Resources for the Library, Classroom, and Beyond

aPPs and websites Resources for the Library, Classroom, and Beyond

annette lamb jON SCIESZKA’s author website is a wacky, wonderful place for youth to explore his life and his works. Kick off your exploration by reading “A Welcome Message from the President.” Youth will enjoy his “annual report,” too. Jon’s Bio page contains a biographical sketch with hyperlinks to more information. Be sure to check out his interesting infographics. The Books page provides book covers and descriptions of his works. In addition, it links to his series books including Time Warp Trio, Trucktown, and Spaceheadz. The Guys Read website provides fun activities and information about books of interest to boys. The Gallery features images including Scieszka’s family and information about the author’s writing process. The News and FAQs pages provide lots of other interesting insights. There’s even an “Offi cial Online How-to-Say-Jon-Scieszka Pronunciation Guide.” The MATHIGON website and ebook app is intended to Librarians will fi nd endless ideas for an author display featur- bring mathematics alive for youth. ing Scieskza. Consider printing some of his infographics and pair- The Library contains an amazing open and interactive eBook ing them with examples of his books. This is a great website to get that is available online and as a mobile app. It presents mathemati- reluctant readers interested in this amazing author. cal ideas using animations, slideshows, games, and computations. To learn more, visit the website at http://jsworldwide.com/. This colorful, highly illustrated eBook will bring mathematics alive To visit the Time Warp Trio website, go to http://www.time- for readers. Links on the website’s entry page image go directly to warptrio.com/. sections of the eBook for topics such as Dimensions and Distor- To visit the Spaceheadz in Action website, go to http://space- tions, Graph Theory, and Fractals. headz.com/. The Teachers area includes engaging math activities including To visit the Guys Read website, go to http://guysread.com/. a mathematical treasure hunt for the primary or secondary grades. The lessons and activities are available as downloadable PDF fi les. Some areas of the website are still in development. The Developers area provides open source JavaScript libraries that power the Mathigon website. These resources could be used by high school students to build their own engaging online materials To visit the website, go to http://mathigon.org/.

44 TEACHER LIBRARIAN 43:1 The EXPLORE 9/11 app from the levels at some point in the future. Viewers the polar regions including plants, animals, National September 11 Memorial and Mu- are invited to examine a preview of things icebergs, and more. seum is a guide to understanding the his- to come. Librarians will find a wealth of re- tory of the World Trade Center and the Users are invited to enter an address or sources to connect children with informa- 9/11 tragedy. city to see what the area will look like in tion about the polar regions. Connect these The app contains three features includ- the future. informational and instructional resources ing a map mode, story mode, and tribute The Take Action area provides tools for with the science curriculum and extend the mode. Rotate your device to switch be- calculating your emissions, offsetting your experience with your nonfiction collection. tween the map and story modes. carbon footprint, and supporting a green The website’s emphasis on inquiry-based The Map Mode allows users to explore project. learning fits well with the AASL Standards the map of the Memorial plaza and mu- for the 21st Century Learner. seum. Tapping on hotspots provides access Librarians can use this website to jump- Although it appears that the website is to videos, photographs, and other images. start a discussion of climate change. Ask not being expanded, the resources are all Audio recordings from first responders and them to select a city and research the time functional. A companion website called survivors are also included. it will take for sea levels to rise enough to Beyond Weather focuses on weather and The Story Mode lets users explore chap- impact the city shown in the visualization the water cycle. ters with background information about based on current estimates. Involve teams To visit the website, go to http:// the history of 9/11 and the artifacts housed in comparing the projections from various beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/. in the museum. websites they identify. To visit the companion website, go The Tribute Mode provides a place To learn more, go to http://www.worl- to http://beyondweather.ehe.osu.edu/. where users can leave a message. dunderwater.org. Librarians will find this to be a power- ful virtual field trip for students and their teachers. Consider designing pre- and post- app experiences that encourage youth to The NATIONAL GALLERY ask questions, explore content, then de- BEYOND PENGUINS AND OF ART’s website and apps provide a brief the experience. POLAR BEARS is an online science wealth of resources and activities for youth To download the app, go to https:// resource for educators. of all ages. itunes.apple.com/us/app/explore-9-11/ Produced by The Ohio State University, The website Education area provides ac- id387986451 the resource focuses on preparing elemen- cess to areas including Teachers, NGAkids, tary educators to teach polar science con- Families, and Teens. cepts in an inquiry-based learning envi- The Teachers area is a place where edu- ronment. Twenty thematic topics explore cators can connect to useful educational both the Arctic and Antarctica. resources including lesson plans, teach- Each theme includes professional learning packets, and videos. Teachers can also ing resources, science and literacy ma- download posters and artwork. The NGA terials, stories from researchers and con- Images link provides access to 45,000 open nections across the curriculum. These access digital images for use in teaching resources are aligned with the National and learning. Science Education Standards. The NGAkids Art Zone includes over a The Stories of Students section links to dozen engaging art interactives for chil- feature stories for specific grade levels in- dren including Sea-Saws, Brushster, Faces cluding K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. These resources & Places, Jungle, Still Life, Dutch House, are excellent for informational reading ac- Photo Op, Collage Machine, Flow, Paint- tivities. box, Swatchbox, Wallovers, 3-D Twirler, The WORLD UNDER WATER A dozen podcasts tackle common mis- Mobile, and Pixelface. These easy-to-use website provides visualizations of what conceptions related to the poles. These online learning activities focus on art and coastal regions will look like with rising would be excellent for listening activities. art history. sea levels. Web seminars and print-on-demand Eight of these interactives are also The premise is simple. What’s the im- resources are also available to extend the available through the NGAkids Art Zone pact of rising sea levels? The website pro- experience. mobile app. There’s also an app focusing vides 360 views of a dozen well-known lo- The Polar Pinterest social media site is on the Hobby Horse exhibit. cations that may be impacted by rising sea used to share interesting visuals related to The Adventures in Art area of NGAkids

