Teaching books.net

Teaching books.net
This is also offered through AEA’s website http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/. Like the previous resources it is under the “Resources and Research Tool” and has the same login.
This is an additional resource for teachers k-12. This is not just for reading or English teachers, this could effectively be used by all teachers. There are various resources available through the site. Many of these you could find through a Google search, but it is all in one convenient place here.
Ideas how to use it- This is great in trying to incorporating fiction in content areas (historical fiction, books that present themes or content[ global warming, war, math or computer science]- i.e. science fiction authors from a time period)
Author Programs- “virtually meet authors and illustrators” actual programs/excerpts (radio) that people have done, or ideas if you are doing an author unit

Book guides- “stimulate informative discussions about books” lessons related to a book, written by authors, illustrators, publishers and teachers
Book readings- “add a new voice to titles” Audio eceprts, some have audio books where the book is read to you available; list of possible books
Author websites- “Official websites for authors” websites about the author and other additional resources
Educator Area- additional materials and resources to more effectively use teaching books.net
Thematic booklists, booklists, and award books.

BookFLIX

This is also one of the resources that is just through Heartland AEA http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/ . Like the other resources I have highlighted it is also under the Resources and Research Tools. The log in is the same username and password for all AEA things.
What is it? – This is geared toward lower elementary. Books are divided into categories. For example one of the categories is “People and Places.” Book are paired into fiction and nonfiction. The fiction book typically is able to be watched and is animated and is read aloud. The nonfiction book typically is just able to be read, but included the color illustrations. For example “The Man Who Walked Between the Tower” and a nonfiction book “New York City” are paired together. Besides the paired books there are also games that are related to the books. There are also website links that go along with the book themes. There also is meet the author feature.
This could be used in the classroom for a shared reading. It also could help with themed units or to have some additional information and go deeper with a theme besides what you already do. This site also seems very easy to use that students could read books with the computer on their own. This could be great differentiation for high or low students.
Additionally on the home page of BookFLIX there also is a “resources” link. With the resources link there is additional ideas and information on paired readings as well as the ability to browse the titles.

Inventions and Discoveries Digital Library

How to get there: Go to Heartland’s website http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/ and under “Resource and Research Tools” select the Inventions and Discoveries Digital Library. This is sponsored through Worldbook. You will need to log in using the AEA username and password.

What is it: On the home page you can search by general topics. You can click on these broad topics and then you will be provided with narrower topics that you can search from. The articles that come up are generally come up are short and broad. However, at the bottom of the page, additional articles in Worldbook student are already linked. Since you have signed in once, you don’t have to sign in again. You also can toggle between (go between) all of the Worldbook pages at the bottom or the top of the page. So even if you go to a World book Student article you can then go to a worldbook advanced article (high school level). Worldbook also has a dictionary, additional websites and videos that can be searched.

General Topics that are listed: Agriculture, Architecture and Engineering, The Arts, Astronomy, Communication, Economics, Industry and Manufacturing, Mathematics, Medicine, Personal and Household Items, Transportation, and Warfare.
Other Digital Libraries - Early Peoples and Living Green - look for more on these later.
Did you know…. That you can triple click on any word in a Worldbook or Worldbook related article and look up a word you do not know. Encourage students to do this for words that they do not know.

Literary Reference Center

How to get there: Go to Heartlands website http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/ . Click on the tab “Resources and Research Tools” Select Literary Reference Center. You will need to log in using your AEA username and password.

What is it? – This as it sounds is a literary tool. You can search by author or title. There also is a literary dictionary and encyclopedia. There also is a time line. If you search by author or title there is also a neat feature that can allow you to sort your hits and look at plot summaries, literary criticism, and biographies. You also can look for articles in reference books and periodicals.

English/Reading- This could be used on any level (maybe upper elem -a HS) to be a research tool for students or you as the teacher.
Social Studies- If you are wanting to do some cross curricular things look at the time line, or if you are looking at influential people of a time period a student could research the person through both biography or the literary criticism.
Math/ Science- you might consider science fiction authors and their writings. Also look at the time line. Are there important discoveries in science that were reflected in literature of the time?
Spanish- not all of the authors that are focused on are American or English. There could be works by Spanish authors that you could look at and learn about.