College & Career Links

Careers (General)

•  CA Career Zone (Search for specific careers in the box on the upper right.)
•  US Department of Labor - Occupational Outlook Handbook (You can search for occupations in the tiny box on the left-hand side that says "Search OOH.")

Cal State & UC Universities

Cal State Universities
CSU Eligibility Index
Overview of Admissions Requirements
CSU campuses with higher standards
Financial Aid
CSUN (Cal State Northridge) List of majors   (For other schools, try Googling "[school name] list of majors," for example "UC Riverside list of majors," or go to the school website and search under "Academics" or "Departments.")
List of Cal State Schools
Info for CSUN students who want to go to medical school  (i.e., become doctors!)

UC Schools (University of California)  UCLA, UC Davis, UCSB, UC Berkeley, etc.
MINIMUM Admission Requirements
A-G Requirements
Average GPAs & SAT scores
Financial Aid
UCLA: List of majors & minors (For other schools, try Googling "[school name] list of majors," for example "UC Riverside list of majors," or go to the school website and search under "Academics" or "Departments.")
List of UC Schools

Pierce College
Admissions Requirements
Departments & Programs


Colleges (General)

• Collegeboard.com -- Explore majors
•  College Navigator
• Database for searching by school OR by specific majors (courses of study).
• SparkNotes - College Exploration
• Mycollegeoptions.org
• Try an advanced search to find colleges that suit your needs.
• Counselor-o-Matic (from Princeton Review)
• You can answer questions in different categories (Academics, High School Life, You & Your Family, Majors & Degrees, Location & Size, Student Body, Cost & Aid, Activities) to get a list of colleges that fit you.

What are the a-g requirements??

a. History/social science	2 courses
b. English	4 courses
c. Mathematics	3 courses, including elementary algebra, geometry and intermediate algebra
d. Laboratory science	2 courses from two disciplines
e. Language other than English	2 courses
f. Visual and performing arts	1 course
g. College-preparatory elective courses, to be chosen from the fields above or another course approved by UC	1 course

____

Noticias

Estos son los sitios que los estudiantes pueden visitar para el proyecto de noticias del periódico:


De muchos países:
http://www.lapl.org/espanol/noticias.html

España;
http://www.thepaperboy.con/
http://www.abc.es/
http://www.elpais.es/
http://www.elmundo.es/
http://www.larazon.es/
http://www.rtv.com/

México
http://www.reforma.com/
http://www.el-universal.com.mx/

US:
La Opinion

Para cualquier otro país pueden visitar las páginas de Google o Yahoo.

Yahoo en español, México, cuba, honduras, chile etc.

Google en español, México, Guatemala, el salvador, etc.

Photojournalism Project (Harte)

Goals:

From Christian Columbres Photography

• Discuss the difference between "feature article" and "hard news article"
• Investigate your topic through newspaper articles, books, & websites.
• Practice finding information from experts, instead of from anonymous people!
• Answer the questions you listed under "What I want to know."
• Learn something interesting about your topic!
• Write down at least 3 facts, statistics, or quotes (from experts) that you think would make your newspaper article better. The quotes should come from:
• newspaper or magazine articles
• respected organizations (E.g., Center for Disease Control, NAACP, American Heart Organization, Environmental Protection Agency, etc.)
• professional journal article
• NOT from a blog, Wikipedia, or other anonymous source!

Googling like a Rock Star:

• Google Advanced Search
• Try searching in certain domains, such as .edu & .gov.
• Try including words you DON'T want included in your search.
• Google News
• Search news sources (print and online)
• Google Scholar (& Google Advanced Scholar!)
• Look for the pdf or html link on the left for documents that are available for free on the web.

BCCHS Library:

• Click here to search for BOOKS in the BCCHS library.
• Free Database Trial: EBSCO: http://search.ebscohost.com/
• User ID: bcharter
• Password: trial

Los Angeles Public Library:

• Click here to search for BOOKS in the Los Angeles Public Library.
• If you have an LA Public Library card, you can click here, and then try these one of their databases, such as:
• Opposing Viewpoints in Context (Gale) - articles and essays about controversial issues
• ProQuest Newstand - Full text of over 300 U.S. and International news sources, including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Times
• World Book Encyclopedia
• Go to a public library near you.  Make sure to ask a librarian for help!