OCTOBER 2015 45 Art Zone features highlights of the collec- lation, Virtual Knee Surgery, Choose the easy-to-use comic strip generator. tion presented in a kid-friendly, interactive Prosthetic, Virtual Hip Replacement, Vir- The comic creator is now available as an style. tual Hip Resurfacing, and Aortic Aneurysm App through iTunes. The Families area contains resources of Surgery. To create a comic, go to http://www. interest to youth of all ages. An Eye for Art Resources for high school students in- makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/. is an online resource that explores 50 artists clude Sickle Cell DNA, Crash Scene, Stem To download the app, go to https:// in the collection and Family Guides online Cell Transplant, Stem Cell Heart Repair, itunes.apple.com/…/…/make-beliefs-co- booklets share insights into the collection. and Nanoparticles and Brain Tumors. mix/id795026580…. The Teens area provides links to cur- The Teacher Resources section encour- rent exhibitions and installations. It also ages educators to participate by exploring connects with audio and video programs materials teachers have created to go with associated with art and art history. Many the interactives as well as the opportunity of the interactives from the kids section to share ideas. would be of interest to teens, too. The Your Librarians will find these high-quality Art app provides information about over interactives to be popular with both stu- 130 popular artists and their works. dents and teachers. The online activities Librarians will find a wealth of re- are attractive, engaging, and educational. sources for use in the art curriculum. Also, To learn more, go to the website consider this resource when designing at http://edheads.org. STEAM activities that connect art with science, technology, engineering, and math. Weave artwork into social studies and history classes through the use of the NGA CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC Images collection. KIDS is a website designed to help users To learn more, go to http://www.nga. explore the geography, history, and wildlife gov. of Canada. Part of Canadian Geographic, the kid’s section focuses on resources of interest to youth. The Animal Facts area provides information about dozens of animals that can be accessed by species or the province where they are found. A web page is provided for each animal and the entire collection can The MAKEBELIEFSCOMIX be downloaded as a PDF file. website (and app) provides an easy-to-use The Games section includes activities tool for creating comic strips. related to the environment, maps, animals, Two, three, or four panel comics can be and nature. Screensavers and wallpaper created. Users begin by naming their comic can also be downloaded. and providing their name. Next, youth add The Fun Facts page contains statistics, characters, words, objects, backgrounds, information, flags, and maps associated The EDHEADS website provides a and talk/thought balloons to the panels. with Canada. wealth of interactive educational resources Users can change the background color The Maps section provides access to the for all ages. too. Sidebar tools allow creators to scale, Canadian Atlas Online, award-winning maps, The website contains a wide range of bring to font, and flip elements. Comics interactive world maps, historical maps, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, can be printed or emailed. other fascinating geography resources. math) activities. In addition to the tool itself, other re- For older children, make use of the en- Resources for elementary and middle sources are provided including materials tire Canadian Geographic website includ- school youth include Simple Machines, for teachers, special needs, and ESOL/lit- ing the magazine, atlas, mapping tools, The Compound Machine, Weather, and eracy. Writing prompts and tools are also travel information, photo section, and blog. Design a Cell Phone. available. Free e-books provide lots of To extend the experience use their links Resources for middle and high school classroom ideas. to other geography websites. Also, connect to youth include Trauma, Deep Brain Stimu- Librarians will find endless uses for this their social media presence such as Twitter.

