The criteria for developing the bibliography for websites was created utilizing the Washington

County Public Schools Digital Learning Plan. When the 1:1 initiative was launched in
Washington County, the Central Office developed criteria for the selection of vetted applications.
Since the applications and websites are both digital resources, I utilized the components to
develop my criteria. In addition, I recognized the need for short and simple criteria because
author Megan Harper states that “one of the greatest challenges for librarians is to become
familiar with and understand the scope of the government information resources that are
available to them” (221). Simple criteria help librarians evaluate government resources in a fast
and efficient manner. The criteria also help librarians become familiar with the complexity and
variety of resources the websites offer to visitors.

The AASL Standard 3.1 was significant to the criteria because the websites must help support a
variety of information needs. AASL Standard 5.1 is also essential because skilled librarians need
to have a “quality collection designed to meet the diverse curricular, personal, and professional
needs of students, teachers, and administrators.” By developing solid criteria, I am confident that
I will be able to provide my students and staff useful information to meet a wide variety of
reference needs. Quality websites will also ensure that the RUSA guidelines are met.

Sources:

Harper, Meghan. Reference Sources and Services for Youth. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman,

2011.

“Standards for the 21st Century Learner.” American Association of School Librarians, 2007.

Wilcox, Clayton M. Washington County Public Schools Digital Learning Plan. 1 Dec. 2015.

Web. 1 Apr. 2017.

NPS.gov Homepage. National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior,

www.nps.gov/index.htm. Accessed 01 Apr. 2017.

Source Title National Park Service

Source URL https://www.nps.gov/index.htm
Creator National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Publisher
Grade Kindergarten to Adult
Levels
Curriculum Geography, U.S. History, Nature
Connections
& Student
Interests
Annotation Visitors to the National Park Service website will experience various historical
Summary, landmarks and parks from across the United States. The National Park Service
Evaluations, website is organized and appealing to students with a variety of learning
Special modalities featuring vivid photographs and videos. There is a separate section
Features, designed for teachers including lesson plans aligned to the Common Core
Strengths standards. Teachers also have the option to borrow materials from various
and national parks to help supplement instruction. While there were many maps and
Weaknesses photos on the site, I believe some panoramic or 360 viewing experiences would
enhance student engagement and learning.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 1 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 1 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 1 point
(1 point for Total: 5 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government. Government Publishing Office, bensguide.gpo.gov/.

Accessed 01 Apr. 2017.

Source Title Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government

Source URL https://bensguide.gpo.gov/
Creator Government Publishing Office
Publisher
Grade Kindergarten to Grade 12
Levels
Curriculum Biography of Ben Franklin, U.S. History, U.S. Government, Elections,
Connections Legislation, National Symbols
& Student
Interests
Annotation Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government is a website designed to help supplement
Summary, student learning of the U.S. Government. The site has an appearance appealing
Evaluations, to children and features various tiers of difficulty to help personalize learning.
Special Students complete various learning adventures, games, and are able to access a
Features, glossary to define unfamiliar words. In addition, the American Library
Strengths Association named the site, “A Great Website for Kids.” Ben’s Guide did not
and offer audio tools to help emerging readers in the 4-8 age range. In 2013, The
Weaknesses AASL and the website have established a partnership to develop lesson plans
however, there were no plans available at this time. While the site features
content for middle and high school, some students may not appreciate the
primary interface and layout.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 0 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 0 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 1 point
(1 point for Total: 3 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
Smithsonian Home. Smithsonian Institution, www.si.edu/. Accessed 01 Apr. 2017.

Source Title The Smithsonian

Source URL https://www.si.edu/
Creator The Smithsonian Institution
Publisher
Grade Kindergarten to Adult
Levels
Curriculum Geography, U.S. History, Art, STEM, Science, 3D Printing, Music
Connections
& Student
Interests
Annotation The Smithsonian website features links to 19 different museums. There is a link
Summary, entitled “Learn & Explore” which contains resources for educators and “for
Evaluations, kids.” The wide variety of materials and topics align across the subject areas
Special and grade levels. Users have an option to use a search tool to easily access links
Features, and information. Students with an interest in design and 3D printing have the
Strengths option to view selected artifacts in 3D. The vast amount of resources might be
and difficult for younger students to navigate. There are links which require flash
Weaknesses player limiting the use of the site on multiple platforms.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 1 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 1 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 0 point
(1 point for Total: 4 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
NASA. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, www.nasa.gov/. Accessed 02. Apr.

