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Enclosed is this month's free newsletter for ProQuest® Platinum subscribers. This newsletter is designed to help teachers, librarians, and administrators stay informed about the latest changes to their subscriptions, while providing classroom resources and giving tips for using their ProQuest solutions in a variety of settings.
Don't miss our online archive for access to past issues, and to make changes to your newsletter options.
In this issue:
PROQUEST EDUCATION SOLUTION UPDATES
Our product development team is constantly reviewing customer feedback and making changes to our learning resources to meet your needs. Several updates or content additions were recently completed, and we wanted to bring them to your attention.
Summer ProQuest Interface Updates
In July, the latest ProQuest Interface updates and changes went live. Enhancements include:
Implementation of Spell Check: This exciting new feature is available for products on the ProQuest platform. Spell Check will prompt the user with a "Did you mean..." question on the search results page.
ProQuest Historical Annual Reports: Historical Annual Reports delivers full runs of annual reports dating from 1844 to the present. The summer release marks the launch of the Historical Annual Reports interface with advance search functionality that will let researchers search by Fortune Rank, Cash, Assets, and Earnings.
Springer Premium Content: ProQuest is pleased to announce an agreement with Springer that will bring un-embargoed full-text Springer business, general reference, and medicine journals from Springer to online databases including ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest Medical Library, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete and ProQuest Research Library. This agreement allows ProQuest to distribute the journal content electronically to libraries to meet patrons’ need for immediate access to the most up-to-date information.
Free Podcast Training via iTunes
As you know, we offer large, Flash-authored training files for all of our K-12 solutions. Beginning this month, we’re proud to roll out a series of monthly video podcasts, along with smaller versions of our larger training files – all playable inside a free copy of iTunes.
Download your copy of iTunes today, and subscribe to our free podcasts with a click of your mouse:
ProQuest Donates 'Shelter Library'
to New Orleans
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, ProQuest and IBM joined forces to develop the Shelter Library, supporting the thousands of adults and children evacuated to Baton Rouge.
Since its opening, the Shelter Library has served hundreds of evacuees, helping them file insurance claims, connect with loved ones via email, track emergency aid, and help kids stay current with schoolwork by providing premium online homework support. As part of the New Orleans Public Library, the Shelter Library will serve these residents as they return home to rebuild. Find out more.
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PLATINUM CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Hurricane season has arrived and millions of coastal residents in the southeastern states are preparing for these tropical storms and the billions of dollars of damage that they can do to property. Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico hurricanes are born in the oceans of western Africa. Hurricane researchers have discovered many of the secrets of how hurricanes are born, what drives their intensity, and what course they are most likely to take. But no one has discovered a way to prevent them from forming or to divert their course away from land.
Every research activity should include essential questions about the topic and its importance. These question help students search more productively through results lists for relevance. More important, they give motivation and purpose and require critical thinking and the use of multiple resources to answer them effectively. Here are some samples of essential questions, but teachers should create several others. These can be obtained from end-of-chapter activities in the textbook.
- What is the future of hurricane research and prevention?
- What are some of the ways that scientists are working on these problems?
- What progress is being made on these solutions?
- Who is working on these solutions, and why?
ProQuest Platinum provides a variety of articles that give students some ideas and information about this aspect of hurricane science.
- Click the Topics tab and type “hurricane research” in the Find Term box
- Click the Research AND Hurricane topic > View Documents
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SIRS® DECADES: PRIMARY SOURCES IN YOUR CLASSROOM
The use of source documents offers students a direct glimpse into the past. But without context, these sources can confuse as often as illuminate. Our newest offering places these resources into a relevant framework that enriches both the content and student understanding of the material.
SIRS Decades features more than 5,000 hand-selected primary and secondary source articles highlighting key events, movements, people, and places in 20th-century America.
Each decade features an overview essay, which offers concise, relevant overviews. By reviewing the essay, students can understand the scope of the decade, the major groups or people concerned, key themes and influences, and important laws involved. Inline hyperlinks in the essay help students explore additional resources relevant to the essay’s themes.
