Junior High Media Center Blog

Junior High Media Center Blog http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com Just another WordPress.com weblog Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:55:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.png Junior High Media Center Blog http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com Website Evaluation Assignment http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/website-evaluation-assignment/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/website-evaluation-assignment/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:48:22 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=29 ]]> Ms. Cowell’s Website Evaluation Assigment

You have until the end of the day on Feb. 19^th to save your completed evaluation in the folder on the Public drive. Below you will find links to the sites you were assigned.

Use the tools on the website from the link below to evaluate your assigned websites. Answer the questions in the space provided, scroll down to make sure you answer all five questions.

When finished with one site, click Next Step to evaluate the next site. When you have finished evaluating all three sites, click Finish.

In the box provided for name, type your first and last name followed by your study hall period (Ben Fisk 7). Then click the Print button. When the new window pops up, use Save As to save the page. In the Save in: box choose Public on ‘ads’, double click on the folder titled Junior High, then double click on the folder called Cowell’s website eval assignment. In the File name: box type your first and last name followed by your study hall period (Ben Fisk 7), just like you did when you first named you assignment.

If you complete the assignment at home, you can save it to a jump drive and copy it to the folder or you can print it off and hand it in to Ms. Cowell.

Website Evaluation Form

http://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=177&title=

If you need help you can visit this site to refresh your memory.

Internet Detective

http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/detectivework.html

Set 1

The Ova Prima Foundation

http://www.ovaprima.org

World Trade Organization

http://www.wto.org/

How Vampires Work

http://science.howstuffworks.com/vampire5.htm

Set 2

The Burmese Mountain Dog Club of America

http://burmesemountaindog.info/

Welcome to Beef Nutrition.org

http://www.beefnutrition.org/

California’s Velcro Crop under Challenge (1993)
http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html

Set 3

RYT Hospital

http://rythospital.com

Peter Pan’ Homepage

http://www.pixyland.org/peterpan/

Chimps Deserve Better

http://www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/chimps_deserve_better/

Set 4

AIDS Facts

http://www.ithaca.edu/library/research/AIDSFACTS.htm

Whitehouse.com – For the People by the People

http://www.whitehouse.com

Animal Shelter

http://www.animalshelter.org/

Set 5

Genpets.com

http://www.genpets.com/index.php

Republic of Molossia

http://www.molossia.org/countryeng.html

50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Food

http://www.raw-wisdom.com/genetically%20modified%20food

Set 6

The technology behind Google’s great results

http://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html

Everpure

http://www.everpure.com/Pages/default.htm

World Trade Organization

http://gatt.org/

Set 7

Federal Vampire & Zombie Agency

http://www.fvza.org/

Case Analysis of Historic Killer Tornado Even in Kansas on 10 June 1938

http://www.cimms.ou.edu/~doswell/Conference_papers/SELS96/WoO.html

Dolly the Sheep

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/antenna/dolly/index.asp

Set 8

DreamTech International

http://www.d-b.net/d-b/dti/

Mold Allergy Prevention and Control

http://www.theallergyreliefcenter.com/mold_allergy.htm

Dog Island Free Forever

http://www.thedogisland.com/

]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/website-evaluation-assignment/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc The Big 6 Lessons http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/the-big-6-lessons/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/the-big-6-lessons/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:15:40 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=27 ]]> It’s Lesson Time Again!

The 7th and 8th graders are scheduled in the media center again. This time they are learning about the Big 6.

The Big 6 is an inquiry-based process that guides students through their information search and organization with six simple steps. The purpose of teaching students the Big 6 process is to encourage them to think about the steps they take when searching for and processing information. The more aware they are of the process, the better they can use it.

The Big 6

1. Task Definition

What do I need to do?

What do I need to know?

2. Information Seeking Strategies

What are the possible sources?

Which are the best?

3. Location and Access

Where is each source?

Where is the information in each source?

4. Use of Information

How can I best use each source?

What information in each source is most useful?

5. Synthesis

How can I organize the information?

How can I present the result?

6. Evaluation

Is the task completed?

Could I have done it better?

]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/the-big-6-lessons/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc New Book Orders http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/new-book-orders/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/new-book-orders/#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:30:10 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=25 ]]> There are new book orders in the media. These are due back by November 21st. The books should arrive in time for Christmas.

]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/new-book-orders/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc Book Donations to Media Center http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/book-donations-to-media-center/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/book-donations-to-media-center/#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:49:28 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=23 ]]> The books listed below were donated to the Media Center by a very generous parent.

Thank-you!

Bad Beginning

Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul

TTYL

Girls in Pants

Wide Window

Reptile Room

Miserable Mill

Smart Girls Guide to Friendship Troubles

Girls Book of Friendship

While we are not able to accept every donation, we are very appreciative of every effort to provide your students with a variety of reading materials.

]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/book-donations-to-media-center/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc Library Lessons Have Started! http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/library-lessons-have-started/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/library-lessons-have-started/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:37:30 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=20 ]]> The first set of Library Lessons has started!