2017.
Source Title NASA
Source URL https://www.nasa.gov/
Creator National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Publisher
Grade Kindergarten to Grade 12
Levels
Curriculum Earth Science, History, Life Science, Space Science, Math, Technology
Connections
& Student
Interests
Annotation The NASA website features events and a link to NASA TV. There is a section
Summary, for educators and for students. The NASA student page connects to NASA
Evaluations, Apps, Blogs, e-Books, a YouTube Channel and Facebook. A special section
Special was designed with activities to support a “Women’s History in STEM Event.”
Features, There are links to interactive games and activities designed for primary
Strengths students. The lesson plan page for educators’ feature plans mostly for
and secondary students with a few plans for primary students. While most of the
Weaknesses NASA links were current, there were a few that did not link to a live webpage.
The games for students do not work on tablets or mobile phone devices.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 1 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 0 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 0 point
(1 point for Total: 3 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
United States Census Bureau. United States Department of Commerce,

www.census.gov/en.html. Accessed 02. Apr. 2017.

Source Title United States Census Bureau
Source URL https://www.census.gov/en.html
Creator United States Census Bureau
Publisher
Grade Kindergarten to Grade 12
Levels
Curriculum Math, Data, Statistics, Geography
Connections
& Student
Interests
Annotation The United States Census Bureau homepage features the U.S. and World
Summary, Population Clock and “latest news” regarding statistics. The “Statistics in
Evaluations, Schools” section contains math activities, state information, and a “featured
Special history activity.” Activities are available in student and teacher versions. Levels
Features, of Bloom’s Taxonomy are listed and aligned with the activities. When
Strengths accessing materials from the site, the processing time was slow and there were
and some inactive links. During access of statistics, the inactive links displayed
Weaknesses frequent error messages. While the site does not feature flash player, the Census
Bureau did not have tools or activities that would actively engage students.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 0 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 0 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 0 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 1 point
(1 point for Total: 2 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
GPS: The Global Positioning System. National Coordination Office for Space-Based

Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, www.gps.gov. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

Source Title GPS: The Global Positioning System

Source URL http://www.gps.gov/
Creator National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and
Publisher Timing
Grade Kindergarten to Grade 12
Levels
Curriculum Geography, Map Skills, Cardinal Directions, Navigation, Geocaching, Marine
Connections Navigation, Careers using GPS
& Student
Interests
Annotation The GPS.gov websites defines GPS and answers questions about using GPS.
Summary, GPS Educational Resources contain links to a variety of fields and how GPS is
Evaluations, used in various careers. Lesson plans are available to elementary and secondary
Special teachers with printable materials. A free poster explaining GPS is provided to
Features, teachers in print and downloadable formats. GPS.gov relates the content of the
Strengths site to materials from the Smithsonian. The related resources are various forms
and of multimedia. The bottom of the page indicates when the site was updated. A
Weaknesses weakness for the site is the font selection deters from the overall presentation
and visual appeal.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 0 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 1 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 1 point
(1 point for Total: 4 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
Ready: Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed. The Department of Homeland Security.

www.ready.gov/kids. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

Source Title Ready: Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.

Source URL https://www.ready.gov/kids
Creator The Department of Homeland Security
Publisher
Grade Grades 1-12
Levels
Curriculum Health, Safety, Preparation, Natural Disasters, Human Resources,
Connections Environmental Factors
& Student
Interests
Annotation Ready.gov is designed to prepare students, parents, and educators for natural
Summary, disasters and emergency situations. Cartoon characters appear on the website,
Evaluations, in various games, and in the printable resources. The site features downloadable
Special lesson plans with curriculum connections and 21st Century Learning Skills to
Features, help supplement learning. A variety of natural disaster and emergency
Strengths situations are listed and include planning tips, steps to making emergency kits,
and and factual information. “Disaster Master” is a game for students but does not
Weaknesses support emerging readers due to the lack of audio. The cartoon characters that
are featured at all levels appeal to elementary students and might be perceived
as juvenile by secondary students. The lesson plans were written in 2014 and
feature numerous websites and connections from other government websites.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 0 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 0 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 1 point
(1 point for Total: 3 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
“Resources for Teachers and Educators.” Federal Financial Literacy and Education

Commission, www.mymoney.gov/Pages/for-teachers.aspx. Accessed 1 Apr. 2017.