46 TEACHER LIBRARIAN 43:1 Librarians will find this website an ex- a modern city and track it back through about having him come to speak. cellent starting point for discovering infor- time. Or, follow a famous fossil as it moves Will Hobbs is a favorite of many teen mation about Canada. It’s also useful for a through time. Collaborate with the science readers. Librarians can use this site to pro- wide range of projects related to animals, teacher to build connections with the li- mote his books and extend student’s expe- science, nature, geography, and history. brary’s science collection including books rience with his work. To learn more, go to http://www.cana- on prehistoric creatures, fossils, plate tec- Learn more at http://www.willhobbsau- diangeographic.ca/kids/. tonics, and other curriculum-related topics. thor.com/ The accompanying website also includes data files, classroom activities, worksheets, video clips, and a downloadable version. To learn more, go to http://www.hhmi. org/biointeractive/earthviewer.

The STOPBULLYING.GOV EARTHVIEWER is a fascinating, website provides a variety of useful interactive app from the Howard Hughes resources to help educators develop Medical Institute that allows users to ex- programs to prevent bullying. plore the science of Earth’s history. Managed by the U.S. Department of Through timelines and visualizations, Health and Human Services, the website students can see the continents grow and WILL HOBBS is an award-winning contains major sections including “what shift, as they scroll through billions of author of picture books and young adult is bullying,” “cyberbullying,” “who is at years of Earth’s history. Users can zoom novels with a rich website for young fans. risk,” “prevent bullying,” “respond to bul- into their favorite landmark and follow Hobbs writes outdoor adventures about lying,” and “get help now.” The content how it changes through time. Layers allow places in the wild. With more than twenty includes definitions, examples, statistics, users to view data on atmospheric com- books published, reader fans will enjoy strategies, and additional information. position, temperature, biodiversity, day learning more at his author website. In addition, there are sections specifi- length, and solar luminosity. The website includes a biography in cally aimed at parents, educators, commu- Part of the HHMI’s BioInteractive ini- the Meet Will Hobbs section. There are lots nity members, teens, and kids. The website tiative, the app opens with the option to of photos embedded throughout the site. blog and newsroom contains up-to-date take a short tutorial or jump right into the Use the website to learn about his grow- information and resources including ar- program. Users pinch out or in to switch ing up, his family, and his writing. In the ticles, research findings, and strategies. between timeline views. The three main Will’s Books section of the website, users Of particular note are the media sections. timeline views include phanerozoic (540 can click on a book cover and read an in- The images page contains appealing photos million years), deep history (4.6 billion terview about each title. The author tells and infographics that could be used in library years), and modern (100 years). Suggested where he got his ideas and shows photos of displays. The video page includes dozens of areas to explore contain place markers his own adventures. There is a story sum- short videos focusing on specific issues such such as cities, fossils, impact events, mass mary plus information about awards and as LGBTQ bullying and cyberbullying. extinctions, biological events, and geo- audiobooks for each title. For youth working on research projects logical events. In-depth options include Don’t miss the Favorite Questions sec- related to bullying, the resources page and text and illustrations about topics such as tion and learn more about Will’s life, fam- policies and laws page would be particu- the greenhouse effect and plate tectonics. ily and his writing. Most of the content is larly useful. The teacher resources area includes quick aimed at his young adult readers, but there Kick off the school year with a library guides, references, and other information. is also a section for teachers and librarians. promotion that encourages friendship and Librarians will find endless applications Here he suggests some curriculum resource positive relationships. Weave in resources for this resource. Students can start with materials and provides contact information to help young people address the issue of

