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VTS + Primary sources

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Microsoft Office 365 Integration with Gale Resources

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Microsoft Office 365 Integration with Gale Resources

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kids InfoBits
National Geographic Kids

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Edutopia: Battling Fake News in the Classroom

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Edutopia: Battling Fake News in the Classroom

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databases = no advertising!

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Media Literacy and "Crap Detection"

Teaching media literacy is not new, but with the explosion of social media and the lightning speeds at which information is shared, critical evaluation skills have never been more important. Howard Rheingold, who has been on the forefront of media literacy since the 1990s, coined the term crap detection as a way to describe the necessary skills needed to consume media of any kind. Similarly, Renee Hobbs, the founder of the Media Education Lab, has been advocating for media literacy for over a decade.

Hobbs and Rheingold share the view that the ability to effectively analyze digital media is a vital 21st-century skill. Back in 2009, Rheingold said, "Unless a great many people learn the basics of online crap detection and begin applying their critical faculties en masse and very soon, I fear for the future of the internet as a useful source of credible news, medical advice, financial information, educational resources, [and] scholarly and scientific research." Seven years later, this fear is getting closer to becoming a reality.

The Role of Educators

So how can educators address this emerging crisis in digital literacy? As digital technology becomes more integral to 21st-century classrooms, educators now have no choice but to teach these crap detection skills. While the idea of teaching yet one more thing can feel overwhelming, it can be surprisingly easy to incorporate these skills in even a simple class assignment. What can be overwhelming is the seemingly endless list of places that students can come across fake news or biased information disguised as news and the seemingly endless ways that it can be presented. The best educators can do is teach young people to be critical of everything they read and to take the time to cross-check what they find. There are also simple lessons that teach kids how to easily pick out ads and sponsored content by just looking for visual cues.

Crap Detection in the Elementary Classroom

It's never too early to teach media literacy skills. Teachers can start in the first or second grade with a simple activity where students look at a home page and pick out the ads. For example, elementary school students can look at a site that they may already be using, like Coolmath.com, and identify the ads as distinct from the content. This simple task will help them start to visually discriminate between what is actual content on a site and what is an ad. A teacher can also use this opportunity to help students understand what ads are and why they exist. You can also ask students what they think the ads are trying to sell, and why a company might choose to advertise on this site instead of another.

In the upper elementary grades, a teacher can provide students with links to both real and fake sites and give them a checklist to fill out for each site, and then have students decide which one is more trustworthy and why. Great sites for this activity are The Tree Octopus and All About Explorers. Sample questions can come from these sites, though if you are working with elementary students, you may not want to use the metaphor of crap detection (or the CRAP acronym from media literacy circles) to help them remember. In that case, there is also the CARS acronym, which has similar questions. Teachers should also have students create a list of trusted sites and ensure that they look for the same information on two or more of these trusted sites to verify the validity of the information.

Crap Detection in the Middle and High School Classroom

In a middle or high school classroom, it may be more acceptable to use the CRAP acronym. An activity with a checklist like the one above can be helpful. A site that is a real stumper is DHMO.org. This fake information site even has its own Snopes page. As students delve into more independent research that may also be more in depth and complex, sites like Snopes.com and Politifact.com can help them sort through information they are finding to see whether what they are reading is true. This is also a good time to include discussion around opinion versus fact and to have students analyze articles for bias. For example, compare " Russian hacking and the 2016 election: What you need to know" (CNN) with " The big problem isn't that the Russian hackers tried to influence our election-it's more that we let them " (Salon). Too many opinion articles disguise themselves as news or are improperly shared and quoted as news. Luckily, sometimes a simple read of a URL will reveal "/opinion/," which is a sure bet that what you are reading is biased.

In addition, the Stanford study shared some great lessons for the classroom around analyzing tweets and social media posts. Have students view social media posts and do detective work around their validity. Sadly, the study found that many of the students who were asked to analyze a tweet that had an embedded image never even clicked on the link in the tweet. Believe it or not, having middle and high school students identify ads on web pages is also an important skill, as is identifying sponsored content and articles that are fluff written to simply draw readers to a site that sells ad space. Sometimes these can be discerned by a simple visual cue, but sometimes interpreting them requires a deeper reading and comparison of information across multiple sites.

What's Next?

Over the last decade, we've seen an explosion of resources to support educators in ensuring high-quality technology integration across the curriculum. We will likely see this happen with media literacy as well. Just as technology-infused instruction has moved out of the computer lab, we will see media literacy begin to move across the curriculum, especially as teachers rely more and more on online resources and the access that students have to the internet for information. While this could be seen as a burden at first, it is a vital part of educating young people to be responsible and informed citizens.

How have you been helping your students deepen their media literacy skills? Please share your experiences and ideas in the comments section below.

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Teaching media literacy is not new, but with the explosion of social media and the lightning speeds at which information is shared, critical evaluation skills have never been more important. Howard Rheingold, who has been on the forefront of media literacy since the 1990s, coined the term crap detection as a way to describe the necessary skills needed to consume media of any kind.

