February is Library Lovers Month. But, could book lovers finally be willing to switch from paper to pixels? For a decade, consumers mostly ignored electronic book devices, which were often hard to use and offered few popular items to read.
But now, in part because of the popularity of the wireless Kindle device from Amazon.com, the eBook revolution has started to take hold. Here are some of the most popular and lowest priced current versions of eBook readers:
Kindle 2: Delivers books wirelessly through a 3G network. Its paper-like display can be read without glare—even in sunlight. Kindle holds up to 1,500 books, including PDF personal files—and the Kindle can also read aloud to you.
Intel Reader: Designed for people with vision or reading-related disabilities, the Intel Reader first takes pictures of any printed material. Then, the text can be magnified and/or provide audio play back with or without earphones.
Sony Reader: This eReader can store approximately 350 standard eBooks in a device that can easily fit into a pocket, and includes a five-inch paper-like display. Owners can access a wide number of online bookstores as well as an eBook Library for PC and Mac.
Barnes and Noble Nook: The Nook features two displays: a 3.5-inch full-color touch screen located below a 6-inch grayscale screen. Control buttons are located on the right side. The Nook has WiFi and AT&T radios with dual speakers. The Nook has 2GB of storage, and can easily expand up to 16GB.
Hearst Skiff Reader: With 3G connectivity, it has an 11.5 inch display with a 1200 x 1600 resolution screen. It's just 0.25 inches thick, making it the thinnest eBook reader so far. The big difference between the Skiff and current eBook readers is that ithas ditched a glass screen in favor of a flexible display made of a thin sheet of stainless steel foil.
BookCart Learning Activity
Have your students take a look at the future of reading and libraries. ProQuest has created a BookCart learning activity called "Electronic Books--From Paper to Pixels."
The BookCart includes all the resources and instructions that students need to complete this 21st-century inquiry-based learning activity. This BookCart learning activity also includes template models for both a written report and a presentation. Both can be downloaded from the Web Links section.
Teachers or librarians can copy "Electronic Books--From Paper to Pixels" using the following procedure:
Click the BOOKCART ADMIN tab at the top of the Teacher Edition.
Click the PROQUEST CARTS tab.
Type "Electronic Books--From Paper to Pixels" in the SEARCH box
Click the COPY icon (middle one) in the ACTIONS column to the right of this title.
Click RETURN TO MY LOCAL CARTS.
Librarians or teachers can edit this BookCart to customize it for their students. To edit this BookCart:
Click the new BookCart TITLE with the prefix "COPY OF".
Delete "Copy of" and then type your name in the AUTHOR boxes and your initials in the EMAIL box (required info).
Option: Edit any ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS for your students in the DESCRIPTION box.
Option: Edit the existing STUDENT DIRECTIONS in the Description box to customize for your students.
Scroll down and click SAVE.
Click RETRURN TO MY LOCAL CARTS.
Traditional Learning Activity
Assign students to write a report of at least 150 words or a presentation of at least seven slides. The report should cite at least three resources and address the following essential questions for critical thinking (you add or substitute others):
What are three features of electronic books that make them preferable to print versions?
How can electronic books be used to improve education?
What improvements would you like to see made in electronic books and why?
Will eBooks and portable devices make reading more popular: Why/why not?
Pathfinder
Type "electronic reading devices" in the Search box > Sort the Results list by Date
Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.
ProQuest Learning: Literature Activity
February is Black History Month. Assign each student a different African American author to research from the following group using this pathfinder:
Type "African American authors" in the Search box > Click "More" to see entire list.
Students can then do an individual search on their author by clicking the Author icon on the main Search page and typing the name of the author in the Search box.
Assign students to write a report of at least 150 words that cites at least three resources and addresses the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can add or substitute others):
What is the literary criticism related to the work of this author?
What is your opinion of any of these works that you may have read?
What overall themes does this author focus on and why?
What background helped to develop this author's ideas and skills?
History Study Center Learning Activity
History Study Center includes a variety of Study Units that focus on African American history, leaders, and events. During Black History Month, assign students to write a report of at least 150 words (or a presentation of at least seven slides) that cites at least three resources.
Students should address the following essential questions for critical thinking in their reports (you can add or substitute others):
What are three of the most significant events during this era and why?
Who were the leaders who initiated these events and what was their role?
How do these events affect the human and civil rights of African Americans today?
Pathfinder
Click Study Units icon > Type "African American History" in the Keyword Search box
Open one of the following assigned Study Units:
1. American race relations, 1896-1954: Plessy to Brown
3. Black Power: Race and race relations 1968-4.
7. The American Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1968
Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.
