Trainer script for SIRS Discoverer Deluxe

Midwest Collaborative for Library Services, MeL Training Materials

completely reviewed, minor changes 8/09 SR

INTRODUCTION:

SIRS Discoverer is a MeL database with reading levels most appropriate for young children (K-9). It is designed to help teach elementary and middle school children how to search. This is a great database with lots of good curriculum and teaching ideas for teachers and home-schoolers. It contains full text articles and graphics from more than 1600 U.S. and international magazines, newspapers, and U.S. government documents, 3000 maps, political cartoons, charts and graphs, resources for educators, all selected for educational content, interest, and level of readability.

SIRS has granted permission for students to use photos and maps for class projects (works must be cited). This includes use on poster boards, in papers, or in PowerPoint presentations. They are not allowed to post the pictures on a web site or put them in the school or library newsletter.

LOOKING AT THE SIRS HOME PAGE:

Have the class go to mel.org, then click on MEL DATABASES, then scroll down and find SIRS DISCOVERER in the list. Have them click on it.

1. Talk about main features of the home page.

•Links in the blue bar across the bottom (encourage class to look at them later)

•Tutorial is a PowerPoint slide show that may be of interest to staff, but is not aimed at younger students (this takes a long time to open, so don’t actually open it)

•How to Cite gives examples of MLA and APA formats for bibliographies.

•Workbooks are available to download in PDF format for elementary and middle school student use. Caution: they are extensive and may take a long time to load, so it is probably not a good idea to do this during class.

•Tips has explanations of when to use each type of search, how to use Boolean language, etc. This is also aimed more at staff than at the younger users.

•Bookmark no longer works. We notified the content staff at ProQuest, but they still have not fixed that.

2. Show the icons in the “Reference” box across the lower part of the main screen.

3. Have them click on the CURRENT EVENTS link and explain the key.

Show the reading levels for the colored books (squares).

Easy (green) is 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade

Moderate (dark blue) is 4th, 5th and 6th grade

Challenging (red) is 6th, 7th, and 8th grade

Point out the Lexile ratings are also displayed. Explain that the yellow apple will bring up subject headings, and the camera will show any pictures that accompany the article.

4. Use the HOME PAGE link at the top of the page and go back to the main screen. Explain about the World Almanac for Kids (search by Table of Contents or keyword) and the Encyclopedia links. (You’ll be covering “Spotlight of the Month” later in the demo).

5. Go to area of the screen marked BROWSE SUBJECT TREE. This search is nice for young students because they don’t have to type or spell. It could also be useful for special education, English as a second language, or adult literacy students.

Point out the 15 categories in the Subject Tree.

6. Choose the NOTABLE PEOPLE category. Click the icon with the Abe Lincoln on it and show the results screen. The screen displays links to all the articles, and there are tabs users can click to view only one type of source, such as only newspaper articles.

Point out the list of subject headings on the right side of the screen, scroll down and choose U.S. PRESIDENTS.

Look at the alphabetical list of presidents and have them choose one.

7. Each president will have at least 2 articles containing portraits or photos and basic biography information. The SIRS staff has written one article at the easiest reading level. These contain standard biography information including interesting quotes. The other articles will most likely be a little more challenging.

Have the class pick the article with the journal name SIRS Discoverer. Click on the SOURCE AND SUMMARY link at the top. This feature is designed to help students correctly cite bibliographic information and also to help them judge whether or not the article will be useful by reading the short summary. Most children will need a bit of help with these steps! Scroll through the article showing the various kinds of information.

8. Show the class how to email an article.

Show the class the print button, but please do not have them print during class. Note: it will print what you see on the SIRS screen, but not the browser banner, etc.

9. Show the class how to view the picture. Give them a little bit of time to look at the various articles.

10. Click on the HOME PAGE link to go back to the main screen. Click on the ENVIRONMENT button; look at the subject headings on the right side of the screen and point out the link to CAREERS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD. Many, but not all, of the 15 main subject areas have links to career information. Educators will find this very helpful. Youth services librarians will enjoy looking at the resources found by clicking the Kids Corner button.

