This resource seems like it would be a great tool for K-9 research. To explore the resources available on the SD State Library Discoverer I did a search on "pheasants". According to the tabs on the result page, all together 94 articles, 8 newspapers, 39 magazine, 33 references, 2 pictures, and 0 internet were found from this search. However, there were many more articles (marked by camera icon) that also included pictures. There was a variety of reading level available which were identified by color code and Lexile rating.
On the home page of SIRS Discoverer there is a Database Features section with more resource links. For example, I clicked the "Country Facts" to search "Belize". This led me to a wealth of quick facts about the country. When clicking on the camera icon, I found teacher resources such as graphic organizers. Under "Maps of the World", I was able to find printable maps as well as colored maps. There is also links to historical maps where I searched and found many maps related to the United States Civil War. These would be excellent resources for history or geography teacher (or teachers of historical fiction).
There were several other links in the Database Features section that will be great tools for students and teachers. There is a biography resource which allows you to identify facts about famous people. Other choices include fiction, pathfinders, pictures, photo essays, activities, educator's resources, dictionary, and theasurus.
These are just a few of the resources available on the SIRS Discoverer. Every teacher should learn about SIRS Discoverer!
I could agree with your last sentence more! :) A tip about maps--they are searchable, so you could search for "earthquakes," for example and come up with some interesting results. You found the Civil War maps, and World History maps include WWI and WWII battlefield maps. Thanks for pointing out the 2 ways the articles are reading leveled. These should help teachers and students choose appropriate material. Thanks for your comments!
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