Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

Facts on File Blooms Literature Database

Cheektowaga Central School District
Middle School and High School Library
Cheektowaga, NY
Grades 9 12

1.
What is your assessment of the readability level of the electronic resource? According
to a Fountas and Pinnell, what is the readability of the text? How do you know?
Using similar techniques as the print resource readability evaluation the database has a similar
level of readability as the print resource. Performing a search for Romeo and Juliet gives 457
results. Selecting a source that is relatively recent as the sample text shows a complex level of
readability. The article Romeo and Juliet: An Innovative Tragedy provides the sample text used
in the online readability resources. According to a Fountas and Pinnell, this resource is a Z+ level
for High School/Adult.
Using two free online readability resources, (http://read-able.com and https://readabilityscore.com/), the sample text from the article is at a level that is complex and difficult for grade 9
students. From read-able.com, the sample text received a Flesch Kincaid Grade Level of 15.8 and
a Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease score of 33.9. The site determined that 20 to 22 year olds should
understand this text. Readability-score.com also gave the sample text a difficult rating, with a
level of 15 and 36.8 on the Flesch Kincaid scales.
Similar to the sample text used in the print resource, the readability is difficult, but does provide
informational text that relate to the ELA Modules from the Common Core Standards.
2.
What is the number of unfamiliar words a student would encounter on each page?
How does/ Does the electronic resource address vocabulary words? (new or content specific)
Provide some examples.
Students may be familiar with most words in the majority of the text found in this article and
database. Students should be familiar with the text of the play and aware of the difficulty in
reading Shakespeare. The database does have a dictionary that provides students with a way to
look up difficult or unfamiliar words.

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

Below is a sample sentence that has a few difficult or unfamiliar words:

For all their profusion of ingenious wit and complicated wordplay, mythological references and
elaborate rhetorical speeches, they offer a world of fantasy that is almost innocent and childlike.
3.

How complex is the sentence structure? Provide some examples.

Again, similar to the print resource, the sentence structure is highly complex and the articles
are often scholarly and high level of difficulty. Below are statistical details of text structure
based on the sample text and the online readability websites:
From read-able.com:

Text Statistics
No. of sentences
No. of words
No. of complex words
Percent of complex words
Average words per sentence
Average syllables per word

16
466
92
19.74%
29.13
1.70

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

From readabilityformulas.com:
Total # of words: 466
Total # of unique words: 290 (62% of total text)
Total # of repeat words: 176 (38% of total text)
Average # of words per sentence: 29
Total # of sentences: 16
Total # of characters: 2405
Average # of characters per word: 5.2
Average # of syllables per word: 2
Total syllables in text: 788
Total # of words with double syllables: 97
Percent of double syllables in text: 21%
Total # of words with single syllables: 277
Percent of single syllables in text: 59%
Percent of 3+ syllables in text: 20%
Total # of words with 3+ syllables: 92

These statistics show highly complex sentence structure with 20% of the words having three or
more syllables and an average of 29 words per sentence.

4.

In your opinion, is the vocabulary interesting for students? Why or why not?

The vocabulary of the text may not be interesting to students. The scholarly content of the
articles found on the Blooms Literature database is difficult and with the subject focused on the
work on Shakespeare, which students may presume to be uninteresting right from the start.
5.
What is the overall text structure presented in the resource? (Refer to PPT on text
structure)
The structure presented in the electronic database is a scholarly and uses a thesis statement
and arguments to back up the authors claims.
6.
How complex is the text according to the Informational Text Complexity Rubric?
(attach completed rubric)
According to the attached Information Text Complexity Rubric, Complex Test to Very Complex
Text. See attached rubric.
7.
Are there graphics that relate to the content? Do they add to the text or are they
superfluous? Provide examples
The database provides an entire section dedicated to images and video when searching for a
topic or inquiry. Search results for Romeo and Juliet show 45 videos and images related to the
search topic. Below is an example of a video found on the database:

Andrew Johnston

8.

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

Is the layout appealing to the students at the selected grade level? Provide examples.

