Profile

Cypress Bay High School Broward County Public Schools Weston, Florida

A Profile (2008):

• High School, grades 9-12

• 4200 students

• High school students have a three-year social studies requirement:

•WorldHistory(freshman)

•AmericanHistory(junior)

•Government(senior)

• ABC-CLIO Online Databases Used:

•AmericanHistory

•AmericanGovernment

•WorldGeography

•WorldHistory:Ancientand MedievalEras

•WorldHistory:TheModernEra

ABC-Clio’S oNliNe HiSTorY DATABASeS SUPPorT SoCiAl STUDieS iNSTrUCTioN AT CYPreSS BAY HiGH SCHool iN BroWArD CoUNTY, floriDA

Scott Selvidge of Cypress Bay High School in Broward County has used the ABC-CLIO databases for the past five years, in lieu of textbooks. According to Selvidge: “I find a lot of the tools very helpful, especially the research list; I can go in ahead of time and create a research list of links to events and people to provide my students with more concise

learning material.”

The ABC-CLIO Advantage Selvidge further notes: “This is what sets ABC-CLIO apart from other resources, vendors,

and popular search engines:

•Databases are constantly being updated and expanded to provide new links and resources to use in teaching a subject

•Teacherscancreatelinksto specific subject materials ahead of time for students

•Supplementaltext,imagesand media files are available

•Informationisauthoritative,unbiased, verifiable, and documented

•Eachdatabaseisspecificto a subject, filtering out irrelevant information and resources you’d get from general search engines

•Thedatabasesareeasytonavigate

•Morecurrentandup-to-datethantextbooks

•Studentscan‘surf’safelywithout getting into dangerous sites

•Greatcustomerserviceresponse—usuallylessthan24hours”

What Colleagues and Students Are ReportingSelvidge has heard positive feedback about ABC-CLIO databases from his fellow educators at Cypress Bay, even among those who previously took a more lecture-oriented, traditional textbook approach to teaching a subject.

Among students, he has observed: “Using ABC-CLIO databases allows them to utilize technologywhichtheyfindengagingandmotivating,and‘putsagleamintheireyes!’And, they like not having to carry heavy textbooks around anymore.”

SiTUATioN

ScottSelvidgeisan11thGradeHonors

HistoryTeacheratCypressBayHighSchool,

thelargestschoolinBrowardCounty,Florida.

Hewasfacedwiththechallengeofproviding

hisstudentswithengaging,informative,

up-to-dateresourcestosupporthisclassroom

instruction.Notbeingaproponentof

lecturing,andknowingthat21stcentury

studentspreferatechnologycomponentto

theirstudies,Selvidgesoughtanalternative

tostandard,traditionaltextbooks.

“ ABC-Clio databases give you more accuracy…less bias; they give

students a better perspective and then they can draw their own

conclusions about x, y, or z events.”

– Scott Selvidge, 11th Grade Honors History Teacher, Cypress Bay High School

www.abc-clio.com | 1.800.368.6868

Profile

Empire High SchoolVail School DistrictTucson, Arizona

• High School, grades 9-12

• 750 students

• High school students have a three-year social studies requirement:

• World History (freshman requirement)

• American History (junior requirement)

• Government (senior requirement)

• ABC-CLIO’s Online Databases Used:

• American History

• American Government

• Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society

• United States at War: Understanding Conflict and Society

• World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras

• World History: The Modern Era

ABC-Clio’s online DAtABAses fulfill A new role As Core Content resourCes for soCiAl stuDies Courses

Implementation NotesNotes Jeremy Gypton, Instructional Team Leader for social

studies at Empire, “In more traditional settings, the textbook

was the driver of curriculum. However, we found that textbooks

simply did not align appropriately with our state standards. The

big difference, in using ABC-CLIO’s online databases as our

core content resource, is in teacher planning. We plan directly

from our state social studies standards. The databases are easily

aligned with what we need to do…in sequence and in depth.”

Implementing the 21st Century Learning Environment at Empire High School Gypton noted that he rarely distributes “hard copies” of materials to his students. Students

work on assignments and projects in class, around the campus, and at home, using

their laptops. Gypton stated, “There are several ways for students to locate appropriate

resources, including the Eras section in the history databases. This organizes history

entries chronologically, giving students a familiar starting point for their research.”

