Finding Additional Topics

CBC Library Databases

• CQ Researcher - search, or browse by topic
• Facts.com
  
  • Issues and Controversies in American History: Subject Index
  • World News Digest: Top News Stories by Topic
•  Global Issues in Context

CBC Library Books

• Opposing Viewpoints
• Taking Sides
• Reference Shelf 

Web

• PBS FrontLine
• ProCon.org - presents both sides of controversial issues; nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.
• Hot Paper Topics (Lists relevant websites selected by librarians)

updated 1/23/2016 y.y.

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. At home, log in with your student ID and Pin.)
Oxford Reference Online
ProQuest Elibrary
EBSCOhost Middle Search Plus Magazines, reference books, biographies, primary sources, images.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
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 language dictionaries

A few sample books and journals
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 (ebook)

Astronomy : A Self-Teaching Guide (7th Edition) -  (ebook)
Astronomy (journal through ProQuest)

Local Public Library (Mid-Columbia Library) Resources

Online Database Learning Express: 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, 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: "An online collection of animated,talking picture books which teach young children the joys of reading in a format they'll love."

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


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
http://www.studyguidezone.com/gedtest.htm
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:

• 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. 5/2014

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. 
• You can also browse the LOC/GED books on the Reserve Reference shelf near the reference desk.
• 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) offers test preparation classes and materials. LOC is located in the A building.

Taking the Test at CBC

1. Pay the testing fee at the Cashier's office ($150 as of Oct. 2012)
2. Make an appointment for an orientation at the Assessment Center in the HUB near Admission/Registration. Phone: 509-542-4860
3. Take the orientation and set the testing date
4. Take the test

General Info on the Web

• General information about GED from WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. (Use the menu on the left to jump to different parts.)
• Sample questions from the GED Testing Service

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

• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/
• http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/tips.htm
• http://home.earthlink.net/~ruthpett/safari/index.htm (Online vocabular game)
• http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/topic.html
• http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/instrdg.htm
• http://www.vocabulary.com/
• http://www.study.net/
• http://literacynet.org/cnnsf

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:

• ESL 
• Compass Test Prep 
• Evaluating Sources| UC Berkeley Library "Evaluating Web Pages"
• CBC's Financial Aid page 
• CBC's New Student page

updated by y.y. 4/2014