volumes". Then The Adventures of Tom Sawyer does come up in Volume 6 of the Novels for Students resource. I selected this title, because one of our fifth grade teachers just requested a copy of this book. Students are usually very interested in the books their classroom teachers read aloud to them, so I thought I might get some questions on this book and its author. The sections on author biography, plot summary, characters, and themes could all be of interest to students. I also liked the sidebar notes. I think "What do I read next?" and "Media Adaptations" would be particularly interesting to students who enjoyed this title.
2. If you do a Basic Search on "foods with zinc," and limit to the nutrient zinc, you can find foods with various concentrations of zinc in them: oysters, beef, chicken, turkey, and yogurt are a few.
If you do a Basic Search on "Huckleberry Finn," and limit the document type to "Plot Summary," you will find a summary of the novel. Then, exploring further, you can look in the resource Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream, and click on "Full Text" and the "Plot Summary" link, and you will get to a section that describes the book in 3 to 6 chapters at a time. The "Listen" feature does work and reads you any section you have highlighted in the resource. Although it isn't eloquent or flawless in fluency, it would be beneficial for ELL students who need to get through a bunch of text in a short amount of time.
3. I read and commented on Mark Kenefick's and Kristi Jones' blog posts. It is interesting to see what others used for searches. Different searches can lead to learning different things about the databases.
Common Core Connections:
I clicked on "Education" on the left sidebar, and then searched for "creativity" within the "Education" subject. There were many articles under this search. One I skimmed was Team Teaching. I like how this article explains how team teaching can encourage creativity. Collaborating is something we want to do as teacher librarians. Part of our job is to work and teach along with classroom teachers so we can best meet the needs of all our students and help them learn in a variety of ways.
Another article I looked at that could be used to tie in to the common core standards is Lifelong Learning.
In The Encyclopedia of Education, lifelong learning is defined as:
Lifelong learning is the development of human potential through a continuously supportive process which stimulates and empowers individuals to acquire all the knowledge, values, skills, and understanding they will require throughout their lifetimes and to apply them with confidence, creativity and enjoyment in all roles, circumstances, and environments. (Longworth and Davies, p. 22)
I think the idea of applying skills such as learning new vocabulary is important. We want students to learn this in school but also keep using the skill throughout their lives as they read and come across words they don't know.
5.L.4 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:
Strategies
a. context
b. affixes and roots
c. reference materials
To teach this skill, I would copy a page from one of this year's Prairie Pasque books such as "Harry Houdini: The Legend of the World's Greatest Escape Artist" or "The Elephant Scientist" and have students highlight a word they either don't know the definition of or would like to know the exact definition of (even if they "sort of" know what it means). I would model one word like this for the class and show them how I would use the strategies of context, affixes and or roots and reference materials such as dictionary.com to learn its meaning. If using Elephant Scientist, for example, I might model the word "vibrational." Then I would ask them to go through the same process for a word they found. This could be done individually or in pairs.
Works Cited
LONGWORTH, NORMAN, and DAVIES, W. KEITH. 1996. Lifelong Learning: New Vision, New Implications, New Roles for People, Organizations, Nations and Communities in the 21st Century. London: Kogan Page.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Lesson 5: ProQuest
Basic Discovery Exercise:
1. I did a ProQuest search on elementary library graphic novels, to get some ideas for collection development. There were 2436 results. On the right hand side, there are many options available for narrowing your results. Narrowing it to scholarly journals gives you 1552 results. I particularly like narrowing by publication year for these types of sources, since students are often required to use sources only from recent years. When my search is limited to full text scholarly journal articles in English published from 2010-2013 The related searches box is also nice, especially for students, who may not narrow enough on their first search.
1a. I commented on Pam's Learning Express Library blog entry. She had some good ideas on how to use and improve this online resource. It is great to get ideas from the other participants that we can adapt to our own library lessons.
