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October 2005
Theme:
Computer Learning Month,
Energy Management Month & More
Dear %%NAME%%,
Welcome to this month's issue of ProQuest Teachable Moments! This issue focuses on Computer Learning Month, as well as explorers, fire prevention, energy management, and crime prevention. October is loaded with built-in teachable moments indeed!
Our newest free monthly newsletter delivers a set of hands-on learning activities that encourage students to conduct quality research and produce meaningful results to increase their knowledge and understanding of everything from basic math to literature to history and beyond. Keep in mind that these activities are not duplicated in our other monthly newsletter offerings, which also contain ready-made student activities.
Have an idea or feedback concerning this new
offering? Send email to tim.mclain@il.proquest.com. We'd love
to hear from you!
Teachable Moments Contest
Spread Learning & Everyone Wins
Hurry! Enter by October 31!
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With our newest newsletter, you'll spark imaginations during the thousands of teachable moments that lie ahead this year. But, we need your help to spread the news.
As an existing subscriber, you can turn our Teachable Moments into a winning moment--for you! It's easy and there's no obligation.
Talk to at least five (5) educators in your school, and offer them a free email subscription to ProQuest Teachable Moments. Print this sample issue today and start spreading the word!
When you're ready, reply to this email (or compose a new message to tim.mclain@il.proquest.com) and include your full name, address, phone number, and email address, along with a list of at least five (5) full names and email addresses of interested teachers in your school or district.
We'll send them an invitation to subscribe, and enter your name into a drawing for a free print set of the 2006 CultureGrams World Edition
(4 volumes).
Once subscribed, their name will be automatically entered into a drawing for a free high-tech brief bag!
That's it--five names, with opportunities for everyone to win.
We need your list by October 31, 2005, and the drawing will take place on November 10, 2005. Good luck!
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SIRS Leading Issues
Energy Management Month
Grades 7-12
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October is Energy Management Month. This is an excellent time for students to examine the implications of our national energy policy and its continued reliance on the burning of fossil fuels, especially oil.
Burning these fossil fuels results in the release of excessive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which many scientists believe causes a phenomenon called the Greenhouse Effect. This slowly raises the temperatures of the oceans that could result in a variety of hazards to the populations of Earth.
The recent destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina and Rita in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama provides circumstantial evidence for those who argue of the dangers of global warming. Warming of the oceans creates the basic energy supply to spawn and sustain an increasing number of hurricanes that have the extreme destructive potential of Categories 4 and 5.
Activity: Click Leading Issues in SIRS Researcher. Click Global Warming. Students will need to be assigned a variety of engaging essential questions to motivate and focus their mini-research activities on this topic.
Here are some examples of these questions: How do we know that there is global warming? How do we know that it’s caused by the burning of fossil fuels, predominantly oil? What other explanations are there that could result in global warming? What should the government do to conserve oil? What should the government do to encourage the development of alternative and renewable sources of energy? What are some of the hazards to the U.S. and world that will result from additional global warming?
Mini-research reports that are presented orally in two to three minutes are an excellent way for students to share their research conclusions for each of the engaging questions assigned. Students get practice making presentations and other students get a chance to learn from (or challenge) them.
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eLibrary
Computer Learning Month
Grades 6-10
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October is Computer Learning Month. Many critics of technology integration into our schools are particularly focused on the potential harm done by using computers in elementary schools. This controversy seems to be resolving itself as more and more students use the computer and Internet at home and become technology literate, despite an absence of technology activities in their schools.
The danger of not integrating technology in the elementary schools is that it broadens the digital divide. Poorer schools and parents can’t afford the technology, so their children never learn the skills and applications of the real world, creating an even larger gap in achievement.
Activity: Students will be eager to find out how computers and the Internet are being used in other schools in their region and in other states. Use Computer Learning Month as a motivating theme for students to research some of the new ways of learning, testing, and communicating made possible by the use of computers and the Internet.
Assign students a different topic. Here are some examples: online testing, educational computer games, information technology, use of laptops, email, digital textbooks, and online learning.
Type "technology and computers in education" and then scroll down to Advanced Search. Type "computers or internet or education" in the Document Title box, then click Search. Select Date in the Sort By box to get the most current documents.
Each student should select three articles that can be summarized for a two- to three-minute oral report on their topic. Oral reports provide practice in developing lifelong essential skills, address Language Arts standards, and share knowledge among fellow students.
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CultureGrams
Celebrate Explorers
Grades 6-12
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October is the month to celebrate Explorers!
Throughout history, powerful nations and empires have set out to explore and settle in new parts of the world. Some of the most notable exploration and colonization was carried out by the Roman and Ottoman empires, whose territory covered much of Europe and parts of Asia and North Africa. Beginning in the 1500s, European nations began exploring and claiming parts of Africa. In the late 1800s, the colonization became a "scramble for Africa" as the European powers hastened to secure African territory ahead of their rivals.
