Product Update for SIRS Discoverer
April 7, 2006INFOhio 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.
Map Activities
Did you know that your Discoverer subscription also provides map
activities geared for the younger researcher, from noteworthy sources including Scholastic
News, Junior Scholastic and Current Events?
Students can learn how to read and decipher varied types of maps and answer discussion
questions based on their observations. Visit a sampling of the following articles to learn
more:
Fresh Sample Searches: Live!
Conducting an upcoming training session? On the hunt for laser-focused sample searches
to highlight the best content inside your subscriptions? Look no farther than our all-new
sample search collection, SIRS
Discoverer Sample Searches, April 2006 [PDF 2 pgs].
Political Cartoons in Discoverer
 Discoverer
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.). In a hurry? The quickest
route to all of our political cartoons is Database Features, Activities, Editorial
Cartoons. Here’s just a few timely examples to get you started:
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.
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
April provides a variety of themes of the month that focus on health, wellness, disease
prevention, and cures. Here are a few samples:
Alcohol Awareness
Autism Awareness
Cancer Control
Injury Prevention
Parkinson’s Awareness
Physical Wellness
STD Education and Awareness
Stress Awareness
Activity: Click the icon for Health & Human Body, then note the
list of Topics/subtopics that relate to health, wellness and disease:
AIDS/HIV
Cancer
Death & Dying
Eating Disorders
Environmental Health
First Aid & Safety
Food, Drink & Nutrition
Health Care
Health Care Providers
Medicine
Mental Health
Physical Conditions, Diseases & Disorders
Physical Health & Fitness
Transplants & Amputations
Assign each student a different topic and have them prepare an oral report of two
minutes to share with their fellow students. Each report should be based on and cite at
least two different resources. Oral reports provide an opportunity to develop
standards-based essential language arts skills and also digital information literacy
skills.
Provide Essential Questions to motivate students to integrate critical thinking
in their research and reporting. Here are some examples; teachers should create additional
ones especially if students are assigned the same topics.
Disease Topics
What causes this disease?
How can it be prevented?
What are some recent treatments or cures that work?
Healthy Living Topics
How can this strategy help make people healthy?
Why don’t more people follow this strategy?
Health Care Topics
Why don’t many people have adequate health care?
What are some new ways that help people to get well?
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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Underdogs
"Holly and Herbie were renegade youths. Troubled and defiant, they were shuttled from
home to home throughout their young lives; no family could manage their unruly conduct.
But finally, each found someone who saw that beneath their mischievous veneers were two
highly intelligent and gifted animals." (PBS) Read the touching story of two dogs
given a second chance to prove their worth. Also, learn about six breeds of working dog
and the amazing abilities of bloodhounds. Organization: Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) |
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Ready
Kids
"Are you ready to put your planning skills to good use? Are you ready to help your
family get prepared for the unexpected? Your family can use this Web site to create a plan
that will help you be ready for many different kinds of unexpected situations!" (DHS)
Learn to prepare for natural or manmade disasters through careful planning. Organization:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) |
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
William Shakespeare's classic play (featuring fairies, magic, practical jokes and love) is
retold here in a shortened version for children. The story is beautifully animated and
retains some of the poetry and merry mischief of the original. The Macromedia Flash
player is required to view this site. Organization: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
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Questions? Contact INFOhio at webmaster@infohio.org. |
