Schools

Women Unite!

Posted on February 17, 2016

I love learning about history, and there’s nothing like having the entire month of March devoted to the often overlooked contributions of women.I take my middle-school daughter to historic sites (sometimes with her feet dragging), and it’s great when she connects to historic figures to further understand what she reads about in books.  Here are some notable women we’ve “met” in our travels:

  • A Deborah Sampson re-enactor was our tour guide along Boston’s Freedom Trail. She related her fascinating story – dressing as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War – as we toured some of the sites of the American Revolution.  Years later, she fought for – and eventually received – a soldier’s pension.

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Tending the Academic Garden with CLiC

Posted on February 9, 2016

By Megan McCarthy

I love to garden, and over the years I’ve gotten pretty good at it. However, that wasn’t always the case. When I first started, every spring I’d run to Lowes, and pick out all the blooming plants I thought looked pretty. I’d bring them home, and plant them in my yard. Then, every year, I would watch in horror as they would wither and die. What was I doing wrong?  Well, as it turned out, almost everything. I finally consulted with a gardening expert, and found that plants had to be grown according to their needs. Some needed shade, some sun. Some needed dry soil, and others needed water. Most liked to be planted when they weren’t in bloom, probably the reason I was killing so many. I learned some important lessons, but the most valuable lesson I learned was, when you are in trouble, ask an expert.

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Happy Birthday Abe!

Posted on February 8, 2016

Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is February 12th! He was the 16th President of the United States, holding office during the Civil War, and proved to be one of the great figures in American history.

Did you know…

  • Lincoln lost five separate elections before being elected president.
  • Lincoln proclaimed all persons held as slaves in states of the rebellion “forever free.”
  • Abraham Lincoln is the only president in American history to hold a patent.

Let’s take a trip back in time to the years of his presidency. We’ve highlighted a few titles that can be found on Gale’s eBook platform, GVRL, to help you get started.

Abraham Lincoln, 1st Edition
April 2014
It may be little exaggeration to say that the figure of Abraham Lincoln embodies the American ideal more so than any other U.S. president. Although he came from humble beginnings and held several odd jobs before launching his career in politics, Lincoln’s determination and natural abilities brought him to the White House, where he led the struggle to preserve the union and emancipate the country’s slaves. Lincoln’s remarkable life—from his childhood to his role as Commander in Chief during the Civil War to his tragic death—is chronicled in this captivating volume.

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What’s your learning style?

Posted on February 4, 2016

Everyone has unique qualities, from hair and eye color to personal interests to ways of problem solving. I approach making cookies by searching for a perfect recipe, laying out all the ingredients before starting, and following the instructions step by step. Another baker might use the first recipe found online, locate each ingredient when needed, and regard a recipe merely as a guide. Still another baker might look up a segment from the Food Network online and follow along, while someone else may prefer to work in the kitchen with a more experienced baker who provides support through the process.

The method for making cookies doesn’t really matter, as long the result is yummy. Students learning in the classroom are no different. There are three generally recognized styles of learning. Visual learners process by reading and watching, while auditory learners prefer listening and reciting. Tactile, also known as kinesthetic, learners gain knowledge by doing or touching. Many learners thrive with one learning style, while some prefer using a combination of two or three styles. CLiC (Classroom in Context) can help teachers better address the learning styles of their students and ensure their success.

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What’s the Weather Forecast?

Posted on February 2, 2016

Did you know that February 5th is National Weatherperson’s Day? To help you and your students join in the celebration, Gale has lots of great titles available to bring the wild weather to your classroom.

We’ve highlighted a few of our latest Gale eBooks (GVRL) titles to help your class study the weather and climate.

What Are Weather and Climate?, 1st Edition
November 2015
In What Are Weather and Climate?, part of the Let’s Find Out! Weather series, students in grades 3-6 learn how weather and climate are different yet also have an impact upon each other. Eye-catching diagrams and pictures help to illustrate the featured scientific concepts.

What Is Weather Forecasting?, 1st Edition
November 2015
What Is Weather Forecasting? provides lower elementary–level students a guide to meteorology The science and basic premises of weather forecasting are explained in dynamic,full color spread pages easy for students to understand this side of science.

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New Apps for Download Make it Even Easier to Access Gale Resources

Posted on February 1, 2016

Many of your favorite Gale products can now be accessed via apps available for free download through the Chrome Web Store. These product apps provide an additional access point to Gale content making it even easier for students, instructors, schools, and public library patrons to easily access resources from their tablets and mobile devices.

Apps you’ll find available include:

·        Artemis Literary Sources ·        Infotrac including PowerSearch
·        Book Review Index Plus ·        Kids InfoBits
·        Contemporary Authors Online ·        Literature Criticism Online
·        Dictionary of Literary Biography Online ·        Literature Resource Center
·        Gale In Context Suite ·        LitFinder
·        Gale eBooks (GVRL) ·        MLA International Bibliography
·        Gale Researcher ·        Something About the Author Online

Read moreNew Apps for Download Make it Even Easier to Access Gale Resources

What’s So Great about GVRL + Google?

Posted January 29, 2016

by Kristin Fust, Product Manager, GVRL

“If it isn’t on Google, it doesn’t exist.”  Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wale’s famous quote about Google rings true for many teachers, professors, and librarians. For years, educators mourned this trend, judging general website searches too limiting to support comprehensive research.  But those concerns dissipate when quality content becomes accessible through Google.  It’s a case of moving the proverbial mountain to Mohammed – putting authoritative content into the workflow of information seekers.

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A Look at the New SAT

Posted January 25, 2016

By Rosemary Long

As the March 5 launch date for the updated SAT comes closer, now’s a good time to take a closer look at what the revamped test is all about. Detailed information abounds, so the goal of this post is to winnow it down to the essentials.

New Features

Perhaps bowing to the competition, the new SAT features content that is similar to the ACT. And it has also adopted two ACT features. Test takers don’t lose points for wrong answers—so there’s less temptation to leave an answer blank—and they are offered only four choices of response instead of five.

Read moreA Look at the New SAT

WorldMark Global Business and Economy Issues Wins Big!

Posted on January 19, 2015

ALA’s RUSA (Reference & User Services Association) awarded Worldmark Global Business and Economy Issues as a 2016 Outstanding Reference Source and the Dartmouth Medal Honorable Mention.

This title is available in print or eBook format, on GVRL— the research-optimized, mobile accessible platform.

Read moreWorldMark Global Business and Economy Issues Wins Big!