Activity: Distribute to each student the CultureGrams printable map of Africa.
Ask students to color on the map former colonies of France on the map (using the list below). What do their completed maps reveal about French influence in Africa? Then ask the students to read a CultureGrams report from one of these countries. What were the effects of colonization on the country? Are some of those effects still felt today?
Algeria
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros Gabon Guinea
Ivory Coast
Madagascar
Mali
Morocco
Niger
Senegal
Togo
Tunisia
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eLibrary BookCarts
Digital Professional Library
Grades: All
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eLibrary BookCarts are primarily used as tools to create customized digital resources to support student research activities and in-depth learning. Did you know that BookCarts can also be designed to support in-service and other professional development activities?
eLibrary and eLibrary CE contain more than 100 professional journals and magazines as well as hundreds of other publications that deliver the latest news and developments in a variety of academic subject areas. This combination of resources can support both the content and pedagogy needs of teachers either independently when taking graduate credit, or collectively through in-service programs.
Department chairmen and staff developers can use the power of technology to create custom BookCarts of resources that can be used for reading and other activities in preparation for in-service days or for in-depth learning after an in-service day or in a follow-up in-service day.
Activity: To get some idea of the publications that can provide this superior 24 x 7 digital professional library, go to this link and scroll to your subject area taught for content, and then to the last section for the education magazines and journals.
To get some idea of how BookCarts can be used by school leaders for professional development activities including technology integration, access the eLibrary Teacher Edition for eLibrary CE or for eLibrary. Click the BookCart Admin link.
Type one of the five following titles in the Title box, type "PQ BookCart" in the Author box, then click Search: 21st Century Literacy Skills; NCLB—Implications for All Schools; Professional Development and Teacher Standards; State Academic Standards and Testing; and Technology Integration and Education Reform.
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eLibrary Elementary
Fire Prevention Week
Grades 4-6
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Fire Prevention Week is celebrated each year in early October. Elementary students are particularly enthralled with fire trucks and other equipment that is used in putting out fires. An excellent activity for students this month would be for them to focus on how fires are started and how they can be prevented. This knowledge can help them become more alert and aware of hazards around their homes and in their school.
Activity: Assign a variety of topics about fire hazards and prevention to students. Here are some examples: forest fires, arson, fire hazards, smoke detectors, fire sprinkler systems, hotel fire safety, home fire safety plans, fire insurance, and fire fighters. These subtopics should be the keywords for students to use in a general search. Students can also use the Topic search Science >> Health >> Health Issues >> Safety >> Fire Fighting & Rescue >> Prevention.
Each student should find two to three articles and summarize the most significant points for a two-minute oral presentation. Oral presentations provide students valuable experience and develop confidence in presenting ideas to others. Oral reports can also help other students to learn more about the overall topic.
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Historical Newspapers
Exploring Explorers
Grades 7-10
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October celebration themes include Explorers. Historical Newspapers provides the primary source materials for students to read about the many "firsts" that have appeared on the front page of a variety of national and regional historical newspapers since 1850.
Activity: Historical Newspapers makes searching for information on a topic easier, saving valuable classroom and library time for learning more reading, critical thinking, writing, and communication skills.
Click the Topics tab and assign your students one of a variety of Explorer themes:
Early Westward Expansion (c. 1851 - 1865) > Traveling West
Early Westward Expansion (c. 1851 - 1865) > Beyond the Continent
Westward Expansion and Imperialism (c. 1865 - 1900) > Expansion in the Pacific
Westward Expansion and Imperialism (c. 1865 - 1900) > Seward's Folly
The Roaring '20s (c. 1920 - 1929) > Admiral Byrd's Expedition to South Pole
The Roaring '20s (c. 1920 - 1929) > Charles Lindbergh
Eisenhower Era (c. 1953 - 1961) > Sputnik
Kennedy Era (c. 1961 - 1963) > Space Program
Turbulent '60s (c. 1960 - 1969) > Moon Landing
The Reagan and Bush Administrations (c. 1981 - 1993) > Space Exploration
Each student should be able to use and cite three articles from the subtopic of resources listed above. Oral reports of two to three minutes are encouraged because they provide students with the opportunity to develop research skills, as well as essential skills of reading, critical thinking, writing, and presentation. Oral reports and presentations are addressed in all state standards. Oral reports provide a way for students to share what they have learned with other students and help discourage plagiarism.
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ProQuest Platinum
Energy Management Month
Grades 7-12
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October is Energy Management Month. With gasoline prices recently in the $3-6 range in the U.S., and a barrel of oil almost double what it was a mere three years ago, the U.S. continues to maintain its dependence on oil and our reliance on foreign oil sources, including Canada and OPEC countries.