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W.5: Build knowledge about the research process and the topic under study by conducting short research

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List of databases

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Getting Started

If you access our online databases while at the library, just click on the database you are interested in and begin exploring. If you are using a computer outside the library, you will need to enter your library card number (or student ID) and PIN (the default PIN is the last four digits of your library card number) into the login screen. Due to contractual agreements, not all borrower accounts may be able to access these resources from outside the library, in which case we encourage you to visit the library to use our computers.
If you encounter problems the first time you attempt to log in, please clear your browser's cookies and try again.

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Databases A to Z - Hamilton East Public Library Website

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If you access our online databases while at the library, just click on the database you are interested in and begin exploring. If you are using a computer outside the library, you will need to enter your library card number (or student ID) and PIN (the default PIN is the last four digits of your library card number) into the login screen.

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Colorin' Colorado: 10 Ways to Support ELLs in the School Library

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Colorin' Colorado: 10 Ways to Support ELLs in the School Library

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Many databases will read aloud and/or have a language translation feature.

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The school library is an important resource for English language learners. It may be the first place many students and their families get experience using a lending library. What can school librarians do to show ELLs that libraries are welcoming places of entertainment and enrichment?

Here are some ideas, and don't miss the recommended resources or the American Association of School Librarians' report on ELLs included at the end of the article.

1. Provide Foreign Language Materials in Easy-Access Displays

There are a number of ways to keep bilingual or foreign language books front and center in the library, and to integrate them into the curriculum:

Translated books: Keep your Spanish and other translated books on shelves close to the action, rather than in a hidden corner. If possible, mark these sections with bilingual signs in Spanish/English, Chinese/English, etc.

Curriculum resources: Be familiar with the curriculum and have as many translated books as possible on topics students will be studying. For example, many of the Magic School Bus books are available in Spanish and French as well as in English and could be powerful learning tools for ELLs who need some extra support in a science class.

2. Provide Books and Information on Countries of Origin

ELLs love seeing colorful pictures from their birth countries in books or online. You can offer them access to those resources by making these materials available:

Books about different countries: With limited school and library budgets, you might not be able to buy many books in languages other than Spanish. Perhaps if you don't have a large population from Vietnam, for example, you won't be able to buy more than two books in Vietnamese - but you can have books about Vietnam! Choose books with dynamic photos and illustrations of important symbols such as the flag or national bird.

Online resources: There are also a number of educational websites that provide information and pictures from countries around the world. Some are free, while others require a paid subscription to access a database or encyclopedia. (See the recommended websites below for some ideas.) A homesick child might really enjoy an online trip back home and will learn some computer skills in the process.

3. Provide Electronic Access to Materials in Other Languages

Many online resources are also available in other languages, such as the following:

Reference materials: Spanish versions of World Book Online, Grolier Online, and Encyclopædia Britannica's PlanetaSaber are available as part of these websites' subscription packages. You may also wish to show students how to use the English-Spanish online dictionaries that include audio pronunciation guides, such as Merriam-Webster or WordReference.com.

Reading materials: Share stories with your students from the International Children's Digital Library, which includes children's books in more than 50 languages.

Post links to these websites on your library web page for easy access from school or home.

4. Provide Audio Materials and Instruction on How to Use Them

Audio materials can be very helpful to ELL learners, from books on CD to free podcasts. However, some students will not have the electronic devices required to play the materials at home. Here are some ways around that:

Playaways®: These are audio books that are preloaded on a portable player. A number of children's and young adult titles are available. Students may need instruction on how to use the players and help changing batteries.

Library-owned CD players, MP3 players, or iPods: Many classrooms and libraries are using technology to support ELLs' language acquisition. Students can use these players in the library to listen to ESL podcasts, listening activities on CD, or other audio programs.

Library computers: Students can use headphones to listen to free podcasts or watch educational videos.

Short translated instruction sheets and stickers for players and computers will help students learn how to use these technologies effectively.

5. Share Culturally Meaningful Stories

With curricular demands, classroom teachers have little time to acknowledge holidays through stories and read-alouds. This can be done in the library, however. Here are some ideas for different holidays:

Halloween: Read one of the children's book versions of "La Llorona, the Weeping Woman" - a Hispanic folktale the students may have heard from family members.

Thanksgiving: Remember that ELLs may feel left out when hearing stories of families eating traditional American foods which are not served in their own homes. Share stories of immigrants celebrating Thanksgiving in their own way, such as Molly's Pilgrim and other titles featured on the Colorín Colorado bilingual Thanksgiving Tales booklist. This topic is near and dear to my heart, and I focus on this issue in my children's book Duck for Turkey Day.

Ramadan, Divali, or Chinese New Year: Recognize ELL students' home celebrations by doing read-alouds on these holidays and asking students to share their own traditions.

Winter break: Spend a week promoting winter and holiday stories from around the world that feature a number of traditions and cultures.

By incorporating these stories into library time, we validate a child's cultural heritage, and foster their self-esteem and adjustment.

