Assignment+5-Selection

=Assignment 5: Selection of New Materials=

Introduction:
====According to Bishop (2007), "Selection is the process of deciding what materials to add to the collection" (p. 49). From the moment I read our LIBE 463 course outline, I eagerly anticipated the day I would have 2000 "virtual dollars" burning a hole in my "virtual library pocket". With budgets so chronically tight, such a generous sum felt like a veritable shopping spree, and I love to shop! For this reason, Assignment 5 was loads of fun for me. This said, the decision making process weighed heavily at times. Luckily, I was able to rely on the support of a variety of experts. Connie Kulhavy, the current District Aboriginal Resources Coordinator and Terri Mack, the past District Aboriginal Resources Coordinator and current Community Literacy Coordinator for the Stz'uminus First Nation, were hugely supportive in helping me determine which First Nations resources were high quality and appropriate. I also relied heavily on advice from fellow teacher-librarians, from my Grade 4 teachers, and from review sites to choose resources addressing European exploration. Janice at French Language Resources made many excellent suggestions for French age/reading level appropriate materials to support Grade 4 themes. I am very proud of the virtual collection I have selected. While it will be difficult to drop some of these excellent titles in order to accommodate my actual library budget, I feel confident that the resulting purchase list will truly represent "la creme de la creme" of available resources to support Grade 4 curricular themes. The following link will allow you to view my order list:====



Digital Resources:
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====In addition to the above list of non-fiction, fiction, picture books and audiovisual materials, I have created a list of digital resources to the support learning and instruction around Grade 4 Social Studies themes. I have already given this document to my Grade 4 teachers and I include it here for your review.====

** Digital Resources: Grade 4 Social Studies Curriculum **


 * __ First Nations: __**

[]
 * Government of Canada: Aboriginal Canada Portal **

This portal provides access to a wide variety of teacher resources at different levels. I will not list all the many useful resources here but will highlight several that would particularly support the teaching of the Grade 4 Social Studies curriculum. This site also provides a wide variety of lesson plan links.
 * Resources for Teachers: **

[] Marc St-Pierre, Collection Analyst in collaboration with the Aboriginal Perspectives team
 * Aboriginal Perspectives: National Film Board of Canada**

“The Aboriginal Perspectives module contains 33 documentaries, a short fiction film, and 5 film clips. These productions do not represent the entirety of the films on Canada’s native peoples in the NFB collection, which comprises more than 700 such works. We did want it, however, to be a representative sample of the whole. The user will find films on many important aspects of Aboriginal culture and heritage, its diverse communities, and some of the major issues and significant moments in its history. These films, more than half of which were made by Aboriginal people, are the work of experienced filmmakers, such as Alanis Obomsawin and Gil Cardinal, and filmmakers in the early stages of their career, such as Elisapie Isaac and Bobby Kenuajuak. The selection covers more than 50 years of film production. All the films are available in both official languages, and 18 of them include described video to allow blind and visually impaired people to fully enjoy their content. In addition, 27 films are available with closed captioning for hearing impaired people”.
 * This is an excellent site which not only allows access to high quality films but also, in some case provides lesson plans to go along with the film in question. Here are some of the films available:**
 * [|Bella Bella]
 * [|Bill Reid]
 * [|Caribou Hunters]
 * [|César's Bark Canoe/César et son Canot d'écorce]
 * [|Circle of the Sun]
 * [|Dancing Around the Table, Part One]
 * [|Dancing Around the Table, Part Two]
 * [|For Angela]
 * [|Forgotten Warriors]
 * [|How to Build an Igloo]
 * [|The Hunters (Asivaqtiin)]
 * [|If the Weather Permits]
 * [|Incident at Restigouche]
 * [|Is the Crown at war with us?]
 * [|Kanata: Legacy of the Children of Aataentsic]

Study Guides for the Circle Unbroken [] This would be of great benefit to teachers should the choice to made to purchase the Circle Unbroken DVDs from the NFB The National Film Board also has a series of themed Playlists. On the Playlist entitled Canada Day, there is the following short film entitled Maq and the Spirit of the Woods: []

