Facts on File Training Outline

Total Time: 45-90 minutes

Quick Intro (5 minutes)

Digital Learning Commons Homepage

• Introduce staff to the website and show them how to access resources.
• Point out the Search box (appears on every page) and the About section.
• Explain differences between Students, Educators, and Parents sections.

Facts on File News Digest

Facts on File features domestic and world news coverage from 1940 to the present. It also includes a wire-service news feed, which is updated hourly, along with hundreds of original features, primary documents, newspaper editorials, and other materials that give perspective and context to the events. This site includes resources for educators too.

Intro Activity (10–20 minutes)

This activity focuses on the main features of the Facts on File site. World News Digest is the main database, which is accessed from the homepage. Point out the four Facts on File databases and how to access them via the tabs at the top of the page:

• World News Digest: U.S. and world news from 1940 to present.
• Issues & Controversies: In-depth information on current issues.
• Today's Science: Science news for students.
• The World Almanac Reference Database and Encyclopedia: People, places, events, and more from A to Z.

Search: Enter any word or combination of words in the Search box on the left-hand side of any web page. If you enter more than one search term, the search will find articles that contain all of the terms you entered. Capitalization does not matter.

Printer-friendly versions of articles, with citations, can be accessed by clicking on the Print/Citation icon in the top right corner. Facts on File generates a citation using MLA and APA format for any articles found in its database. There are also printer-friendly versions of all articles in the database.

Additional Activities (10–20 minutes per database)

Digging Deeper: World News Digest

The following feature can be accessed on the left-hand side of the page:

• What Happened That Day: Enter a date to find news for a specific day—great for current events classes.

The following features of World News Digest can be accessed from the box on the right-hand side of the page.

• Today's News: Click here to access an hourly news feed from Reuters, which includes a two-week archive.
• Top News Stories: Click on a date range to access timelines of top news stories for that time period. You'll find this feature on the right-hand side of the homepage.
• Special Features: Click on a topic. You'll find information about historic events, key issues, people in the news, obituaries, and more.
• Maps and Photographs: This comprehensive collection includes maps and photographs from around the world.

Digging Deeper: Issues & Controversies

Click on the Issues & Controversies tab at the top of the page to get started. The following features can be accessed from the box on the right-hand side of the page.

• Issues: Pro and Con: These often controversial topics and issues are looked at from both sides of the argument. Users can search the Table of Contents or Subject Index for a complete list of topics.
• Issues in the Headlines: Click on a topic to drill down to some of the hottest topics in the headlines.
• Special Features: Click on a topic to access additional resources, such as editorial cartoons, maps and charts, debate topics, and more.
• For Educators: Click on a category to access classroom materials, such as discussion activities.

Digging Deeper: Today's Science

Click on the Today's Science tab at the top of the page to get started. The following features can be accessed from the box on the right-hand side of the page.

• Science in the Headlines: Click on a topic to access scientific issues in the headlines.
• Indexes: Click on a category to access a full index of topics.
• Special Features: Click on a category, such as biographies, crossword puzzles, image gallery, and Internet sites.
• For Educators: Click here to access classroom materials, such as teaching activities and tools to promote critical thinking.

Digging Deeper: World Almanac

Click on the World Almanac tab at the top of the page to get started. The following features can be accessed from the box on the right-hand side of the page.

• Find it Fast: Click on a category to access information organized by dates and topics.
• Indexes: Click on a category to access alphabetized lists of topics.

Digging Deeper: World Almanac Encyclopedias

Click on the World Almanac Encyclopedias tab at the top of the page to get started. The following feature can be accessed from the box on the right-hand side of the page.

• Recent Special Reports: Click on a topic for in-depth information on popular annual topics.

Assessments (2–5 minutes)

Return to the Digital Learning Commons website. Click on the Training Evaluation link, which appears at bottom of every page on the site.