2. After clicking on the Publications tab at the top of the page, I looked up The Horn Book Guide, a resource one of the public libraries I worked for used for selection/collection development purposes. You are then able to look up specific years and see the ratings for various books. I checked 2009, when my daughter was born, thinking I may have missed some of the intermediate fiction of that year. I noticed they gave a high rating to the Graphic Novel versions of The Boxcar children and #53 in the Hank the Cowdog series. For research purposes, it is good to know the articles will all be full text, since you aren't going to be citing abstracts.
Common Core Connections
3.RI.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
For this standard, I would have students use ProQuest to practice research skills. The following list of questions could be a worksheet, or done together in groups or as a whole class on the Smartboard.
1. Type in "2014 Olympic Games" in the ProQuest search box. On the sidebar, narrow search results to:
Source Type: Newspapers
Language: English
Publication Year: 2014
How many articles fall under this search? (431)
2. Type in "Cal Ripken, Jr. AND Children's author" in the Proquest search box. How many results are there? (41)
3. Choose the link to the magazine article from "Parenting" magazine called "Five Minutes With. . .Cal Ripken, Jr." Here Cal Ripken is giving advice to parents whose children participate in sports. Compare this advice to advice given by Coach, Connor, or Connor's Dad in Hothead. Do his characters reflect his beliefs on sports?
4. Type in "Rah, Rah, Radishes" in the ProQuest search box. On the sidebar, narrow search results to:
Publication Titles: Kirkus Reviews (3)
Scan the titles of the articles, then answer:
What are the names of two other books that April Pulley Sayre has written that are food chants like Rah, Rah, Radishes?
5. Stay in your list of titles from #3 above. Click on the link for each review. Look for word count in each. Which of the three books has the most words? (268--Go, Go, Grapes)
1. I did a ProQuest search on elementary library graphic novels, to get some ideas for collection development. There were 2436 results. On the right hand side, there are many options available for narrowing your results. Narrowing it to scholarly journals gives you 1552 results. I particularly like narrowing by publication year for these types of sources, since students are often required to use sources only from recent years. When my search is limited to full text scholarly journal articles in English published from 2010-2013 The related searches box is also nice, especially for students, who may not narrow enough on their first search.
1a. I commented on Pam's Learning Express Library blog entry. She had some good ideas on how to use and improve this online resource. It is great to get ideas from the other participants that we can adapt to our own library lessons.
2. After clicking on the Publications tab at the top of the page, I looked up The Horn Book Guide, a resource one of the public libraries I worked for used for selection/collection development purposes. You are then able to look up specific years and see the ratings for various books. I checked 2009, when my daughter was born, thinking I may have missed some of the intermediate fiction of that year. I noticed they gave a high rating to the Graphic Novel versions of The Boxcar children and #53 in the Hank the Cowdog series. For research purposes, it is good to know the articles will all be full text, since you aren't going to be citing abstracts.
Common Core Connections
3.RI.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
For this standard, I would have students use ProQuest to practice research skills. The following list of questions could be a worksheet, or done together in groups or as a whole class on the Smartboard.
1. Type in "2014 Olympic Games" in the ProQuest search box. On the sidebar, narrow search results to:
Source Type: Newspapers
Language: English
Publication Year: 2014
How many articles fall under this search? (431)
2. Type in "Cal Ripken, Jr. AND Children's author" in the Proquest search box. How many results are there? (41)
3. Choose the link to the magazine article from "Parenting" magazine called "Five Minutes With. . .Cal Ripken, Jr." Here Cal Ripken is giving advice to parents whose children participate in sports. Compare this advice to advice given by Coach, Connor, or Connor's Dad in Hothead. Do his characters reflect his beliefs on sports?
4. Type in "Rah, Rah, Radishes" in the ProQuest search box. On the sidebar, narrow search results to:
Publication Titles: Kirkus Reviews (3)
Scan the titles of the articles, then answer:
What are the names of two other books that April Pulley Sayre has written that are food chants like Rah, Rah, Radishes?