Statistics Online:
Health & Science:

• County of LA Dept. of Public Health
• Center for Disease Control & Prevention: Fast Stats - The FastStats site provides quick access to statistics on topics of public health importance and is organized alphabetically. Links are provided to publications that include the statistics presented, to sources of more data, and to related web pages.
• Facts on American Teens' Sexual and Reproductive Health (Guttmacher Institute)
• Science.gov

Environment:

• US Environmental Protection Agency - You can find general info. about environmental issues, as well as specific information about your area.

Internet Usage:

• Pew Internet and American Life Project

Education:

• CA Dropout Research Project 
• CSUN - List of Resources (Educational Statistics)

Animal Rights/Abuse:

• SPCA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Misc:

• 2010 CSUN San Fernando Valley Economic Report
• CSUN - List of Resources (San Fernando Valley Statistics and Facts)
• US Census - Los Angeles
• CSUN - San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center
• USA.gov
• http://www.fedstats.gov/
• US Dept. Of Labor -- Consumer Expenditure Survey

Tips on Writing Feature Articles:
Bucks Community College - Hard News vs. Feature
US Air Force Public Affairs Center of Excellence Writing tips

Ways to start your feature article, from johnwatsonsite.com:

Narrative
The narrative lead tells a story.
Sometimes a short piece, often from the writer's own experience, will lead the reader into the article.
Though it is also descriptive, the narrative lead is more like a play with a scene, characters and dialogue.


Description
Descriptive leads often focus on what it feels like to be at an event by highlighting the sights, sounds, textures, tastes and smells that evoke clear images in the mind of the reader.

Direct Address
This is when the writer tries to engage the reader immediately. This can be done by asking questions or asking the reader to imagine something in particular. It is as though the writer is expecting some direct response from the reader.

Shocking Statement
This type of lead is also known as ' the teaser ' .
A shocking or striking statement is one that will produce a strong response in the reader. Often it will challenge some accepted belief, or simply be provocative. Statistics are often effective.
It involves the reader by building suspense before revealing the focus of the story.

Quotation
A relevant and effective quotation can introduce the reader to the theme of the article. The quote should compel the reader to go further into the story.

Question
Should be used only when the question relates directly to the Feature angle and compels the reader to seek the answers further in the story. Unfortunately, most question leads can be answered with another question.

Overview of Research Tools, Sources, & Pitfalls!

Exploring Research Tools & Sources:

• Google News, Google Scholar
• Reliable Databases vs. Internet Search
• Los Angeles Public Library
• Interviews
• BCCHS Library

Sample Websites:

1. AIDS Facts from University of Santa Anita (How can AIDS be prevented?)
2. Technologies of World War I (What technologies were used in warfare during WWI?)
3. Social Contract Theory (What is the "Social Contract Theory of Government"?)

Evaluating Websites (for credibility, validity, reliability, etc.)
http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.htm

• Authority
• Accuracy
• Objectivity
• Currency

Googling like a Rock Star

• Google Advanced Search
• Search in certain domains, such as .edu & .gov.
• Try including words you DON'T want included in your search.
• Google News
• Google Scholar (& Google Advanced Scholar!)
• Look for the pdf or html link on the left for documents that are available for free on the web.

Interviews
Don't limit your research to the printed word -- Talk to a real person!
Depending on your research topic, you could interview a doctor, a teacher, a student, a family member, a priest, a janitor, a waiter, a social worker, etc.  (You'll need to cite the information you get from the interview just as you cite a book, newspaper, or website.)


Los Angeles Public Library

• Click here to search for BOOKS in the Los Angeles Public Library.
• If you have an LA Public Library card, you can click here, and then try these one of their databases, such as:
• Opposing Viewpoints in Context (Gale) - articles and essays about controversial issues
• ProQuest Newstand - Full text of over 300 U.S. and International news sources, including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Times
• World Book Encyclopedia
• Go to a public library near you.  Make sure to ask a librarian for help! 

BCCHS Library

• Click here to search for BOOKS in the BCCHS library.
• Free Database Trial: EBSCO: http://search.ebscohost.com/
• User ID: bcharter
• Password: trial

More on the web:
Health Statistics: http://library.csun.edu/ResearchAssistance/SubjectGuides
CSUN Library's List of  Subject Guides
UC Santa Barbara's list of Free Publicly-Accessible Databases



Wiki Answers Gone Wrong!