Timely Take-Aways for Life-Long Learning

From Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake to lesser-known scientific explorers and even an unknown mariner, a batch of new nonfiction works share previously overlooked stories set during the age of discovery. These titles expand our thinking about the people and missions that jumpstarted maritime travel and commerce.

In Search of a Kingdom: Francis Drake, Elizabeth I, and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire

Laurence Bergreen, Mar 2021, Custom House, an imprint of Harper Collins

Themes: World history, Maritime history, British empire, Age of Discovery

IN SEARCH OF A KINGDOM is an engaging nonfiction narrative exploring Francis Drake, his major voyages of exploration, and his relationship with Elizabeth I.

Take-aways: Educators will find the relationships among the key players along with the specifics of Drake’s expeditions to be helpful in understanding the bigger picture of piracy, enslaved people, diplomacy, and the quest for fame and riches during this period.

Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery

Andrés Reséndez, Sep 2021, Mariner Books, an imprint of Harper Collins

Themes: World history, Spanish history, Maritime history, Age of Discovery

CONQUERING THE PACIFIC shares an amazing account of a mid-16th century Spanish expedition that crossed the Pacific Ocean and returned. Launched from a secret port in Mexico, the crew included a Black mariner who captained the small, lead ship.

Take-aways: Of particular interest are the many examples of navigational techniques necessary to successfully cross this challenging ocean.  In addition, the book details encounters with the Pacific Islanders and an assortment of near-disasters.

Latitude: The True Story of the World’s First Scientific Expedition

Nicholas Crane, Oct 2021, Pegasus Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

Themes: World history, Maritime history, Expeditions, Age of Discovery

LATITUDE is a fast-paced nonfiction narrative tracing the adventures of a dozen eighteenth-century European scientists who made important discoveries about global navigation and other amazing achievements.

Take-aways: STEM educators will find this true story of scientific discovery to be an engaging way to teach youth about perseverance and the quest for knowledge.

Straits: Beyond the Myth of Magellan

Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Mar 2022, University of California Press

Themes: World history, Maritime history, Expeditions, Age of Discovery

STRAITS revisits the life of Ferdinand Magellan separating the fact from fiction through surviving primary sources while providing useful insights and context.

Take-aways: Historically, textbooks have glossed over the life of Magellan and portrayed him as the hero of the age of discovery. This work is effective in providing a more realistic and comprehensive examination of this historical figure.

Whether helping educators keep up-to-date in their subject-areas, promoting student reading in the content-areas, or simply encouraging nonfiction leisure reading, teacher librarians need to be aware of the best new titles across the curriculum and how to activate life-long learning. - Annette Lamb

Website Review: StopBullying.gov

The STOPBULLYING.GOV website provides a variety of useful resources to help educators develop programs to prevent bullying.

Managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the website contains major sections including “what is bullying”, “cyberbullying”, “who is at risk”, “prevent bullying”, “respond to bullying”, and “get help now”. The content includes definitions, examples, statistics, strategies, and additional information.

In addition, there are sections specifically aimed at parents, educators, community members, teens, and kids. The website blog and newsroom contains up-to-date information and resources including articles, research findings, and strategies.

Of particular note are the media sections. The images page contains appealing photos and infographics that could be used in library displays. The video page includes dozens of short videos focusing on specific issues such as LGBT bullying and cyberbullying.

For youth working on research projects related to bullying, the resources page and policies and laws page would be particularly useful.

Kick off the school year with a library promotion that encourages friendship and positive relationships. Weave in resources to help young people address the issue of bullying before it starts.

To visit the website, go to http://www.stopbullying.gov.

Website Review: Digital Literacy

DIGITALLITERACY.GOV is a U.S. government initiative providing resources to assist practitioners including librarians in delivering digital literacy training. This interagency project is intended for all age groups and stages of learning.

The “Find Educator Tools” area provides a quick way to search for resources by skill, topic, or keyword. The “Learn the Basics” section contains an overview of basic technology skills. The section on Child Online Protection links to dozens of quality, online resources on topics including cyberbullying, privacy, and other topics related to child safety. The “Learn Job Skills” provides practical resources related to finding a job, career exploration, creating a resume, and other valuable information.

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

Website Review: SAS Pathways

SAS Curriculum Pathways is a free resource for educators and students. Containing hundreds of interactives in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, and more, the online service is easy to use and search. The tutorials include text, images, audio, and video elements. In addition, most tutorials end with a quick quiz or self-check. In addition to the tutorials, the system also includes interactives and tools such as an Interactive Atlas that allows users to create their own maps. The Data Depot provides a long list of datasets that students can download on topics such as Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Population Trends.

Of particular interest to school librarians are tutorials in the English/Language Arts section related to topics such as “how to read nonfiction”.

In addition to the website, SAS Curriculum Pathways has an increasing number of Apps available through the iTunes App Store.

To learn more, go to the SAS: Curriculum Pathways website at https://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/