New primary source collection for U.S. History

photo © 2008 Marion Doss | more info (via: Wylio)
A designated endowment has allowed the UNLV Libraries to purchase a new collection of primary sources on the American West which social studies/ history teachers may enjoy using. Here is a brief description of the contents:
"Primary sources, mainly from 1830-1939, digitized from the Everett D. Graff Collection of Western Americana at the Newberry Library, Chicago. Includes over 300 manuscripts, ranging from the original manuscript journal and papers of James Audubon and a twelve page letter of General Custer to the logbook of a cattle trail driver and the Hinman papers describing the overland trail to California and the Gold Rush; rare or unique ephemeral material including advertisements, claim certificates, cheques, photos, wanted notices and news-sheets; 120 zoomable maps and rare printed works like city directories, pamphlets and leaflets."

Available to UNLV students, faculty and staff only from the "A - Z database list" under "American West"
http://www.library.unlv.edu/search/databases/index.html

The new version of RefWorks is here

Still optional to use either the new or old interface, but it will be mandatory come July to switch over, so start your transition early. Same functionality of the old version, but some improved navigation is provided through layout and enhanced use of icons. As usual, I recommend going through the tutorials to familiarize yourself with the basic functions:
http://www.refworks-cos.com/refworks/tutorials/basic.html
There is also an overview of the new layout available here:
http://www.refworks-cos.com/refworks/rwpreview/RefWorks_New_UI_demo.htm

Once you've gone through these, I guarantee you'll be up and running!

Nation's Report Card: Civics 2010

"This report presents results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2010 civics assessment. National results for representative samples of students at grades 4, 8, and 12 are reported as average scale scores and as a percentage of students performing at or above three achievement levels: Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Scores are also reported at selected percentiles, showing changes in the performance of lower-, middle-, and higher-performing students. Results for student demographic groups defined by various background characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, and students’ eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch) are included, as well as sample assessment questions with examples of student responses. Results from the 2010 assessment are compared to those from two previous assessments in 1998 and 2006."
Full report is linked here: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2011466