Topic of the Week Version 1.0: March 2010

Saturday, March 20, 2010

U.S. Voters & Political Movements

Katel, Peter. "Tea Party Movement." CQ Researcher. March 19, 2010. The Tea Party movement seemed to come out of nowhere. Suddenly, citizens angry over the multi-billion-dollar economic stimulus and the Obama administration's health-care plan were leading rallies, confronting lawmakers and holding forth on radio and TV. Closely tied to the Republican Party — though also critical of the GOP — the movement proved essential to the surprise victory of Republican Sen. Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Tea partiers say Brown's election proves the movement runs strong outside of “red states.” But some political experts voice skepticism, arguing that the Tea Party's fiscal hawkishness won't appeal to most Democrats and many independents. Meanwhile, some dissension has appeared among tea partiers, with many preferring to sidestep social issues, such as immigration, and others emphasizing them. Still, the movement exerts strong appeal for citizens fearful of growing government debt and distrustful of the administration.
From the CQ Researcher. Reprinted with permission from CQ Press.

Greenblatt, Alan. "Changing U.S. Electorate: Are demographic trends reshaping U.S. politics?." CQ Researcher 30 May 2008.

More Articles:

ProQuest

(SU(DEMOGRAPHICS) OR SU(SOCIOLOGY, DEMOGRAPHY)) AND SU(VOTER BEHAVIOR)

TITLE(tea party) AND AT(cover story or feature or editorial or commentary) - 250+ articles

EBSCOhost

SU (political movements or political participation or political change or political activists) and GE united states - 3200+ full text articles

AND Tea Party - 28 full text articles

(SU (demonstrations or protest) AND GE (united states)) - 2000+ full text articles

demograph* and SU ( vot* or election* or political part*) and GE (United States) - 200+ full text articles

Books:

CBC Library catalog - search for kw, phr=party affiliation or kw=voting and kw,phr=united states

Ebrary - Search (protest* OR demonstrations OR radicalism OR extremis*) AND united states

Reference

Woliver, Laura R. "Political Protest, U.S." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Ed. Maryanne Cline Horowitz. Vol. 5. Detroit: Scribner's, 2005. 1835-1838. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Haines, Michael R. "Demography and Demographic Trends." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Scribner's, 2003. 554-562. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

12/27/2010

Friday, March 12, 2010

GED Resources

Short URL of this page: http://bit.ly/cbcged

Handout: Top 10 Things GED Students Should Know About the Library

Books

Search the CBC Library Catalog with the keyword “GED” to find relevant books. View results.
Browse CBC Library reference books on statistics. Browse shelf around call number HA202.
You can also browse the LOC/GED books on the Reserve Reference shelf near the reference desk. (Consumer Reports, which we subscribe in print, is also a good source for statistics.)
GED books from the Mid-Columbia Library (38 items as of 5/2011)

Online Library Reference Databases
(You don't need a password to use these on CBC campus, but you can login from home with the quarterly library password)
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
Oxford Reference Online
Encyclopedia Britannica Online
Daily Life Online Essays about the domestic, economic, religious, and other aspects of people's daily lives, ancient to modern.
CultureGrams Concise, readable information about countries and cultures.

Online Test Prep
1. Free online practice tests from Mid-Columbia Library

Go to their Electronic Resources page;
Scroll down to the end of the page and click on Learning Express Library;
Click on "New User" to register for free;
The Username should be your 14-digit mid-columbia library ID card number;
Make up a Password for yourself;
Once logged in, click on GED tests to practice

2. Free online practice tests from Steck-Vaughn Adult Education. It has practice tests with immediate feedback.
3. GED Practice Tests from TestPrepReview.com (Scroll down until you see the list of "Self-Assessment Modules".)

Classes

CBC Adult Basic Education/GED Program
CBC Learning Opportunities Center (LOC) CBC Learning Opportunities Center (LOC) offers test preparation classes and materials. LOC is located in the A building.