Gypton has structured his American History classes into four themes. Depending on the

lesson or time period, he uses the Eras section to meet his lesson goals. He also gives

students problems to solve, issues to wrestle with, and activities that build their ability

to conduct increasingly sophisticated searches to find materials. He structures students’

use of the databases according to what kinds of student work will be required to meet

Arizona standards.

Gypton reflected, saying “Some days, the database is just that…a source for reference

information. Another day, we may use ABC-CLIO’s online databases as the launching

pad for a problem or inquiry-based lesson where students are searching for information

to support an argument. It’s a strategic instructional approach because students are

situAtion

Empire High School opened in 2005 with a unique vision:

“ It is the mission of Empire High School for students to become self-directed learners through positive relationships. Empire is... Culture-rich, Innovative, Challenging”

To accomplish their mission, the high school is one of the first to be planned, designed, built, and opened with all-wireless technology, laptops for students, and rich, digital curriculum resources. At Empire High School, all social studies classes use ABC-CLIO’s online databases as their frontline content resource. As part of the school’s founding vision, the social studies department elected to eliminate traditional textbooks in favor of the more dynamic, authentic core history reference resource collection from ABC-CLIO.

Jeremy Gypton, Instructional Team Leader for Social Studies

www.abc-clio.com | 1.800.368.6868

building strong research skills by using technology to find the

most relevant information within the databases and

at the same time, they’re immersed in very high quality history

content. I appreciate the flexibility of ABC-CLIO’s online

databases. Because of the organization and the content,

they offer far more than a traditional, more static set of

textbook resources.”

According to Gypton, his American Government students use

online discussion boards to discuss current news stories that

connect to the week’s class discussions, often based on the

current events information and historical background connections

found within ABC-CLIO’s online databases. The department’s

American History students respond to discussion questions online

and comment on peers’ answers. These responses are part of the

courses’ formative assessments.

Strategic Teaching and Learning in HistoryGypton pointed out that the use of primary source documents

figures prominently in his teaching methods, saying “I’ve always

liked to use primary source documents because students have

to dig deep into the antiquated language and think their way

through it…synthesizing meaning. But finding those unique

documents can be a problem. With the ABC-CLIO databases,

I can find the primary resources more efficiently, including

photos, political cartoons, video, and audio.”

“ i couldn’t do all of this three or four years ago. then, i spent a lot more time trying to put together materials relevant to my lessons. i’m convinced that i teach better using ABC-Clio’s online databases. My lessons are richer and more challenging and that’s entirely because i have a resource that is genuinely comprehensive and easy to use.”

Note: Jeremy Gypton, Empire High School, is an ABC-CLIO History Fellow. He has been interviewed by National Public Radio, CBS This Morning, ABC, and the Associated Press about his innovative use of digital resources in his history classroom. To hear Jeremy’s NPR interview, go to www.abc-clio.com/empirehigh.

When asked about the impact that the ABC-CLIO databases have

had on his department’s teaching and student achievement, Gypton

offered these observations:

• Anecdotal evidence from teacher observations and evaluations

points out that educators at Empire are delivering richer, more

challenging, more varied lessons in terms of instructional

approach and expectations. Gypton notes that teachers have

more enthusiasm right along with their students.

• Teachers have also noted that seniors demonstrate greater

capability in accessing prior knowledge and applying it to higher

level projects and assignments.

• Teachers have also noted that students’ research skills have

improved as they learn to conduct more targeted research that

goes beyond generalized Internet searches.

Gypton notes that the databases have supported his department’s

goals of teaching students rhetoric, core content, critical thinking and

analysis skills, along with strategies for supporting an argument or

thesis and deconstructing arguments. He summed it all up by saying,

evAluAting suCCess

www.abc-clio.com | 1.800.368.6868

Profile

Katy Independent School District Katy, Texas

A Profile (2007-2008):

• 55,000 students

• 47 schools—including 18 secondary schools*:

• 6 high schools

• 1 career center

• 1 alternative education center

• 10 junior high schools

• ABC-CLIO’s Online Databases Used:

• American History

• American Government

• World Geography

• World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras

• World History: The Modern Era

* 2 new secondary schools scheduled to open for the 2008-2009 school year

ABC-Clio’S oNliNe HiSTorY DATABASeS SUPPorT SoCiAl STUDieS CUrriCUlUM iN KATY, TeXAS

To answer their needs for standards’ alignment and preparation for social studies tests, Katy ISD chose ABC-CLIO’s social studies online databases and has been using them for eight years—almost from the time they were first introduced.