These documents may include primary sources from the time period; present-day articles; entries from encyclopedias and almanacs; or government documents such as laws, pamphlets, or forms. In addition, the featured thumbnail image spotlights a high-impact graphic related to the major theme of the decade. Each decade also provides a list of related topics. By selecting a topic, students can access specific primary and secondary sources associated with the topic and further background essays that place the sources in context.
Here are direct links to several examples within SIRS Decades. To access the resources, first sign up for a free 30-day trial, then login, and click these links:
1920s
1940s
1960s
1990s
Find out more about SIRS Decades at our K-12 website.
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PROQUEST LEARNING PAGE RESOURCES
ProQuest LearningPage can make your life easier with a great selection of educational resources for the coming school year. Now is the perfect time to be sure you have everything you need to help make successful learners out of all the young people in your life.
A subscription to any of the ProQuest LearningPage websites will bring thousands of developmentally appropriate resources to your desktop, 24/7, 365 days a year. Our online store of resources is full of books, lessons, worksheets, and other valuable materials. ProQuest LearningPage has quality materials for every reading need and level at very low prices, available at the click of a mouse.
Reading A-Z: Get instant access to thousands of developmentally appropriate books, lesson plans, worksheets, and activities. Print as many copies as you need at any time, all for one low annual price! The website also offers Spanish, French, and U.K. versions of various books.
Vocabulary A-Z: Build hundreds of customized vocabulary lessons to match the subjects you’re teaching. The categorized word bank has approximately 4,000 words to choose from, with more added regularly. Topics include science, social studies, math, health, language arts, music, physical education, and everyday words.
Raz-Kids: Combine kids' love of cartoons with effective reading instruction. Raz-Kids offers interactive books at 17 levels to motivate students and help them learn to read. The website also provides online quizzes, printable worksheets, and an online management system for teachers.
Reading-Tutors: Print hundreds of lessons and materials for use by tutors, parents, or teachers to provide students with extra support in key reading areas, helping them to improve their reading skills.
Download free samples to try out any of these great low-priced products. We've made it easy for you by placing all the samples in one convenient location.
For information on any of the ProQuest LearningPage websites, please call 866.889.3729 or email razsupport@readinga-z.com.
We have everything you need for back to school--quality, affordable educational resources at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere!
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CULTUREGRAMS™ IN FOCUS
CultureGrams can help you broaden your students' understanding of the world and its peoples. Our World Edition includes 190+ country profiles, written for junior high students and older. CultureGrams also has a Kids Edition and a States Edition, geared for upper elementary students. These editions include kid-friendly profiles of 70+ countries and all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.
CultureGrams goes beyond mere facts and figures to deliver an insider's perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people.
Country:
Liberia (New!)
- Capital: Monrovia
- Population: 3,482,211 (rank=130)
- Area, sq. mi.: 43,000 (rank=100)
- Area, sq. km.: 111,370
- Real GDP per capita: $900
- Adult literacy rate: 73% (male); 42% (female)
- Infant mortality rate: 129 per 1,000 births
- Life expectancy: 47 (male); 49 (female)
Did You Know?
- Freed U.S. slaves established coastal settlements in Liberia in the early 19th century.
- Traditional folk instruments include the tugbar (a percussion instrument), pli (a flute), and nonkpan (a horn).
- English is Liberia's official language but only a small minority speaks it as a first language.
Population
Sixteen indigenous ethnic groups comprise 97 percent of the population. The largest are the Kpelle (15 percent), Bassa (14 percent), and Gio (11 percent). Smaller groups are the Kru, Gbandi, Grebo, Mano, Vai, Lorma, Kisi, Gola, Krahn, Mende, Mandingo, Dei, and Belleh. Most of the population's remaining 3 percent consists of Liberia's two non-indigenous ethnic groups: Americo-Liberians (who descend from immigrants from the United States) and Congo People (who descend from immigrants from the Caribbean).
Religion
About 40 percent of Liberians are Christian. The largest denominations are Baptist, Roman Catholic, United Methodist, Lutheran, and Assemblies of God. Another 40 percent follow indigenous animist religions, which typically focus on the belief that spirits inhabit both living things and inanimate objects. The remaining 20 percent of the population is Muslim. Liberians who follow animist beliefs often incorporate elements from Christianity or Islam into their religious practices. Likewise, many Christians and Muslims still retain some traditional animist beliefs.
