Global Issues Come Home

Global issues can become a frustrating research topic for high school students. It can also be a serious problem for librarians and teachers who want to provide quality content on a wide range of topics without sending students to the Web to locate those unique resources.

If researching global issues has become an important element within your school's curriculum, then it's time to stop spending hours trying to locate appropriate resources for your students. Gale now offers a database that provides a wealth of global issues content for your students, plus a whole lot more.

8–12+

High school subscriptions start at $2,295 based on number of students; middle schools start at $995, also based on enrollment; district pricing is based on average number of students per building as well as the number of high schools and middle schools.

Global Issues in Context is aimed at educating students and teachers about contemporary topics using multiple perspectives, and does so by combining audio, video, images, maps, and text into a single, integrated user experience. Global Issues integrates content from news sources such as NPR, PBS, NBC, UPI, and AP, as well as from over 400 global newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. Gale also commissioned writers from a global team of experts to provide introductions to the various issues, such as global warming, Darfur, the Iraq War, AIDS in Africa, and many more.

According to Jay Flynn, Vice President and Publisher of Social Sciences and K-12 resources at Gale, "the major focus in developing Global Issues in Context was to develop critical thinking and information literacy skills. We believe that 21st-century students and teachers alike will benefit from exposure to different points of view, especially when studying current affairs, science, economics, history, geography, and politics. Moreover, as a board member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Gale recognizes that resources like Global Issues in Context must also be used in the classroom in order to drive improvements in global awareness, media literacy, and key subject areas like history and social studies. Because of this, Gale has involved librarians, teachers, and students directly in the product development process.

Taking a design page from iGoogle's webpage model, Gale's Global Issues in Context has the look and feel of a 2.0 Web portal rather than the conventional database. Unlike previous databases, Global Issues in Context offers users results lists that are collapsible rather than in the tab like design.

Each results page provides not only text content but also multimedia content that includes images, video, and audio resources combined in one access location.

From the home page, users can locate information from one of eight categories including: Business and Economy; Health and Medicine; Conflict and Diplomacy; Science and Technology; Environment and Climate Change; Society and Culture; Government, Politics, and Law; and Women, Children, and the Family. These categories are represented by photo images which correspond to the subject content. Within these topic categories are more than 250 related topics that the user can click into for additional information. Users will find that each of the subjects listed focus on important issues of concern around the world and provide information from a wide range of resources both within and outside of the United States.

Other search topics include current news items, represented by the World News section of the database. Once they have created an online account, users can customize this section by selecting from among 100 different newspapers which will then be displayed on the individual's home page. Alternately, students can create an RSS feed from those sources to stay up-to-date on content as it is added to the database.

To learn more about Global Issues in Context, be sure to check out the instructional PowerPoint available at www.gale.cengage.com/globalissues/more.htm.

Because of the very visual design of this database, users will find several areas of entry. A Search banner at the top of the home page provides a drop-down list of resources, while the Basic Search box allows users to enter terms. Users can also browse the Issues and Topics or the Country Finder by clicking on the appropriate search icon.

Through the Advanced Searching link, users can find additional information or limit search topics by various options including: Document Type, Content Type, Publication Area, Lexile, and more.

From the home page, users can select from one of the eight topic categories and locate additional resources. For example, under the topic of Science and Technology, students will find a wide range of topics including Cyberbullying, Cloning, or Stem Cell Research, all of which provide results that include in-depth resources in various formats, such as an embedded video and related topics in the left column, while the right column offers podcasts, primary sources, contact information for organizations, and Web sites. The center of the page is headed by the first two paragraphs of a lengthy overview with an option to view the full overview. Beneath are six types of articles including Global Perspectives, essays that reach beyond U.S. borders in authorship and point of view; Reference overview articles from the Gale's print library of reference sources; Statistics, with charts, graphs, and statistical tables; and news, magazines, and academic journals which provide deeper content, again with substantial contributions from non-American sources.

Even with several options for information available within each results page, the content is not overwhelming. In fact, the design encourages users to continue searching for additional information, but only as needed.

Using various sources such as Gale's reference materials in print, world wide newspapers and magazines, videos, images, podcasts, primary source materials, and vetted Web sites, users will easily find a wealth of information that they can utilize for research without stepping out into the Web. Information can be printed, saved, emailed, and downloaded. Even the MP3 formats of content available can be saved for later listening.

Other unique tools available include the ability to translate content from English into seven different languages, including Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Portuguese. Students can bookmark their research content, save pages into their Folders for later review, and easily create bibliographic citations using the Citation Tools.

Gale's Global Issues in Context provides users with a unique database that offers a wide range of perspectives on issues rather than information represented merely in a pro and con format, and inquiry can happen safely within one robust location. Through the correlation of database content with state and national standards for both high school and middle school social studies and science, educators can be assured that the content addresses educational goals in each of these areas.

Students will appreciate the interactive database options, including the ability to customize the home page, download MP3 files, and view streaming video content. Students can easily stay within the boundaries of the database to locate both the information required for their research assignment as well as the technical assistance needed for compiling and organizing that information for the classroom.

As the world becomes smaller and global issues become larger, it is important that students, teachers, and librarians discover new ways to learn more about these topics of concern from those outside the United States. Gale's Global Issues in Context provides students and educators with a wide range of worldwide resources that include a variety of content necessary for better understanding the issues affecting our global society. Because of its timely content presented in a distinctively designed package, and because it is intuitive and easy to navigate, Gale's Global Issues in Context receives an