When educators access specific curriculum objectives and standards, they find links to supporting primary and secondary resources in ABC-CLIO’s online database resources. According to Ginny Garvic, Social Studies Curriculum Specialist (K-7), “We don’t just say ‘go to ABC-CLIO World History,’ we take them right to the articles, which saves teachers a lot of time. The look of the new site with the Version 2.0 upgrade is very student- and

teacher-friendly.”

What Teachers and Librarians Are Reporting

In both junior high and high

school, teachers use the

databases for additional

information and visuals to

enhance their lessons.

Teachers find it valuable to

be able to show a picture

of a particular region or to

display images from the eras they’re

covering to strengthen students’

conceptual understanding. Sixth grade

teachers appreciate the features and

functionality of CLIOView in the World

Geography database for meeting learning

objectives for comparing countries and

using demographics.

According to Cheryl Salois, Secondary Lead Librarian, “We saw the need to subscribe to

the American Government database because it offered access to data about Supreme

Court cases. Our Government classes do a great deal of research around Supreme

Court cases and this online database offered rich information for student inquiry.” Salois

also notes that the district also uses the World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras

databases for their high school Latin classes, an unexpected, added value.

SiTUATioN

When the state of Texas launched the

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

(TEKS) standards for social studies, the

Katy Independent School District’s social

studies textbooks were not aligned to the

new standards. A new textbook adoption

was at least two years away.

Students in Texas take the Texas Assessment

of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) social

studies tests at grade 8 and 10 and are

required to pass an Exit Level social

studies assessment for graduation.

“ We were especially excited about ClioView, the statistical

comparison tool, because it helps our students learn to use data.”

– Ginny Garvic, Social Studies Curriculum Specialist (K-7)

www.abc-clio.com | 1.800.368.6868

Implementation Notes

Katy ISD subscribes to the databases districtwide so that all

secondary campuses have access and all the librarians can help

students and faculty find the information they need for class

assignments and projects. In addition, librarians find the MLA

citations for every page and every image especially helpful.

According to Salois, Katy students can access ABC-CLIO’s online

databases directly from their libraries’ web sites. ABC-CLIO

online database icons also appear on the district’s home page.

Students access the databases from the library and many stu-

dents access the databases from home, using a password. They

can also send themselves articles and images from the library to

their home computers.

Salois notes, “We like to bring our history teachers in and provide

training about the databases. We typically conduct these ses-

sions at the beginning of the year, so everyone starts out with

information they can build on throughout the year.”

Teaching 21st Century Research Skills

Katy ISD recommends its students go to resources like the ABC-

CLIO online databases for research projects rather than the open

Internet because of the accuracy and reliability of the information

in the databases.

“ All of ABC-Clio’s online databases match our curriculum

and that’s the critical part. Plus, the customer service is

excellent and meets our needs for support and response.” – Ginny Garvic, Social Studies Curriculum Specialist (K-7)

Salois adds, “There is a wealth of information in ABC-CLIO’s online

databases and it is very well presented. Just about anything we

want is in there. We can access any one of the five databases we

have or we can search across all five simultaneously. For deeper

research, we also have ABC-CLIO’s eBooks and links within the

databases to relevant, recommended websites. This makes

searching more productive for both our students and teachers.”

Salois further states: “We teach students year after year that they

need to verify their sources from the Internet. They find an article

and don’t know if it’s true. We try to steer the kids away from that

and guide them to content that is verified, accurate, reliable and

authoritative–like ABC-CLIO online databases.”

“ We really value ABC-Clio online databases.

it’s just something good we can do for our

teachers, and especially for our students

by giving them access to this set of

authoritative resources.” – Cheryl Salois, Secondary lead librarian

www.abc-clio.com | 1.800.368.6868