Blog Assignment #2--Specifics for Dr. Mulvaney's students

The assignment details for Part 1 of this assignment are below. The FYS main blog has the big picture of this assignment. Here are some details and changes for Part 2 of the assignment for this particular class:

• You can use another information source for the comparison exercise (a website for example) if you wish. But you must also use a Wikipedia page--the Chicago one is already "found" for you. Compare your website with Wikipedia using the areas of comparison.
• You can also use "Chicago" as your search term for the Wikipedia vs Britannica exercise. The Chicago Wikipedia page link is already linked to the post with resources below.
• Remember that the point of the exercise is to evaluate the sources, not the information itself.
• 750 words is a suggestion, not a requirement. I am more interested in having you address each of the areas of comparison, briefly, than in counting words.

If you have any questions or problems please email (cookm at elmhurst dot edu), call (x3267) or come find me in the library.

Hidden Jewels links...

Here are some links to websites and library resources that may help you with the background research portion of your Hidden Jewels presentations.

News websites:
Some of the places that you will be researching have been reviewed or discussed on newspaper websites. Try several. In the case of restaurants, theaters, music venues or public art, a good review can be a useful source of information.

Chicago Reader:
There is a search engine here but it can be hard to use--try browsing listings. Don't forget the library gets the new issue weekly on Wednesdays--they are in the foyer on the bench by the elevator.

Chicago Tribune
A good place to start looking for information about places. Try Metromix for information about restaurants, music venues, theaters, etc. Don't pay for an article here--if you find an article you want and the site asks you to pay, look it up in the library's Chicago Tribune database (login required from off-campus).

Chicago Sun-Times
The "other" major Chicago paper. Also a good source for articles about Chicago places. Subscription articles for this paper can be found in Lexis-Nexis

Daily Herald
This is more a suburban paper, but you may find articles or reviews of Chicago places here as well. Subscription articles for this paper are also available in Lexis-Nexis.

Useful websites:

Exploring Chicago
A City of Chicago website. Lots of links here to many different resources of the city, including programs, maps, public transit, etc. Difficult to search, better for browsing. Also try looking here to find your "jewel" in the first place.

Metromix
This is a site that specializes in reviews, listings, & news about Chicago entertainment venues. If your "Hidden Jewel" is one of these, it may be useful to look here.

Chicago History Museum
Very cool site with lots of useful info. Try searching for your jewel in the Encyclopedia of Chicago .

Learn Chicago
This web portal is maintained by the Chicago Public Library and has lot of interesting links to information about Chicago's past.

Chicago Wikipedia page This is a pretty useful place to look. There's a lot of information about the city, including a description of some of the neighborhoods. The most useful aspect of the page is the links to other sites, way down at the bottom.

Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau There is often good information on a visitor's bureau page, but I mostly look on these sites for links to websites of interesting places.

Library Databases:
(if you are using these from off campus you will need to log in using your EC technology account username and password)

Chicago Tribune
We have Tribune articles back to 1985 here. Search for your place and see if someone has written about it.

Historical Chicago Tribune
We also have access to scanned copies of the Tribune back to 1849. If your Hidden Jewel is historical, try searching for information on it here.

Regional Business News
Depending on what your "jewel" is, you might try looking for information about it in a business publication. This database has Crain's Chicago Business, which can be a great source of information about local places.

Some other tips:
Try Google. Smaller restaurants or music venues may not have a lot of information on a website, but it's worth a look.

Think about interviewing. Most small business owners are happy to talk about their business if you are respectful of their time.

Don't forget to credit any outside sources that you use in your presentation, including photos!