WORLD FAIR!
Databases!
Remember that Google is powerful, but it's hard to narrow down those searches sometimes. You get feeling like you're spinning your wheels and searching for that ol' needle in a haystack. At those times, head to a database. They've got information geared specifically to your needs; Google often has other ideas in mind.
When you're at school, you won't need a username or password--unless you want to connect up your Google Drive. Grab a bookmark from the library or classroom to get that information.
Gale in Context
- This is the resource! This could have most of the project for you! Seriously, this database has so much going on in it. Be sure to select the Global Issues in Context. Look for the news and current events articles. Plus, there's some excellent videos. Gale also has some excellent tie-ins to Google Drive; find your articles, get the citation, take notes, then toss it into Google Drive! Never hurts to be organized!
EBSCO
- Here's one of my favorites. It's got so much! So much! Don't forget about the citation options. Loads of articles, ebooks, academic journals and more. You can refine your searches by topics, publications, even geography. Look for the filter by date option--that's a great way to find the most recent information. And don't forget there are thousands and thousands of ebooks. One of the great features of ebooks is the ability to search within for specific information.
Books!
Don't forget that there is a literal ton of books in the library covering all sorts of topics that you might find useful. Well worth taking a look at them. Check out our catalog to see what we have. We can get you other books too, so stop by and ask.
Don't forget about the 16,000+ ebooks at EBSCO Discovery.
The Cultures of the World books are great! Lots of wonderful background information and insights. Be warned that many are pretty old, so you will need to verify any time-sensitive information!
Other Online Resources
Here is a list of some really great online sources you may find helpful. As I curated this collection, I wanted to find resources that anyone could use for any of the 195 countries in the world. These are not country specific resources but resources that will provide you with helpful information once you get digging for your country. There's a variety of topics as well, allowing you to explore your country in a variety of ways. I've tried to find resources with high quality information, though in some cases I've noted possible biases or pitfalls to the information you might find.
Don't forget to look for sections of websites that might provide links to other resources. Wikipedia is great background info, but it also has those links at the bottom.
Don't forget to use proper citaion! A lot of those citation generators get it wrong. You can always try Noodletools or use guides to double check what you get!
- CIA Factbook: The CIA does more than send Jack Ryan out to do some spying. They have a wonderful collection of stats and information on countries, including travel information--even what kind of electrical plugs a country uses! Not every country will have every piece of information, but it's a good resources to poke at.
- The US Department of State has an Office of the Historian page with all sorts of country information. most of it is about diplomatic affairs, which can give you an interesting insight into both the US and your nation. There are some links on the bottom of each country page that will take you to more information. These links are definately worth checking out!
- The Library of Congress has a ton of information. I found this quick and handy guide for Tunisia published by the Air Force in 2019. Lots of ebooks, pictures and more. There's so much that you're going to want to make sure you work some filtering--use the tools on the left side of your page after searching.
- How about the UN? There's a lot here. Try the search bar on the upper right to find your country--and don't foget to play with your searches! Also, if you scroll way to the bottom of the website, you'll see a bunch of links. I find these to be helpful. I really like the map page under resources--some great geospacial images to get you thinking. You can use the search bar on the map page to search just the maps.
- World Bank Country Data: Sure, the World Bank can be a bit conterversial, but they have data! And charts! And graphs! Some of it might be a bit crazy for us young high schoolers, but you should be able to glean some stuff out of it. Be sure to look at the dates to make sure you're comparing proper numbers. And if you want to explore some crazy math, check out their methodology page!
- You can also try the IMF (international Monetary Fund) website for more data and articles.
- Do you need to contact a US embassy in your country? Or do you want to? Click here to find the list.
- World Heritage Convention: UNESCO has a great website that explore some of the world's and humanity's greatest spots. They have a wonderful interactive map with red dots to show those that are in danger. Definately worth poking at to see your country's great spots.
- Vision of Humanity is an index of violence and peace around the world. There's a big ol' map on the main page with colored notations for the level of peace and violence per country. Click on countries to learn more. There is a gap in the statistics though; the Global Peace Index doesn't include violence against women and children (specifically), so you may want to dig into your country on this and research this more specifically to see if this is an issue in your country.
- Observatory of Economic Complexity: Here's a bonus resource a student sent me! The data is pretty dense, but the visualizations are fascinating.
Other Resources
We have other resources and tools that might be helpful. Remember that you have your Chromebooks, so you can use those effectively as part of your display. Feel free to see LC staff if you have any questions.
- If you want to make a video to show case your country, you can use WeVideo to edit. It's a slick little on-line video editor that you can use with your Chromebooks. If you would like to use this, shoot Mr. Dixon an email.
- Printing: Color and poster printing need to be done ahead of time. We are happy to print posters, but it's expensive, so we may charge the costs of paper and toner. You can enlarge and 8.5"x11" to 24"x36"; there's a lot of display options with this. We will print only small amounts of color 8.5"x11"; if we print too much, we get in trouble because color printing is pretty expensive. This is up to the library staff's discretion.
- 3D printing? Got a design? Make your own? Try TinkerCad. Great little design it yourself online program.
- Cricut: Design your own T-shirt, cut out letters, make stickers--you name it, you can do it. We may charge for the iron-on vinyl, but we have plenty of cardstock.
- Sewing Machine. Yes, we have a sewing machine. You'll need your own fabric, but we have the sewing machine and a space to use it.
Things we don't provide....
There are some things we can't help you with on the day of World Fair. There's not enough to go around. It's also important to remember that your last minute emergencies are your last minute emergencies--not Mr. Dixon's. Make sure you plan ahead and bring your own stuff, especially on World Fair day. That's part of this project--planning and preparation and organization. The Library Learning Commons will not proivide:
- Chromebooks/Laptops
- Charging Cables
- Music Playing Devices
- Headphones and Speakers
- Extension Cords & Power Strips
- Duct Tape
- Last minute printing
- Scissors and glue sticks
- Cooking and eating tools