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Division II (4-6) Science Resources


Britannica School: Elementary

​In addition to more than 141 000 encyclopedia articles on a wide array of topics, this multidisciplinary database provides access to educational videos, images, magazine articles and learning games. Three age-appropriate interfaces (Elementary, Middle and High) with two adjustable reading levels for each article enables differentiated access for varied learners. Further, read-aloud features (with highlighting text) and text translation (50 languages) empower students of all abilities to easily navigate this resource independently.

ORC users have access to two additional features in the Britannica School suite:Canada In Focus and Image Quest. Canada In Focus is a section devoted to articles about significant Canadian people, places, and history. Image Quest provides embedded copyright friendly images related to every article.
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

Click 
HERE for a PowerPoint presentation about Britannica Universalis Junior.

Online Promotional Materials

Download the Britannica Image Quest bookmarks HERE!

Download the Britannica Image Quest infographic HERE!

Download the Britannica School bookmarks HERE!

Download the Britannica School infographic HERE!

​Download the Britannica Universalis Junior infographic HERE!

Download the Britannica Universalis Senior ​infographic HERE!

Britannica School: Middle

In addition to more than 141 000 encyclopedia articles on a wide array of topics, this multidisciplinary database provides access to educational videos, images, magazine articles and learning games. Three age-appropriate interfaces (Elementary, Middle and High) with three adjustable reading levels for each article enables differentiated access for varied learners. Further, read-aloud features (with highlighting text) and text translation (50 languages) empower students of all abilities to easily navigate this resource independently.

ORC users have access to two additional features in the Britannica School suite:Canada In Focus and Image Quest. Canada In Focus is a section devoted to articles about significant Canadian people, places, and history. Image Quest
 provides embedded copyright friendly images related to every article.
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

Click HERE for a PowerPoint presentation about Britannica Universalis Junior.

Online Promotional Materials

Download the Britannica Image Quest bookmarks HERE!

Download the Britannica Image Quest infographic HERE!

Download the Britannica School bookmarks HERE!

Download the Britannica School infographic HERE!

​Download the Britannica Universalis Junior infographic HERE!

Download the Britannica Universalis Senior ​infographic HERE!

National Geographic Kids Virtual Library

National Geographic and Gale, part of Cengage Learning, have partnered to bring vast resources to digital life with National Geographic Virtual Library. Now you have access to the complete archive of National Geographic magazine — every page of every issue — along with a cross-searchable collection of National Geographic books, maps, images and videos.
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

Click HERE to download the National Geographic Kids Virtual LIbrary Icon.

Click HERE to learn more about this resource.

Click HERE to learn more about viewing magazines.

Click HERE for general help topics on this resource.

​Click HERE for a video tutorial on how to use this resource.

Click HERE for a recorded webinar about this resource.

​PowerKnowledge Earth and Space Science

This resource provides a number of embedded supports for diverse learners like a customizable read aloud feature, embedded science experiments and educational games, short segmented articles, and introductory videos to build background knowledge.

In addition, this resource is strongly aligned to the grade 1-6 Alberta Science curriculum. Curriculum areas covered include:
  • Light and Shadows, & Waste and Our World (grade 4)
  • Weather Watch, & Wetland Ecosystems (grade 5)
  • Sky Science (grade 6)
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

Click HERE to download the PowerKnowledge Earth and Space Icon. 

​Parent letters in English, French, and Spanish to send home with your learners.

Click on the PowerPoint file below to download for a presentation on the Earth and Space, or click on the PDF for a "boot camp" training guide to the PowerKnowledge suite of databases.
pkess_online_preview.ppt
File Size: 2490 kb
File Type: ppt
Download File

bootcamp_pksciencesuite-1.pdf
File Size: 577 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Download the file below to learn more about how to create permalinks for any article in any PowerKnowledge database along with some ideas for using permalinks to support classroom learning. 
using_permalinks_in_powerknowledge.pdf
File Size: 203 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

For a compete listing of database entries for PowerKnowledge Earth and Space Science click to download the file below. This is an easy way to quickly find the content you are looking for.
pkess_database_entries.pdf
File Size: 939 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

If you are looking for an easy way to share information about the PowerKnowledge Suite with your school community use the parent letter below. Available in both English and French!
pk_suite_parent_sample_letter_2014_orc.pdf
File Size: 1436 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

pk_suite_parent_sample_letter_2014_french.pdf
File Size: 1434 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


​PowerKnowledge Life Science

This resource provides a number of embedded supports for diverse learners like a customizable read aloud feature, embedded science experiments and educational games, short segmented articles, and introductory videos to build background knowledge.

