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.