Lesson 3

     SIRS Discoverer is a great site for all levels of students to do a research paper using articles from magazines and newspapers.  I liked the idea it is divided into reading levels.  For the younger elementary, it may be frustrating when they read an article and it mentions a picture that is not attached. As a whole, it offers students many options when researching; much more than a small school library can offer on site.
     A wonderful feature in this site is the way it shows how to cite an article in a research paper.
     In using the "Database Features" on the SIRS Discoverer, I explored the Czech Republic.  In starting the research, I found a very good thumbnail sketch of the country with pertinent facts and a timelime.  From there, you move on to articles about the country. It is a very good introduction to a country.  While exploring this site, I found the graphic organizers and printed them out to have as an "on-hand" resource when teaching writing and research to the elementary classes. 
     Moving on to the "Maps of the World", I found British Columbia.  The physical map showed water forms, land forms, and National Parks.  These would also be very valuable to any research or country unit in the classroom. 
     Another "Database Feature" I selected was the Fiction section.  It offered many good short stories with pictures.  Each story showed the reading level, the source, and a summary of the story.  It would be a valuable cite for teachers and students to find supplemental reading.


    In the "Leading Issue" section of  SIRS Issues Researcher, I chose Child Abuse.  It gave a great overview of the subject with a clear definition.  From there, I moved on to the Pros/Cons questions which gave articles relating to both viewpoints.  I was able to find statistics, relevant terms, and additional resources.  The event timeline in articles was very informational. 
     The "iThink Interactive Research Tutor is a great tool to train and  reinforce all aspects of writing a Pro and Con essay.    It would be very helpful to help with organizational skills.

     SIRS Issues Researcher and Discoverer are two very valuable tools in developing research and writing skills in students.  They are also important resources for teachers and librarians as they offer ideas, training and materials that are often times limited in school libraries. There are a lot of areas I need to explore and share with my colleagues.