EDUCATIONAL VOYEURISM April 30, 2008
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Web Resources.add a comment
If you’re looking for an interesting way to waste some time on the Internet, here are a few webcams where you can watch all kinds of animals go about their daily business. Check the technical requirements; some sites require QuickTime or the latest RealPlayer plug-in to view the cam.
- The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/WebCams/)
- Bird Nesting Boxes, sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/camera/index) If you want to find out more about the birds you see, go to their All About Birds site (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds)
- Monterey Bay Aquarium in California (http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/cam_menu.asp)
- Minnesota Zoo (http://www.mnzoo.com/animals/animal_cams)
- Scholastic Publishing (http://www.scholastic.com/librarians/tech/webcams_animals.htm)
For more about these animals, their habitat, and conservation status, most of these websites have information as well as links to related websites. There are, of course, many, many excellent books about animals (see my April 17 post about new books in the Res Library). If I can tear myself away from watching all these webcams, I’ll post some other titles of books about animals and nature that you might want to read. If you find other good animal or nature webcams, let me know.
OPEN MIC NIGHT April 23, 2008
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Announcements.add a comment
St. Patrick High School, 5900 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, is hosting an Open Mic Night on Friday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m. and Res poets and singers are invited to perform. Poems and songs may be either original or by another artist/poet. See the flyer in the library for more information.
Even if you’re not a performer, you can always stop by and enjoy the show. It will be held in the St. Patrick H.S. Atrium (enter off the Belmont Parking Lot). Admission is free.
NATIONAL POETRY MONTH April 21, 2008
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in New books in the Library, Web Resources.add a comment
In case you somehow escaped hearing the news, April is National Poetry Month! We’ve boosted our collection of poetry anthologies in the last few months, including:
- Good poems; selected by Garrison Keillor (811.008 GOO)
- 100 great poems of the 20th century; Mark Strand, editor (821.9 ONE)
- The Norton anthology of poetry, shorter 5th ed. (821.008 NOR)
- Poetry 180; Billy Collins, editor (811.6 POE)
- 180 more; Billy Collins, editor (811.6 ONE)
- The Norton anthology of modern and contemporary poetry (821.008 NOR)
- The Oxford book of American poetry (811.008 OXF)
We also have a number of books of poems by a single author, ranging from Shakespeare’s sonnets (822.32 SHA) to Walt Whitman (811.3 WHI) to John Keats (821.78 KEA) to Naomi Shihab Nye (811.54 NYE) to my personal favorite, Carl Sandburg (811.54 SAN).
Online resources for poetry abound. Here are just a few:
- Poetry 180 (http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/). This site was started by Billy Collins when he was Poet Laureante of the U.S.
- An incomplete history of Slam : a biography of an evolving poetry movement (http://www.e-poets.net/library/slam). Res’ Poetry Slam team is amazing! Here’s a short history of how the whole slam experience began.
- Poets.org (http://www.poets.org). From the Academy of American poets. Find poems, events, podcasts, and more. You can even access the poems on your mobile device — but of course, students, not from school! The site has a list of “30 ways to celebrate” National Poetry Month, including Put a Poem on the Pavement and Recite a Poem to Family and Friends.
- The Writer’s Almanac (http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org). This is the website for the daily public radio broadcast and includes both poetry and history.
- American Verse Project (http://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/amverse/). An electronic archive of American poetry prior to 1920.
- Poetry Archives (http://www.emule.com/poetry/) provides a database of classical poems.
Individual poets often have their own website, including:
- Janet Wong (http://www.janetwong.com)
- Jimmy Santiago Baca (http://jimmysantiagobaca.com)
- Nikki Giovanni (http://nikki-giovanni.com)
If looking at books or websites is just too much work for you, stop and read the “Poem of the Week” posted in the hall outside the Res Library. If you started in August, you would have read over 35 poems by the time summer vacation rolls around and it would only have taken you a minute or two each week.
I could go on and on about poetry resources, but these are just a few ideas to get you started! Let us know how you’re celebrating National Poetry Month and share your favorite book, poet, or web site with us.