General Info on the Web

Official GED tests website from American Council on Education (ACE) with Test-Taker information, Test-Taker FAQs, and sample questions.
General information about GED from WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. (Use the menu on the left to jump to different parts.)

More GED Online Resources
(Based on list provided by the CBC ABE/GED department from the orientation packet, links updated Feb. 2010)

http://vcabe.unm.edu/html/vc_abe_resources.htm
Links to a wide variety of sites for all GED subjects.
http://www.nwlincs.org/NWLINCSWEB/student.htm
Student Study Page – an excellent site with 45 different activities and tutorials. Includes daily lessons in many subject categories, computer tutorials, a student help page, and links to many of the best educational sites.
http://www.petersons.com/testprep/default.asp?id=1077&path=ug.pft.ged Peterson’s Prep Central: GED– Only the links "Get going ..." in the light orange square are free. The "Test Info, Dates, and Deadlines" includes the number of questions and time allotment on each subject that the GED covers. You can also take a free "quick quiz".
http://www.math.com/ This is a very good website ~ it contains math lessons and practice tests on a wide range of math topics, from fractions to calculus.
http://www.glencoe.com/catalog/contemporary/freeged.html GED Satellites Internet-based Supplemental Study Center. These McGraw Hill websites review everything covered in the Contemporary GED subject books we have in the classroom. You can choose a chapter from the table of contents, and you’ll also find Chapter Review Quizzes, Chapter Outlines, Interactive Flashcards, Web Links, GED practice tests, and more. Direct links to the five specific subjects are listed below.
http://www.gedmath.com/
http://www.gedreading.com/
http://www.gedwriting.com/
http://www.gedscience.com/
http://www.gedsocialstudies.com/

English, Sentence Skills, Reading

Mathematics

http://www.math.com/
http://mathwizz.com/
http://www.freeuniv.com/
http://www.algebrahelp.com/
http://www.mathgoodies.com/
http://mathpower.com/
http://www.funbrain.com/fract/
http://www.mymathtest.com/
http://www.homeschoolmath.net/
http://pbs.org/literacy
http://www.mathvids.com/ (Math Videos online. Note: This is a link added by librarian.)
http://www.khanacademy.org/ (Math Videos online. Note: This is a site recommended by a CBC GED student.)

Other Useful webpages:

updated by y.y. 5/15/2012

Detainees in the War on Terror

Jost, Kenneth. "Prosecuting Terrorists: Should suspected terrorists be given military or civil trials?" CQ Researcher March 12, 2010.
President Obama is under fierce political attack for the administration's decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called Christmas Day bomber, in civilian courts instead of military tribunals. Republican lawmakers argue the defendants in both cases should be treated as “enemy combatants” and tried in the military commissions established during the Bush administration. Administration officials and Democratic lawmakers say criminal prosecutions are more effective, having produced hundreds of convictions since 9/11 compared to only three in the military system. And they insist that Abdulmutallab is providing useful information under interrogation by FBI agents. But the administration is reconsidering Attorney General Eric Holder's original decision to hold Mohammed's trial in New York City and considering making greater use of military commissions with other terrorism cases.
From the CQ Researcher. Reprinted with permission from CQ Press.

More Articles

FACTS.com - Treatment of Detainees in the 'War on Terror' Research Topic - links to numerous articles.

CQ Researcher

Jost, Kenneth. "Closing Guantánamo: Can Obama close the detention camp within one year?." CQ Researcher February 27, 2009.

Stern, Seth. "Torture Debate: Is the U.S. war on terror legitimizing torture?." CQ Global Researcher September 2007.

Katel, Peter and Kenneth Jost. "Treatment of Detainees." CQ Researcher August 25, 2006.

