Several people requested a hit on these. This is just a guideline for me as I teach
the in-service. You may customize it to fit your needs. Our databases include Gale
Group, Digital Knowledge Central and Facts on File. The web sites listed are the
ones our district would use. Digital Knowledge Central is offered by the Region 20
Education Service Center in Texas. We pay a per student subscription rate. Their
web site is www.esc20.net
I also put together a brochure listing web sites with usernames and passwords for
the teachers to take with them. If you want it, I'll be glad to send you the
attachment. It's done in Microsoft Publisher.
Digital Knowledge Central
Digital Knowledge Central databases
http://dkc.esc20.net/dkclibraries.htm
Schoolwide account
Can set up a shortcut on your desktop and ones in the computer lab for kids to use.
Must use Username and Password
Can access from home. We will have a link from the library web page, but students
will need to remember the school username and password to use. These can’t be
posted on the web page.
Encyclopedia Britannica. There are two versions, regular and Spanish. Top box is
regular, bottom is Spanish. Let’s go into the regular version.
Username is !@#poolville Those symbols are Shift+123 Password is Ktwelve
These are case sensitive.
You can see that within this there are also variations: a regular version, a
student version, an elementary version, a concise version (with shorter articles),
an Internet guide and video and media. You can search each one separately or any
and all at once.
Example: tornadoes, searching the elementary version, the Internet guide and videos.
Elementary version shows me 5 encyclopedia articles: one on weather, which makes
sense; ones on the United States and census, which doesn’t; and ones on Kansas and
Oklahoma, which does because we know tornadoes occur there. It gives you a brief
description so you can determine which one is best for your purpose.
The Internet Guide lists the top 3 sites out of 18 with brief descriptions for your
review. You can also take a look at the rest of the 18 if the top 3 don’t have what
you want.
Videos aren’t listed so maybe there aren’t any available.
Let’s go into the weather article. Scroll through. Point out MLA, APA and
Britannica bibliography citations at end.
Back to Internet guide and select tornadoes. Shows amazing photos of tornadoes with
descriptions. Go back and check other two links. One is from USA Today, a reliable
source, which also lists other sources to check. The last one is interesting
because it lists myths and facts about tornadoes, precautions to take, how to
recognize the signs of a tornado, etc.
Besides what you checked: elementary version, Internet guide and video, the search
also gives you links to journal and magazine articles for grades 1-5, 6-12 and the
concise version.
Go back to Britannica Start Page to look at “What are some other ways to find
information?” The Timeline and Atlas are some neat features. Check out the Student
Timeline feature. Click on Exploration and wait for it to load. Move the arrow to
the time period you want to check or type in a year. Example: 1927 lists info on
Charles Lindbergh and his nonstop transatlantic solo flight. Click on “Learn more”
for even more info, which shows up in the first window. World Atlas offers online
maps.
Back on Start Page. There are also the dictionary and thesaurus features at the
bottom.
Newsbank This database offers news articles covering social, economic, environment,
government, sports, the arts, people, health and science issues and events from U.
S. and international newspapers, wire services, broadcasts, magazines and science
and health journals dating back to 1986. Also has a Kids page that explores events
and facts and includes curriculum –related games, pictures and activities.
Special reports listed across the top: War on Terrorism, Iraq, Our Environment.
Let’s start with KidsPage by clicking on Start Search. See how page is organized
with photo graphics into subject areas. Let’s click on Sports, then Olympics. See
how it comes up with articles from sources such as Weekly Reader and Sports
Illustrated for Kids. A dog symbol indicates articles good for early readers and
links to maps and projects to go with each subject is also available. Explore some
available activities such as “how to create a cartoon character.”
Go back to Newsbank home. Check out regular database by clicking on Start Search.
Try an Olympics search here. This same search gives you articles from some
well-known newspapers around the country as well as Sports Illustrated. These are
better suited for older students. However, on the right, it also gives you links to
try the same search on the kids page as well as related topics such as Junior and
Special Olympics. There’s also a link to state educational standards.
Try searching a topic you might use in either database from Newsbank.
Ebsco This database includes a collection of databases such as ERIC that include
full-text periodical articles for both student research and teacher professional
development. Also has a Spanish and “Searchasauras kids version.
Let’s start with Ebscohost Web. Review databases and descriptions there.
Demonstrate how to search the different ones separately or together. Point out the
Professional Development database that can be used when writing grants or working
on graduate courses. Click on Title List under that database to show which
periodicals are included. Allow teachers explore the different areas on their own.
Go back and try Searchasaurus. Compare with Newbank kids page. Try a search for
photos.
Gale Group Research Databases
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/tlc119014595
Password is lonestar
This set of databases is a lot like Ebsco in that it includes several different
databases suitable for different purposes. It also includes a professional
collection of educational periodicals and journals, a Spanish database, an author’s
series and the Texas almanac. Review all databases and descriptions.
Go into Texas Almanac database. Type in Poolville and select the “Cities and Towns”
chapter from the list. Four articles containing the town’s name. Look at type of
information presented.
Check out Twayne’s Author Series: biographies, genre or time period searches, world
authors, U.S. authors, English authors.
General Resource Center Gold, Student Resource Center Gold, Student Resource Health
Module, Kids Edition for elementary.
Facts on File
http://www.factsonfile.com
Click on databases in upper right corner.
Username: region11
Password: region11fof
Review databases and descriptions. Note it includes careers, personal and business
forms, which are different from what the others offer.
Go into Science database and look at experiments. Search by different levels. Look
at weather section, click on tornados. There is an experiment available at the 9-12
grade level. Each experiment lists time, resources and safety precautions needed,
along with printable handouts, instructions and guidelines.
Do a search selecting your grade level and subject.
This database also offers scientist biographies, timelines, essays, diagrams and
definitions.
Check out history and geography databases to look at maps and timelines, other info
offered.
Check out career database: Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center. Includes career
descriptions, jobs available in each field, scholarships offered and skills needed
for specific jobs.
Project: Using DKC, Gale Group or Facts on File, find resources needed to put
together a project or lesson for your class. Be sure to list the database used and
article titles so you can find them again later.
Lunch break or end of session (give out certificates).
Jeri Calcote
District Library Media Specialist
Poolville (TX) I.S.D.
calcote@cox-internet.com
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