Elementary: Biography: websites and CD Roms

[Kathleen Finnerty <Kathsaturn@AOL.COM>]

Hi everyone,

I am just a few weeks short of receiving my MLS degree and desperately need
help with a project for my "Using Media as an Educational Tool" course.  I
need to come up with two lessons plans on biography.  Other lesson plans were
of graphical, audio and video nature, but for these last two I must use the
Internet for one, and some type of software for the other.

Do any of you know of any good websites for biographies for the fourth grade
level?  I have previously used Helen Keller as an example, and we read parts
of her autobiography as well as biographies written by her.  We've also
listened to her speak and watched "The Miracle Worker" (not a biography, but
they were really interested in Helen Keller!!)  I'm basically looking for a
site that students can type in the name of an individual they are interested
in and receive accurate biographical (or even autobiographical) information.


For the second lesson, I need to get my hands on a description of a CD-ROM
that has been designed specifically for this purpose.  I have checked several
computer stores in their educational software sections, but have yet to find
something.  I don't need to purchase the CD-ROM, just basically be able to
describe how it can work in a library environment with a class of 30 fourth
graders.  If such an animal exists, I would appreciate any detail you could
give me on the CD-ROM (how it works, title, distributor).  Also, any websites
would be extremely helpful.  Unfortunately we've got school break this week,
and being on AOL, using Netscape Navigator is an extremely slow process that
has never produced anything for me.  I can use the University's Netscape next
week but would prefer to get this project finished ASAP.

Thanks in advance for your help, now and in the past.  When I'm a "real"
school media specialist in the fall, hopefully I will be able to help some of
you!

Kathleen Finnerty
University at Albany
School of Information Science and Policy
MLS-School Media Concentration student
Graduation date:  May 18, 1997!!!!