5. Stay in your list of titles from #3 above. Click on the link for each review. Look for word count in each. Which of the three books has the most words? (268--Go, Go, Grapes)
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Lesson 4: SIRS Discoverer and SIRS Researcher
Basic Discovery Exercise:
1. I looked up ocelot in the SIRS Disoverer search box, and it gave me fifty different options to check out including 4 newspapers, 27 magazines, 13 reference sources, and 5 graphics. The ones with the camera icon do have pictures of the cat. 12 of the articles would be on a typical elementary school student's lexile range (1st to 5th). Of course the articles can be used in many ways and all would not necessarily have to be read completely in order to find out information about the ocelot.
2. In Country Facts, I selected St. Kitts and Nevis. According to SIRS Discoverer, "St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere." I thought it was interesting that the country didn't gain its independence from Great Britain until 1983 and that St. Kitts was earlier named by Christopher Columbus.
Next, I looked at the map for St. Kitts and Nevis under the maps of the world link in the Database Features section. For teaching purposes, I could ask students to find out from the map what body of water this country lies in, what is the country's capital city's name, or what other countries besides Great Britain colonized in this area.
I also selected the Fiction section of the Database features. This is a great way to add fiction from literary magazines to the classroom/library that don't fit into the school or library's budget. I found a story called "The Perfect Valentine," by Teresa A. DiNcola and illustrated by Marsha Winborn, which could be used this week! There are topics and subtopics listed to the right hand side of the screen that allow you to narrow your search, too.
Works Cited
"St. Kitts and Nevis." SIRS Discoverer: Country Facts. 2013: n.p. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 08 Feb. 2014.
SIRS Issues Researcher
1. I clicked on "Marijuana, Law and legislation" in the Pro vs. Con Leading Issues section of SIRS Issues Researcher. It has an overview of the topic under "At Issue:" and has sides for and against and major arguments under "Pro/Con Issues and Essential Questions." Sources are broken down into newspapers, magazines, viewpoints, reference, graphics, and webselect sites. These can be sorted either by date, or lexile level. The research tools are interesting with the little icons such as the timeline, statistics, or note organizer. All of these would be beneficial for 6 through 12 grade in research skills and report writing.
2. Under "Curriculum Pathfinders," I selected Algebra. It has a wide variety of information on the subject, such as articles on whether or not the subject is required for high school graduation, a dictionary/encyclopedia entry defining the subject, as well as summaries and addresses for websites that can help you practice your algebra skills online.
Common Core Connections
5.R.1.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
In teaching this standard, I would want students to be able to "identify multiple credible sources" and "use digital sources to locate information to answer a question and solve a problem" as it is written in the I Can statement versions of the standard.
I would ask students to provide 3 facts on the 2014 Winter Olympics from three credible digital sources using SIRS Discoverer. If they type in "Winter Olympics 2014 in the search box, they will get 30 results broken down into newspapers, magazines, reference, graphics, and webFind sites. If they chose a graphic, they could include a picture of the Laura Biathlon and Ski Complex in Souchi, Russia, to share the location of the games. If they chose a webFind site, they could watch a video on how athletes train for the Winter Olympics in a certain sport (snowboard cross, for example). In they chose a magazine article, they could tell about how female ski jumpers will get to copete at the Olympic games (from ScienceSpin magazine). This lesson could follow lessons on using SIRS and its features and how to decide if a source digital or print is credible. It is nice for teachers and librarians to have the common core link so you can quickly check standards in the grade level you are preparing for. The standard I chose above, 5.R.1.7, would go along with Fifth Grade's Reading Content Standards Indicator 5: Students can access, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate informational texts.
1. I looked up ocelot in the SIRS Disoverer search box, and it gave me fifty different options to check out including 4 newspapers, 27 magazines, 13 reference sources, and 5 graphics. The ones with the camera icon do have pictures of the cat. 12 of the articles would be on a typical elementary school student's lexile range (1st to 5th). Of course the articles can be used in many ways and all would not necessarily have to be read completely in order to find out information about the ocelot.
