Curriculum Resource Center Collections

About the CRC Collections

The Curriculum Resource Center (CRC) is a unit of Library Programs and Services and is also supported by the School of Education (SOE). The CRC is a special collection that serves the students and faculty of the SOE, which includes the support of the curriculum of the Teacher Preparation Program and the Bachelor's of Science degree in Elementary Education. The CRC makes available a variety of current, high quality instructional materials for grades kindergarten through six, with supplemental materials for pre-school and grades 7-12 when appropriate to the curriculum. Priority for selection is given to those materials that directly support the course work of students in the School of Education. The CRC also makes available materials that are relevant to the teaching profession for personal and professional development.

Books and Materials

The CRC collection of books and materials comprises professional literature, curriculum based materials, and children's literature.

To locate books and materials in the CRC search the CRC online catalog. Professional Literature

Professional literature is located in the non-fiction section. The materials include books and AV materials that are representative of current educational theory, practices, and general information about the profession of teaching.

Curriculum Based Materials The curriculum based materials, located in the non-fiction section, include elementary school textbooks, curriculum guides, activity books, professional materials, literature for children and young adults, reference books, educational journals and magazines, audio and video cassettes, DVDs, posters, maps, manipulatives, kits, games, and puzzles. Children's Literature

The CRC maintains a collection of children's and young adult literature, with an emphasis on award winning books. Awards that are represented in the CRC's collection include the Caldecott Medal, the Newbery Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Book Award. The collection reflects other prestigious awards in addition to works that stimulate interest in reading. Easy readers, picture books, and board books help compose the literature collection in the CRC.

Arrangement of the Collections

The majority of the materials in the CRC are shelved by Library of Congress (LC) Call Numbers. Because the materials are arranged by LC Call Numbers, when you locate a book on a specific topic, there should be other books on the same or similar topics shelved in the same area. The primary collections in the CRC are the EDUC, LIT, and JUV collections. The EDUC collection is composed of non-fiction materials, including non-fiction children's books. The LIT collection is fiction for young adults (chapter books), and the JUV collection contains books for younger children (primarily grades 3 and under).

Magazines and Journals

Electronic Resources

Databases

• Children's Literature Comprehensive Database -- Plot summaries, awards, reviews, and reading measurement program information.
• Ebsco Database -- Access over 4000 full-text journals, including those specific to the field of education, through PREL's subscription to Ebsco. Fiction K-8, which is part of Ebsco, includes information about children's literature.
• Facts on File Curriculum Resource Center Databases -- Download reproducible handouts and teaching aids to supplement your course material.

Please see a CRC staff member for the username and password required to access the above subscription databases.

Websites for Educators

The electronic resources collection also consists of Websites for Educators, which are reviewed and compiled by the CRC librarian. The websites are categorized by topic, and include several sites for accessing lesson plans and activities in various subject areas.

Art

• Artcyclopedia--“The Guide to great art on the Internet”
• Artsedge-- Lessons, how-tos, articles, and more from the Kennedy Center
• Education at the Getty--Teacher programs and resources from the Getty museum, including A Guide to Building Visual Arts Lessons.

Children's Literature

• ALA 2005 Notable Children's Books--Selected by the American Library Association, this list automatically includes the current year's Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert, and Batchelder Award and Honor books.
• Caldecott Medal-- "Awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
• Children's Literature Web Guide-- Resources for books for children and young adults, including commentaries, discussions, links to awards, and recommended reading.
• Coretta Scott King Book Award--""Honors a Black author and a Black illustrator for outstanding contributions which promote better understanding and appreciation of the culture and contribution of all peoples to the realization of the American Dream."
• Database of Award Winning Children's Literature--DAWCL has over 5,000 records from 60 awards across six English-speaking countries.
• ISLMC Children's Literature and Language Arts Resources--Includes links to book and media reviews, author bibliographies, and general language arts resources. It also includes links to teaching resources and lesson plans.
• Multicultural Resources for Children-- Bibliographies, articles, and links to resources for multicultural children's literature.
• Newbery Medal-- Awarded annually "to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
• New York Public Library's 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
• The Scoop--Search author/illustrator biographies, activities, and links to sites related to children's books and authors.

