Schools

Happy Birthday Louisa May Alcott!

Louisa May Alcott, American author, was born on November 29, 1832, making today the 184th anniversary of her birthday. Alcott is most known for her novel Little Women, but she published many other written works in her lifetime. Her more popular works, like Little Women, were written for the child and young  adult audiences, but Alcott … Read more

Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History: “A Treasure Trove”

History is not just a list of dates and events. But history taught well is vibrant, relevant, and engaging. And nothing brings history to life like primary sources that give students a close-up look at history as it unfolded.

Gale and Smithsonian have partnered to deliver an online resource that includes unique and seminal primary sources, including documents, maps, historical objects, and other materials from the museums and archives from the collections of the Smithsonian and from Gale’s leading digital collections: Smithsonian Primary Sources in U.S. History.

Designed for use by both teachers and librarians, this resource from Gale supports core and Advanced Placement U.S. history programs. Primary source images are hand-curated by scholars at the Smithsonian – experts who have a unique knowledge of U.S. history as seen through the Smithsonian’s valuable collections and shaped for the school curriculum by an advisory board of teachers.

See how a reviewer feels about the collection of Primary Sources.

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Literary Reflections on Thanksgiving

Readers who seek insight into the meaning of Thanksgiving can find a generous serving of literary criticism on the topic in the digital pages of Literature Criticism Online. Perhaps unsurprisingly, authors have found in the holiday a fruitful setting for explorations of family dysfunction and ruminations on the American national character. 

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Energy: In Context: “Useful Across the Curriculum”

Provide middle school students with more on a subject that impacts lives and economies across the globe: energy! Energy: In Context fosters the understanding of energy science, while also exploring the social, political, economic, and cultural factors that impact how we find, use, store, and waste energy. With 50 primary source documents, along with 270 color images, illustrations, and other graphics, Energy: In Context will be your one-stop source for all things energy.

Still not convinced? Read what a librarian has to say:

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Digital Resources Support Healthy Debates

According to TeachingTolerance.org, the 2016 Presidential campaign is unlike any other in recent history. They surveyed 2,000 teachers and learned that it’s emboldening students to mimic the tone of the campaign, disrupting opportunities to teach about political campaigns and civic engagement, and more. 

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Quotes from the teachers surveyed about this election

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Product Update: Exciting Video Additions and Increased Text Size to Kids InfoBits!

Recently, Gale partnered with Visual Learning Systems, an educational science publisher whose mission is to provide high quality, visual-based content that instructs, challenges, and inspires young learners. Nearly 600 high-quality educational videos on concepts essential to STEM learning have been added to Kids InfoBits. These recently added and powerful teaching tools are approximately 1-3 minutes … Read more

How Well Do You Know Your Presidents?

By Traci Cothran

Who served as both Vice President and President of the United States, without having earned a single vote in the election?

Gerald Ford, that’s who!

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Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

Last week I traveled to Grand Rapids, MI, and visited The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. During this 2016 election season, it was a breath of fresh air to wander amidst all the exhibition reminders of Ford’s “character,” “integrity,” “teamwork,” and how he “led by example” – detailing his life from his days as a Boy Scout, to college football player, to Navy man, and into his long career in government.

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Worldmark Titles: “Very Useful” and “Recommended” Resources

Looking to provide a deeper insight into essential topics to assist learners’ understandings? With Worldmark titles, you can provide users with “effective, very useful” resources “most appropriate for school and academic libraries.”  Integrated on the GVRL platform, researchers gain access to a search-optimized platform that gives users simultaneous access to a hassle-free eBook experience—anytime, anywhere, from any device.

Read what our reviewers had to say!

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Funny Cat Videos or Historical Perspective – Take Your Pick

By Debra Kirby Like so many fellow “political junkies” I know, the current U.S. presidential election season has provided more than enough fodder to hold our interest—sometimes a little too much! From checking polling websites and political news coverage numerous times a day to spending way too much time in the evenings watching cable TV, all while using … Read more

U•X•L Titles: “Valuable” and “Recommended” Resources

Searching for comprehensive reference books with information presented in an attractive, inviting way? The U•X•L  family is an “extraordinary, ambitious” collection “recommended” for serving the reference needs of middle school students. Producing several types of books: Encyclopedias, Biographies, Almanacs, Chronologies, and Primary Source volumes, U•X•L titles offer a number of ways to explore a particular subject.

The reviews speak for themselves…

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