Source Title National Park Service
Source URL http://www.mymoney.gov/Pages/for-teachers.aspx
Creator Federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission
Publisher
Grade Kindergarten to Grade 12
Levels
Curriculum Financial Literacy, Saving, Spending, Credit, Economics
Connections
& Student
Interests
Annotation The Resources for Teachers page of MyMoney.gov lists links to classroom
Summary, lesson plans and resources. The page did not have many visual features and
Evaluations, contained mostly text and hyperlinks. Many of the hyperlinks were not
Special functional and the high school challenges were unavailable. A few of the links
Features, at MyMoney.gov are not secure and feature the message “This type of file can
Strengths harm your computer.” MyMoney.gov also contains a youth page and interactive
and game. The game appeals to the elementary audience however, the instructions
Weaknesses are limited. Secondary students would not benefit from the youth game due to
the interface.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 0 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 0 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 0 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 0 point
(1 point for Total: 1 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
Stopbullying.gov. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.stopbullying.gov/.

Accessed 1 Apr. 2017.

Source Title stopbullying.gov
Source URL https://www.stopbullying.gov/
Creator U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Publisher
Grade Grades 3-12
Levels
Curriculum Health, Character development, Cyber safety, Digital citizenship
Connections
& Student
Interests
Annotation Stopbullying.gov is a website designed for an audience of elementary students,
Summary, middle school students, teenagers, parents, and educators. The site defines
Evaluations, bullying, lists risk factors, explains cyberbullying, provides ways to prevent
Special bullying, and explains actions steps if individuals are bullied. The interface is
Features, user friendly with various links to videos, games, facts, and other resources.
Strengths Visitors to the site are able to easily navigate between topics and the
and information is active and up to date. There is a map of the United States which
Weaknesses allows users to click on their state and read about how the law addresses
bullying. Students who primarily speak Spanish can select the Spanish tab to
find resources in their native language. The stopbullying.gov site allows users
to stay connected by various forms of social media.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 1 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 1 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 1 point
(1 point for Total: 5 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,

http://www.ushmm.org/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

Source Title United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Source URL https://www.ushmm.org/
Creator United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Publisher
Grade Grades 9-12
Levels
Curriculum History, Human rights, Wars, Historical Timelines, World War II
Connections
& Student
Interests
Annotation The site is provided with information about the Holocaust museum and how to
Summary, plan a visit. There is a link for students which features various sources and
Evaluations, films to provide information about genocide and victims. Teachers are able to
Special access lesson plans and have options to enroll in professional development
Features, opportunities. The primary resources available on the website help enhance
Strengths student learning. One weakness of the site isn’t related to the organization or
and presentation, but young and sensitive students might find the content graphic
Weaknesses and disturbing. Teachers should use caution and utilize the teaching tips to help
instruct the content in a meaningful and sensitive manner. While the site
recommends the content for middle school students, most of the information is
developmentally appropriate for student in high school and college.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 1 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 1 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 1 point
(1 point for Total: 5 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use
The World Factbook. The Central Intelligence Agency, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-

world-factbook/geos/aq.html. Accessed 1 Apr. 2017.

Source Title The World Factbook

Source URL https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/aq.html
Creator The Central Intelligence Agency
Publisher
Grade Grades 4-12
Levels
Curriculum Geography, Transportation, Economics, Nations, Countries, Government, Flags
Connections
& Student
Interests
Annotation The World Factbook provides information about nations around the world.
Summary, There is also information about oceans and time zones and flags representing
Evaluations, different countries. The site is text heavy and does not feature many pictures or
Special visuals to support student learning. The print size is small and would need to be
Features, enlarged in the web browser to support students with visual impairments. The
Strengths interface is not engaging for elementary students. Secondary students might
and benefit and utilize the variety of data and statistics provided. The Factbook did
Weaknesses not provide any materials for teachers or reference the curriculum standards.

Does the website support the WCPS Essential Curriculum? 1 point

Rating Does the website provide organized and accurate information? 1 point
Scale Does the website appeal to various learning modalities? 0 point
for Does the website provide links that are current? 1 point
Websites Does the website have the ability to perform on multiple platforms? 1 point
(1 point for Total: 4 points
each of the 5 points – An excellent resource for student use
met criteria) 4 points – A great resource for student use
3 points – A good resource for student use
2 points – A fair resource for student use
1 point – Not recommended for student use