2. In Country Facts, I selected St. Kitts and Nevis. According to SIRS Discoverer, "St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere." I thought it was interesting that the country didn't gain its independence from Great Britain until 1983 and that St. Kitts was earlier named by Christopher Columbus.
Next, I looked at the map for St. Kitts and Nevis under the maps of the world link in the Database Features section. For teaching purposes, I could ask students to find out from the map what body of water this country lies in, what is the country's capital city's name, or what other countries besides Great Britain colonized in this area.
I also selected the Fiction section of the Database features. This is a great way to add fiction from literary magazines to the classroom/library that don't fit into the school or library's budget. I found a story called "The Perfect Valentine," by Teresa A. DiNcola and illustrated by Marsha Winborn, which could be used this week! There are topics and subtopics listed to the right hand side of the screen that allow you to narrow your search, too.
Works Cited
"St. Kitts and Nevis." SIRS Discoverer: Country Facts. 2013: n.p. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 08 Feb. 2014.
SIRS Issues Researcher
1. I clicked on "Marijuana, Law and legislation" in the Pro vs. Con Leading Issues section of SIRS Issues Researcher. It has an overview of the topic under "At Issue:" and has sides for and against and major arguments under "Pro/Con Issues and Essential Questions." Sources are broken down into newspapers, magazines, viewpoints, reference, graphics, and webselect sites. These can be sorted either by date, or lexile level. The research tools are interesting with the little icons such as the timeline, statistics, or note organizer. All of these would be beneficial for 6 through 12 grade in research skills and report writing.
2. Under "Curriculum Pathfinders," I selected Algebra. It has a wide variety of information on the subject, such as articles on whether or not the subject is required for high school graduation, a dictionary/encyclopedia entry defining the subject, as well as summaries and addresses for websites that can help you practice your algebra skills online.
Common Core Connections
- Strand: Informational Text
- Anchor Standard: Integration of Knowledge
- Grade Level: 5
5.R.1.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
In teaching this standard, I would want students to be able to "identify multiple credible sources" and "use digital sources to locate information to answer a question and solve a problem" as it is written in the I Can statement versions of the standard.
I would ask students to provide 3 facts on the 2014 Winter Olympics from three credible digital sources using SIRS Discoverer. If they type in "Winter Olympics 2014 in the search box, they will get 30 results broken down into newspapers, magazines, reference, graphics, and webFind sites. If they chose a graphic, they could include a picture of the Laura Biathlon and Ski Complex in Souchi, Russia, to share the location of the games. If they chose a webFind site, they could watch a video on how athletes train for the Winter Olympics in a certain sport (snowboard cross, for example). In they chose a magazine article, they could tell about how female ski jumpers will get to copete at the Olympic games (from ScienceSpin magazine). This lesson could follow lessons on using SIRS and its features and how to decide if a source digital or print is credible. It is nice for teachers and librarians to have the common core link so you can quickly check standards in the grade level you are preparing for. The standard I chose above, 5.R.1.7, would go along with Fifth Grade's Reading Content Standards Indicator 5: Students can access, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate informational texts.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Lesson 3: Learning Express Library
Basic Discovery Exercise:
1. I set up an account in Learning Express Library, and looked through the available exams. It offers materials for 4th grade to adult with current practice exams, self-paced courses, and e-books.
2. I chose 4th Grade Algebra and Patterns: Practice 1. I got 14 out of 15 right. I think having tests like these available for kids and adults is good. School districts will be moving towards having more online and standardized type tests, so any practice students can get on these before taking ones that "count" will help them become familiar with taking online exams.
3. Under career resources, I added the course Great Resumes. It's always a good idea to keep your resume updated, even if you aren't looking for a job. Different sources may recommend different things, but some things are stressed regardless of where you look. You can always compare several and see what works best for you and the job you are applying for or audience who will view it.
