Student Resources In Context

Title - Student Resources In Context
Websites Address - http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/?userGroupName=orange_main

Website Content - Gale Resource Group has developed another website for library resources whose purpose is designing a broad based cite that allows students to peruse through a bunch of resources about all different types of topics.  The site includes links on things from all different fields from science to politics to literature.  As you pass through the links on some of the major subject headings they give you more specific things that you can look at.  When looking up what is on the website on literature you are taken to a link of many of the frequently used titles that are given in the literature classes.  This included many of the classics from Hamlet to Of Mice and Men.  When digging deeper into the individual item they have plot summaries and critical reviews of the particular item as well as their own brief history of the book itself.  In other areas they provide primary and reference resources to items that you want information on.

Website Review - Gale Student Resource Website consists of a lot of topical relevant information for teenagers in all subject areas.  When considering the amount of research that students must do as well as giving them a historical background to any given topic, Gale provides an excellent website to do when beginning any topic of study.  The only problem with this resource from my perspective is that it is limited to whatever the Gale Resource group considers relevant at any given time.  While this may be easily done in fields that are about history or the sciences, as updates can be easily created, literature is a somewhat complicated field.  Teachers rarely stick to any certain curriculum about what they teach.  Gale has to rely on what is primarily taught in classes, and this is hard to determine for English literature.  The cite receives high marks for usability, despite the fact that it may have limited resources in certain fields, which makes this a site well worth examining for any high school student.

Cite Annotation - Want the world of subjects at your fingertips?  Not understand why Huck Finn thinks he's going to hell?  What is stem cell research and why is it controversial?  If you want the world at your fingertips, go to the Gale Student Resources Website.

About the people who produce the website - Gale, the company that does the development of the site considers itself to be among the premier web designers when it comes to creating e-resources for libraries and schools.  The company maintains more than 600 databases online for libraries and schools to use on a variety of different topics.  Some of their more famous databases include Primary Source Media and Macmillan Reference USA. 

Genre - Database

Curriculum Ties - This website would tie well into almost any subject that you can imagine.  For the teacher who is trying to get their students to write a research paper in whatever topic they choose, having the students view this website would be highly useful.

Booktalking ideas - N/A

Reading Level - Grade 7 +

Challenge Issues - None

Why Included - I wanted to include a database that was offered at the Library System that I worked for.