Sirs Discoverer
Question 1: I looked up koalas and found 128 articles. Looking further, I discovered that the resources are broken into smaller categories like magazines, reference, graphics etc. While the information is good, the reading levels are pretty high and the articles are not very attractive to look at. I looked at an article classified as “easy” but it has a Lexile rating of 940 which is above the upper end of 5th grade. I can see students using this if they need another source, but many students would need help reading the articles, since Discoverer doesn’t have a read aloud feature like World Book Kids and World Book Students. I would use this resource sparingly and mainly with advanced readers.
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Country - I chose Mexico. There is a
timeline listing major events in the country’s history, a list of facts like official
name, capital, etc. There is also a map and an image of the country’s flag. I
did the same search in World Book Kids and found more information, several
pictures, a sound clip, and the ability to have the article read to the kids.
As an elementary teacher with students who have a variety of reading levels, I
would choose World Book Kids or Students over this resource.
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Maps of the World – I looked at a map of South Dakota
and noticed several things right away: the Black Hills are not on the map and
neither are reservations or counties. Also, many of the cities in South Dakota
are not listed. If I were going to do an activity with my students, I would
have them explore Google Earth or other websites.
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Biographies – I chose Thomas Edison. I found
8 articles. However, I’m concerned about the reading level ratings. The article
I looked at was classified as “moderate” with a Lexile score of 750. The koala
article I found on had a rating of 940, and was classified as easy. Hmmm, I’m
wondering how reliable the readability ratings are.
Common Core Connections
Using
Discoverer, the standard I would focus on would be grade 4 or 5, range of
reading and level of text complexity:
10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational
texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the
high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
My main concern, however, is that the reading level of the
articles on SIRS Discover do not meet the needs of all students in the average
4th or 5th grade class. I would use this site as an additional resource for students when
working on research projects in their classroom. I would however be cautious of
using it with all students because the reading level is too high and there is
not a read aloud feature. When teaching students how to find online resources
and articles, I would demonstrate Discoverer along with World Book Kids and
Students and let students choose the appropriate resource for their needs and
reading level. 
Hi, Learning! SIRS Discoverer contains selected articles from children’s magazines, but you are certainly right. Primary grade kids would have trouble using this by themselves. It is a great resource for intermediate grades and teachers to find material to supplement the curriculum. We agree that it is not visually attractive, but teachers have told us they like the display because there are no distractions from the text.
ReplyDeleteThe SIRS country info gives quick, basic info with links to more. World Book is your source for the total package, absolutely. We think the maps in SIRS Discoverer offer tremendous riches. We encourage you to look at U.S. historical maps, which include maps of explorers’ trips, Native American information, etc. The outline maps may be useful for your teachers, too.
As for the reading levels, there may be a disconnect between the color-coding, which are assigned by editorial staff based on content, and Lexile, which offers a range. In Advanced Search, you can select to search only for “Easy” and/or you can specify a Lexile range. You know what is best for your kids!
Your Common Core connection comments are good. I can’t think of 1 resource of any kind that is perfect for all students! Giving the students options is a great idea, and we hope that CCSS R.CCRA.10 is fulfilled in the course of the school year whatever they are reading!
We look forward to your comments on SIRS Issues Researcher. We know that your students probably won’t use this resource, but your teachers might. In this Challenge, we will be looking at many resources for which you probably won’t have a direct classroom application. We hope you will continue to appreciate learning about them anyway. They may apply to you personally or friends or family.
Hi Ladies,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that I will not be completing the challenge. My position will be changing next year and I don't have the time to dedicate to this course. I also feel that much of the content is more appropriate for middle school and high school students.
Beth, thanks for the note. Sorry to see you go. Yes, much of the content is more appropriate for MS/HS students. It is also appropriate for teachers of all levels and people's information needs in general. Thanks for joining us briefly and all best to you this year and next!
ReplyDelete