The renewed call for conservation, the development of more efficient ways of producing electricity, the development of more fuel efficient automobiles, and the creation of alternative energy sources are all strategies that are being revisited to help us cope with our energy dilemma. A correlated issue is the impact of the burning of fossil fuels, most notably oil, on the Greenhouse Effect and global warming.
Many students drive, and they and their parents are concerned about the high cost of gasoline. School bus expenses and heating costs in schools will impact on increasing school taxes or cutting essential services. What a great topic for students to explore as the whole country and world struggle with the possible solutions to their energy problems.
Activity: Click the Topics search tab. Type "alternative energy sources" in the Search box and click Find Term. The following list will appear and provide students with a variety of topics to research and explore:
Alternative energy sources
Alternative energy sources AND Energy policy
Alternative energy sources AND Fuels
Alternative energy sources AND Research & development
Alternative energy sources AND Solar energy
Alternative energy sources AND Automobiles
Alternative energy sources AND Wind power
Alternative energy sources AND Renewable resources
Alternative energy sources AND Hydrogen
Assign students one of the topics above so that a variety of reports is possible. Each student should be able to use and cite three articles from the topic resources listed above. Oral reports of two to three minutes are encouraged because they provide students with the opportunity to develop research skills, as well as essential skills of reading, critical thinking, writing, and presentation. Oral reports and presentations are addressed in all state standards. Oral reports provide a way for students to share what they have learned with other students and help discourage plagiarism.
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Reading A-Z
Books & More Books!
Grades 4-8
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In October, there are a variety of themes that can be celebrated in your school or classroom: Dinosaurs; Bugs and Insects; Explorers; and Energy Management. RAZ books provide a collection of books at all levels that can help students celebrate and learn more about these important education topics.
Activity: Here is a sampling of titles that teachers can give their students to learn more about these themes and help complete the worksheets.
Dinosaurs:
Discovering Dinosaurs; The Tinosaur; Dinosaurs
Bugs & Insects:
Ants, Ants, and More Ants; Life at the Pond; Extreme Insects; Insect Life Cycle
Energy Management:
Where We Get Energy; The Sun
Explorers:
Sally Ride; Daniel Boone; Amelia Earhart: A Legend in Flight; Storm Chasers; Galapagos Wonder; Discovery in the Americas; The Yanomami: Deep in the Amazon; Mapping the Woods: Maps and Cartography; Climbing Mountains; The Story of Lewis and Clark Book 1: Up the Missouri River; The Story of Lewis and Clark Book 2: To the Pacific Ocean; Pyramids
Tap into these and hundreds of additional online titles!
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SIRS Decades
Crime Prevention Month
Grades 7-10
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October is Crime Prevention Month. While there has always been crime in the U.S. and other countries of the world, the decade of the 1920s saw the genesis of major organized crime. This would be an excellent time to use SIRS Decades to study the roots of organized crime in the U.S. and how it became so powerful.
Activity: Students need to be motivated by a variety of engaging and essential questions about the nature and methods of organized crime. Here are some examples for teachers to use: What were some of the methods organized crime used to succeed despite the presence of police and our justice system? Who were some of the leaders of organized crime in the 1920s and what were they famous for? How did the 18th amendment prohibiting alcohol help fuel the growth of organized crime? How did the justice system attack organized crime? Why were immigrants so involved in organized crime? Why did organized crime get so powerful in a decade of prosperity? Why were crime leaders often viewed as celebrities?
Click the 1920s icon and then the Crime topic. By providing a variety of information and assigning students different essential questions, each report has the potential to provide a unique student perspective and help reduce the problem of plagiarism. Oral reports provide an opportunity for students to share perspectives, learn presentation skills, and also help curb plagiarism.
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SIRS Discover & WebFind
Fire Prevention Week
Grades 4-7
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Fire Prevention Week is celebrated each year in early October. Elementary students are particularly enthralled with fire trucks and other equipment that is used in putting out fires. These will be on display at schools during this week. An excellent activity for students this week would be for them to focus on how fires are started and how they can be prevented. This knowledge can help them become more alert for hazards around their home, while on vacation, and in their school.
Activity: Assign a variety of topics about fire hazards and prevention to students. Here are some examples: forest fires, arson, fire hazards, smoke detectors, fire sprinkler systems, hotel fire safety, home fire safety plans, fire insurance, and fire fighters.
Click the Subject Heading Search option. Type "fires" in the Search box and start your search. You will get a Results List of many relevant articles and also a list of other Subject Headings to expand your search: Arson > Dwellings, Fires and fire prevention > Fire prevention > Forest fires > Wildfires.
Each student should find two to three articles and summarize the most significant points for a two minute oral presentation. Oral presentations provide students with valuable experience and develop confidence in presenting ideas to others. Oral reports can also help other students learn more about the overall topic.
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Cordially,
Your ProQuest K-12 Team
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