The South Dakota Library Challenge: Electronic Resources Edition was developed by the South Dakota State Library staff to introduce you to the statewide subscription electronic resources. The Electronic Resources Challenge encourages library staff to learn more about the resources that provide expanded access to information and research tools to all schools, libraries and citizens of South Dakota. It is your chance to Explore...Discover...Play!...and Learn about the statewide subscription resources and how they can be useful to you both personally and in your library. This is an opportunity for you to learn at a pace that is comfortable for you and to share your learning experience with your colleagues in the South Dakota library community.

For more information about the Electronic Resources Challenge, check out our FAQ and Getting Started Pages. Please contact us if you have any questions.



Sunday, November 15, 2015

Institute Edition: Lesson 5--SIRS Discoverer and SIRS Issues Researcher

A fourth grader working on his non-fiction animal project needs to find an article on armadillos. He has his internet source and would like a book or magazine. Yikes! The library only has two armadillo storybooks. The library doesn’t have the space to keep kids magazines like “Ranger Rick” that may have an article on armadillos. Where do you turn? SIRS Discoverer, of course!

 SIRS Discoverer, designed for grades K-8, contains selected full text magazine and newspaper articles that meet today's curriculum needs. It also has pictures, maps, current events, biographies and more. Explore the features found in SIRS Discoverer here, provided by Proquest, or checking out the two-page handout provided by the SD State Library.

 SIRS Issues Researcher is the middle-high school version of SIRS Discoverer. Designed for grades 6-12, it has similar features, such as selected full text magazine and newspaper articles that meet today's curriculum needs. Unique features include "Leading Issues"--articles, information on more than 300 current research topics. SIRS Researcher provides tools for learning about and doing research, such as Curriculum Pathfinders and "My Analysis," "Note Organizer" and the iThink Skills Tutor (found in any Leading Issue under the "Research Guides" icon and in the right sidebar).

 Both SIRS Discoverer and SIRS Issues Researcher articles show Lexile levels, which help students find articles in their reading ability range. Advanced searches allow you to search and sort by Lexile level. Both also offer a "Listen" feature, so you can hear the articles read out loud, and article citations in MLA and APA styles.

 Both SIRS Discoverer and SIRS Issues Researcher link to Web sites related to your search. These sites, like the articles, have been vetted by educators and content experts. They are safe, trustworthy and non-commercial. In Discoverer, on a search results page, you can select "Websites" in the left sidebar, which also allows you to sort and limit your search by relevance, date, Lexile, and source type. In Issues Researcher, Webselect sites may be clicked from the left of the results page.

 Explore the features found in SIRS Issues Researcher by watching this 2 minute video provided by Proquest.  The SD State Library also provides a 2 page handout featuring details.

 *For teachers and teacher-librarians, Educator Resources in both SIRS Discoverer and SIRS Issues Researcher provide lots of lesson ideas, videos and more.

 Discovery Exercise assignment for Institute participants, please choose, explore and report on 1 question under Basic and 1 question under Advanced for SIRS Discoverer and SIRS Issues Researcher.  Email your responses to Jane Healy. Please put CHALLENGE--LESSON (and the lesson number) in your subject line. Please put the question number before your response.

Basic Discovery Exercise:
Discuss and report answers to the following questions and other observations you have about SIRS Discoverer and Issues Researcher. All resources can be accessed via this alphabetical list.

 SIRS Discoverer
1. Look up armadillos (or your favorite animals) and discuss the results. Note if you find pictures and the various reading levels of the articles. (Remember, articles in SIRS Discoverer are selected, so you may not find something from yesterday's news.)

 2. Some of the most useful features in SIRS Discoverer are the "Database Features" located on the right hand side of the window. Explore this section by:
  • selecting a country in "Country Facts" and noting the information located there.
  • selecting a map in "Maps of the World" and discussing a potential use.
  • selecting one other area in "Database Features" and discuss the information located there.
SIRS Issues Researcher
1. Select a leading issue and discuss the information located there, noting the topic overview, research tools and articles.

 2. Select "Curriculum Pathfinders" on the right hand side of the window and mouse over the course subjects, noting the range of topics covered. Pick your favorite subject and discuss the information located there.

 Advanced Discovery Exercise:
SIRS Discoverer
1. A third grader who reads below grade level needs articles on the solar system for a school project. How would you find appropriate materials for this student, and what are your results? (Hint: Advanced Search is useful here.)

 2. What are two ways you can use SIRS Discoverer to find maps/images of volcanoes? How many results did you get with each?

 SIRS Issues Researcher
1. A committee of teachers needs good websites about suicide prevention for teens. How do you help them using SIRS Issues Researcher? Is this a better way to search for web sites than using a search engine such as Google? Why or why not?

 2. Recent drought is causing your town to consider restrictions on water use. Citizens disagree about the need for restrictions. What subjects would you search in SIRS Issues Researcher to provide information for civic discussion?
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