Credible Online Resources
The WISD Library Treasure Chest
Teachers want students to have credible information for projects.
Each campus library webpage has age-appropriate materials.
Please go ahead and open a new tab and find your library webpage...
What we currently have available
TexQuest
Reliable online resources for Texas public schools provided with support from the Texas Legislature. Resources from: Gale Group, Britannica School, Adam Matthew Digital, EBSCO eBooks, ProQuest SIRS Discoverer, and TeachingBooks.net.
Over $26,000 worth of subscriptions in this package...and we get it for $319!
The TexQuest home page...packed with everything you need to know about TexQuest!
Gale Group
Britannica School
Adam Matthew Digital
The American West - over 300 manuscripts, broadsides, maps, and rare printed works.
American Indian Histories and Cultures - One of the strongest archival collections on American Indian history in the world.
We won't have time to look at these today, but you know where to find them! They were just added to TexQuest this summer!
EBSCO eBooks
ProQuest SIRS Discoverer
SIRS Discoverer informs K-8 students with vetted, age-appropriate articles, books, maps, multimedia, images and issues that align to core subjects.
TeachingBooks
Other Resources That We Subscribe To For the Kids!!
World Book Online
Culture Grams
Destiny WebPath Express
Students are sure to find things they can use...
Remember having to make copies of all the good stuff you finally found?
Let's Take a look at some highlights...
( As we explore, please search for topics that would be pertinent to your classroom. )
Starting with a Gale Resource - Kids InfoBits or Research in Context
*** For ALL users in our District ***
Username: winnsboro
Password: winnsboro
Front page layout - different sections for general exploration - geared for target audience
Search Assist tool - good for brainstorming if a student gets stuck
Content types - on right - quick view of results
Content Level - allows choice of reading difficulty
Translation tool - facilitates language acquisition
Read-aloud tool - builds reading independence
Dictionary - assists with new vocabulary
Citation tool - choose MLA or APA style
Bread-Crumb Trail - gets you back to search results
Download (saving to Google Drive)
- First sign in to Google at top of screen
- Exports content from Gale to Google
- Gale creates a new folder in your Drive - probably orange
- Let's open a new tab and find it!
Google Classroom - links back to Gale product from assignment in classroom (single article or search result page for a topic)
Want more training/ideas/info?
TexQuest Provider Training - webinars, handouts, etc.
TexQuest Training Tools - webinars, presentations, etc.
Gale Training Center - excellent training videos, worksheets, etc. Location ID = j250907
(If you access Gale from the TexQuest page, you must use j250907 as your username.)
All resources with the "GALE" tag on them have these features... How many Gale products are available for your campus? Take a look at what you can offer!
Now for Britannica...
*** For ALL users in our District ***
Username: winnsboro
Password: winnsboro
Front page layout - different sections for general exploration - geared for target audience
Navigation features are much the same...
- Notice Lesson Plans and Primary Sources may be included in content types
Britannica is an encyclopedia company -
- Articles means "encyclopedia articles"
- Magazines means "magazine articles"
- Take a look at how the same content is presented to different age groups
Cite, Translate, Listen - tools are similar to Gale resources
Quick-Click Dictionary - click on any word - dictionary entry pops up
Print to Google Drive -
- In article, select Print button
- Change to Save to Google Drive
- Article appears in your Drive as a PDF document
- Then you can move it to a folder and use it for Google Classroom
Resource Packs - like an online filing cabinet - students or teachers can create these, share links to them, post them on the webpage, convert them to a lesson plan, etc.
Click on Educators -
- You can create a log in to browse ready-made Lesson Plans - they are customizable!
Use winnsboro.teacher and raiders123 to take a look around!
When you create your own account, use texquest as the school code.
- Look for section called Tutorials, Guides, and Training - select Video Tutorials - under Britannica School, there are tons of graphic organizers! - page 2 has a section on Resource Packs - watch the video on Resource Packs: Social Studies to learn more!
Want more training/ideas/info?
Britannica Digital Learning Resources Page - videos, PDF guides, graphic organizers, etc.
Graphic Organizers - 17 great classroom tools
***Use See, Think, Wonder organizer with videoclip to begin class - first without sound - fill in the chart - then play again with sound***
Short Video Tutorials - Resource Pack and Lesson Plan instruction is here
Moving on to Adam Matthew Digital
*** For ALL users in our District ***
Username: winnsboro
Password: winnsboro
This entire collection is designed for intense research, but can be used by a teacher to show a primary source document or maps as a discussion starter or to enhance a lesson.
Features we want to notice:
Front page layout - Quick Links area
Thematic Areas - the best place to start ( it is different in both collections)
- Provides an overview of a thematic unit with all of the primary source documents to examine as you go.
