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ENGLISH

9th Grade English

Of Mice and Men

To complete assignments while reading this book, students need an understanding of life in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Sources in the library include:

• American Decades and the American Multimedia
• Archive history databases.
• The Scribner's Writers Series database of literary biography and criticism.
• Books on the history of the Great Depression.

Recommended Web Sites:

• 1929 Stock Market Crash
• Drought in the Dust Bowl Years
• Of Mice and Men Mini Research Project

10th Grade English

Night, by Eli Wiesel

In order to understand this book, it is necessary for students to have some background on terminology related to Judaism and the World War II Holocaust. The following web pages have useful information for completing Ms. Danielson's assignment:

• The Jewish Virtual Library has a navigational button for a Glossary that can define most terms in the assignment
• The Judaism 101 web site contains other material related to Jewish holidays and religious practices

Web Search Tip: When looking for terms in another language, such as German, you will not find them in www.dictionary.com, and a search for the terms might bring up German language web sites of dubious utility. Instead look for the term along with the name of the novel and the author's last name. That will turn up sites that discuss the terms in the context of the book you are reading.

11th Grade English

Catcher in the Rye

Ms. Sajjadieh's assignment requires you to do research on topics such as clinical depression or on the reasons why this book was banned for many years. The following resources can be of assistance in completing this assignment:

Books in the Cybrary:

• R 363.3 Karolides, Nicholas J. (1998) Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds. New York: Facts on File, Inc.
• R 363.3 Sova, Dawn B. (1998) Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds. New York: Facts on File, Inc.

Plus various books on the subject of depression particularly related to teenagers.

12th Grade English

The Joy Luck Club

In an effort to better understand this book, Ms. Connley has students do research on Chinese culture and the practice of Feng Shui.

Books in the Cybrary:

• 133.3 C Chin, R.D. (1998) Feng Shui Revealed: An Aesthetic Practical Approach to the Ancient Art of Space Alignment. New York: C. Potter.
• 133.3 K Kennedy, Daniel David (2001) Feng Shui for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide.

Recommended Web Sites:

• Feng Shui Ultimate Resource
• Chinese Internet Resources

HISTORY

10th Grade World History

Elements of Democracy Project

Success in this research project depends on identifying whether or not a country shows signs of being democratic or not. The separation of government powers, the existence of a constitution, individual liberties, the right to vote, government officials that are elected by the people, the presence of a free and impartial judiciary, and good treatment of prisoners are some of the indicators of a democratic government. The following are some sources that are helpful in completing this assignment:

Books in the Cybrary:

• R 912 The Dorling Kindersley World Reference Atlas. (1996) New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc. A few pages of maps, charts, statistics and other data about a large number of countries.
• R 324.2 Banks, Arthur S. and Thomas C. Muller, ed. (1998) Political Handbook of the World: 1998. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications. A good source for detailed information about political parties, branches of government, and an overview of each country's political history.

Recommended Web Sites:

• The CIA World Fact Book
• The U.S. Department of State

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