Website Review: The Graphics Atlas

The GRAPHICS ATLAS website uses an object-based approach to identification of prints and photographs.

Created and maintained by the Image Permanence Institute, a department of the College of Art and Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), this website provides useful tools connected with photography. Users can explore the collection by taking a guided tour of individual prints; a virtual study of the collection that contains processes ranging from historic woodcuts to today’s inkjet prints. The collection covers pre-photographic, photomechanical, photographic and digital processes. Compare the process traits using a variety of lighting techniques and image magnifications. One can learn the key identifying characteristics of each process. Users can sign up for an interesting picture of the month to be emailed to them.

Librarians will find this website to be a useful tool for students and teachers who work with historical photographs. The website helps learners look at past pictures online and learn about the processes used in their production. Use it as part of both the information literacy program and the social studies curriculum.

To visit the website, go to http://www.graphicsatlas.org/

Website: AP Images

AP IMAGES is a collection of images from the Associated Press.

Students can use the basic or advanced search engine to locate images or browse the website resources.

The Editorial Photography area contains images related to breaking news and top stories as well as images by topic. The historical section contains award winning photographs from the past 90 years. The GraphicsBank includes a wide range of graphics including logos and maps.

Librarians will find this website to be an effective way to locate key photos for a wide range of projects from current events to historical projects. Involve youth in starting a social issues project with a photograph from the collection. Be sure that students cite any images they use for class projects.

Before sharing the photographs outside the library or classroom, be sure to check the use guidelines for the particular image.

To visit the website, go to http://www.apimages.com/.

Website: Kapwing

KAPWING is an easy-to-use, online image and video production tool.

Users have access to dozens of online tools and editors to create simple graphics and videos. For instance, the meme maker allows users to create a simple online image with text overlay. Editors include a video montage maker, video collage, video filters, and video converter. Tools allows users to resize, loop, trim, and rotate videos. Users can apply templates or build projects from scratch. A blog provides useful news and information. Resources are provided for educators. Tutorials are also available.

Librarians will find this tool useful for working with students of all ages. Keep in mind that a Google or Facebook account is needed for the free account. A small watermark is placed on materials created with the free account.

To visit the website, go to https://www.kapwing.com/.

Website: Timegraphics

TIMEGRAPHICS is a timeline maker for all ages.

Users can easily create public timelines that incorporate text, images, and media. The tool can be integrated into Google Services and exported into other programs and services. Timelines can be downloaded and include a watermark with the free version.

Librarians will find this online tool to be useful across the curriculum. Weave it into storytelling and history projects.

To visit the website, go to https://time.graphics/.

Technology Review: Pixabay

PIXABAY provides access to over a million free images and videos available online.

Providing access to images and videos labeled with the Creative Commons CC0 license, this resource makes it easy to locate and use a wide range of resources.

Users can locate photos, vector graphics, illustrations, and videos. An advanced search option provides more detailed searching. Although the search results display sponsored images in addition to free materials, the sponsored images don’t distract from the free materials. Images can also be accessed by category such as animals or sports.

Students can access the visual resources through the website or download the app through the App Store or Google Play.

Librarians will find this to be an effective tool for students working on class projects. Although Google offers a similar search for free images, this resource provides different and additional results.

To explore the website, go to https://pixabay.com/.

Digital Collection: Calisphere

CALISPHERE

Contents: Calisphere provides a gateway to digital collections across the state of California from libraries, universities, and museums. Designed with educators in mind, it accesses over 400,000 images, texts, and recordings. Users can explore the collections or exhibitions. Or, use the search tool to conduct a keyword search.

Classroom Connections: The project includes a page specifically for educators with teaching resources. Many of the collections are geared to the K-12 curriculum such as Gold Rush Life.

Featured Digital Objects:
Dr. Suess Artwork - https://goo.gl/BtLok3
Gold Rush Life - https://goo.gl/RfuloU
San Francisco Earthquake and Fire - https://goo.gl/j8n0cd

To visit the collection at https://calisphere.org/.

To explore the educator section, go to https://calisphere.org/for-educators

Website Review: The Last Mission to the Moon

THE LAST MISSION TO THE MOON immerses young people in a real-time journey through the Apollo 17 mission to the moon.

This comprehensive website includes over 300 hours of audio, 22 hours of video, and 4,200 photos related to the mission. Users can either start the experience at T-minus one minute or join the mission in progress.

Users are presented with a screen that includes a control panel including video, audio, images, a transcript, a guided tour, commentary, and more. Along the way, the experience can be paused, photos can be selected, or other choices can be made. The mission can be tracked, fast-forwarded, and rewound using the interactive timeline.

Librarians will find this website popular with fans of the space program. Use this real-time experience as an example of the value of primary sources in information inquiry. Weave the website into a display featuring books about the history of moon exploration.