4. I searched under teaching as a career topic, and found an e-book that looked interesting. I selected Best Careers For Teachers. This book has chapters on many teacher-related careers and guides you through the process of considering if they would or would not be a good fit for you. There are jobs tutoring, assisting homeschooling families, editing, writing, teaching online, and several more.
Common Core Connections:
ELA Reading Standards: Fundamental Skills
Anchor Standard: Fluency
Grade Level: 4
Standard:
4.RF.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
To teach the standard above using Learning Express Library, I would have fourth grade students add an e-test: Fourth Grade Reading Practice: Poetry 1 to their center and then start the test. They could practice reading the poem out loud to work on fluency and accuracy while reading poetry aloud, and then take the 5 questions test at the end to see how the did as far as comprehension for that poem. If the comprehension is not there the first read-through, students can go back and re-read and look through the answers they did incorrectly.
1. I set up an account in Learning Express Library, and looked through the available exams. It offers materials for 4th grade to adult with current practice exams, self-paced courses, and e-books.
2. I chose 4th Grade Algebra and Patterns: Practice 1. I got 14 out of 15 right. I think having tests like these available for kids and adults is good. School districts will be moving towards having more online and standardized type tests, so any practice students can get on these before taking ones that "count" will help them become familiar with taking online exams.
3. Under career resources, I added the course Great Resumes. It's always a good idea to keep your resume updated, even if you aren't looking for a job. Different sources may recommend different things, but some things are stressed regardless of where you look. You can always compare several and see what works best for you and the job you are applying for or audience who will view it.
4. I searched under teaching as a career topic, and found an e-book that looked interesting. I selected Best Careers For Teachers. This book has chapters on many teacher-related careers and guides you through the process of considering if they would or would not be a good fit for you. There are jobs tutoring, assisting homeschooling families, editing, writing, teaching online, and several more.
Common Core Connections:
ELA Reading Standards: Fundamental Skills
Anchor Standard: Fluency
Grade Level: 4
Standard:
4.RF.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
To teach the standard above using Learning Express Library, I would have fourth grade students add an e-test: Fourth Grade Reading Practice: Poetry 1 to their center and then start the test. They could practice reading the poem out loud to work on fluency and accuracy while reading poetry aloud, and then take the 5 questions test at the end to see how the did as far as comprehension for that poem. If the comprehension is not there the first read-through, students can go back and re-read and look through the answers they did incorrectly.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Lesson 2: Mango Languages
1. In Mango, I chose the language Swahili, since I had students who spoke this language in the Elementary Immersion Center at Jane Addams in the Sioux Falls School District from 2009-2012. It looks like there are 50 million people who speak Swahili as a 1st or 2nd language in the Demorcratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Oman, and Tanzania.
2. I tried out a lesson in Swahili. I think the program would be very helpful to anyone interested in learning another language. I like the fact that you can replay what was said if you need to if you didn't catch it the first time, or just want to clarify and try it again. I liked the grammar notes, which compared Swahili to English, and the cultural note, which talked about common names. I did have a Fatuma and Halima as students. The pronunciation/voice comparison was interesting, too. Even if it sounds "right" to us, it is a good way to check and see how close we are getting to the real thing.
I didn't really like the timer thing. I'd prefer to try saying it on my own time. I'm not sure why they added this, unless they want you to complete the lesson in a certain amount of time and this is supposed to keep you on schedule.
Common Core Connections:
1. Mango Languages could help meet the Language standards in English Language Arts in a students wanted to add a word from another language to a writing assignment.
L.3.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for effect.
Perhaps a word would make a better effect or emphasis in another language at some part of an essay or fictional story. A student could use this word, and then consult Mango Languages to check its spelling.
3.L.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
g. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.
For example, if an elementary student wanted to use a French word that they recalled from one of Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy, stories, but couldn't remember how to spell it, they could use Mango Languages to check out the spelling of the word. Or, once in Mango Languages, they could go to the Translate tab, and type in the word or words in English: thank you, click translate, and see the French equivalent: merci. Or type in English: goodbye, translate, and get in French: au revoir.