ProQuest

Subject (terrorism and trials)

(interrogation and memo*) AND (cia or c.i.a. or office of legal counsel or justice department)

Prisoner Treatment AND Guantanamo (350+ full text articles)

Uighur* AND Guantanamo - Chinese Turkic Muslim minority detainees cleared of being 'enemy combatants' (25+ full text articles)

EBSCOhost

SU (terror* and trial*) - 230+ full text articles

(detainee* or prison*) and (interrogat* or torture) and (CIA or Central Intelligence Agency)

SU terroris* and SU ( detention or prisoners ) (375+ full text articles)

( detainee* or guantánamo ) and supreme court (300+ full text articles)

Books

Ball, Howard. Bush, the detainees, and the Constitution : the battle over presidential power in the War on Terror. University Press of Kansas, 2007. Main Collection KF5060 .B35 2007

Brecher, Robert. Torture and the Ticking Bomb. Oxford : Blackwell Pub., 2007. Main Collection HV8593 .B74 2007

Cassel, Elaine. War on Civil Liberties : How Bush and Ashcroft Have Dismantled the Bill of Rights. In Ebrary. Chicago Review Press, 2007.

Yoo, John. War by Other Means: An Insider's Account of the War on Terror. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006. Main Collection HV6432 .Y66 2006

Web

Torture Archive. Natl. Security Archive, George Washington University, 25 Aug. 2009. "...primary source documents...related to the detention and interrogation of individuals by the United States."

United States. Senate. Select Committee on Intelligence. Declassified Narrative on DOJ Office of Legal Counsel's Opinions on the CIA Detention and Interrogation Program 22 Apr. 2009

United States. Senate. Committee on Armed Services. Inquiry Into the Treatment Of Detainees In U.S. Custody, November 20, 2008. 22 Apr. 2009

Shapiro, Ari. "CIA Officials Won't Face Charges For Waterboarding." Morning Edition. Natl. Public Radio. 17 Apr. 2009. Includes "four Bush-era legal memos describing 'enhanced interrogation techniques' CIA interrogators were allowed to use on some terrorism detainees" released by the U. S. Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC).

United States. White House. Statement of President Barack Obama on Release of OLC Memos. 16 Apr. 2009.

United States. White House. Background: President Obama signs Executive Orders on Detention and Interrogation Policy. 22 Jan. 2009.

Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities.

Review of Detention Policy Options.

Ensuring Lawful Interrogations.

Review of the Detention of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

ESL Resources

Short URL of this page: http://bit.ly/cbcesl

Handout: Top 10 Things ESL Students Should Know About the Library

Online Library Reference Databases
(You don't need a password to use these on CBC campus, but you can login from home with the quarterly library password posted in Angel "Library Research" open course.)
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
Oxford Reference Online
Encyclopedia Britannica Online
Daily Life Online Essays about the domestic, economic, religious, and other aspects of people's daily lives, ancient to modern.
CultureGrams Concise, readable information about countries and cultures.
MAS Ultra - School Edition

Books
List of CBC Library books on ESL (mostly for ESL instructors)
List of CBC Library language dictionaries

A few sample books
Author: Blamires, Harry.Title: The Cassell guide to common errors in English /Publisher: London : Cassell, c1997.Call Number: PE1460 .B64 1997Location: Reference

Civics and citizenship toolkit: a collection of educational resources for immigrants / Publisher: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Institute of Museum and Library Services, U.S. Govt. Printing Office, 2007. Information about the toolkit.

Practice Makes Perfect : English Grammar for ESL Learners/by Swick 2005
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/cbcpasco/docDetail.action?docID=10155012&p00=practice%20makes%20perfect

Local Public Library (Mid-Columbia Library) Resources

Online Database

Learning Express

Go to their Electronic Resources page;
Scroll down to the end of the page and click on Learning Express Library;
Click on "New User" to register for free;
The Username should be your 14-digit mid-columbia library ID card number
Make up a Password for yourself;
Once logged in, to practice TOEFL: search "toefl" and you will find TOEFL iBT Reading, Speaking, Listening, Writing Practices and lessons
Or click on "US Citizenship" tab and you can practice the 100 civics, history, and government sample questions for the citizenship test. (The USCIS government website also has Study Materials for the English Test and Study Materials for the Civics Test.)