Visual Galleries - contain all of the maps and images that support the Thematic Areas
Maps - Data Maps that have overlays that follow timelines through history. The Maps Gallery has all maps in the collection and can be narrowed down by adding various filters.
Search box - on top right corner of front page
- Search for a particular term
- Results are returned and you can zoom in on digitized pages of rare documents, brochures, etc. to find information.
Want more training/ideas/info?
TexQuest Provider Training - webinars, handouts, etc.
Primary Source video - using Adam Matthew Digital database
TexShare Webinar: Primary Source Collections - using Adam Matthew database
Next...World Book Online
*** For ALL users in our District ***
Username: winnsboro
Password: winnsboro
Front page layout - varies depending on World Book product
Article - layout is similar to other databases
- Double-click Dictionary
- Look under the More Information or Related Information tabs
- World Book Student and World Book Advanced offer Websites results - these are vetted sites by World Book that should be suitable for student research.
- World Book Kids has Games that relate to topics
Gear Box - has tools
- Citations
- Download
- Translate
World Book Products - on bottom left of every page - toggle back and forth between databases - open up Timelines - browse for a minute - great tool!
Early World of Learning (on WES Library page) is specially designed for PK - 2nd grade.
Lots of good stuff - based on World Book content - but made for the little ones!
Early World Classics section has a collection of songs, nursery rhymes, and fables - possible tools for teaching multiple grade levels - don't overlook it!
Want more training/ideas/info?
Look for For Educators - then Educator Tools at the bottom of the Home page of each Britannica product - provides access to Curriculum Correlations, Lesson Plans, Webquests, Graphic Organizers, etc.
Then we have Culture Grams
MMS Username: winnsboromms
WHS Username: winnsborohs
Password for ALL users: winnsboro
Elementary teachers, please browse in MMS CultureGrams today. We have no subscription for WES at this time, but if you find yourself using the MMS resource frequently, we can get a subscription for your campus.
Features we want to notice:
Point and Click Navigation to select Place of interest
Front page for country - Did You Know? - Average Person Infographic - Quick Facts - Map - mp3 download of anthems, etc.
Content is on the Left sidebar - one-page introduction of topic
Tools and Reports are on the Right sidebar -
- Distance Calculator
- World Time
- Currency Converter
- Graphs and Tables (Build Your Own)
Menu Bar across Top of screen -
- More Features
- Photo Gallery
- Slideshows
- Interviews
- Recipes
Kids Edition - Life as a Kid content
States Edition - 3 types of maps
Save to Google Drive & Link to Google Account
Teaching Activities - 79 activities written like Lesson Plans
Want more training/ideas/info?
LibGuide - Great learning place for all things CultureGrams!!
Our kids always want to use Google to find websites about topics. Gale, Britannica, and World Book Online had vetted websites listed also. We need to get our kids in the habit of looking to those resources for valid websites to visit!
Finally - Destiny's WebPath Express
No usernames and passwords required - part of our circulation system!
- Select Destiny on library page
- Find Destiny Quest in paragraph and click on it
- Click Exit in the upper right corner
- Should be on the traditional green and white screen
- Click on Library Search on left of screen
Library Search - Type in search term
- First thing listed are books in the Campus Library about the topic
- Click on the Tab to the right that says Web Sites
- These results are credible websites that Destiny has found useful for students on that topic.
We usually teach our students to use .gov, .org, or .edu sites.
WebPath Express includes some .coms - students need to learn that some are okay to use.
(i.e. smithsonian.com - valid...credible - and in the list of vetted sites from Destiny)
Narrow results - notice that many extensions are here
- by Domain - upper right
- by Language - upper right
- by Lexile - upper middle
- by Format - upper left
- by Source - upper left
- click Get Results - above number of results
Notice Grade Level Post-it to the right of website summary - identifies target grade level.
Saving a webpage-
- Right click on the page
- Select Print
- Change to Save to Google Drive
Now that we have looked around, let's make something to take to our students!
Canva
The Goal: To identify what online resources available through the library can be used in your classroom.
1) Create your 11x17 poster
2) email it to torri.miller@winnsboroisd.org
3) Wait for it to be delivered to your classroom. (Where is the EASY button???)
Tips for using Canva
- Many templates and pictures in Canva are free. Some cost $1. Be mindful of what you are selecting to put on your poster!
- When you save your file, please use this format: torri.miller_wes_online That way we can deliver it to the correct place!
- When you download your file to the computer, select PDF: for print.
- Attach your file in an email to torri.miller@winnsboroisd.org
WISD Libraries
Some of these resources that we have looked at have many features in and of themselves. After you get in and explore on your own, you may find that you want to visit more about a particular product. Stop by the library and we'll see what we can do to help!
Website: winnsboroisd.org