| By Heather Van |
As a new Gale employee, I have been spending a lot of time exploring and learning about our products. The school databases are full of seemingly endless information just waiting to be mined. The teacher in me sees the possibilities for new classroom lessons and organized research functionalities. The student in me finds inspiration to learn about new cultures, foreign lands, historical battles, and current events.
Gale products encourage lifelong learning – starting at a young age. Gale’s Kids InfoBits introduces young students to a wealth of relevant well organized and easy to find information. Gale’s U.S. History and World History In Context databases house ancient heroes and villains, civilizations and wars, and all the other events that have led us, as a collective, to our daily lives.
Gale’s Global Issues In Context introduces students of various ages to the world around us. The spotlight images scroll across the top of the database page providing a small snippet of current events happening in lands far from home. These insights can help students gain a stronger understanding and appreciation for their fellow humans.
Gale’s Opposing Viewpoints In Context offers suggestions of topics of a more controversial nature. Here students can access topics such as gun control, immigration, and reproductive rights. The students can then find opinion pieces and viewpoints for both sides of an argument, thus inviting students to read both sides to form informed viewpoints of their own.
These databases introduce and encourage learners of all ages to new places, people and things in over 30 languages, which is wonderful for mixed-cultured classrooms. The information is friendly and adapted to various reading levels. They also include excellent videos, short clips, and dictation ensuring the resources are accessible to all students regardless of age and/or abilities.
In this new year, see how many ways our databases can help your students learn more about the world, each other and themselves.
Meet the Author
Heather Van is a content developer at Gale. She is a dog loving avid traveler who has lived in three countries, speaks Swedish and has had police clearance on three continents. She is happiest outdoors playing in nature.