In addition, this resource is strongly aligned to the grade 1-6 Alberta Science curriculum. Curriculum areas covered include:
  • Plant Growth and Changes, & Waster and Our World (grade 4)
  • Wetland Ecosystems (grade 5)
  • Trees and Forests (grade 6)
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

​Click HERE to download the PowerKnowledge Life Science Icon.

​Parent letters in English, French, and Spanish to send home with your learners. 

Click on the PowerPoint file below to download for a presentation on the Earth and Space, or click on the PDF for a "boot camp" training guide to the PowerKnowledge suite of databases.
online_preview_short.ppt
File Size: 3451 kb
File Type: ppt
Download File

bootcamp_pksciencesuite-1.pdf
File Size: 577 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Download the file below to learn more about how to create permalinks for any article in any PowerKnowledge database along with some ideas for using permalinks to support classroom learning. 
using_permalinks_in_powerknowledge.pdf
File Size: 203 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

For a compete listing of database entries for PowerKnowledge Life Science click to download the file below. This is an easy way to quickly find the content you are looking for.
pkls_entries.pdf
File Size: 362 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

If you are looking for an easy way to share information about the PowerKnowledge Suite with your school community use the parent letter below. Available in both English and French!
pk_suite_parent_sample_letter_2014_orc.pdf
File Size: 1436 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

pk_suite_parent_sample_letter_2014_french.pdf
File Size: 1434 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


​PowerKnowledge Physical Science

This resource provides a number of embedded supports for diverse learners like a customizable read aloud feature, embedded science experiments and educational games, short segmented articles, and introductory videos to build background knowledge.

In addition, this resource is strongly aligned to the grade 1-6 Alberta Science curriculum. Curriculum areas covered include:
  • Wheels and Levers (grade 4)
  • Electricity and Magnetism & Classroom Chemistry (grade 5)
  • Trees and Forests (grade 6)
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

Click HERE to download the icon for PowerKnowledge Physical Science Icon. 

​Parent letters in English, French, and Spanish to send home with your learners.

Click on the PowerPoint file below to download for a presentation on the Earth and Space, or click on the PDF for a "boot camp" training guide to the PowerKnowledge suite of databases.
pkps_online_preview.ppt
File Size: 1337 kb
File Type: ppt
Download File

bootcamp_pksciencesuite-1.pdf
File Size: 577 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Download the file below to learn more about how to create permalinks for any article in any PowerKnowledge database along with some ideas for using permalinks to support classroom learning. 
using_permalinks_in_powerknowledge.pdf
File Size: 203 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

For a compete listing of database entries for PowerKnowledge Physical Science click to download the file below. This is an easy way to quickly find the content you are looking for.
pkps_databaseentries.pdf
File Size: 219 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

If you are looking for an easy way to share information about the PowerKnowledge Suite with your school community use the parent letter below. Available in both English and French!
pk_suite_parent_sample_letter_2014_orc.pdf
File Size: 1436 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

pk_suite_parent_sample_letter_2014_french.pdf
File Size: 1434 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File



PebbleGO Next
PebbleGo Next Science is a new ORC resource geared towards the “Next Generation” of science researchers. The interactive database allows students to move seamlessly from PebbleGo, which serves grades K-3, to PebbleGo Next Science, which supports the grades 3-6 Science curriculum. The database includes age-appropriate text, images, and videos, as well as human-voice Read Aloud and text highlighting.

