Enclosed is this month's free newsletter for eLibrary® Curriculum Edition 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.
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.
eLibrary Fall Updates
Here’s a brief rundown of the newest tweaks and system enhancements now online inside eLibrary, eLibrary Science, and our BookCart tool.
eLibrary Family
Key Relevance has been renamed to Keyword Score. (Also done in eLibrary Science.)
We’ve removed Relevance score from search results. (Also done in eLibrary Science.)
In Civil War Battlefield Guide, the maps are now clickable.
If you’re a site admin exploring our usage tool and you employ IP authentication, you can now exit and log back in as a different user. In addition, in Local Admin, the 30 minute lag time for changes to be rendered has been removed.
Bookcart Tool
Navigating into Bookcarts from the Teacher Edition limits the content set by the product you came from.
Two-word queries are now working for Bookcart searches.
Added a confirmation message when restoring a Bookcart.
On the Organize Bookcarts page, only the folders that appear on the Local Tab now appear in the dropdown list.
Full Training: Podcast via iTunes
As you know, we offer large, Flash-authored training files for all of our K-12 solutions. Our newest eLibrary training course is now available as a series of video podcasts –- 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.
Don’t Miss a Single Teachable Moment: Free Curriculum & Lesson Plans
On the first of each month, our curriculum specialists deliver a powerful tool to thousands of K-12 teachers worldwide. And best of all, you can sign up to get this free, hands-on and classroom-ready content today at ProQuest.
Our monthly Teachable Moments email newsletter (November issue here) offers a treasure trove of innovative student activities that take full advantage of our complete line of K-12 learning solutions. Most can be easily augmented to fit into any classroom curriculum.
Sign up for Teachable Moments today using the box below, then browse our inventory of back issues. Consider it your own personal teachable moment with a professional development theme!
New ProQuest K-12 Catalog Available
Don’t miss the latest information about ProQuest’s full line of popular K-12 learning solutions. From eLibrary to SIRS to CultureGrams and beyond, you’re sure to find a new solution that will help students at all grade levels learn at their own pace--online. Get your copy of the PDF version today.
Let’s face it--no matter how many times we visit our favorite online learning resources, we’re bound to miss a feature or two. This month, our free video podcast focuses on one of the least-known but most useful feature sets of your eLibrary subscription: Standards Searching.
When most people think about eLibrary, the first thing that comes to mind is student research. And in this regard, eLibrary certainly fits the bill. With more than 2,000 sources of articles, images, photos, video clips, and more, students have come to rely on this popular solution to make the grade.
One eLibrary feature, however, tends to get overlooked. A feature that makes it easy for educators to find resources that match perfectly with state and national standards for learning. An unrivaled tool that instantly morphs eLibrary from a broad resource into a local, standards-aligned curriculum resource.
Our eLibrary Standards Search covers all curriculum areas, every U.S. state and Canadian provinces. This built-in tool helps educators save time during the lesson planning process, and makes it possible for media specialists to link online library resources to learning benchmarks with a click of the mouse.
To conduct a standards search, connect to eLibrary and click the Search State and National Standards link.
Select your state, then choose a standards set.
Review the standards related to the subject, and drill deeper into each node to reach the benchmark you’re interested in.
At the benchmark level, click See resources to match each end node to eLibrary content.
eLibrary queries your benchmark against the topic tree, and displays all topics related to the benchmark.
Each topic leads to articles, periodicals, reference works, and more. Each dynamic search ensures that educators can locate updated content as new resources are added to your subscription.
Using the my list and BookCart features explained in last month’s podcast, anyone can take these results, add them to a list, and embed them in a new BookCart, which can then be used with students in any classroom or your media center.
Now you’re in the know! We hope this month’s tip and trick bring you closer to being a true eLibrary power user. Be sure to sign up for our free video podcast (no iPod necessary!) to stay up-to-date.