To use the website, go to http://apollo17.org/.

App Review: NASA's Visualization Explorer

NASA’s VISUALIZATION EXPLORER app provides up-to-date information about NASA’s exploration of the Earth, sun, moon, planets, and universe.

The app features Story Lists by topic including Earth, Planet and Moons, Sun, and Universe. Stories can be saved or bookmarked for later use. Stories include visualizations, animations, and images along with short informational texts.

A sharing tool allows users to copy articles and take notes using the standard tablet features.

Librarians will find this app to be useful for classes working on current events related to science. It would also be an effective tool to jumpstart research projects. The highly visual stories would be particularly useful for students with special needs or reluctant readers.

To download the app, go to https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasaviz/.

App Review: PBS Students

PBS STUDENTS by PBS LearningMedia is an app designed to help learners access educational content and create storyboards to share their ideas.

The app was designed to complement the PBS LearningMedia Student portal website. Providing access to thousands of resources across subject areas, students can watch videos, play interactives, download images, and complete activities. Favorite programs including those by Ken Burns, Jim Henson Company, NOVA, National Archives, NASA, and many more are available through the app.

Learners explore content by subject area or search for a topic. Local resources can be accessed by state and community. Students can create an account so they can store favorites and build interactive web pages called Storyboards to share what they’ve learned.

Librarians will find this app to be an effective way to provide access to PBS content in a controlled environment. The easy-to-use building tools are an interesting way for students to create and share an interactive poster containing media, images, a background, and text. A URL is generated that students can share with their teacher.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pbs-students/id972063192.

Technology Review: Images of Change

IMAGES OF CHANGE is an visually-rich science website and app from NASA.

Both the website and app contain similar features.

From natural disasters to growing cities, users take a close-up look at pairs of images that show before and after scenes. Students can see glaciers that have melted, the devastation from floods and wildfires, and the impact of humans in different settings.

Each photo pair contains background information and a map showing its location. Photo pairs are shown side-by-side. With the app version, images can also be viewed individually or overlaid with a curtain slider to make comparisons easier.

Users can browse through the images or select categories including cites, extreme events, ice, human impact, water, land cover, top picks, and most recent. Images can also be viewed on a map.

Librarians will find uses for the images across the curriculum including both science and social science topics and issues. Use the image pairs to jumpstart discussions or as the basis for an exploration of topics related to climate change.

Because the project is from NASA which is a government agency, students can use their images in their projects. The website contains an option to download the image and also shows how to credit the source.

To explore the website, go to http://climate.nasa.gov/state_of_flux.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/app/images-of-change/id710564941….

Website Review: The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake

THE WAR OF 1812 IN THE CHESAPEAKE is an amazing interactive battlefield map website.

Users can choose to enter one of four battles including the Battle of St. Leonard Creek, the Battle of Bladensburg, the Battle of North Point, or the Battle of Baltimore.

Each experience begins will a short video that presents background information. Then, users explore an interactive map that provides information about the “big picture” of war, clickable dates that feature key events, and map extras that give users access to battle map PDFs and other information. Clicking on a particular event or location presents videos, images, maps, and additional information.

The maps provide users the option to view a historic, modern, or overview map. Tools also allow users to zoom in and out of the map scene.

Librarians will find this website to be an excellent way to engage learners in American history.

To explore the resource, go to http://1812battles.org.

Special Event: National Hispanic Heritage Month

NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH is held each year from September 15 through October 15.

The National Hispanic Heritage Month website housed at the Library of Congress provides a history of the event, a wealth of content pages, as well as links to other resources.

The website features carefully selected Exhibits & Collections, Images, and Audio/Video resources. A Teacher section provides specific ideas for connecting primary sources to hispanic heritage-related lessons.

Sections on Hispanic Americans in Congress, The Latino Experience, and Hispanic American Veterans provide in-depth exploration of these areas.

Librarians will find lots of useful resources and activities at the Library of Congress website. In addition, the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Park Service, and Smithsonian Education - Hispanic Heritage Month websites contain specific pages focus on this event.

Be sure to check out the new Library of Congress, National Archives, and Smithsonian Institution Pinterest Boards associated with this important month.

To learn more, go to http://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/.

Website Review: What Was There

WHAT WAS THERE is a website that brings history alive through maps, images, and place-based stories.

The website uses technology to connect time and space. A “virtual time machine” allows users to explore places as they appeared in the past. Users can either explore photos already in the system or upload their own photos. The uploaded images then appear on a Google Map interface.

To explore the map, users can enter the name of a place or a zip code. The Google Map will zoom into the area and show images that are available. Image details include when the photo was taken, the title, description, user, tags, source, and copyright information. In many cases, uses can compare the photo to a street view showing what the location looks like today. It’s even possible to overlay the historical photos on the street view for a direct comparison. Other nearby photos are also shown.