[] This site provides a wealth of information! It has three sections: This site provides a variety of Thematic Guides. //An overview of Aboriginal History in Canada// provides an excellent summary of major events in aboriginal history from first contact to present. []
 * Library and Archives Canada: Discover the Collection- Aboriginal Peoples **
 * Databases
 * Research Aids
 * Virtual Exhibitions
 * Research Aids:**
 * Research Aids:**

The list of “virtual exhibitions “ is amazing and there are many that would be helpful for Grade 4 teachers. [|http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/aboriginal-peoples/index-e.html#exhibitions] A particularly appropriate link is the //Kids Site of Canadian Settlement//, which provides books, links, educational resources and activities in both English and French. [] Here are a couple of links which came from this site: The Haida Children or Eagle and Raven/Les Haidas Les enfants de l’Aigle et du Corbeau [] Haida Spirits of the Sea [] The Virtual Museum of Metis History and Culture [] Library and Archives Canada also has a Native People’s Literature page, with a bibliography of titles in English and in French English: [] French: []
 * Virtual Exhibitions:**

[] Penguin Group Canada has put together some great lesson activities to accompany their Our Canadian Girl series. This link is for Angelique, a young metis girl. It includes a timeline, maps and information about “Angelique’s world”.
 * Our Canadian Girl: Penguin Group Canada **

[] From here, there is a great link to a huge list of Canadian Aboriginal Links. These would be helpful as a teacher, rather than a student resource. []
 * Aboriginal Multi-media Society Classroom Edition **

Here you’ll find a large variety of virtual exhibits on various aspects of First Nations culture: [] Here’s a link to //Voices of the The Snuneymuxw First Nation.// There a many such exhibits on this site. []
 * Virtual Museum of Canada: **

[] This is another gem of a site, with “History by the Minute” segments in both English and French. Many of these segments also come with lesson plans! In the First Nations section, there are segments on Inukshuk, Louis Riel, Peacemaker, and Sitting Bull. Here’s an example: []
 * Historica-Dominion Institute: Historica Minutes **


 * __ Explorers: __**

[] This site provides a wealth of information! It has three sections:
 * Library and Archives Canada: Discover the Collection- Exploration and Settlement **
 * Databases
 * Research Aids
 * Virtual Exhibitions

Under Virtual Exhibitions is a great link to the //Kids’ Site of Canadian Settlement.// “This website is designed for children in grades four to six. The settlement theme has curriculum tie-ins to history, national identity, human rights, culture, multiculturalism, language arts and geography. Educational resources complement the site, including a full teaching unit with an evaluation rubric”. This site also contains a bibliography of Fiction, Non-fiction and Web site resources for many subject areas included for both English and French resources. English: [] French: [] Here are a couple of great links from these sites: [] []

[] Study Guides for the Petticoat Expeditions [] This would be of great benefit to teachers should the choice to made to purchase The Petticoat Expeditions DVDs from the NFB
 * National Film Board of Canada **

This site provides age appropriate information on exploration and early colonial life in New France in both French and English. [] This site’s //Useful Links// section provides many links to specific information on individual explorers: []
 * Canadian Museum of Civilization **

Here you’ll find a great variety of virtual exhibits on Canadian History and Society [] For example: []
 * Virtual Museum of Canada **
 * Seasons of New France/Des Saisons en Nouvelle France**

[] There are some excellent “History by the Minute” segments in both English and French on the topic of exploration. Here are several available: Jacques Cartier: [] John Cabot: [] There’s also a section on “Settling Canada”. Here’s one of the Historica Minutes relating to this topic: Syrup: []
 * Historica-Dominion Institute: Historica Minutes **


 * __ Atlases: __**


 * Natural Resources of Canada: The Atlas of Canada: **

[] This site provides a wide variety of current information, extensive historical maps and lesson plans on a variety of themes. . [] Very extensive information can be found here regarding Aboriginal Peoples and Pre-Confederation Canada. Here are a couple of examples: [] []
 * “Telling Canada’s Story with Maps” **
 * Aboriginal Peoples circa 1630 map:**
 * New France circa 1740:**

All resources are available in both French and English.

[] Not bad site but with quite a few advertisements.
 * World Atlas: **

[] Additional class resources can be purchased on this site for 14.95 US.
 * Altapedia online: **

Free on-line teacher resources []
 * Canadian Oxford School Atlas: **