This is only the first part of the SIRS lesson, but I wanted to post my results while they were fresh....
I must be a rebel at heart, because I did not want to look up armadillos. Yesterday was February 2, so I checked out information about Groundhogs. There was basic information about groundhogs (habitat, diet, lifespan, etc.), but also much more. I found magazine fiction stories, a craft idea from the Akron Beacon Journal, and a plethora of newspaper articles about Punxsutawney Phil and his Groundhog Day predictions. I also checked out a related web site (stormfax.com), where I learned that Phil lives at the Public Library in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania!
Moving on the the Database Features, I checked out both Haiti and Cuba. I think students researching countries for reports will find this very informative. The historical timeline is helpful as well. I did notice that the last date for Haiti was 2010, and for Cuba it was 2008. Students needing more current information will need to check out other databases.
Since I enjoy history, I looked at Historical Maps. There are a lot of them! Besides just being interesting to look at, these maps can be used to illustrate students' research, or even by educators to enhance presentations. I also checked out some of the Outline Maps. Once again, I can see students using them for reports. (Those lucky kids! I'm dating myself here, but I remember when we had to try to draw maps free hand for our reports!)
I investigated Activities as well. I looked at Art Projects, Science and Nature Projects, and Food Projects and Recipes. I'm looking for ideas to use in our Children's Programs, and I think I've found some potential programs!
Hey, Miss Nancy, I remember tracing maps out of the print version of World Book! :) I think you're right--SIRS Discoverer has lots of info you can use for programs! The vendor is working on updating the country info. I like that they tell what their sources are, so you can go to the source for updated info. Thanks for your comments. Is your library ready to adopt a groundhog? ;)
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