Rules to Live By

One of my favorite series of books is currently being made into a movie. The Hunger Games will be released in theaters on March 23, 2012. In preparation for this momentous event I thought I'd share my thoughts/rules when dealing with movies based on books.

1. The book is always better.

2. Avoid the book before the movie.

3. Don't bring someone who hasn't read the book with you to watch the movie. The temptation to explain EVERYTHING will be too great to avoid.

4. If possible it is always best to see the book and the movie as two ideas that have NOTHING to do with each other.

So good luck to all Hunger Games fans! May the movie not completely ruin the book! Here's a look at the first trailer.

May the odds be ever in your favor!


P.S.
If anyone is having a hard time waiting for the movie there is a board game based on the Training Days before the Games begin. If anyone is interested in playing stop by the library and talk to your librarian!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What was that? You need help?

You say you need help finding information about the history of physical education (PE)? Or maybe you are trying to find out more about color blindness. There is a place to find reliable information on these and many more topics: Encyclopedia Britannica Online! Provided by the Iowa AEA Online resources. While some entries are more in-depth than others this resource is a great starting point for any research topic. Helpful photographs and images accompany most articles as well as links to other web sources, making this an excellent substitute for just "Googling it." And if you are still having trouble with that pesky Works Cited or Bibliography page never fear! Encyclopedia Britannica Online provides a citation for every article in MLA or APA format. Find it at the bottom of the webpage. Encyclopedia Britannica Online can be found at the AEA Online webpage:

Iowa AEA Online

For username and password please ask your teacher or librarian!

Veteran's Day

Thank you to all the brave men and women who have served our country and kept us safe. Follow the links below to find out more about this important holiday.

Veteran's Day

Veteran's Day

Veteran's Day

***Image of NYC Veteran's Day Parade from AP Images through the Iowa AEA.

MLA Format and Citation HELP!!!

It's that time of year, when research papers and projects abound. If, like so many before, you find yourself in need of some help don't despair! Here are some helpful links to get you through.

Noodle Tools: Citation Help for MLA or APA

This website will practically do all the work for you. At the bottom of the column titled "Free Software Tools" click the link that says NoodleBibExpress. Then choose the MLA format and choose the type of source you will be citing. The options are almost endless, but highlights include "interviews," "website," "film or video," and "online database." Most online databases, such as SIRS and EBSCO, will include the citation information for an article. However other types of sources will not be so accommodating.

MLA Format Guide

This PDF was created by California State University: Los Angeles as a guide for their students. Luckily it can help you too. This guide gives you examples of how your paper should look, including the Works Cited page. It also gives examples of several types of citations including how to cite the source in your paper, parenthetical references.

Still lost? Stop by the library and ask for some help, what I don't know I can find out!

Soundzabound

Soundzabound is another great resource provided by the Iowa AEA Online. Students and teachers today use multimedia in many different ways so it is important to have copyright free resources available. Using copyright protected music can be dangerous and costly. By using Soundzbound you can find many entertaining and creative copyright free cuts of music.

When searching for music from Soundzabound the best way to find what you are looking for is to search by Category. This lets you see artists, genres, and time periods that are available. If you are looking for the latest song by your favorite artist, chances are you won't find it. Soundzabound will however give you "sound-a-likes" if you are looking for a specific sound. Some songs will use electronic sounds, others real instruments, and sometimes they actually have songs with vocals.

*Images from iClipart.com provided by Iowa AEA Online