Lesson 4: SIRS Discoverer and Issues Researcher

SIRS Discoverer

Most of the articles on armadillos have easy or moderate reading levels. I looked through some of the pictures, and the real images weren’t nearly as “cute” as the cartoon image I had pictured in my head. Kids are drawn to non-fiction photos though, so I was happy to see the high quality images with the articles.  

I selected Ethiopia, and most of the information listed provided a great overview of the country. I learned the approximate size, population, and the capital. I also learned that they celebrate their Independence Day on May 28. The general timeline highlighted some of the main historical events, and some of their victories only happened a few years ago.

The map section seems especially timely and useful with the Olympics on TV. While the options are endless, one common method would be to have kids from the same classroom follow different countries. They could use the maps when explaining their research to their classmates. (This would also pair nicely with the articles on the temporary database “Winter Olympics.”)

I chose to explore the biography database because non-fiction biographies written at lower reading level are limited. I looked at the articles on Abraham Lincoln and was happy to see that many of them were written at a moderate reading level. I clicked on a few of them and the information was well-written. They contained quotes, but then explained the meaning behind some of them (which is really helpful for the younger kids.)  I think this would be especially beneficial in the classroom for the holidays that honor historical people.

SIRS Issues Researcher

I found the issue on cell phones in the schools to be very interesting. I really liked the format that presented an overview, and then provided additional information for each side of the issue.  I especially liked the critical thinking questions at the end, as they challenged the students reflect on both sides, and then form and justify their own opinion. Not only does the site cover both sides thoroughly, but it also includes supplemental resources and guidance for students that need to communication their thoughts through a research paper or a PowerPoint.

Under the “Curriculum Pathfinders,” I chose to look at the American Literature content under the Language Arts section. Several types of sources were listed, and I clicked through some of the newspaper, magazine, and web select sites. A lot of what I saw provided historical information and the progression of English Literature. I like how SIRS Issues Researcher provides more resources at the end of each article, as well as different citations. It makes it impossible (for most) to mess it up.