Personal Appearance
Most urban Liberians wear Western clothing. European and U.S. fashions are most popular. T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers are common attire for men, though some men (especially in rural areas) prefer the African boubou, which consists of a long, loose top and baggy trousers. In professional settings, men wear a suit and tie; women wear a blouse, skirt, and high heels. Hairstyles for urban women often include elaborate plaits and extensions. Typically, only urban women wear jeans or skirts. It is common for both urban and rural women to wear a lappa (a brightly colored, ankle-length wraparound dress that ties at the waist) with a blouse and a colorful headwrap (which often matches the lappa).
Family
In rural areas, it is common for the extended family--including parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins--to live together in a cluster of neighboring homes. Many rural families are polygamous; some men marry as many as three wives. Family members share most responsibilities. Women and girls take care of small children and the elderly, gather water and firewood, and prepare meals. Men and boys are responsible for home repairs and farm labor. Urban families live in nuclear units consisting of a husband, a wife, and children; both parents usually work outside the home.
To find out more about CultureGrams, connect to our website today.
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TOP 3 WEBSITES
Each month, our SIRS® WebSelect and SIRS® 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.
Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs
Organization: Newseum
"View the first U.S. exhibition to bring together Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs from 1941--the first year a photograph was eligible for the award--to the present day." (NEWSEUM) Short biographies of the photographers are included.
Losing Louisiana
Organization: Zach Wise
This site offers compelling photographs and audio on the effects of hurricanes Rita and Katrina on Louisiana. In addition, visitors can listen to interviews with coastal restoration experts; learn about the history of the levees; and gain an understanding of subsidence, the sinking of the land along Louisiana's coast.
Paris, A Roman City
Organization: French Ministry of Culture and Communication
This spectacular site offers 3D reconstructions of ancient Paris--the Roman city of Lutetia--and its Gallo-Roman monuments. Visitors can learn about aspects of daily life of Roman Paris and take a tour of this marvelous city. There is also a section on archaeology in Paris.
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FREE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Our ProQuest product trainers are standing by to help you get the most out of your subscription--and learn more about our other digital learning resources! We offer a wide variety of online training sessions each month.
Plus, all attendees can easily obtain a Certificate of Attendance (right) for any of our online courses! The certificate documents the course name, amount of class time, date, and verifies attendance. You can use the certificate to document attendance in the class and submit it along with the additional documentation your school district requires to award you with continuing education credits.
Be sure to tell your trainer that you would like to receive a certificate via email at the start of each class. They’ll be glad to help!
You can download three ready-to-print versions of forthcoming training dates and times in PDF format.
Our training sessions cover after-school hours within several time zones. Best of all, there's no cost to participate. All you need is a computer with Internet access, a phone, and one hour.
Register for a course!
(Interested in Reading A-Z programs? Click here.)
You may also sign up for a timely enewsletter to receive training dates each month via email as soon as they're available.
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CALL FOR USER TESTIMONIALS
What features of Platinum do you and your students find the most useful? Have you recently used or are planning to use it as part of an assignment or student research project? How do you and other curriculum leaders in your institution use your ProQuest educational resources?
Share your experiences with peers working in schools across the country and around the world--through an upcoming Product News Bulletin! We're waiting to hear from you. Please send your ideas and stories to: tim.mclain@il.proquest.com
If we choose your submission, we'll contact you for additional information and permission to use your story in a future issue.
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FORWARD TO A COLLEAGUE + EMAIL SERVICE INFORMATION
Increase the usage of your digital learning resources! Our forward-to-a-friend service makes it easy to instantly send this product bulletin -- and all the great ideas and information it contains -- to others in your subscribing institution with a click of your mouse.
Also, be sure to encourage them to sign up for our SIRS, CultureGrams, ProQuest, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, eLibrary, eLibrary Curriculum Edition, and additional enewsletters as appropriate.
To change your email address, sign up for additional newsletter titles, or modify your subscription settings, click here.
Cordially,
Your ProQuest K-12 Team
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