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Product Update for SIRS Discoverer
November 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.
SIRS Discoverer Charts and Graphs Feature
Did you know that Discoverer offers charts and graph activities,
geared for the younger researcher? Students can learn how to read and decipher charts and
graphs. Visit our new Activities category in the Database Features,
"charts & graphs." Some examples:
Political Cartoons in Discoverer
 Discoverer now offers 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:
Map Activities in Discoverer
Travel -- with Discoverer! We provide map activities geared for
the younger researcher, from noteworthy sources including Scholastic News, Junior
Scholastic and Current Events.
With these new resources, your young students will 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:
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 provide the most pertinent and safe content, SIRS editors
carefully research topics and issues each day to find age-appropriate materials that bring
students to a better understanding of the topics taught in schools and classrooms across
the U.S. and Canada.
Be sure to take a peek at some of SIRS Discoverer's most
searched topics and issues this month, including:
Dogs
Hurricanes
Bullying
Halloween
Global Warming
Ancient Egypt
Egypt
Cats
Animals
Football
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
November 15 is America Recycles Day. With the current emphasis on
energy conservation because of high home heating oil and gas prices, students will benefit
from learning more about the benefits of recycling.
Recycling not only helps keep the environment clean but conserves energy that may be
needed to extract more natural resources from our forests and mines. Glass, plastics and
tires (both made from oil), paper, steel and aluminum are some of the major products that
can be recycled everyday from homes and businesses. Conserving energy, conserving clean
water and air and generating revenues for communities are some of the benefits to
individuals and the environment.
Activity: Click the Subject Heading link and type recycling in
the Search box.
Students will get a results list of a variety of subjects that will provide the articles
and Web sites that they will need for their two minute oral reports.
Students should be assigned a specific resource to research for recycling and how that
recycling efforts benefits the community economically, the environment, and energy
conservation at this critical time.
Oral reports are a great way for students to learn from each other and practice
standards-based essential skills of reading, writing, research, and presentation.
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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Four
Ways to Find a Planet
Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
"The first planets to be found around nearby stars have never been seen. Instead,
astronomers have discovered them indirectly, inferring the existence of an unseen
companion through its effects on the star itself." (NASA) This Flash
presentation discusses four ways scientists detect new planets. |
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The
Groundwater Story
Organization: King County, Washington, Department of Natural Resources
"Watch this musical animation while learning about the importance of groundwater to
living things--including people--and how to help protect this hidden resource. The
Groundwater Story is designed for kids and adults who like watching funny cartoons
while learning." (KING COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES) Tap your toes to this
tune while learning about groundwater from a couple of singing groundhogs. |
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Digging
Dinosaurs
Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF)
"As the many paleontologists supported by the National Science Foundation can attest,
spotting fossil remains is only the first step in accurately recreating a creature that
has been dead for many millions of years. Categorizing it and eventually concluding you've
found something new requires far more than the ability to recognize an ancient bone lying
on a frozen beach." (NSF) Learn about the process by which scientists discover and
identify dinosaur fossils. |
Questions? Contact INFOhio at webmaster@infohio.org. |
