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Product Update for SIRS Discoverer
December 12, 2005INFOhio provides this information from the SIRS
Discoverer™ and WebFind™ newsletter and is not responsible for
the content or the reliability of Web links. Your INFOhio username and password may be
needed to open some links.
WHAT'S NEW @ SIRS
Our product development team is constantly reviewing customer feedback and making changes
to our learning resources to meet your needs. Several updates to our SIRS family of
products were recently completed and we wanted to bring them to your attention.
Political Cartoons in Discoverer
Discoverer now provides political cartoons geared for the younger
researcher, from noteworthy sources including Junior Scholastic, Scholastic News, New
York Times Upfront and Current Events.
Students can learn how to read and decipher political cartoons, as well as understand the
writing devices employed in them (satire, irony, metaphor, etc.). Visit the following
articles to learn more:
Subject Tree Updates
At SIRS, we’re continually reviewing the Discoverer and WebFind
Subject Trees to provide a more comprehensive search function that reflects the carefully
selected content available in the database.
New Subject Tree additions within Discoverer include: Under KID’S
CORNER/Things to Make & Do, a new branch for Maps was created; and under
HISTORY & GOVERNMENT, a new branch for Maps was created.
Also visit ACTIVITIES in the Database Features, to access articles and activities relating
to Editorial Cartoons, Pro/Con discussions, and Maps.
Current Events
Our editorial team updates our SIRS products every day with new articles and resources.
Here's a short list of the timeliest and most topical articles added to your product this
month. Publication dates may vary due to the editorial selection process.
Suggested Research Topics
Tens of thousands of students mine SIRS resources for the latest information on the
leading issues of the day. To help maximize their research time, our Suggested
Research Topics feature offers instant access to relevant articles and resources on
many of the most popular research subjects.
Here's this month's list of hot topics and timely issues in Discoverer:
Caffeine
Cloning Animals
Global Warming
Iraq
Ocelots
Phillis Wheatley
Stepfamilies
Synesthesia
Tennis
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
December is Safe Toys and Gifts month. Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa traditionally
present opportunities for parents and relatives to provide toys and gifts to children.
Holidays are also the time when children travel with their parents to visit relatives, or
visit warm weather or cold weather vacation sites. Students in grades K-8 should be aware
of any hazards that may be encountered with any of these holiday activities and in any of
the gifts that they may receive.
Activity: Students will enjoy researching and sharing information on the importance of
safety during the holidays. Oral reports of about two minutes, on various aspects of
safety, give students and opportunity to share their new knowledge and also to develop
essential language arts skills.
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Click Subject Headings search option. |
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Type safety in the Search box. |
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A list of 75 subject headings will be included in the Results list. |
Select and assign each student a specific subject to research from the list that may be
connected to holiday travel, vacations, and gifts.
| TOP THREE WEB SITES - Each month, our SKS
WebSelect™ and Discoverer WebFind editorial teams scour the Internet
for top-quality sites that help teachers teach and students learn. Although no Internet
site can supplant a quality research database, these vetted resources offer unique
resources that are sure to be of interest. |
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WildFinder:
Mapping the World's Species
"WildFinder is a map-driven, searchable database of more than 26,000 species
worldwide, with a powerful search tool that allows users to discover where species live or
explore wild places to find out what species live there. Containing information on birds,
mammals, reptiles and amphibians, WildFinder is a valuable resource for
scientists, students, educators, travelers, birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts
alike." (WWF) Organization: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) |
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Inventions Change Our Lives
"Some of the world's most important inventions were developed before history was
written. These include tools and the wheel, pottery and the ability to make and control
fire. More recent inventions help us to travel faster, communicate better and live
longer." (World Almanac) Read about inventions and check out the directory
of inventors. Organization: World Almanac Education Group Inc. |
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Science
of Cooking
"This Web site is about careers. Not just the interesting ones other people have, but
the ones YOU can have....You may not know now exactly what you want to do as an adult, but
this site will help you start. Discover who you are, what you like to do and what you do
best." (Educational Development Center) Organization: The Exploratorium |
Questions? Contact INFOhio at webmaster@infohio.org. |