NEW BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY April 17, 2008
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in New books in the Library.add a comment
The Pythagorean theorem : a 4,000 year history;
by Eli Maor
Find it on our shelves at: 516.22 MAO
Mrs. Skiba read it over Easter break and says even non-mathematicians will enjoy this tour through math history that traces the understanding and importance of the Pythagorean theorem. Travel the centuries, travel the globe with a2 + b2 = c2!
Also new in the library:
- Bears of the world; Paul Ward and Suzanne Kynaston (599.78 WAR)
- Bees of the world; Christopher O’Toole and Anthony Raw (595.799 OTO)
- Butterflies of the world; Rod and Ken Preston-Mafham (595.789 PRE)
- Crocodiles & alligators of the world; David Alderton (597.98 ALD)
- Foxes, wolves, & wild dogs of the world; David Alderton (599.77 ALD)
- Frogs & toads of the world; Christopher Mattison (597.8 MAT)
- Insects of the world; Anthony Wootton (595.7 WOO)
- Lizards of the world; Christopher Mattison (597.95 MAT)
- Primates of the world; Rod and Ken Preston-Mafham (599.8 PRE)
- Seals & sea lions of the world; W. Nigel Bonner (599.79 BON)
- Sharks of the world; Rodney Steel (597.3 STE)
- Snakes of the world; Christopher Mattison (597.96 MAT)
- Spiders of the world; Rod and Ken Preston-Mafham (595.44 PRE)
- Turtles & tortoises of the world; David Alderton (597.92 ALD)
- Wild cats of the world; David Alderton (599.75 ALD)
- Whales of the world; W. Nigel Bonner (599.5 BON)
MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS SUMMER April 15, 2008
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Announcements.add a comment
If you’re searching for something interesting to do with your summer, the Chicago Public Library is looking for high school students to work with children in their Read Green, Live Green! reading program. The Res Library has contact information for the Jefferson Park and Oriole Park branches as well as some more details about the program. Or you can contact the branches directly: Oriole Park (312) 744-1965 and Jefferson Park (312) 744-1998. The Oriole Park branch is also looking for library pages, which is a paid position. Stop by the Res Library to learn more.
DEADLINES LOOM April 15, 2008
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Help with Assignments.add a comment
Attention students in Mrs. Stuebi’s World Lit classes and Mrs. Ulczak’s and Mrs. Giustino’s American Lit classes. Check your rearview mirrors because your research paper deadlines are gaining on you! Don’t wait until the last minute to make sure you have the right sources and that your bibliography is in order.
If you’re skimpy on critical essays, start with the Gale Literature Resource Center. Get a blue sheet with usernames and passwords from the library to access this database. You can also find essays in the library’s volumes of Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC) and Twentieth Century Literary Criticism (TCLC) which are shelved in the Reference section. Use the Gale Literary Index first to find the exact CLC and TCLC volumes and page numbers for essays on your particular book. When searching library catalogs, do a Subject browse for your author. Make sure you put in the last name first. Then look for the subdivision “Criticism and interpretation” in the list of Subject headings to find books with critical essays on your author’s works. FirstSearch is also a good database to use, but it can be a little difficult to navigate. Ask the library staff for help getting started.
And it might be smart to check your source notecards to be sure you have all of the information you need to do your bibliography. Consult your Writing Stylus for the proper format for each citation. We also have the most recent print edition of the MLA Handbook (REF 808 GIB) in the library or you can check the Oregon School Library Information web site for more help.
As always, if you have questions or need help, stop by the library to see me, Mrs. Roy, or Mrs. Johann.
WELCOME April 13, 2008
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Announcements.1 comment so far
Welcome to the Resurrection High School Library Blog! Our blog is a way to help students with assignments, converse about reading, highlight interesting and reliable web sites, tell you about new books in the library, and publicize various events and programs at libraries, museums, and other institutions around the city.
We will be posting help with your research assignments, so check here if you need help and can’t come see us in the library. You will also find lots of ideas for good books to read. And you can just visit every now and then and see what’s new and interesting. Better yet, subscribe using the RSS feed and you’ll receive e-mail alerts when there are new posts to the blog.
This is a new and exciting adventure for us and we’d love to know what you think, so feel free to post a comment or send us an e-mail.
Ms. Klemundt (MKlemundt AT reshs DOT org)
Mrs. Roy (PRoy AT reshs DOT org)
Mrs. Johann (KJohann AT reshs DOT org)
