We’d like to take a moment to tell you about the FREE online EBSCO resources brought to you by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries with funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, available through our engaging interface called Research + Discovery. Designed with students and educators in mind — it is also useful for admin, school staff, parents, grandparents, even friends and neighbors — EBSCO offers Explora (see links below) which provides a safe, trustworthy environment for students to look up articles and facts for research papers, class projects or homework. A far better alternative to websites and search engines, Explora provides students with easy-to-use features and age-appropriate content from the world’s leading magazines and reference books. Available on school computers and from mobile devices, Explora offers all of the following:
- High-quality articles licensed from reputable publishers, recognized by library professionals
- Simple search that quickly delivers relevant results, including primary source documents, news articles, and Associated Press videos
- Easy-to-browse categories organized by popular topic
- Topic Overviews that provide students with a starting point for research
- Text-to-speech for HTML articles to assist struggling readers or those learning English
- Numeric reading-level indicators to help students and teachers find grade-appropriate articles
- No ads or pop-up windows
- COPPA compliancy, meaning EBSCO does not ask for or require personal information to use its databases
- Password-protected personal folders that allow students to save search results
- Citation help, including the ability to export citation information to online bibliography generators such as EasyBib and NoodleTools
For tutorials and information on using the above tools such as text-to-speech and reading level-indicators, go to Using EBSCO Databases in the K-12 Classroom.
We encourage you to explore these Explora resources with your students or even on your own. For access, go to DigitalPrairieOK.net/Discover and look under Preschool – 12th.
In addition, EBSCO on Research + Discovery offers some great resources for teachers and educators.
EBSCO also offers lesson plans that integrate EBSCO’s online resources into the curriculum. To learn how to use the Curriculum Standards Module, go to EBSCO's Curriculum Standards Module.
Questions? Email info@libraries.ok.gov.
If you are a representative of a library or school in Oklahoma and you want to be able to provide access to these resources directly, go to the EBSCO Sign-Up Form.