Consider a library project collaborating with the local historical society to scan and add photos to this growing website.

To visit the website, go to http://www.whatwasthere.com/.

Tech Review: Digital Bodleian

The DIGITAL BODLEIAN collections make print items, archives, manuscripts, maps, images, and other materials from the Boolean Libraries at the University of Oxford available online.

According to their website, the digital library’s mission is to “make portions of the Bodleian’s extraordinary library collections open to a wide variety of users from around the world for learning, teaching, and research.”

The website provides four ways to make use of the digital library. First, users can search the digital archives using a powerful search engine. Second, a user-friendly interface is provided for browsing the collections. Third, users can create their own custom collections adding tags and notes. Finally, resources can be shared using social media.

The collections can be filtered by early printed books, ephemera, history and politics, maps, oriental, prints and portraits, science and natural history, western manuscripts, or through the many other collection areas available.

Of particular interest to librarians is the Treasures of the Bodleian section focusing on well-known and often used documents. This area provides access to materials of interest to teachers and students such as a letter from an Egyptian boy to his father, Marco Polo’s Travels, and The Gutenberg Bible.

To explore the treasures section, go to http://treasures.bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

To learn more, go to the website at http://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Tech Review: World Landmarks Explorer

WORLD LANDMARKS EXPLORER is an engaging geography and social studies app from Peapod Labs.

The easy-to-use interface provided access to 112 landmarks in 53 countries around the world.

Users are presented with a scrolling page of locations organized alphabetically. Three square icons are presented for each landmark. Each landmark includes the name and location of the landmark as well as the country flag. Users also have the option to zoom-in to see an interactive satellite image of the location, share the landmark with others, or go back to the list of options. Existing YouTube videos by producers such as BBC provide details about each landmark. Existing photos such as those from Flickr as also displayed. To go to the next image/video, users simply swish.

Although this app is a fun way to explore the world’s landmarks, there are some problems with the software. First, since existing resources such as YouTube videos are used, some are missing. Users simply receive a “This video does not exist” error message. Second, there’s no consistency in video content. The app really needs some basic information about each landmark to provide an introduction to each site.

While the app is lacking in terms of content, it would be a great way for youth to explore many of the world’s most amazing places and choose one for a more in-depth investigation. Ask students to select one of the landmarks and brainstorm questions they have based on the images and videos in the app. Then, encourage them to conduct an inquiry using your school library’s many resources including books, databases, and other quality, informational materials.

You don’t need this app on all your devices. Instead, download it on a few devises and ask students to work in small groups or use it in a display or stations.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/…/world-landmarks-exp…/id897788782….

Published by Peapod Labs.

App Review: DIY Sun Science

DIY SUN SCIENCE is a science app designed to help families and educators learn about the sun through hands-on activities.

Designed by NASA and The Lawrence Hall of Science at UC-Berkeley, the app features multimedia information about sun science and thirteen hands-on activities.

The app’s inviting interface encourages users to conduct investigations using common household items, explore images and videos, or view live images of the sun.

The Activities section is divided into sunny day activities and projects that can be done any day. Each investigation begins with a question such as “What does the sun look like over time?” or “Can you spot the sunspots?”. Each activity includes a brief overview, age level, time commitment, materials, and step-by-step instructions. It concludes with an explanation of the science behind the activity, related videos, and other information.

The Images + Videos section provides to image galleries and short video clips on topics such as the dynamic sun, studying the sun, and Sun-Earth connections. It also sun videos from the past 48 hours.

The Sun Observatory section shows lives images of the sun from a NASA satellite. A slider is used to compare features as seen in different wavelengths. Students can explore different ways to look at the sun, learn more about the sun, and solve sun a puzzle.

Librarians will want to work with classroom science teachers to integrate this stunning app into the STEM curriculum.

Many of the activities and resources can also be accessed through a website at http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/do_sci…/diy_sun_science.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/diy-sun-science/id836712493….

Website Review: Artsedge

ARTSEDGE is an educational program providing lessons, activities, how-to’s, and resources related to the arts including dance, theatre, music, and visual arts.

Sponsored by The Kennedy Center and the U.S. Department of Education, the website contains sections for educators, families, and students.

The Collections area allows users to search by art genre, time period, place, and big idea such as STEM or global cultures. Or, enter a topic of interest.

The Multimedia Finder provides access to images, audio stories, music, video clips, and interactives. In addition to a text search, users can search by art genre or media type.

The Educators section users to search for lessons and how-to guides. It’s also possible to search based on the National Core Arts Standards. By registering at the website, teachers can store and organize their favorite resources for easy access.

The Arts Days app provides a full year of events connecting the arts to inventions, artists, and milestones.

To learn more, go to http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/

To download the free app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/arts-days/id622294390.