Team+1,+ref+log+5a


 * Team 1, Reference log 5a: Biographical sources ||  ||<   ||
 * Reviewed by //Ginny//

//Biography online//. (2010). Retrieved April 8, 2010, from [] Part of the A & E Television Network, the //Biography Channel// website offers free biographical information and other related information in a user-friendly format that will appeal to users from early elementary to adult. Although it contains a few advertisements and “pop-ups,” these are easily ignored or closed without much ado. Simple searches may be conducted (by a variety of criteria) via the search box at the top of the home page while “Today’s Top Searches” offer several suggestions for users interested in viewing what other persons are perusing. “In the Headlines” offers current events with hyperlinks to persons named or other relevant terms within the headlines themselves. “Today’s Video Picks” offers links to video clips selected upon their current importance as well as full episodes of many A & E television programs such as //Biography, I Survived…,// and //Women’s History//. “Born on this Day” provides a fun way to access information on persons who share a common birthday on a specified date—a feature with strong potential for interesting younger students to explore the lives of famous people. Games, photo galleries, and other features offer additional avenues to pique the user’s interest.  Of particular interest to educators is the //BioClassroom// portion of the website. Numerous resources for teachers are offered such as study guides, featured exhibits, video, bio of the month, links and resources, etc. Upcoming //BioClassroom// shows are identified on what resembles an old-fashioned cork board and hyperlinks to program descriptions are provided. Categories of particular importance are given their own space on the homepage including Women’s History, the Impressionists, Black History, and US Presidents. (It is suspected some of these rotate to other topics but this cannot be confirmed except with the allowance of time.) While much of the entire //Biography// website experience may appeal more to middle and high school students, “Bio4Kids” provides profiles of people, games, and video created specifically for the younger learners.

Grades: //3-12+// Subject(s): Language Arts, Social Studies Rating: //9// ||  ||< //Kesha's// comment :

//Claudia's// comment : || //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 :

//Claudia's// comment : || Georgia Biographical Dictionary 1999-2000. (1999). Somerset Publishers, Inc. vol 1,2. (ILO Dictionary of American Biography). REF 920.0758 GEO v.1,2 Rising Starr Middle School Scope: A two volume set published with the intent to detail the lives and activities of people, dead and alive, which made an impact on the history or news within Georgia. Currency: Published in 1999, filled with mostly dead people that part is current. Accuracy: Volume 1 starts with a short introduction as to the intent of this resource. The parameters of the information covered were to include the details of the lives and activities of the persons past and present who impacted even if only by the possible coincidence of birth or death. Entertainment, sports, art, the famous, as well as the infamous, and of course, government figures. Following the introduction is a 'list of persons'. This lists A-Z every name entered into this dictionary and the years of their life. Following this the articles begin. The articles read more like an encyclopedia with not one being less than half a page long. Some of the articles seem more personal than others. For example: Benjamin Fitzpatrick (1802-1869) was born in Greene County Georgia, but the entire entry is about his life in the future Alabama (the a Territory of Mississippi) as a governor, senator and plantation owner. So his inclusion into the book is merely by the fact he was born in Georgia and not for any significant impacts on the state. Additionally, some articles read like a list (Bob Barr (1948- ). Which is 1 sentence long consisting of 11 semi-colons independent clauses. Format is confusing. Page headers should have been used (like a dictionary) to facilitate finding the entry. Age/Grade: 6-8 grade Subject: Georgia History Overall rating: 6, interesting, but there are better reference sources for Georgia history. ||  ||<  //Ginny's// comment : Part of the reason I found the Reference Log assignments so useful is not only did I locate some gems but also some rocks. While I couldn't view it for myself, from your description it does, indeed, appear other more worthy resources are available. Biography is a topic that changes so quickly that online sources are probably the most useful format.
 * Reviewed by //Claudie//

//Kesha's// comment: ||