​Database topics include: Rocks & Minerals, Plant Growth & Changes, Electricity & Magnetism, Evidence & Investigation, and more.
Download the following document for a quick overview of PebbleGo Next:
pebblego_next_grades_3-6_training_document.pdf
File Size: 503 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

A list of articles available on PebbleGo Next is below:
pebblegonext_science_article_list.pdf
File Size: 51 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

A research template​ for PebbleGo Next is available in the following file:
research_template.pdf
File Size: 151 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

For an easy way to share information about PebbleGo Next, use one of the letters below. 
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pebblego_next_school-to-home_letter.pdf
File Size: 987 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

pebblego_next_school_to_home_letter_spanish.pdf
File Size: 948 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

pgn_librarian-to-teacher_letter.pdf
File Size: 970 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

The following file contains printable bookmarks for PebbleGO Next:
bookmarks.pdf
File Size: 281 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

You can access loads of great science activities using the following files:
forces_and_motion_activity.pdf
File Size: 312 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

human_body_systems_activity.pdf
File Size: 330 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

the_rock_cycle_activity.pdf
File Size: 451 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

mitosis_foldable_activity.pdf
File Size: 138 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

natural_disasters_activity.pdf
File Size: 146 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

pebblego_next_hurricanes_activity.pdf
File Size: 58 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

states_of_matter_activity.pdf
File Size: 173 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


​Scholastic GO!
​​Scholastic Go!, formally Amazing Animals of the World, now acts as a federated search engine of seven different Scholastic encyclopedia databases: Encyclopedia Americana, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, The New Book of Knowledge, America the Beautiful, Lands & Peoples, Amazing Animals of the World, and The New Book of Popular Science. The over 115, 000 Scholastic Go! articles, which are written by subject experts, are differentiated by reading levels. The database also contains access to a robust atlas, world newspapers, videos, pictures, and more
Online Training Materials
Download a one page training overview for this resource.

Check out this great training video for Scholastic Go!

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ScienceFLIX

Designed for learners in grades 4-9, this sister resource to TrueFLIX offers all of the solid pedagogical components ORC users have come to expect from Scholastic resources. Every article includes three adjustable reading levels within the same interface to support differentiated learners. In addition, every article provides introductory videos to build/activate background knowledge and embedded read aloud support. Multiple text types, hands-on projects, vetted websites on related subjects, science news with study guides and educator lessons plans are just a few of the other features available in this rich resource.  
 
Topics Include: Earth Science, Life Science, Physical Science, Space Science, Health and Human Body, as well as Tech, Math and Engineering.
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

Click HERE to download the ScienceFLIX Icon. 
Download this file for instructions on how to access ScienceFLIX using a mobile device.
how_to_access_scienceflix_on_a_mobile_device.pdf
File Size: 1017 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Science In Context

Locate magazine articles, science experiments, encyclopedia entries, images, audio and video clips, illustrations, graphs and Web links related to a wide range of scientific study in this database. Use the listen feature embedded in the database to support struggling readers.
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

Click HERE for a guided video tutorial of this resource.

Click HERE for a recorded webinar about this resource.

For a 1-minute guided tutorial on navigating the Science In Context homepage click HERE.

For a 2-minute guided tutorial on searching the Science In Context database click HERE.

​Click HERE to access Google Classroom Integration Tip Sheet.

Learn about the topic pages and documents in Science In Context in this 3-miunute guided tutorial. Click HERE.

Click HERE for tools to help your students get started with their research and wrap it up.

To access free lesson plans for this database click HERE.

Many students have a difficult time narrowing their research topic and searching for sources. This 6 1/2 minute tutorial provides some tips for how to narrow and search when using a Gale resource.

Click HERE for tools to help your students get started with their research and wrap it up when using a Gale resource.

​Click HERE for a brochure about the entire suite of In Context resources

​TrueFLIX

If you love BookFLIX you are going to love TrueFLIX! This newly created sister resource to BookFLIX is designed for students in grade 3-6. Each nonfiction ebook includes an introductory video to help build background knowledge, human read along feature, interactive table of contents and essential inquiry questions/project ideas.
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Online Training Materials

Click HERE for a detailed description of this resource and how it works.

Download the TrueFLIX Icon HERE.

Download this file for a complete listing of all of the TrueFLIX 
titles for the 2015/2016 school year.
trueflix_pairs_october_2015.xlsx
File Size: 20 kb
File Type: xlsx
Download File

Download this file for instructions on how to access TrueFLIX using a mobile device.
how_to_access_trueflix_on_a_mobile_device.pdf
File Size: 991 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Schedule an ORC Session
Curriculum Mapping for Division II

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Contact Us: ORC@thealbertalibrary.ab.ca