Once a month, students come in from their study halls to participate in Library and research related lessons. Though these lessons mean that students will lose a study hall, their ability to successfully complete their school work will improve.

Last week the 7th graders came in to learn about the Dewey Decimal System that included a refresher on use of the OPAC.

This week the 8th graders will be in to learn how to work productively in groups and how to choose projects that best fit their strengths. The topics covered include;

Dealing with fears of working in groups

What to expect when working in a group

How to Work in a Group

How to Divide Tasks

Next month the 7th graders are scheduled for the week of November 3rd and the 8th graders are scheduled for the week of November 10th. Both groups will be reviewing the Big 6 Research Skills.

]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/library-lessons-have-started/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc Book Orders http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/book-orders-2/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/book-orders-2/#comments Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:28:58 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=18 ]]> There are new book orders in the Media Center. They are due back to Ms. Cowell by October 18th.

]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/book-orders-2/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc New Books Are Here! http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/25/new-books-are-here/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/25/new-books-are-here/#comments Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:19:57 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=16 ]]> Here is a list of new books available in the Media Center. Stop by and check them out!

5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft’s Flight From Slavery by Judith Bloom Fradin — Presents a detailed account of Ellen and William Craft’s daring escape from slavery in 1848, and describes the institution of slavery in the South along with the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad.

Acceleration by Graham McNamee — Stuck working in the lost and found department of the Toronto Transit Authority for the summer, seventeen-year-old Duncan finds the diary of a serial killer and sets out to stop him.

The Angel Experiment by James Patterson — After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the “birdkids,” who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan — In this wordless graphic novel, a man leaves his homeland and sets off for a new country, where he must build a new life for himself and his family.

Bulgaria by Kirilka Stavreva — Provides comprehensive information on the geography, history, wildlife, governmental structure, economy, cultural diversity, peoples, religion, and culture of Bulgaria”–Provided by publisher.

The Counterfeit Princess by Jane ReshThomas — Vowing revenge when her parents are executed in 1553 by the Duke of Northumberland, teenaged Iris becomes a messenger, spy, and stand-in for Princess Elizabeth during the volatile political times surrounding Edward VI’s death.

Cover-up by John Feinstein — Two teenagers learn that every player on a professional football team–which is supposed to play in the Super Bowl–has failed their drug test and the owner has covered up the results, and now they must find a way to prove it.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid : Greg Heffley’s Journal by Jeff Kinney — Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.

The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming by Laurie David — A collection of facts and information about global warming and its consequences, with suggestions on maintaining a healthy environment in the home, at school, and in the community.

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks — Child prodigy Cadel Piggot, an antisocial computer hacker, discovers his true identity when he enrolls as a first-year student at an advanced crime academy.

Falcondance by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes — As the peaceful coexistence of the avian and serpiente realms becomes increasingly precarious, nineteen-year-old Nicias, heir to the ancient and powerful falcon realm, learns some lessons about the past that will shape the future of their shared world.

Go with Grace. Vol. 1 by George Alexopoulos — Grace, a bedridden young woman, feels she has no reason to live, until she is visited by a mysterious boy who invites her to leave her room for the first time in years and leads her on a series of strange adventures.

Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War by Thomas B. Allen — Tells the story of Harriet Tubman and other slaves and free African-Americans who risked death to gather information about the Confederacy for the Union during the Civil War.

I am Not Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos — Joey’s father returns, calling himself Charles Heinz and apologizing for his past bad behavior, and he swears that once Joey and his mother change their names and help him fix up the old diner he has bought, their lives will change for the better.

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter — As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is sheltered from “normal teenage life” until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance mission.

InuYasha Ani-Manga. Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi — Kagome, a young school girl from modern-day Japan, gets pulled into a time portal and transported back to feudal Japan where she discovers that her destiny is linked to that of Inu-Yasha, a doglike half-demon, and together, they search for the Shikon Jewel which can fulfill the dreams of any man or monster.

Jacob’s Ladder by Brian Keaney — Jacob, having awakened in an empty field remembering nothing but his name, is taken to the nearby town of Locus where everything is gray–the clothes, the food, and the landscape–but he meets others who retain a spark of life, and enlists them in a quest to find the fabled Palace of Remembrance.

Jinx by Meg Cabot — Sixteen-year-old Jean “Jinx” Honeychurch, the descendant of a witch, must leave Iowa to live with relatives in Manhattan after the first spell she casts goes awry, but she will have to improve her skills to stop her cousin from practicing black magic that endangers them and the boy they both like.

John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth: a Photographic Biography by Elizabeth Partridge — Presents a biography of musician John Lennon, chronicling his life and times from his troubled childhood in Liverpool, England, through his career writing, recording, and performing as a member of the Beatles. Includes 140 black-and-white photographs.

Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union by Kevin Cunningham — A biography that emphasizes Stalin’s role in the creation and evolution of the Soviet Union from his arrival in Vienna in 1913 where he was sent by Lenin, through civil war and his rise to power, World War II, and the Cold War.

The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer — After escaping from the Sea of Trolls, the apprentice bard Jack plunges into a new series of adventures, traveling underground to Elfland and uncovering the truth about his little sister Lucy.

Letters From a Slave Boy: the Story of Joseph Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons — A fictionalized look at the life of Joseph Jacobs, son of a slave, told in the form of letters that he might have written during his life in pre-Civil War North Carolina, on a whaling expedition, in New York, New England, and finally in California during the Gold Rush.

Lewis and Clark Through Indian Eyes – A collection of nine personal recollections in which Native American descendents of those whose homelands were traversed by Lewis and Clark discuss how their families and tribes were impacted bythe expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific.

Lucky T by Kate Brian — Carrie Fitzgerald has always been the luckiest girl in school, but what no one realizes is that she is also the most superstitious, attributing all her good luck to a t-shirt, so when Carrie’s mom accidentally donates her lucky shirt to charity, Carrie’s luck starts to run out, forcing her to travel halfway around the world to get it back.

My Kind of Sad: What it’s Like to be Young and Depressed by Kate Scowen — Discusses a number of mental health disorders in teens including bipolar disorder, self-mutilation, suicide, and clinical depression; and offers advice on identifying problems and dealing with them effectively.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid in World History by Ann Gaines — Traces the history of apartheid in South Africa and highlights the leadership role of Nelson Mandela in bringing about an end to the oppression of black people in that country.

Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman — A fictional account of the night freakish and devastating tornadoes hit Grand Island, Nebraska, as experienced by a twelve-year-old, his family, and friends.

The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock — High school junior D. J. Schwenk staggers under the weight of caring for her badly injured brother, her responsibilities on the dairy farm, a changing relationship with her friend Brian, and her own athletic aspirations.

Pablo Picasso by Tim McNeese — A brief biography of the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, providing information on his early life and his accomplishments and career in art. Includes illustrations.

Photo by Brady: a Picture of the Civil War by Jennifer Armstrong — Presents an account of the Civil War using photographs taken under the direction of Mathew B. Brady, a famous New York photographer of the day, and provides information on the life and times of Brady as well as the Civil War. Includes notes and bibliography.

Plastic Angel by Nerissa Nields — Thirteen-year-old Randi, an aspiring singer-songwriter, spends the summer forming a band called Plastic Angel with her friend Gellie, and together they also make some decisions about the kind of people they want to be.

PrettyTough by Liz Tigelaar — Two feuding sisters from Malibu, California, take their rivalry to the soccer field when both girls make the high school team.

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley by Sally M. Walker — Tells the story of the “H. L. Hunley,” the Confederate submarine that in 1864 became the first to ever sink an enemy ship but lay missing on the ocean floor for more than a century, describing its creation, its discovery, skeletons and objects found onboard, and facial reconstructions of several crew members by forensic anthropologists.

Siberia: a Novel by Ann Halam — After spending two years at a prison school, thirteen-year-old Sloe sets off on a trek across frozen wastelands, tending to the secret “seeds” of wild animals her mother left in her care, trying to reach a new life for all of them.

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr — During the summer after her sophomore year, Deanna Lambert tries to come to terms with the reputation with which she was slapped in the eighth grade when she was caught by her father in the backseat of a car with a high school senior, and struggles with her still-strained relationship with her father and her changing feelings for her best friend, Jason.

Walking on Glass by Alma Fullerton — A teenage boy recounts, in a free verse journal, his attempts to come to terms with the realities of his mother’s near-death coma.

What my Girlfriend Doesn’t Know by Sonya Sones — Artistic fourteen-year-old Robin Murphy is so unpopular at high school that his name is slang for “loser,” so when he begins dating the beautiful and popular Sophie, her reputation plummets.

World Energy Crisis by Stuart A. Kallen — Presents a concise overview on issues associated with the world energy crisis; and contains primary source quotes and statistics on topics including alternative fuel sources.

Yellow Flag by Robert Lipsyte — When seventeen-year-old Kyle reluctantly succumbs to family pressure and replaces his injured brother in the family racecar, he struggles to keep up with his trumpet playing while deciding how–or if–he can continue making music with a brass quintet and headlines as a Nascar racer.

]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/25/new-books-are-here/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc Book Orders http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/book-orders/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/book-orders/#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:15:50 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=8 ]]> Media Center book orders are due back to Ms. Cowell by Friday Sept. 22, 2008
]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/book-orders/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc Welcome http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/welcome/ http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/welcome/#comments Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:10:07 +0000 wsrjhmc http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/?p=6 ]]> Welcome to the Jr. High Media Center Blog site. We will post important information and reminders here.

]]> http://wsrjhmc.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/welcome/feed/ 0 wsrjhmc