November is the time for many national and state elections. Increasingly campaigns have included a greater proportion of Internet and TV ads. Increasingly these ads contain mostly negative information and opinions aimed at destroying the credibility and character of the opponent. Typically, these negative ads avoid the candidate’s position on the issues where the real focus of a campaign should be.
The word “spin” has been created to convey the way that facts in ads are distorted and removed from their original context, painting just about any negative picture of the opponent that is desired. Voters are seeing a lot of spin these days and the candidate with the most funding can deluge the average voter with a variety of messages to spin the facts. Voters in many cases don’t know who to believe and may make quick judgments not based on reality.
Of course, this has gone on throughout the history of American elections, but never with so much frequency. How does a citizen decide what is true and who to vote for especially when ads are broadcast so close to election day? Why are candidates not held responsible for many of these ads, similar to the Truth in Advertising laws for commercials?
Activity: ProQuest has created a custom BookCart to help you to help your students to find out more about campaign advertising and “spin” and how that is influenced by campaign financing by the candidate and by private parties such as the “Swift Boat” campaign that played a major part in the defeat of John Kerry in 2004.
To copy this BookCart to your local school collection:
Type “Political Campaigns—Truth in Advertising” in the Search box.
Review the BookCart by clicking the View icon, then click Close Window.
Click the Copy icon to the right of the title under the Actions column.
Click Back to the BookCarts page link to return to My Local Carts.
You copied BookCart will contain “Copy of” as a title prefix until you edit it.
The BookCart includes examples of Essential Questions for Critical Thinking in the Description box for teachers to assign to students. These questions ensure that students have direction in using the resources and that they use critical thinking and original thought in analyzing resources and synthesizing their report or presentation. Teachers are encouraged to create others when appropriate.
Bonus BookCart Activity: Many teachers and librarians who create BookCarts overlook the Publications Search tool.
This tool is designed to allow students to search for additional resources from within a BookCart. This is necessary when a topic is prone to change such as a science or current events topic. For example, if your students are doing research on the Solar System using one of your BookCarts, how do they address the recent demotion of Pluto to a non-planet status? Simple! They do a Publications search while inside the BookCart.
This gives students freedom to search for additional resources, but only from within the collection of publications selected by the teacher. This increases relevance and saves time while preserving the value of the other resources in the BookCart.
Because most teachers (and ProQuest with its collection of 500 models) don’t have time to constantly update BookCart collections, Publications Search comes to the rescue for teachers and for their students. The problem is that teachers are not familiar enough with the range of 2000 eLibrary publications, organized alphabetically, to be able to easily select those that would benefit their students.
To solve this problem ProQuest has created a tool that organizes eLibrary publications by correlating each to the curriculum area and level supported. So when teachers are copying and adapting a BookCart or building their own, this list will help them find exactly what their students will need. The list can be easily downloaded and printed by teachers and librarians. Download it here.
The list starts with General Reference and then lists subject areas alphabetically. The section at the end lists approximately 100 education journals and magazines.
The use of source documents offers students a direct glimpse into the past. But without context, these sources can confuse as often as illuminate. SIRS Decades places these resources into a relevant framework for understanding 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.
Below are links to several primary source documents. To access the material, sign up for a free trial, login, and then click on each link.
Primary source types include: Advertisements, Editorial Cartoons, Letters, Memos, Messages, Maps and Charts, Original Documents, Original Works of Art, Photographs, Poems and Literary Works, Posters, Published Articles, Speeches and Addresses. Users will be able to save time by exploring thousands of primary sources in one integrated, user-friendly resource. Students will also be able to use these primary source documents to understand how historical events affected politics, popular culture, and the media.
ProQuest Learning Page celebrates November with activities related to Thanksgiving, Election Day, and Veterans' Day.
Worksheets include:
Thanksgiving notes, drawings, and word problems
Completing patterns
Veterans' Day counting
Election Day word search
...and more! Get them here.
