Thing 13. Subscription Databases

I have distributed handouts to my students listing all the Online Learning Resources that we offer at the SPPS website. Also, they have the passwords and usernames for student access. Second semester will illustrate how well they have learned to use these resources. After the AP U.S. History exam in early May, my AP students will be doing a Minnesota History research project. The after-test period is always problematic for AP students, because the tendency to believe the class is over. As for the specific resources, the Minnesota Reflections site maintained by the Minnesota Digital Library will be the foundation of the research project. It is a fantastic site and very user-friendly. I am already using ABC CLIO in my AP class. The Gale Virtual Reference Library will be helpful in my students' research projects in the latter part of the second semester. United Streaming is a natural for my work, although I do not believe there are videos concerning Minnesota History. Right now, I am considering using CNN Student News as a regular morning newscast for my classes. I was a fan of Channel 1. No, I did not agree with commercials, but they did some very good journalism. I can remember Lisa Ling doing a multi-part series on her travels within Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The students liked the news, and I was aware that in most cases, it would be the only news show they would watch each day. Hopefully, the quality of CNN Student News will be of a caliber that interests my students. I would like to use the Smithsonian Education site and show it to my students, but I am having a heckuva time dealing with search function. Anybody having success with the Smithsonian search engine? The Electronic Library of Minnesota, or ELM, is an outstanding site. I just need a library card--New Year's Resolution #2. I need much more work with databases--this blog is merely a starting point. drfaust