The Cascading Corpus of Online Reference Services for School Use 2006-2007
The Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt use moral language "Things are not simply 'appropriate' or 'inappropriate.'  Behavior that is hurtful to others ought to be labeled as 'wrong' or 'bad.'  Human actions that contribute to the well being of others or to the advancement of the common good should be labeled as 'good' or 'right.'  A child cannot develop a moral compass unless the people around him use such language." From "The Ten Commandments of Character Education"by Horace Webster McGuffey, an 18th century American educator and Dr. Kevin Ryan, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, Boston University

Service	URL	In School Login	In School Password	Use for:
AccuWeather Premium	https://wwwl.accuweather.com/premium_login.php	mcpsrem	media	A smorgasbord of weather-related info including local, national, and international weather as well as maps and radar and satellite images.
Annals of American History	http://www.america.eb.com	None needed	None needed	Animate your history classes by using this site’s wealth of original source materials including speeches, essays, biographies, landmark court decisions, & editorials.  Also includes photos and multimedia.
AP Multimedia Archive	http://ap.accuweather.com/	None needed	None needed	A potpourri of sensory resources dating from specific periods: photos, audio sound bites, captioned graphics, maps, charts, flags, logos, & news stories.
BrainPOP	http://www.brainpop.com	mcpsmd	mcps	A teacher & parent resource providing info in a visual format in the core subject areas of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, & the Arts and Music.  This info is also offered in Spanish.
CultureGrams	http://online.culturegrams.com	gaithersms	gaithersms	Info on World cultures & the United States: recipes, data tables, maps, photo gallery, concept definitions and a glossary, famous people, symbols, flags, and timelines.  Related info is also presented in a World Edition, Kids Edition, & States Edition.
eLibrary	http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/libweb/elib/do/login	34-11344	bigchalk	Newspaper & magazine articles, info from reference sources, pictures, TV/radio  broadcasts, audio/video, & maps
Encyclopaedia Britannica	http://www.school.eb.com/	mcps	search	Gen info from three encyclopedias +  periodical literature, videos, country info, & websites
Enciclopedia  Britannica Universal en Espanol	http://www.spanish.eb.com/	mcps	search	Britannica’s Spanish language encyclopedia
History Resource Center: U.S. (Grade 8)	http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/gait78031	gait78031	gaith78031	Offerings include primary source documents; articles from reference works; & “full-text journal info on themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-Colonial times to the present.” Also includes the “American Journey Online" series.
Issues and Controversies	http://www.2facts.com	gaithersburgms	facts	Contemporary topics/issues presented in a pro/con format.
KidsPage	http://www.mynewsbank.com	ms	msmcps	Variety of topical info as well as “games, pictures, & activities” according to the vendor.
NetTrekker	http://www.nettrekker.com	mcpsgaitherms	mcpsmd	Contains three learning modules: a “trusted” school search engine, differentiated instruction to enhance learning for every child, and a homework helper.
Professional Education Journals	http://www.proquestk12.com	mcpsstaff1	welcome	A K-12 professional development and continuing education tool that searches for information in education journals and periodicals,  reference sources, ProQuest newspapers, and The Historical New York Times.
Science Resource Center	http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/mcps	None needed	None needed	The panoply of info presented, according to this resource, include “topic overviews, experiments, biographies, pictures and illustrations as well as the latest scientific developments and quality web sites.”  Teachers will find “curriculum-related science topics and content directly correlated to state and national standards.”
SIRS Decades	http://www.proquestk12.com	MD0748	20877	Another history resource that provides a variety of primary source materials from 20th Century America in decade format preceded by an introduction to the 1900s.  In addition to the usual fare, this resource provides editorial cartoons, advertisements, works of art, posters, and letters.  Also includes a timeline, document-based questions, and state &  national standards correlations.
SIRS Discoverer	http://www.proquestk12.com	MD0748	20877	Info for elem & middle school students on a variety of topics related to language arts, biog, science, soc stud, the arts & sports, cultures & countries.
SIRS Knowledge Source	http://www.proquestk12.com	MD0748	20877	Current events & history info from 5 databases:  Sirs Researcher, Government Reporter ((U.S. gov resources), Sirs Renaissance (arts & humanities), SKS WebSelect, & Interactive Citizenship.
Student Resource Center: Jr.	http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/gait78031	gait78031	gait78031	Provides info related to geography and cultures, history, literature, science and health, biography, and a multimedia gallery.
TeachingBooks.net	http://www.teachingbooks.net/home/	None needed	None needed	Literature featuring multimedia author programs, illustrator info, book guides, book readings, book awards, & thematic booklists.
United Streaming	http://www.unitedstreaming.com			“…largest and most current digital video library today providing award-winning content in all subject areas [that is] correlated with state standards.”  Users may download videos, video clips images, and clip art.”  United Streaming also includes a Teacher Center of Classroom Tools, Curriculum Resources, and a Teacher Community featuring prof materials and the United Streaming Newsletter.
Webster’s New International Dictionary	http://www.mwu.eb.com	None needed	None needed	Wildcard, Crossword, Homophone, Rhyme, and Jumble word searches complement typical dictionary fare in this resource.  Suggestion: Take the Guided Tour (menu bar), click the? in each search mode section, and click the Pronunciation Key, Thesaurus, and Format for Printing links (upper right corner of Main Entry window) to successfully use this resource.
World Book Gold (Grades 3-12)	http://www.worldbookonline.com	mcpsgaitherms	mcpsmd	An attractive online version of the World Book ency offering general info on a variety of topics as well as graphics,  an atlas, a dictionary, web sites, and an Explore Maryland feature.  Some other special features include: Student Activities, Behind the Headlines Stories, Feature of the Month, Media Showcase, & Educators’ Tools.
World Data Annals	http://www.world.eb.com	None needed	None needed	In a Country Snapshots format, this resource’s articles, tables, and charts present info on the world’s nations via Country Comparisons, Chronological Comparisons, and Ranked Statistics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accessing Online Resources at Home

 

1. Access the Montgomery County Public Schools home page (http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/).
2. Click on the yellow “For Students” tab located near the top of the page.
3. Under “Homework Help,” click on the “Homework Resources” link.
4. Select an online service from the middle blue column called “Subscription Services.”
5. Click on the link for the selected online service and you may be prompted for a login and password.
6. Type in the login and password to access the online resource.

    

7. Students and teachers may access Montgomery County Public Library’s (MCPL) online services through the MCPL homepage [Montgomery County Public Library (MCPL)] by using the barcode numbers on the back of their individual public library borrower’s card.  GMS students and staff are encouraged to apply for library cards at the library branch most convenient to them.  Online resources may be searched by an “A-Z List,” “Subject,” or “Type of Resource.”