You'll also find three great printable books in this month's Giving Thanks activities:
Maria's Thanksgiving: A resourceful girl turns a snowstorm into an opportunity to honor the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
Celebrating Food and Family: Families around the world celebrate the harvest season according to their own unique traditions.
Tommy for President: RK-5 arranges for Tommy to go back in time to meet George Washington and learn an important lesson.
Next month, Learning Page will celebrate December with a collection of activities related to world holidays.
All of the thousands of resources at Learning Page are FREE! If you aren't already a member, register today for access to all the materials at Learning Page. It's quick and easy!
Plus, Reading A-Z has everything you need to expand your teaching tool kit and help you motivate young readers. Sign up today and enjoy a wealth of resources--all with just a click of your mouse.
PROQUEST® PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: ELIBRARY & SIRS
Our professional development training program is a complete package that delivers the key processes to ensure successful program implementation, and the content to support ongoing use and customization across the entire curriculum.
The CEU-eligible program provides educators with research-based technology integration strategies and tools for customizing instruction and assessment using our eLibrary and SIRS online learning solutions. Schools receive the materials they need to build professional development and instructional models that can maximize teacher efficiency and effectiveness, and improve student achievement.
Educators receive rubrics, assessments, activities, and content designed to spur students' information literacy skills, critical thinking, and reading and writing abilities, while increasing their own technology usage. Plus, our flexible model ensures that all instructional staff in a school or system will benefit from the lessons learned.
Our fresh support for our line of SIRS solutions will train your teachers to fuse four types of literacy using SIRS resources with state and national learning standards. Find out more about this new program today--just in time for your spring training dates!
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:
South Africa
Capital: Pretoria
Population: 44,344,136 (rank=27)
Area, sq. mi.: 471,445 (rank=24)
Area, sq. km.: 1,221,043
Real GDP per capita: $10,346
Adult literacy rate: 84% (male); 81% (female)
Infant mortality rate: 53 per 1,000 births
Life expectancy: 47 (male); 50 (female)
Did You Know?
Soccer, rugby, and cricket are the most important sports in South Africa.
South Africa is the richest country in Africa.
Among many ethnic groups, the groom must pay a lobola (bride-price) in the form of cattle or money to the bride's parents before a wedding can take place.
Greetings
Of the numerous greetings used in South Africa, the English phrases Hello and Good morning are understood by most people. Afrikaans speakers say Goeie môre (Good morning). Young English speakers say Howzit (slang for “How are you?”) to friends. A more formal Good morning or Good afternoon is common among adults. The Zulu and Swazis greet each other with Sawubona (literally, “I see you,” meaning “Hello”) or Kunjani (How are you?). An acceptable response to either is Yebo (Yes).
The Xhosa greeting, Molo, and the Sotho phrase, Dumela, have similar meanings to Sawubona. On parting, most South Africans use a phrase that assumes a future meeting. In other words, people rarely say good-bye. Rather, one says See you in English, Tot siens (Till we see each other again) in Afrikaans, or something like the Sotho Sala gashi (Go well in peace).
The Arts
South Africa boasts a diversity of musical styles. Choirs are common, and traditional folk songs have been integrated into choral music. The popular mbaqanga dance music originated in apartheid-era townships. Kwaito music, a favorite of young South Africans, mixes African melodies and lyrics with hip-hop and reggae. Kwela incorporates the distinctive penny whistle. South Africans are also devoted to the fine arts, and major cities host performances of the symphony, ballet, and opera. Gumboot dancing, developed by African gold miners, has become a popular performance art.
Economy
More than half of all of South Africa’s export earnings come from minerals and metals. South Africa is one of the world's largest producers of platinum and gold, and it also exports diamonds, chrome, and coal. Low gold prices on world markets have sometimes slowed that sector's growth. Wine and tourism are fast-growing industries. The industrial base is large and diversified, and new investment is allowing for growth. The government has privatized (in whole or in part) some of the largest state enterprises to improve market conditions and raise capital. Strong growth and investment will be necessary to reduce high unemployment and poverty.