OCTOBER 2015 47 bookmarkit betty winslow bullying before it starts. TEEN INK is website that encourages Junior fiction To visit the website, go to http://www. youth to express themselves through po- stopbullying.gov. etry, essays, stories, reviews, art, and pho- tography. Life with a Twist For more than 25 years, the nonprofit Gibbs, Stuart. Evil Spy School. Simon group The Young Authors Foundation has and Schuster Books for Young Readers, provided a website, magazine, and books 2015. 336 p. $16.99. ISBN: 9781442494893. all written by teens for teens. Aimed at Grades 3-7. Ben is expelled from spy young adults ages 13 through 19, the web- school for (accidentally) firing a live site works with English and Art teachers to mortar into the principal’s office and encourage teens to submit their work for immediately recruited by the enemy’s publication. school. Can he play along until he finds The website is divided into nine sections. out their evil plans? Thwarting them might The Poetry section is organized into free get him reinstated….. verse, song lyrics, sonnets, haiku, limer- Healy, Christopher. The Hero’s Guide icks, and ballads. Users can view the works to Being an Outlaw. Walden Pond Press, by today’s best, top voted, most discussed, 2014. 516 p. $16.99. ISBN: 9780062118486. or more recent. Grades 3-7. The Princes Charming, BOOKOPOLIS is a website de- The Fiction section includes action- Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Lila signed to ignite a passion for reading in adventure, fan fiction, historical fiction, are all wanted for the murder of Briar Rose children ages 7-12. realistic fiction, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, (who’s actually alive). Can they stay free Intended to build a community of read- scripts/plays, and thriller/mystery. long enough to clear their names and foil ers, this social network provides a safe The Nonfiction section is divided into a plot to overthrow all thirteen kingdoms? environment for elementary and middle types such as memoir, interviews, and es- Korman, Gordon. Schooled. Hyperion, school youth to connect with other book says. There’s also a hot issues section with 2008. 224 p. $6.99. ISBN: 9781423105169. lovers. Youth can find books to read as topics such as bullying, environment, and Grades 4-7. Capricorn Anderson has well as share their book reviews. health. spent his whole life at an old-style Students can explore new books, create The Reviews section provides book, commune, off the grid. When his a bookshelf, share with friends, and earn movie, music, TV, and video game reviews. grandmother breaks her hip, he’s sent points. The website also offers book sug- Summer program and college reviews are to foster care and enrolled at Claverage gestions and features new releases. also posted. Middle School. Will CMS change Cap? Or In addition to being a resource for chil- The Forums section provides two ar- will he change CMS? dren, the website also provides resources eas for youth to interact. There’s a writer’s Korman, Gordon. Ungifted. Balzer for teachers and librarians including lesson workshop as well as regular forums. and Bray, 2012. 280 p. $16.99. ISBN: ideas, book recommendations, and stan- The Art/Photo section posts artwork by 9780061742668. Grades 4-8. After dards connections. Educators can sign up medium and the Video section posts video Donovan’s latest unthinking action gets for a teacher account to set up classes. work by theme. him in hot water, he’s transferred to his To explore the website, go to https:// The Summer Program section helps district’s gifted school, where he decides www.bookopolis.com. youth identify summer programs of interest to hide out by faking a high IQ. How hard across subject areas and the College Guide can it be? Well, there’s nothing easy about section features resources to help youth normal meeting genius…. learn about college and university options. Morrison, Megan. Grounded: The In addition to the main sections, a Sub- Adventures of Rapunzel (Tyme series, mit Work area provides guidelines and sug- Bk. 1). Arthur A. Levine, 2015. 384 p. gestions for youth wishing to submit their $17.99. ISBN: 9780545642705. Grades 5-9. work, a Contests area features opportuni- When Jack talks Rapunzel into leaving ties across writing and art genre, and the her magic tower (and her beloved Witch), Other Teen Ink Goodies links provide many she is introduced to many new things, additional resources and opportunities. including truths that make her doubt Teen Ink also features a Library Advi- Witch’s love. Was she using Rapunzel for sory Board that serve as volunteer liaisons revenge and power? And what about Jack? and advisors. This is a great way to get in- volved at the national level.