6. Watch Your Words!

ELLs sometimes need help with instructions, vocabulary, or understanding a key piece of background knowledge in a story. It's important not to take their comprehension for granted as you might for English-speaking students. Support their comprehension in the following ways:

Clarify instructions: Be on the lookout for puzzled faces. Reading instructions aloud doesn't always clear confusion for ELL learners. If you ask your students to practice Atlas skills with a worksheet and you see they are having trouble getting started, find out if there is an unfamiliar word in the directions or questions.

Help students build background knowledge: During read-alouds, be prepared to stop and explain words like "patriotic" and "accomplishment." Never make assumptions that students will understand references to American culture and geography. Ask if the students know where the Grand Canyon is if it is referenced in the story. Encourage students to raise their hand if they don't understand a word.

7. Make Story Time Interactive

Interactive story time is a favorite activity for many ELLs at our library. You can get kids participating by using these strategies:

Choral response: Everyone can say "Moo!" For story time, choose books that have a short repeated chorus or animal sounds everyone can chime in with. ELL students like to participate, and a repeated phrase or song will allow them to feel included, even if they don't yet understand the meaning of "I'll huff and I'll puff!"

Music: Songs are a great way to teach library skills and promote a love of reading. Easy-to-learn ditties can become earworms students will repeat, giving them more practice with the English language. Use simple songs to begin and end story time. I have a favorite reading song, which you can listen to on my website.

8. Use Visuals at Story Time

Using visuals will help ELLs learn new vocabulary words and will add meaning to stories or read-alouds:

Flannel board pieces, props, and puppets: These are great tools for engaging all students and will enhance comprehension of new stories.

Tangible objects: If a gourd is featured prominently in a story, bring one in to show ELL learners who might not understand the word in English. Whenever possible, use "realia" - ELL learners especially benefit from any three dimensional objects you bring in to enhance the reading experience.

9. Use Visuals in Your Correspondence Home

The concept of a lending library may be new to immigrant families. You can help them get familiar with library books by doing the following:

Recognizing library books: Prepare a short translated note explaining when library books must be returned. Include a bar code, a spine sticker, and library stamp on the letter to help parents identify library materials, which must be returned in a timely manner, as opposed to RIF books and Title I materials.

Overdue notices: If books are overdue, send home a print-out from your catalogue that contains the book cover, or send an e-mail with the book cover graphic. Visuals can get better results than a translated note simply listing the name of the overdue book.

10. Promote the Public Library, too!

There are a number of things that school librarians can do to encourage ELL families to use the public library:

Library cards: Encourage your ELL families to obtain a public library card. Keep a list available (in different languages if possible) of different resources at your local library so that you can show parents what they will be able to use if they get a card.

Librarian outreach: Invite a public librarian to come to an evening event, provide an overview of library materials and resources (with lots of visuals!), and sign up new families for library cards.

Family night: Arrange for an evening family event at the public library, where families can take a tour, visit the children's section, and learn about programs offered at their local branches.

Try some of these ideas this year! I hope you find they go a long way in helping ELLs feel comfortable and welcome in the school library, and that they support student learning throughout the year.

AASL Report on ELLs: School Libraries Count!

In 2007, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) initiated an annual survey of school library media programs. Each year, the survey addresses a current issue within the school library field in addition to its standard questions. In 2009 AASL focused these questions on English Language Learners (ELLs). This report summarizes those findings.

Recommended Websites and Databases

*This website requires a subscription.

A Welcoming Library

Learn how to make your library accessible for children in multiple languages in this clip from Launching Young Readers: Becoming Bilingual.

This video is also available on YouTube.

About the Author

Jacqueline Jules is a teacher, librarian, poet, and author of fourteen children's books. Two of them, No English and Duck for Turkey Day, were directly inspired by her work with English Language Learners as an elementary school librarian in a Title I school in Virginia. No English is the story of two second grade girls who find a creative way to overcome a language barrier. Duck for Turkey Day is the story of Tuyet, who is worried because her family is not following the "rules" for Thanksgiving she learned in school. Both books validate the immigrant experience in America, encourage readers to reach out to newcomers, and embrace the diversity in our schools. To learn more about Jacqueline, take a look at Colorín Colorado's 2008 interview with her and her website!

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10 Ways to Support ELLs in the School Library

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The school library is an important resource for English language learners. It may be the first place many students and their families get experience using a lending library. What can school librarians do to show ELLs that libraries are welcoming places of entertainment and enrichment?

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Secondary & higher education

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Copyright ©2021 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Privacy policy.

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Copyright ©2021 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars.

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DPLA provides free digital access to banned books

DPLA has launched The Banned Book Club to ensure that all readers have access to the books they want to read. The Banned Book Club makes e-book versions of banned books available to readers in locations across the United States where titles have been banned via the free Palace e-reader app.

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The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America's libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.

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The world’s largest library. View historic photos, maps, books and more. Contact experts for help with research. Plan a visit. Home of U.S. Copyright Office.

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Find a world of facts to explore in Kids-the website specially designed just for young students!

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