2. I tried out a lesson in Swahili. I think the program would be very helpful to anyone interested in learning another language. I like the fact that you can replay what was said if you need to if you didn't catch it the first time, or just want to clarify and try it again. I liked the grammar notes, which compared Swahili to English, and the cultural note, which talked about common names. I did have a Fatuma and Halima as students. The pronunciation/voice comparison was interesting, too. Even if it sounds "right" to us, it is a good way to check and see how close we are getting to the real thing.
I didn't really like the timer thing. I'd prefer to try saying it on my own time. I'm not sure why they added this, unless they want you to complete the lesson in a certain amount of time and this is supposed to keep you on schedule.
Common Core Connections:
1. Mango Languages could help meet the Language standards in English Language Arts in a students wanted to add a word from another language to a writing assignment.
L.3.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for effect.
Perhaps a word would make a better effect or emphasis in another language at some part of an essay or fictional story. A student could use this word, and then consult Mango Languages to check its spelling.
3.L.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
g. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.
For example, if an elementary student wanted to use a French word that they recalled from one of Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy, stories, but couldn't remember how to spell it, they could use Mango Languages to check out the spelling of the word. Or, once in Mango Languages, they could go to the Translate tab, and type in the word or words in English: thank you, click translate, and see the French equivalent: merci. Or type in English: goodbye, translate, and get in French: au revoir.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Lesson 2: Chilton Library
Using Chilton Library online, I looked up my car: a 2009 Toyota Pruis.
1. The Maintenance Schedule is not available for my car.
2. The most recent technical service bulletin, CP-ZTV-A110-D, is to extend warranty coverage for the Instrument Panel Combination Meter on 2004 to 2009 Model Year Prius vehicles. It was issued on 9/30/2013.
3. When I click on the repair tab, it says I have been logged out of my session and doesn't show anything on the "tree" on the left.
Common Core Connection:
5.R.I.7:
For a lesson using Chilton Library for 5th grade ELA in the area of Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, I would have students look up and compare and contrast two of the following: a newspaper article, a t.v. news story, or news magazine article on the topic of a recall for a popular vehicle.
For example, the Toyota Prius had a pedal recall in 2009. This can be looked up on Chilton, and then articles looked up about this recall can be compared.
1. Here is one from foxnews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/11/25/toyota-to-replace-4-million-gas-pedals-after-crashes/
2. Here is one from greencarreports.com
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1043253_2004-2009-toyota-prius-recall-will-reshape-accelerator-pedal
The take on the story could be compared and contrasted from the different sources. Is a consumer reports or newsweek article different from a letter to the editor?
I used Chilton at a public library in Waynesboro, Virginia, where I was put at the reference desk even though I was the children's librarian because they didn't have a desk for me yet. That was the only time I have used it. It seems to me to be more a source for adults or at least driver-age patrons and more for public library than school library use.
1. The Maintenance Schedule is not available for my car.
2. The most recent technical service bulletin, CP-ZTV-A110-D, is to extend warranty coverage for the Instrument Panel Combination Meter on 2004 to 2009 Model Year Prius vehicles. It was issued on 9/30/2013.
3. When I click on the repair tab, it says I have been logged out of my session and doesn't show anything on the "tree" on the left.
Common Core Connection:
5.R.I.7:
For a lesson using Chilton Library for 5th grade ELA in the area of Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, I would have students look up and compare and contrast two of the following: a newspaper article, a t.v. news story, or news magazine article on the topic of a recall for a popular vehicle.
For example, the Toyota Prius had a pedal recall in 2009. This can be looked up on Chilton, and then articles looked up about this recall can be compared.
1. Here is one from foxnews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/11/25/toyota-to-replace-4-million-gas-pedals-after-crashes/
2. Here is one from greencarreports.com
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1043253_2004-2009-toyota-prius-recall-will-reshape-accelerator-pedal
The take on the story could be compared and contrasted from the different sources. Is a consumer reports or newsweek article different from a letter to the editor?
