Maggie Knapp

As DVD players disappear from classrooms and homes, viewing opportunities for educational videos become more challenging when considering individual interests and reading time. Stepping in to fill the gap is VidieGoGo, a booklike device with an embedded screen.

This database draws on primarily PBS-produced content and provides approximately 180 resources, primarily video clips, to educate students about their civic rights and duties, how the U.S. government works, misinformation and misuse of powers, and more.

Whether to deliver information in an enjoyable format, provide analysis of historical events, or dispense an innovative look at the future, multimedia continues to grow as a meaningful component of curriculum.

Well-chosen videos contribute a hard-to-ignore spark to educational lessons and add novelty and visual stimulation that young learners crave. No matter the topic, these videos are sure to engage classrooms and stimulate discussion with elementary, middle grade, and high school students.

Students emerge from a session in this database with a targeted list of colleges and scholarship ­application info or a smart-looking resume, interview tips, and job leads.

With offerings from Weston Woods and productions about conservation and immigration, these works both entertain and break down complex topics for educators and students.

Rosen’s Teen Health and Wellness database provides fact-based, nonjudgmental information. The wealth of health care information will support teens for school assignments or adolescent curiosity. 

From adaptations of award-winning picture books to meaty videos about gender expression and social activism, these DVDs offer viewers a range of subjects and topics that will pique their interest and would be useful in library collections.