48 TEACHER LIBRARIAN 43:1 Finally, be sure to make use of the ent/teacher guide can be downloaded along quality videos. many social media features infused into with a walkthrough and rules to help learn- To learn more, go to http://www. the website including Facebook, Twitter, ers succeed. Worksheets are also available. nbclearn.com/portal/site/learn. and YouTube. DragonBox would be a great addition to Librarians may wish to suggest this web- the school library and math classroom collec- site to youth seeking to get their work pub- tion. It would be particularly useful for reluc- lished. It’s also a great source for short creative tant learners and students having difficulty and nonfiction works for reading activities. understanding the basics of algebra. The high- To learn more, go to the website fun, low-stress environment is perfect for stu- at http://www.teenink.com/. dents who proclaim that they hate math. To learn more about the app, go to http://www.dragonboxapp.com/. Published by WeWantToKnow.

STINKS, BANGS & BOOMS: THE RISE & FALL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMISTRY SET is a website that provides a fascinating look at the history of this beloved resource. Sponsored by the Chemical Heritage The DRAGONBOX 5+ and Foundation, this award-winning website DRAGONBOX 12+ apps are a uses an interactive timeline to explore the unique and engaging way to teach algebra. NBC LEARN is a website focusing inception, heyday, decline, and resurgence The learner-centered approach focuses on news and information of interest to of the American Chemistry Set. on discovering algebraic operations with- K-12 students. The amazing story is told through the out the stress of direct instruction. Thousands of standards aligned stories have use of historical drawings, photographs, Users begin by choosing an avatar. A been digitized from the NBC News archives dat- text, narration, and music. Interactive ele- levels page is displayed showing 20 levels ing back to the 1920s. Both subscription-based ments and mini-games keep readers inter- that can be unlocked for the first “chapter.” and free resources are available. ested. Users have the opportunity to learn Children start with the first level and are The subscription-based option is con- more or move on to the next section. provided with some basic visual instruc- nected with the Pearson Online Learning A particularly interesting activity in- tions. Students won’t even realize they’re Exchange (OLE). volves exploring chemistry sets from dif- learning the basics of algebra. The free resources include over a dozen ferent time periods. The mixture of quirky characters and video projects. While some collections Users can listen to the stories of people highly-interactive game activities make focus on event-specific topics such as Pi who grew up with a chemistry set and par- this app extremely appealing to students. Day, the Summer Olympics, and the Winter ticipants can even record their own stories. Because it looks and plays like their favor- Olympics, others are connected to sports Librarians will find lots of uses for this ite games, they’ll immediately be drawn topics of interest such as the Science of amazing website. It’s an exciting way to dis- into the format. Golf, Hockey, and Football. Topics spe- cuss timelines and the idea of change over What makes their approach distinct is cific to science include water, innovation, time. Involve youth in analyzing their favor- that the game isn’t separate from the in- chemistry, and climate change. ite toy such as the history of LEGO. It’s also a struction. It’s truly an example of gamifi- History topics include a video series on fun way to bring historical photos and other cation. In other words, game-design and the Civil Rights Era and one on the Titanic. primary sources to life. Consider creating a mechanics are used to engage learners in The Writers Speak to Kids is a video display that shows a chemistry set and labels solving problems and learning concepts. series containing over a dozen interviews the variety of parts. Also include books of sci- The first DragonBox Algebra is designed with award-winning authors talking about ence experiments that youth can try at home. for ages 5 and up and the second is for the craft of creative writing. Librarians will To explore the website, go to http:// middle and high school students. A par- be specifically interested in these short, chemistryset.chemheritage.org.

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