DISCUS: Kids InfoBits

Kids InfoBits is another great database for elementary students available through DISCUS. You access it the same way as you do SIRS Discoverer by going to http://www.scdiscus.org/ and either click on the database name or clicking on DISCUS Kids to get to the list of K-8 databases.

Kids Infobits is very kid graphic friendly and the easiest way for students to search is by clicking through the subject icons until they find the area they are searching for. This is great for teaching topic definition and keywords and well as broadening and narrowing a search in a kid-friendly, visual way.

Notice the tools circled - there are some fabulous teacher aides in the Teacher Toolbox for reseach projects and the dictionary is a very friendly version of the Merriam Webster's Elementary Dictionary.

Aside from the subject searching, you can also do a basic and advanced search to find something specific. I did a search for "Zebras" to demonstrate for this session.

Like SIRS Discoverer, InfoBits has tabs at the top to distinguish between types of information. (marked by the big arrow) There is also a student Backpack feature where students can keep a list of likely sources while they search. (marked by the star) There is a less sophisticated, but easy to follow reading level distinction with circles and triangles denoting "easy" and "more difficult" by articles. I also really like that some of the articles are available in PDF so that students can view them with full color photographs and charts. This is particularly helpful where budgets have been cut and students might not have ready access to learn the reading skills associated with reading in magazine and newspaper formats.

However, to me, two of the best feature comes when you look at the specific articles.

You have the option to email or print the article just like most of the other DISCUS databases (circled). But every article has ReadSpeaker connected so that students can listen to the article. Its not the best - its computer generated speaking - but it is a boon for students struggling with reading nonfiction texts for comprehension. You have the option of downloading the MP3 as well, so you can have the students listen while reading on email or with a printed version. This gives so MANY options for reinforcing reading skills!

I also like that at the bottom of most of the articles it has the full citation written out to help students get the citation information that they need. I've found that having students cite from databases is one of the hardest for them to learn (so they tend to do it the least!).

DISCUS: SIRS Discoverer

I love working with students and DISCUS... why... because the variations on the name are hilarious. I have lost count of the number of times I heard "Is that that DISCUSS thing?"

Now, following our progress, we've had Destiny Quest, we've talked a little about Nettrekker, what's DISCUS. More stuff for your students to plow through, you say? Well, every good teacher knows you start with a tool box and you try to fill it up with the best stuff. Then you pick the best tool for the situation and need. DISCUS is a big, multipurpose tool that we really need to share with our students.

DISCUS is provided free to citizens of South Carolina through the SC State Library and funded by the state. It provides 24/7 access to excellent reference sources for students and adults. Everything from encyclopedias, online reference books, periodicals, magazines, newspapers, government documents. It has a ton of stuff for you. The downside?? It has a ton of stuff for you and there isn't really a "Google" option for streamlining all that stuff. ; )

Because it is so huge, I am just going to concentrate on 2 databases that I love for elementary schools today: Kids Infobits and SIRS Discover. These databases are commercially available outside of DISCUS, but in SC we access them through the main discus website: http://www.scdiscus.org/. If you are at school, your IP address will be recognized and you should not have to enter a username and password. At home, you'll need the username and password which you can get from your local school or public librarian. In the upper right hand corner, it has a graphic and link for DISCUS Kids. That has a list of all of the databases most useful to K-8 students. Click there to get started.

There's a good basic breakdown of what each database offers and links to each, I'm going to start with SIRS Discoverer.

Click on the icon or link to enter the SIRS Discoverer database.

There is a tremendous amount of "stuff" just on the front page - you have access to the current almanac, encyclopedias, world maps, country facts, pathfinders, activities... just devote a little time to browse around and enjoy. It truly is like a treasure trove of fun stuff that is easy and safe for your students to access. Also note the SIRS websearch which makes a good back up to Nettrekker and easy to integrate if you are wanting students to stay on one site for an activity.

To demonstrate a search, I just did a simple keyword search on "Frederick Douglass." Look at the search results page - this is why I wanted to start with SIRS Discoverer. Look at the Lexile ranking option. Because we use Lexiles so frequently with the students, this is an easy way to target a general range to start reading. That way your students are getting frustrated with things to high or low (AGAIN... pick your instructional battles - it is what you are focusing on at the time!). There are color coded book icons to help readers distinguish between levels of difficulty and these are there for the websites as well! Also notice the tabs at the top; you can easily move between the types of information returned, so it is easy to sort newspapers, magazines, photos, websites and reference sources.

Now, look at an article from the search. The articles are full text and offer you (and your students) the chance to email the article. In our work to be more economically wise and eco-friendly, the less we print the better. This way you can use portions in your lesson plans, and students can work on the computer to take notes and organize research materials! You also have the option to print from here, AND I love the Source and Summary link with clear and concise information that the students need to cite the article and a brief summary. This would be great to have students summarize the article and then compare with the "official" summary. The link to subjects will take you to more articles like this one and results takes you back to your search screen. This particular article has fabulous features for teachers and offers vocabulary, pre-reading questions, comprehension questions and follow up enrichment exercises.