Students in grades 2-5 have been learning about the Cobb Virtual Library. Mrs. Harp taught students to access CVL from home. 2nd graders are working on a report about the Creek and Cherokee Indians. During the lesson, students learned the difference between a database and an online encylopedia by searching both World Book Kids and Kids Info Bits. Both of these sites offer audio for the articles that may be slightly above some students' reading level. After the lesson students had the opportunity to practice accessing the site and exploring the information on World Book and Kids Info Bits.
5th and 4th grade students learned how to create a workspace on Britannica Online Elementary. This is a great tool for saving articles, images and timelines. During the lesson, students 1st created their own workspaces, then created a timeline using the new timeline feature. 4th Graders created a practice timeline using explorers as the topic while 5th graders created ones about American inventors.
We hope that all of you will use this valuable tool. Students were provided with the login information and passwords for home use. The site can be accessed from the Ford Homepage http://www.cobbk12.org/ford or directly using the URL http://cvl.cobbk12.org . There are many resources available on CVL including access to Destiny, our online card catalog. If you haven't before, please check it out.
If you haven't checked out the Cobb Virtual Library in a while, you might want to give it a look. This is a fantastic service offered through your school. During orientation students will receive the new access information in order to be able to take advantage of these resources from home. Ever need some information about a topic but don't know where to search? The Cobb Virtual Library is the place to go.
World Book Online has added some wonderful new features that will be showcased in upcoming lessons as well as Gale Resources, Britannica Online Encyclopedia and a multi-media component that includes a subscription to Soundzabound, royalty free music that students and teachers may download for use with presentations.
The newest addition is Pebble Go. Finally, a research product for younger learners. Pebble Go was developed by Capstone Books and includes simple information about different types of animals. The site is interactive and includes short facts that students can read on their own or listen to. There are review games, short video clips of the animals and and audio of animal sounds.
Please visit the media center during sneak-a-peek to pick up more information about this resource.
