Library & Digital Resources

• Soundzabound
• New Learn 360 Videos
• September 28 TL Conference Registration
• Constitution Day Resources
• Decodable Readers--Coming Soon!

Direct link to the newsletter: https://www.smore.com/u1ney

Some research indicates that background music can improve comprehension. Let's try it. Listen to some copyright-free music from Soundzabound (provided to Iowa students and teachers) as you read this newsletter. You'll find Soundzabound here or in your OneClick launchpad. These are just snippets--most audio is 2-3 minutes.

Soundzabound incudes thousands of audio that can be used in presentations, instruction, public performance/displays. Search by topic or browse the general musical genre/categories. Allow plenty of time to explore because you'll probably get distracted sampling all the music!

Debussy, Claire de Lune (classical, piano)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KAKU1Dd5QiXd0zwmVYAIpIQVzI-4w_qk/view?usp=sharing

Sunny Pastures (blues, country)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A_PvTmpmkgSSCHFapNFHw4u1e-xwqg_O/view?usp=sharing

Here's a separate listing of 152 new videos. These series and titles caught my eye:

• Science Kids: Robots and Artificial Intelligence
• Science Kids: Solving Crimes with DNA
• Literature Kids: Studying Black Poets--and the Five Essential Elements of Poetry
• History Kids: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson--First Black Woman Supreme Court Justice
• Geography Kids: Top 10 Man-Made Wonders of the World
• Social Studies Kids: Homelessness in America--What Can We Do?

Register here for the in-person or Zoom options. Looking forward to sharing stories, successes and information! We have 80 registered to-date.

Constitution Day recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia.This year’s theme is "Reflection, Choice, and Self-Government".

Here are some resources you'll find on OneClick:

• American History in Video
• EBSCO Advanced Placement Source
• Britannica (check out the article for middle school researchers)
• and do a search for ebooks on MackinVIA

Don't forget the live and recorded sessions and instructional materials at Bill of Rights Institute.

Here is more information from Alex Glade, Heartland AEA social studies consultant.

Iowa Supreme Court Constitution Day webpage

This year, the Iowa Supreme Court has put together a special page that highlights one recent case and includes a welcome by Chief Justice Susan Christensen. You can view that page at https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/supreme-court/constitution-day-2023/

Other Resources:

• Iowa Constitution
• History of the Iowa Constitution
• Constitution Day Webinar from Iowa Bar Association
• Center for Civic Education
• National Archives
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Council for the Social Studies
• Library of Congress
• Annenberg Learner
  • The Constitution: That Delicate Balance
• Bill of Rights Institute
• National Constitution Center
• Constitute Project

Know Your Constitution Contest

The Iowa State Bar Association Center for Law & Civic Education will again celebrate Constitution Day with the release of this year’s Know Your Constitution program quiz and essay question on Monday, September 18. As you may know, this project is offered to Iowa High School students in grades 9 thru 12 and involves an open-book multiple choice quiz (50 questions) and a short essay responding to a hypothetical Constitutional issue before the U.S. Supreme Court. Approximately 100 finalists will be selected from among Iowa’s 100 state legislative districts. These finalists will be invited to a luncheon in their honor in January. At that event, 5 students will be selected to receive $1,000 scholarships. For more information about this program, go to https://www.iowabar.org/?pg=KnowConstitution or email at jwheeler@iowabar.org. (The 2023-2024 materials will be released on Monday, September 18. Deadline for submission is not until Friday, December 1, 2023.)

Additionally, iCivics has some great games, lessons, and resources.

More information coming soon with links to resources!

To support new readers and their teachers, Heartland AEA is starting a collection of decodable readers. We know that teachers use decodable readers in a variety of ways (1:1, small group) and we know that some schools have their own curriculum/program. This is meant to be a preview collection right now. There won't have sets to circulate. This collection will include a single copy of some K-2 readers from Just Right Readers, Express Readers, Flyleaf Publishing.

School Library Journal

Knowledge Quest

A Love Letter to Libraries (archive of short TedTalks about libraries, librarians and the community they help build)

Click here for the index to earlier issues.