Team+1,+ref+log+2a


 * Team 1, Reference log 2a: Almanacs ||  ||<   ||
 * Reviewed by //Ginny//

//The daily almanac online.// (2010). Retrieved February 14, 2010, from [] || Although the flashing advertisements are a bit distracting, this online almanac is rather entertaining to peruse. Little factoids such as **This Day in History** or **Today’s Birthdays** were interesting and the **Today’s Weather** entry actually provided the local forecast instead of a listing of advertisements or other non-related entries (still a little gun-shy after that sham known as Encyclopedia.com!). While relatively small, this reviewer appreciated the inclusion of a hyperlink to the related website, //Fact Monster//, for younger students in need of a more appropriate and approachable online resource (including an almanac!).

For a free online website, the //Daily Almanac// was a pleasant surprise. It provided access to a multitude of facts and trivia that was simply fun to “surf.” Areas of particular interest during this investigation included **Color Psychology**, **Most Popular Names** (as a “Virginia” born in 1970 during the //Love Story///Jennifer craze, it is no wonder my nickname “Ginny” was frequently misspelled “Jenny.” Talk about a pet-peeve!!), and various **Crossword Puzzles**. **Year-By-Year** allowed me to revisit 1988, the year I graduated from high school—gosh, it seems like yesterday! (By the way, a first-class postage stamp was $0.22, Notre Dame had an undefeated football season to clinch the NCAA Championship, Ted Turner started Turner Network Television (TNT), and both the Summer and Winter Olympics were held!!) Yes, none of it will earn a Pulitzer, but is it a fun, albeit frivolous way to pass the time. With regard to its educational value, several areas of legitimate information were easily accessible and contained enough visual interest to engage even those students jaded by the instant-gratification world of electronic resources. In addition, the **Homework Center** presented any number of useful tools for students to use to complete assignments, obtain information, or brainstorm ideas. ||

Grades: //7 - 12+// Subject(s): All Rating: //8// || ||< //Kesha's// comment :

//Claudie's// comment : I really like the Daily Almanac online, it would be a good start to the class day with a little trivia for mental stimulation. I saw some use for the 'Homework Center' and sent the link onto my HS daughter. One of my brother's birthday is tomday and I sent him 'This day in History' and added his birth announcement. He appreciated it. The students I had helped in the elementary level liked 'Fact Monster' simply because of the image and the name. Hey, whatever it takes to get them to use it. || //Citation in APA format goes here.//
 * Reviewed by //Kesha//

//Text of review of reference source goes here.//

Grades: enter //your best judgment of age/grade appropriateness of the resource// Subject(s): enter //your best judgment of subject area(s) where resource would be most valuable// Rating: // provide your rating, using scale of 1-10 // ||  ||<  //Ginny's// comment :

//Claudie's// comment : || Information Please Kids Almanac. Reviewed on February 18, 2010 from www.kids.infoplease.com. Easy to determine right off the bat that this website covers all types of information. World to People, Science and math. It is very current and up to date with the 2010 Olympics and Black history month on the front page. Great resource that contains an Almanac, Encyclopedia, Dictionary and Thesaurus link on the home page. Links are identified with words and pictures for all types of learners. Games and Quizzes reinforce the information learning. Small blogs like Fact Monster quizzes and Monster’s Poll allow controlled and limited interaction among viewers. A homework center helps with typical information research and resources streamlining the research process and it provides citing formats as needed. It is part of the Family Education Network. It is arranged in typical website format with quick links, drop down menus and great graphics. Only part I didn’t like were the ad banners, although not inappropriate, might encourage external browsing to the website. Age/Grade Level: PreK- 6th Subject Area(s): All Overall rating (1-10): 8 (ad banners) Cost: Free ||   ||<  //Ginny's// comment : This is the kind of website that, as a teacher, I would be perfectly comfortable allowing my students time to freely "surf" its contents. Its colorful presentation, in spite of the distracting advertisements, will attract younger students & encourage the explorations necessary to stimulate pathways to new ideas or explorations.
 * Reviewed by //Claudie//

//Kesha's// comment : ||