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SPS Digital Learning Commons: Databases

Getting Started with Databases

  • In library terms, "databases" usually refers to academic research databases. These are subscription services that provide access to a wide variety of academic information resources such as peer-reviewed journal articles, newspaper and magazine articles, encyclopedia and reference entries, as well as multimedia resources and much more.
  • All SPS libraries subscribe to a variety of high-quality academic databases to aid students in the research projects and academic pursuits.
  • For help accessing these resources, please contact your school librarian!

 

K-5

BrainPop: Over 1,000 short animated movies for students, with quizzes, activities, supporting teaching resources and much more. BrainPop covers subjects of science, social studies, English, math, engineering and technology, health, and arts and music.

BrainPop Jr.: An extension of the BrainPop website for students in grades K to 3 and designed to "gently encourage young learners to ask questions and form their own ideas."

Country Reports: Detailed articles on countries around the world, including fast facts, images, and information on people, culture and customs, history, geography and more.

Country Reports U.S. Edition: Detailed overviews of all 50 states, including state symbols, history, newspapers and current events.

PebbleGo: PebbleGo is specifically designed for K-3 students. It includes informational articles, ready-made activities, and literacy supports for students of all abilities.

PebbleGo Next: Includes hundreds of informational articles for students in grades 3 to 5 on topics including U.S. states, Native American history, social studies, and biographies. Also includes text-to-speech, images, videos, and more.

PowerKnowledge Science Suite: Media-rich articles on life science, earth and space science, and physical science for students in grades 3 to 6. Features also include text-to-speech, images and videos, games, and teacher resources.

Scholastic TrueFlix: Includes hundreds of multimedia units, including video and ebooks, related to a wide variety of social studies and science topics, including Ancient Civilizations, Biographies, Ecosystems, the Solar System, and more.

6-12

BrainPop: Over 1,000 short animated movies for students, with quizzes, activities, supporting teaching resources and much more. BrainPop covers subjects of science, social studies, English, math, engineering and technology, health, and arts and music.

Classroom Video: Thousands of on-demand educational videos segmented into easy-to-use clips on a wide a variety of topics from producers including BBC, CNN, ABC News, and many more.

Country Reports: Detailed articles on countries around the world, including fast facts, images, and information on people, culture and customs, history, geography and more.

Gale In Context Databases: SHS Library Learning Commons subscribes to the Gale In Context Databases for Science, U.S. History, World History, Global Issues, and Biography. These high-quality databases include full-text articles from academic journals, reference books, periodicals and more.

Gale Virtual Reference Library: The SHS Library Learning Commons has a growing collection of nonfiction and reference ebooks available through the Gale Virtual Reference Library. These high-quality texts allow for unlimited simultaneous check-outs.

NoodleTools: A robust research tool for students to format and organize citations, digital note cards, and outlines.

ProQuest SIRS Issues Researcher: Database which includes analysis and opinions which cover the pros, cons, and everything in between of over 360 social, scientific, health, historic, economic, and political issues.