ERS Library Featured Service: CheckThisOut!

The CheckThisOut! Multimedia Kit Subscription Service (CTO!) is unique to the ERS Library and designed to make receiving year-round quality classroom resources a “one, and you’re done!” process for our Preschool – 12th grade educators. Now in its eighth year, CTO! has established a base of loyal participants who sign up annually and has new educators joining the fun each month. Once you sign up for CheckThisOut!, the ERS Library Team will begin curating monthly sets of materials, especially for you and your students. These kits, based on the criteria you select (see below), will be delivered to your campus. Four weeks later, we'll deliver a new kit and pick up the old one. Mid-year is a great time to sample everything CTO! has to offer. Kits are currently available in January, February, March & April. May is a PICKUP-ONLY month, as all materials must be returned to the ERS Library before summer break. Kit sizes & available customization: 4-6 item kit Material types, grade(s), reading level, and topic customization. 8-10 item kit Material types, grade(s), reading level, and topic customization Class Library kit* 30 single copy fiction/nonfiction books by grade & reading level [NO topics] NO KIT For months when you don't want a kit delivered or emailed. If you prefer the content you receive to be specifically ERS Portal digital resources, select only "Digital Resources from the ERS Portal" in the What types of materials are you interested in receiving? section. You will receive a monthly email containing 4-8 links to curated resources from the ERS Portal rather than a physical delivery to your site. Otherwise, you are welcome to select as many types of materials as you like! Some of your options include fiction and non-fiction books, graphic novels, STEM kits, storytelling kits, class novel sets, DVDs, puppets, Professional Development titles, art prints, board books, and big books. *There are a limited number of Class Library-sized kits available each month. Once capacity is reached, that option will be removed from the signup form.

To sign up for CheckThisOut!, click here.

 

 

ERS Portal Featured Resource: Gale Databases

 

Gale, a Cengage Company, is a global provider of research and learning resources. Thanks to the ERS Library and California State Library, you and your students have FREE access to several of their databases via the ERS Portals. Connect to these fantastic resources with any internet-enabled device in the classroom, at home, or on the go.    Gale’s mission is to help students succeed in school and in life by connecting them to the curriculum-aligned digital content they need to become lifelong learners. Log into the ERS Portals to access these Gale databases: Grades 9-12 A cross-curricular research tool supporting science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes. Its informed, differing views present each side of an issue and help students develop information literacy, critical thinking skills, and the confidence to draw their own valid conclusions.   Opposing Viewpoints Resource Guide  Grades 9-12 Provides forty mental health and wellness eBooks with guidance for students, teachers, and counselors. Many titles include suggestions regarding professional help: where to go and how to find additional information, letting our students know they are never alone.   Cameron’s Collection Student Flyer Locate the folder for your district, then school site.
PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY
Grades K-8 Gale's National Geographic Kids is designed to take children on amazing adventures in science, nature, wildlife, culture, geography, archaeology, and space. Users can access videos, pictures, and eBooks from National Geographic Kids, as well as every page of National Geographic Kids magazine. National Geographic Kids Tip Sheet	Grades 7-12 Gale Interactive: Science is a highly visual online learning tool that takes visual-spatial learning to the next level by bringing the lab to the classroom. High-value, rich-media digital content is paired with interactive 3D models to deliver a virtual laboratory simulation experience for students in middle school and high school grades. Science Tip Sheet

Grades 9-12 Empowers learners to critically analyze and understand important topics and events within Earth systems, global change, pollution, populations, and more. Updated daily, this resource offers nearly 400 topic, state, and province pages across the science, social studies, and humanities curriculum. Environmental Studies Tip Sheet