Tumblebooks:

Free Websites

Free Online Learning at Goodwill Community Foundation (‘hundreds of free online lessons on Computers, Reading, & Math)

Agenda Web (‘hundreds of free English exercises’)

Typing Web (‘free online typing tutor’)

Free Rice (‘vocabulary builder that helps to fight world hunger’)
Spelling City
OWL resources for ESL from the Purdue Online Writing Lab for second language writing.

Vocabulary Builder from Vocabulix, a commercial company (you can hear the pronunciations)
Activities for ESL students by The Internet TESL Journal

Learn English lessons from U.S.A Learns (for beginning and intermediate learners, you can hear the lessons with videos)

ESL Video Lessons from Real English (you can hear the lessons with videos)

Learner.org Interactives: Spelling Bee

Learner.org Storytelling: Cinderella

List of Resources for ESL students designed by Ampheon, a commercial web development company .
Dave’s ESL Café resources for students
Starfalls Learn to read website.
English Health Train: English language skills for health care

More Links:
www.manythings.org
www.eslpod.com
www.learn-english-online.org
www.welcometousa.gov
www.lingual.net
www.studyguidezone.com/ged
www.usalearns.org
www.newsforyouonline.com
www.conquiztador.com *
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com
http://www.typingtest.com/
www.freetypinggame.net
http://www.learn2type.com/TypingTest

Other Useful webpages:

GED
Compass Test Prep
Evaluating Sources| UC Berkeley Library "Evaluating Web Pages"
CBC's Financial Aid page
CBC's New Student page
Occupational Outlook Handbook - Narrative descriptions about occupations, particularly about training and advancement; by United States Dept. of Labor
- Sample occupation profile in Spanish using the free Google Translate service.
Occupation Explorer by Washington State Employment Security Department
Occupation Profile search by CareerOneStop, Sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Labor
go2web20.net: hundreds of “Web 2.0 Tools and Applications” for your computer

ESL Goals and Orientation

updated y.y. 5/15/2012

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Youth Violence & Juvenile Justice

Billitteri, Thomas J. "Youth Violence: Are “get tough” policies the best approach?" CQ Researcher 5 March 2010. Several recent violent crimes by youths, including the vicious beating death of a Chicago honor student by a mob of teenagers, have sparked a new look at urban youth violence. Despite a steep overall drop in youth crime in recent years, researchers say many urban areas continue to be plagued by homicide and other violence involving young offenders. Some experts say tougher sentencing laws and a greater focus on parental responsibility are the best ways to fight the violence, while others argue for more federal money for social programs and anti-violence efforts. In some cities, collaborative approaches involving police, educators, community leaders and neighborhood groups are aimed at pressing youths to forsake violence while offering them a path toward redemption. Meanwhile, two competing proposals are being considered on Capitol Hill, and major foundations are funding programs to help youths in trouble.
From the CQ Researcher. Reprinted with permission from CQ Press.

Katel, Peter. "Juvenile Justice: Are sentencing policies too harsh?" CQ Researcher 7 Nov. 2008.

Other Articles

EBSCOhost:
Subject(youth & violence) - over 560 full-text articles

juvenile* and (justice* or delinquen*) and United States - over 1250 full text articles

juvenile* and (correction* or detention or rehabilitation) and United States - over 300 full text articles

ProQuest:
Location (united states) AND Subject(youth) AND Subject (violence) - over 200 full text articles

SU((juvenile*) and (justice or delinquen*) ) AND GEO(united states) - over 550 full text articles

Reference

Gale Virtual Reference Library: Entries related to Juvenile Justice from several scholarly encyclopedias covering law, crime and justice issues

ABC-CLIO eBook Collection: McShane, Marilyn D. and Frank P. Williams. Youth Violence and Delinquency: Monsters and Myths, Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2007.