Education Departments

• United States Department of Education
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Resources-- Contact information for departments,agencies, and organizations relating to education in the CNMI.

Exceptional Children

• All Kinds of Minds-- Devoted to “understanding differences in learning.” Links are provided to articles, discussion groups, resources, and more.
• Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page--Information for parents, educators, kids, and teens that is continually updated and includes numerous articles from ERIC.
• Council for Exceptional Children—Information Center on Disabilities and Gifted Information--Numerous links to research, articles, teaching resources, and FAQs, often supported by information from ERIC.
• Office of Special Education-- A Web Resource for Special Education-- Special Education information (including history and events), online resources, and categorical information from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.

Language Arts

• EDSITEment-- "The Best of the Humanities on the Web from the National Endowment for the Humanities in partnership with the National Trust for the Humanities." This site includes lesson plans, selected websites, and more.
• Read Write Think-- Lesson plans, standards, web resources, and student materials
• National Council of Teachers of English

Lesson Plans & Activities (general)

• Educator’s Reference Desk-- Lesson plans for many subject areas, resource guides, and a searchable archive of the ERIC archive.
• Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)--Teaching and learning resources from federal agencies.
• Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM)-- Search thousands of websites for articles, lesson plans, and more through this consortia website.
• Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators-- “A categorized list of sites useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth.” The Learning Page... especially for teachers-- From the Library of Congress, this site provides access to resources for lesson plans, activities incorporating the American Memory project, professional development, and more.
• Librarians’ Internet Index-- Home > K-12 Education > Lesson Plans-- Websites with lesson plans that are evaluated and indexed by librarians for subject specific areas.
• Smithsonian Education-- From the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, this website includes access to lesson plans in Art and Design, Science and Technology, History and Culture, and Language Arts. Lesson plans frequently include an online exhibit. Access is also provided to recommended websites, activities, and publications.

Local Resources

• CNMI Public School System-- Links to PSS Human Resources, PRAXIS information, school calendars, and more.
• CNMI PSS Benchmarks and Standards
• Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL)-- “An independent, nonprofit… corporation that serves the educational community in the U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands, the continental United States, and countries throughout the world.”
• PREL Education Links-- General and teaching online resources that are searchable by topic, geographical area, and type of resource.

Math

• Awesome Library-- Mathematics lesson plans for K-12.
• The Math Forum at Drexel-- Math resources by subject from Drexel University.

Multicultural

• Education World—Multicultural Education-- Articles, reviews, and links related to multicultural education.
• National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) -- Select the “Resources” link on the left side of the web page for articles and activities.
• New Horizons for Learning—Multicultural Education-- Articles, recommended reading, and related links.

Music and Drama

• Cre8tivedrama.com-- Learn to use creative drama and print lesson plants for story drama, puppetry, and more.
• The Drama Teacher’s Reference Room-- Lesson plans and ideas for classroom productions.
• K-12 Resources for Music Educators-- “Valuable resources for music educators and students of all areas and educational levels.”

Physical Education

• PE Central-- “The premier web site for health and physical education.”
• Physical Education Lesson Plan Page-- Lesson plans submitted by educators in addition to web links and instructions for games that can be played in class.

Science

• Digital Library for Earth System Education-- Search educational resources by grade level, resource types, collections, and standards.
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) -- Choose the “For Educators” link on the left hand side of the web page to access teaching resources and information about space and science.
• Reach Out Michigan Science Lessons-- Science lessons by subject and grade level from the University of Michigan.
• SEGway-- Lessons from the Science Education Gateway, which is part of the Center for Science Education at the University of California at Berkeley.
• USGS Education-- “This website provides links to selected online resources to support education (K-12) and college inquiry and research.”

Social Studies

• National Council for the Social Studies—Your Classroom-- Curriculum Standards, Lesson Plans, and Teaching Resources from the National Council for the Social Studies.
• SCORE History/Social Science --Lesson plans, featured resources, and over 5000 websites aligned to California's History/Social Science Curriculum.
• Social Studies Lesson Plans and Resources-- Lesson plans, activities, current events, and more.
• Special Education Resources -- Information on learning, speech, hearing, vision and behavioral disabilities. Links to parent and educator resources are included.