I used Chilton at a public library in Waynesboro, Virginia, where I was put at the reference desk even though I was the children's librarian because they didn't have a desk for me yet. That was the only time I have used it. It seems to me to be more a source for adults or at least driver-age patrons and more for public library than school library use.
Lesson 1: World Book
Basic Discovery Exercise:
1. Using World Book Kids, I looked up information on hamsters, since I am reading The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney to my K, 1st and 2nd grade classes. World Book kids has a little information on habitat--they are native to Asia. The print is large, which is good for our youngest searchers.
3. Using World Book Advanced to look up Norway, I see there are many choices of what types of documents you'd like to look at on the left side bar. Once you choose one of these, it will give you the choices under that type of document or if it is an article, break down the sections into more specific sub-topics. In the tool box, e-mail and print are options patrons might want to use often, and on the right, the link to align the subject with content standards would be helpful for teachers and teacher/librarians.
4. In World Book Discover, I went to History and Government, and clicked on Government. The article can be read in Spanish or French, translated into 29 other languages, or read aloud to the viewer. You can choose to have it read faster or slower, and as the computer voice reads to you, it highlights the words so you can follow along. This is a great feature for English Language Learners.
Common Core Connections:
ELA standard 2.RI.7: Explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text.
For this lesson, I will have students use World Book Kids to look up their grade's country. Second graders have China. I would ask them to type China in the search box and then list one map, one video, and one picture that help them form their concept of China.
1. What does a map of China tell you about that country? Is it large or small? What might the weather be like there?
2. What is one picture that can tell you something about China? The flag (what does the color red mean?); the great wall of China picture (is it long or short?); or the crowded road in Shanghai (are there lots of people who live there or only a few?)
3. What is one video that can tell you more about China? Listen to "The Great Wall of China" or " WB explains: Who was the first emperor of China?" Does this give you information on China's history?
Fiction connections: Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Imperial China; Tofu Quilt; Day of the Dragon King
1. Using World Book Kids, I looked up information on hamsters, since I am reading The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney to my K, 1st and 2nd grade classes. World Book kids has a little information on habitat--they are native to Asia. The print is large, which is good for our youngest searchers.
2. Using World Book Student, there is more information given when you look up the topic of hamsters. They add to the fact they are native to Asia that they are also native to Europe, and that they like to burrow and have separate places for nesting, eating, and relieving their bodily functions.
There is definitely more information, but it is also smaller print.
3. Using World Book Advanced to look up Norway, I see there are many choices of what types of documents you'd like to look at on the left side bar. Once you choose one of these, it will give you the choices under that type of document or if it is an article, break down the sections into more specific sub-topics. In the tool box, e-mail and print are options patrons might want to use often, and on the right, the link to align the subject with content standards would be helpful for teachers and teacher/librarians.
4. In World Book Discover, I went to History and Government, and clicked on Government. The article can be read in Spanish or French, translated into 29 other languages, or read aloud to the viewer. You can choose to have it read faster or slower, and as the computer voice reads to you, it highlights the words so you can follow along. This is a great feature for English Language Learners.
Common Core Connections:
ELA standard 2.RI.7: Explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text.
For this lesson, I will have students use World Book Kids to look up their grade's country. Second graders have China. I would ask them to type China in the search box and then list one map, one video, and one picture that help them form their concept of China.
1. What does a map of China tell you about that country? Is it large or small? What might the weather be like there?
2. What is one picture that can tell you something about China? The flag (what does the color red mean?); the great wall of China picture (is it long or short?); or the crowded road in Shanghai (are there lots of people who live there or only a few?)
3. What is one video that can tell you more about China? Listen to "The Great Wall of China" or " WB explains: Who was the first emperor of China?" Does this give you information on China's history?