DATABASE FEATURES BOX:

1. Show the class the “Database Features” section of the opening screen. Explain that most of the resources found by using the links in the Database Features box can be found by other search methods, but they are all “pulled together” in this area. Click on the link for COUNTRY FACTS.

Show the list of countries with the date the articles were written.

Have them pick a country and look at the article. Show all the sections of the article including the history timeline and the embassy addresses near the bottom.

2. Have them click on the MAP to see what happens, then go back to the article.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the link to go back to the HOME PAGE and then click on PATHFINDERS in the Database Features box.

Point out the links for many different types of topics. Point out that there are many active links within the boxes for Holidays & Celebrations and Suggested Research Topics. These are set up by the editorial staff based on the numbers of searches completed by users.

5. On the left side of this same page, point out the Famous People box with links for famous people born during the current month, then scroll down and show the Challenge Quest. Point out that last month’s Challenge Quest displays along with the answer. Librarians might like to use these challenges monthly as an activity for students.

6. Go back to the HOME PAGE.

Other links in Database Features you may want to highlight:

-Activities – related to almost all subject areas -- be sure teachers take a look at this!

-Biographies – nearly 2000

-Country Facts – nearly 200 countries with basic facts, maps. Many also have links to Culture Facts, which supports social studies curriculum.

-Fiction – many types, including written by kids, some literary criticism and author info

-Maps of the World -- 3000 of them, searchable and may be printed!

-Educators' Resources -- good stuff for K12. Many of the documents contain curriculum integration ideas and activities, especially the “In Depth Guide to Mini-Research.” Be sure that teachers take a look at this section.

This section is where you can find a specific list of the sources contained in Discoverer. There is a "Source List" link under General Information and Support. I recommend opening it in the Excel file version. The new materials added in early 2009 are highlighted in yellow, making them easy to find.

Caution: PDF files might take a long time to download, so it is probably best if they explore these documents at another time. K12 library staff may want to use many of these strategies to integrate information literacy skills into the curricula of their districts and to assist teachers in meeting state and national standards.

If you are short on time, please encourage the class to look at the Educators' Resources later. It is well worth the time they will spend.

Let them explore one or two links of interest to them.

DISCOVERER WEBFIND:

1. Have the class click on the bar in the middle of the page for WebFind. Explain that this is over 9000 Internet sites that have been reviewed and selected by the SIRS editors for content and curriculum connections. This is a searchable set of resources, which is great. Have the class do a search for any topic that they think their students would use, then let them examine the results page. Give them a couple of minutes to link to some of the Internet sites so that they can see they "leave" MeL with this type of search.

Have them click on the HOME PAGE link.

SUBJECT AND KEYWORD SEARCHING:

1. Click back to the HOME PAGE. Go to the “Search” area of the screen and explain that you can do a subject search or a keyword search from here. A subject search would look for all articles with a particular SIRS subject heading. Make sure that the radio button is checked for a KEYWORD search and do a search for nutrition and fruit.

Look at the list of the top 25 articles that comes up. At the top of the results list, show how to resort by relevance and date by clicking on those links.

Scroll to the bottom of the list. Discuss the options for resorting the list: relevance, date, lexile up, lexile down, etc. Show the link for the next 25 articles.

2. Go back to the HOME PAGE and go to the search area. Click the radio button to SUBJECT HEADINGS and put in the subject horses. SIRS Discoverer uses standard Library of Congress subject headings. Do your search.

Click on any subdivision that looks interesting to them.

3. Go back to the HOME PAGE and click on SPOTLIGHT OF THE MONTH.

Show the Spotlight topic with the article list.

Have them scroll down and look at the Spotlight of the Month Archive.

Have them do the exercises.