Library News

Ancient Mesopotamia -        http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu         Has a virtual dig in Iraq and teaching materials. LearntobeHaelthy.org -         www.LearntobeHealthy.org         Learning modules containing sequenced activities , many interactive. MakeBeliefsComix.com  -         www.makebeliefscomix.com  Create your own comix.   Can be used for writing activites          Primary Access -        www.primaryaccess.org        Students can make movies, storyboards, or rebus stories using primary sources.

Three World Geography teachers recently collaborated to get their students more familiar with the United States. In groups of two they planned a trip in one of the regions of the country. We set up a wiki for the students to use to guide their research and the students spent 3 days in the library and computer labs planning their trip and producing a power point, a scrapbook, or a collage. The students were very enthusiastic about the assignment. A teacher who came in observed that some of the students who are sleeping through her class were working with interest on this. Our wiki can be found at http://warriorlibrary.pbworks.com under the pathfinders.

In the professional library, we have a new book on collaborative research projects that I finally had time to read. There are several units which could be adapted for most curriculum. Some examples are units on WWII, the Holocaust, To Kill a Mocking bird , Animal Farm, and Shakespeare using stations. The students listen, write, use map skills, watch a video, and produce something on the computer. There are also more traditional research units on drugs, alcohol, and smoking, evil characters in history, Edgar Allan Poe, rocks and minerals, nations of the world, etc.I would be happy to work with anyone on adapting one of these units to your needs.

Welcome to my new way of communicating with the Warren faculty. I thought I would start by listing the things the library staff can do for you and your students. Here’s what we can do:

• Collaboratively plan, teach, and assess research activities for your students.
• Recommend and obtain curricular resources to extend your classroom resources. (Please let me know of any videos, books or magazines you might want.)
• Present book talks for your classes. (This is very useful for the students when they need to get a non-fiction book or a biography.)
• Prepare bibliographies, Web pages, and pathfinders to support student research. ( I hope to set up some wikis for students research also)
• Prepare reading lists.
• Gather needed materials from other libraries. (If you don’t know about inter-library loan just ask. If we don’t have what you want I may be able to find it)
• Provide in-service training in information literacy and information technologies. (Recently I have done some workshops on setting up iGoogle pages and RSS feeds. If you  have a group that wants this let me know. If you want some quick help, just stop by or email me.)
• Help you produce instuctional materials.
• Integrate information skills into your units of study.
• Provide guidance on documentation and the ethical use of nformation. (I can give instruction on using Noodletools for this)
• Provide AV media.
• Teach curriculum-related information skills with you.
• Brainstorm project ideas and instuctional strategies.
• Place materials on reserve so they will be more equitably availablel to all students for the length of a project.

Ask us for:

• journal list
• list of available databases with passwords
• list of great websites on areas you’ll be covering