In an attempt to learn more about resources at my disposal from the South Dakota Public Library, I'm posting this blog with my lessons of discovery. I hope to be a better and more enlightened junior high teacher by the time I'm finished with this challenge. Thanks for your participation in my endeavor!
~Lucky Mom
Lesson 1A--World Book School Edition
World Book Kids
I read about Australian dingoes. These wild dogs came to the continent with the Aborigines. They kill wallabies and sheep while hunting alone or in groups. Fences are put up to stop that from happening, and poison is used to kill the dingoes.
World Book Students
World Book Student included more detailed information such as a time frame for when the dingoes came to the continent and how tall they are as well as how much they weigh. Pros and cons about the dingoes make the article more attractive for older students. A link is provided for aligning to SD Content Standards, and the scientific classification appears at the bottom of the article. A tool to highlight the searched term is an addition to the World Book Students version.
World Book Advanced
As a history teacher, I appreciated the primary sources available and the fact that they're plainly labeled as such for students. The categories of information on the left side makes narrowing down what I'll actually open up much quicker. The correlation to South Dakota Content Standards is a surprising plus to me as well. From my perspective again, having had non-readers in class, the feature that provides for the text to be read aloud is invaluable.
World Book Discover
The read-aloud toolbar is an amazing feature. It can not only read the text aloud, but could help the patron become a better reader by highlighting the text being read word-by-word.
Advanced Challenge
(I'm not really an overachiever. I did this section by mistake, but found it useful nonetheless, so here are my ideas for whatever they're worth! :) )
- I went into the "Maps and More" section as I also teach geography. I was able to quickly click on the map of the area I was searching for and drill down to get a printable blank map with a compass rose and map scale as well as a flag that could be completed by the students. Good stuff!
- I was amazed at what I found here. I use current events quite often in my classes, so I went to the "Behind the Headlines" link. Here I found today's news with a built-in dictionary for the vocabular words. There was also a current events game in which my students would get immediate results that can also be e-mailed to me as their teacher. I love it!
- Students would love the citation information as well as the related websites. I found a memory game about Mark Twain. Students wouldn't even realize they were learning!
- My own students would get a great deal of use out of the timelines feature. I love that they can create and save their own timelines. They would also love the citation builder feature for use in their presentations and projects.
Common Core Connections
(Yup, did this one by mistake too! I found it extremely valuable, however.)
I decided to take on the 7.G.1 benchmark-Analyze information from geographic representation, tools, and technology to define location, place, and region. As this is a seventh grade geography class, I decided to use the World Book Student "Compare Places" feature. I plan to do a lesson correlating with the upcoming Winter Olympics by comparing the United States to other countries participating in the Olympics. Students will choose a country in which they're interested and compare types of government, land area, population, etc. Then, we'll apply some of our math skills to figure things like population density of each. Students will take notes on the "Compare and Contrast" graphic organizer which is also provided on the site Students will then prepare a slide show to teach the rest of the class about the location, climate, type of government, and the people of the country.
Lesson 1B--World Book Online Public Library Edition
World Book Online Kids
Clouded leopards are so named because of their cloud-like markings. These cats live in Asia and are unique in the fact that they can climb down headfirst and hang upside down on branches. They hunt other tropical jungle animals like monkeys and wild hogs. Males may be six feet long and about 45 pounds, living to about 15 years of age in captivity.
World Book Online Info Finder
The information here provided a link to a website with a wealth of information on the clouded leopard and ways that one can help save these threatened animals. The citation information was much more detailed and there is an opportunity to save one's research as well as to dig deeper into the related articles and a "Back in Time Articles" feature. Both sites offer a read-aloud feature, but this one adds a built-in dictionary.
World Book Online Reference Center
I chose to search for information about Bolivia since my students study the geography of the Western Hemisphere. Some of the most valuable links for my students' purposes include maps, historical maps, and primary sources including letters in presidential papers of several of the U.S. presidents. Links to newspapers in Bolivia would give Spanish-speaking students a chance to enlighten the rest of the class by reading a pertinent article to the rest of us.
Lesson 1C--World Book Foreign Language Edition
World Book Foreign Language Edition
Until this activity, I hadn't thought that much about the importance of the visual dictionary. Not being able to speak Spanish, I was at the mercy of the photos to choose an animal, just like an ELL student or a non-reader may be in my own classroom. The read-aloud feature could help to familiarize my students or me with the foreign language being used. Being able to move back and forth between the World Book Foreign Language Edition and the World Book Kids Edition was educational and potentially useful for me as a teacher. Again, teaching geography, I want my students to be familiar with all aspects of the country, language included. Hearing the language being spoken makes the lesson that much richer!
Lesson 2
Chilton Library
After entering the data about my vehicle (a 2011 Buick Regal), I found some items that will need to be taken care of upon reaching 25,000 miles (no 30,000 mile option for this vehicle). They suggest that I inspect the accessory drive belts, inspect the evaporative control system, and replace the passenger compartment air filter. In the notes below the maintenance chart, the manual recommends replacing the brake fluid every two years as well.
The most recent technical bulletin was dated October 7, 2013 and discussed the replacement of the radio being an issue because some of the replacement radios were not the same as the original radio and may require different programming. The manual recommends checking the part number on the radio with those listed in the bulletin to be sure the correct programming is used.
The information about the brakes on my vehicle was very technical. (I have new appreciation for my brothers and father who are all mechanics!) There was information about an automated brake bleed which may be required in some cases such as the brake pedals being at the wrong height or having the wrong feel. Something I found interesting and kind of scary was how caustic brake fluids apparently are. Warnings were given in the preface about getting any of this on the electrical system, painted surfaces, or human skin. The same section gave warnings about sanding brakes due to that making the asbestos airborne, a well-known hazard.
Mango Languages
In anticipation of the Winter Olympics, I chose to explore the Russian language. I learned that it is the primary language for 164 million people, and a secondary language for 114 million. These people are mostly in Russia and countries formerly a part of the Soviet Union and in San Javier. Within the lesson, I learned that, unlike Americans who greet the same person with a "hi" more than once in the same day, Russians would simply smile or nod their head rather than say the word for "hi." In the short introduction, I found out that coffee is sipped through a sugar cube in Russia. Clever!
I, however, wasn't so clever in choosing Russian. What a tough language! The pronunciations are so unfamiliar and the letters so different from our alphabet. I liked the step-by-step approach to learning the language, giving me the opportunity to become familiar with one simple task before moving on. I also loved the replay button! The chapters are divided logically into situations in which a traveler may find herself in a foreign country. The only thing not to like was the level of difficulty in the chosen language. My fault!