Education
As in other areas of South African life, apartheid-era segregation in public education has been dismantled. However, it will take some time before all children receive the same opportunities within a uniform system. Many schools are without adequate texts or supplies. Schooling is compulsory to age 15. Africans receive instruction in their native language until the seventh grade, and then they usually are taught in English after that. Afrikaans is also offered as a language of instruction. In urban areas, an increasing number of primary schools teach in English. There are 19 universities in South Africa.
To find out more about CultureGrams, connect to our website today.
As world events increasingly affect all our lives, it’s more important than ever to educate students about the world around them. CultureGrams and World Conflicts Today show students how the world’s peoples live... and what’s behind the major conflicts they face.
CultureGrams concise, reliable, and up-to-date information delivers a true insider’s perspective on daily life and culture of the world’s people. Explore 190 country reports that include 25 cultural categories, maps, images, bios, glossaries, statistics, and five local recipes per country.
World Conflicts Today provides new ways to understand the high-profile conflicts currently engulfing many of the world’s nations. Unbiased overviews of the history, background, obstacles, and implications analyze each conflict, alongside primary and secondary sources, interactive maps, slide shows, and other multimedia.
Conflicts include Afghanistan, Basque Country, Chechnya, Colombia, Darfur, Iraq, Jammu & Kashmir, Korean Peninsula, Northern Ireland, and the Palestinian Territories.
Together you get more than facts and figures; you give students unbiased cultural and social insights they won’t find in any textbook, website, or encyclopedia.
You can save 20% off World Conflicts with purchase of both* by 12/31/06.
And, with district purchases you may be eligible for up to 40% off CultureGrams!
* Existing CultureGrams Online subscribers are eligible
You’ll see why School Library Journal recommends CultureGrams for, “History, geography, foreign language, ESL, and current events teachers…[for] discussions, debates, presentations, research papers, reports, and reading and writing exercises.”
For more information, contact ProQuest toll-free at 1.800.521.0600, or by email at PQSales@il.proquest.com.
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.
Discover what makes us human in this paleoanthropology site, which "includes an interactive documentary, educational exhibits, research tools, and the latest news from scientists across the globe." (IHO)
"Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) has existed for more than one hundred and sixty million years in one species of jellyfish. In 1994 it was cloned. Now GFP is found in laboratories all over the world where it is used in every conceivable plant and animal. Flatworms, algae, E. coli and pigs have all been made to fluoresce with GFP." (MARC ZIMMER, CONNECTICUT COLLEGE) Learn about the history and structure of GFP and view interesting photos, including one of a pig with a fluorescent yellow snout and hooves.
This companion site to "The Net at Risk" contains multimedia, resources, and questions regarding net neutrality and the future of the Internet. Watch the preview to learn "how mega-media corporations could restrict the democratic possibilities of the Web's new future." (PBS)
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.
What features of eLibrary CE do you and your students find the most useful? Have you recently used or are planning to use eLibrary 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.
FORWARD TO A COLLEAGUE + EMAIL SERVICE INFORMATION
Increase the usage of your digital learning solutions! 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.
ProQuest offers a growing family of K-12 classroom-focused,
subscription-based online research tools. Many of these education solutions offer reading level-linked
(lexile) content, support
21st-century information
literacy skills, and help schools differentiate instruction across all curriculum areas.
Learn more about all of our tools here, tap into our training resources and videos, and don't miss our new eLibrary research tool (more). We also have a pair of special resource pages just for teachers (with lesson plans) and librarians.
Let’s face it--no matter how many times we visit our favorite online learning resources, we’re bound to miss a feature or two. This month, our free video podcast focuses on one of the least-known but most useful feature sets of your eLibrary subscription: 
The use of source documents offers students a direct glimpse into the past. But without context, these sources can confuse as often as illuminate. SIRS Decades places these resources into a relevant framework for understanding 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.
Country:
