Instructional Media Center FAQ's

General Information and Materials List

Check out the USD 231 Instructional Media Center!

The Instructional Media Center (IMC) is a collection of resources for K-8 teachers. Class sets of novels, including teacher's guides and audio books are available. In addition to novels, there are a variety of other resources available to support instruction across the curriculum.

Are you a fan of Bill Nye?* We have a large collection of dvds including viewing guides with questions to engage your students. Looking to supplement your Science curriculum or provide hands-on experiments but need ideas and supplies to do this? We have you covered! Foss Kits are available FULLY stocked including the materials you will need to do a variety of experiments and exploration. Below, we have highlighted a few of the Foss Kits along with other items available through the IMC. It is located in the GEHS Library. You are always welcome to come and see what we have available.

NOTE: If you are finding Bill Nye videos on YouTube, they are a copyright violation and the district can be fined for using these on district computers. SEE MORE INFORMATION about Copyright & Fair Use below.

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BreakoutEDU Kits

We have 10 breakout kits for checkout. Digital games are a great option, too!

Go to breakoutedu.com to see what is available:

username: birda@usd231.com

password: blazers

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Buzzer Systems

These are a fun, interactive option for review activities! We have 5 of these wireless sets available.

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Hands on Materials for Science Experiments

Pictured is the Force & Motion kit

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Build Literacy with Paired Texts

We have a variety of novels that can be paired to provide a great opportunity to build literacy skills. Pictured are The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig.

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Foss Kit: Solids & Liquids

This module for 1st and 2nd graders will help to increase their awareness of their physical world. It provides introductory experiences with two of the three states of matter, solid and liquid.

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Foss Kit: Landforms

This module for 5th & 6th grade students consists of five investigations that introduce students to these fundamental concepts in earth science: change takes place when things interact; all things change over time; patterns of interaction and change are useful in explaining landforms.

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Foss Kit: Trees

This module for Kindergarteners to:

Observe and compare trees and tree parts, using the senses.
Identify trees as resources that are used in everyday life.
Differentiate between living and nonliving things.
and MUCH MORE!

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Resources for Electrical Circuits & Magnets

Circuit kits and magnet sets are available for hands-on exploration. We also have class sets of student books to use for instruction.

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Foss Kit: Water

This kit for grades 3-4, provides students with experiences to explore the properties of water, changes in water, interactions between water and other earth materials, and how humans use water as a natural resource.

IMC Procedures and Guidelines

Requesting Materials from the IMC

WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE?

Find the IMC webpage under the Employee Resources tab and Instructional Resources section of the USD 231 website or utilize this direct link: https://www.usd231.com/page/imc

SEARCH THE CATALOG:

The IMC catalog portal allows you to search by keyword, title, author, subject, or series. Type in what you are looking for, then click on the appropriate button below (i.e. for the subject “space,” you would type space, and then you would click on the subject button). Be sure to check the availability of the item.

SUBMIT YOUR REQUESTS using the IMC Request Form below. If you do not receive your order, feel free to email birda@usd231.com or call extension 2647. If an item is unavailable, we will notify you by email.

IMC Request Form

Complete this form to submit your request to access IMC resources.

District Approved Language Arts Resource List

Requesting New Resources

If you would like to submit a request for a new video or trade book to utilize in your classroom, follow this process:

Step 1: Fill out the Resource Request Approval Form.

Step 2: The completed form should be submitted to your building librarian and then to your principal for pre-approval before forwarding to either Christi Whitter (Elementary) or Heather Peeke (Secondary) for approval by the Ed. Services Committee.

For additional information, refer to the Grade Level Resource Guidelines.

Requests must be submitted a minimum of one week prior to the Ed. Services Meeting.

Submission Deadlines:

August 31, 2023

October 12, 2023

November 2, 2023

January 11, 2024

March 14, 2024

April 25, 2024

Fair Use & Copyright

The Fair Use Doctrine provides for limited use of copyrighted materials for educational and research purposes without permission from the owners. It is not a blanket exemption. Instead, each proposed use must be analyzed under a four-part test.

"Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use" (Section 107) offers a set of factors to consider when using copyrighted work for teaching or research. Specifically, the factors include:

the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
the nature of the copyrighted work;
the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The chart below is a quick reference for what falls under fair use.