Fiction connections: Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Imperial China; Tofu Quilt; Day of the Dragon King
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Background and Blog Purpose
My name is Beth Wells, and I am currently the librarian at Journey Elementary School in the Harrisburg School District. I also work part time for Harrisburg Community Library. I have worked in three different public libraries and three different elementary school libraries with a little over ten years experience in library work settings and about five years combined expereince tutoring, teaching college composition courses, and subbing.
I'm looking forward to completing the electronic resources challenge so I can share some new ideas on researching and finding information with my 400+ Kindergarten through Fifth grade students at Journey! I love learning great ideas from other librarians, too, that I can put into my own lessons and programs.
1. I looked at the World Book Kids first, which we have a link to from our elementary library pages in the Harrisburg School District. I really like how it has the larger font size and isn't too overwhelming for younger searchers. Our school will be following the Winter Olympics, and each grade will focus on a country: Canada, Norway, China, Germany, Finland, and Sweden. I used the search topic "Canada" to see what would come up. For World Book Kids, it had three main sections to choose from: Articles, Pictures, and Maps. The read aloud is a great feature for students who can't read yet themselves or for English Language Learners. It is a bit odd and computerized sounding, but something is better than nothing if you don't know what it says to begin with.
It looks like World Book Discover would be a good complement to World Book Kids, if you need other types of sources. It adds tables, sounds, websites and timelines.
2. I also checked out World Book Student. If you have upper elementary students who are looking for more in depth information on their subject or topic and they are good readers, they may want to switch to this database. Like World Book Kids, it has Articles, Pictures and Maps, but it goes on to add timelines sounds, tables and websites (like World Book Discover adds, too) as well as research guides, videos, a dictionary, historical maps, special reports, and back in time articles. Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade students may want to delve in to the history of the olympic country they are following, and this site would provide them with back in time articles. Our elementary students study explorers and the American Revolution in their classrooms, and the maps are helpful for these studies.
3. I think World Book Kids and World Book Student should usually cover what my students need to find out when searching for information on their reading level, but in certain cases, older students might want to consult World Book Advanced which adds e-books, primary sources, U.S. Supreme Court Cases, and U.S. Presidential Papers. Even if they can't or don't read an entire document from one of these sections, they may be excited to see the real thing--those primary sources.
I'm looking forward to completing the electronic resources challenge so I can share some new ideas on researching and finding information with my 400+ Kindergarten through Fifth grade students at Journey! I love learning great ideas from other librarians, too, that I can put into my own lessons and programs.
1. I looked at the World Book Kids first, which we have a link to from our elementary library pages in the Harrisburg School District. I really like how it has the larger font size and isn't too overwhelming for younger searchers. Our school will be following the Winter Olympics, and each grade will focus on a country: Canada, Norway, China, Germany, Finland, and Sweden. I used the search topic "Canada" to see what would come up. For World Book Kids, it had three main sections to choose from: Articles, Pictures, and Maps. The read aloud is a great feature for students who can't read yet themselves or for English Language Learners. It is a bit odd and computerized sounding, but something is better than nothing if you don't know what it says to begin with.
It looks like World Book Discover would be a good complement to World Book Kids, if you need other types of sources. It adds tables, sounds, websites and timelines.
2. I also checked out World Book Student. If you have upper elementary students who are looking for more in depth information on their subject or topic and they are good readers, they may want to switch to this database. Like World Book Kids, it has Articles, Pictures and Maps, but it goes on to add timelines sounds, tables and websites (like World Book Discover adds, too) as well as research guides, videos, a dictionary, historical maps, special reports, and back in time articles. Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade students may want to delve in to the history of the olympic country they are following, and this site would provide them with back in time articles. Our elementary students study explorers and the American Revolution in their classrooms, and the maps are helpful for these studies.
3. I think World Book Kids and World Book Student should usually cover what my students need to find out when searching for information on their reading level, but in certain cases, older students might want to consult World Book Advanced which adds e-books, primary sources, U.S. Supreme Court Cases, and U.S. Presidential Papers. Even if they can't or don't read an entire document from one of these sections, they may be excited to see the real thing--those primary sources.
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