The layout is appealing to students looking for scholarly information and is presented in a way
that is suitable for high school students. Search results can be easily refined to show All Results,
Biographies, Overviews and Synopses, Analyses and Criticisms, Topics and Themes, and Images
and Videos. Student will have an easy time navigating their search results and can find
information related to their topic or inquiry quickly.
Here is a look at the home page of the Blooms Literature database:

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

Here is an example of how search results are displayed:

LIS532

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

9.
Does the database contain points of reference such as a glossary, embedded links,
etc.?
The database does have a dictionary tool that students can use to define difficult words. See
above entry on unfamiliar words for an example of the dictionary tool. Many of search results
are scholarly articles and contain notes and bibliographic references, but do not contain
embedded links or other online resources. The Blooms Literature database allows students to
search by Author, Title of work, and Character. The database also provides a directory of full
length feature videos of various plays and works of literature (see image below). This can be
useful for teachers who want to present visual material in the classroom.

10.
Are students provided any help, such as side notes, summary paragraphs, exploded
views, etc? Be specific and provide examples.
Students are given very little help other than the information provided in the search results. The
results do not provide a summary or abstract of the information content of an article. Students
have to click into the article to receive more information about the article. The database should

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

provide summary paragraphs for students to determine if the articles they searched for are
relevant to their topic of research or inquiry.
The database does have a Search Tips feature which provides students with tips and tricks for
searching the database.

The database has a section that help student write essays and write about literature. The
database provides links to Blooms How to Write About Literature. This is very useful for students
that need extra help with writing a research paper or essay.

Andrew Johnston

11.

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

Are there activities directly related to the text (words)? Give some examples.

The database does not provide any additional activities. The database is strictly scholarly and
does not provide extra activities for students to explore.
12.
Does the resource contain any material that encourages students to explore beyond
the resource itself, such as other internet sites or print resources? Provide examples.
Blooms Literature database does not provide material for students to explore beyond what is
found on the electronic resource itself. That database does provide plenty of information and
material for students to explore within the database. Character exploration, Titles, Videos,
Timelines, Literary Movements, Literary Themes, Blooms Canon, and Blooms How to Write
series. The Blooms Literature database features, This resource contains more than 20,000
critical essays from over 500 literary journals and 2,300 scholarly and critical books, including 700
titles published by Bloom's Literary Criticism and Facts On File. Also included in the database are
more than 13,000 biographies, 45,000 character entries, 5,000 synopses of literary works and
hundreds of images and videos. There is plenty for students to explore.
13.

Does the resource include any primary sources? If so, give at least one example.

Most of the information found within the database is secondary resources consisting of various
scholarly articles on a wide range of literature and topics. The database does not provide direct
links or full text versions of the original works.

Andrew Johnston

14.

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

LIS532

Does the electronic resource have any special or outstanding features? Be specific.

As mentioned above, one of the special features of this database is the full length video
collection. Also, the amount of information contained on the database is outstanding. The
Blooms literature database covers practically the entire collected history of world literature
and the criticisms and analyses of these works.
15.

What is your overall assessment of the electronic resource?

Facts on File Blooms Literature database is excellent database for ELA students. The database
has a wealth of information related to many works of literature. Although, many of the articles
found on the database are scholarly and difficult, students should find the information on the
database very useful for writing essay and conducting research. Teachers will also find the
database useful for locating informational texts to support the Common Core standards and
ELA Modules. This database is highly recommended.

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

Title/Author : Facts on File Blooms Literature Database

Type of Text: Check one: _____ book _____ article

_____ excerpt

LIS532

_____ primary source

document X other (identify here: Online Database)

Informational Text Complexity Rubric
Directions: Read through all the indicators on this page. Highlight the indicators that best represent the
complexity of the text youve read.
Text Feature

Simple Text

Layout

Consistent
placement of text,
regular word and
line spacing, often
large plain font

Types of
Writing

Somewhat
Complex Text
May have longer
passages of
uninterrupted text,
often plain font

Longer passages of
uninterrupted text may
include columns or
other variations in
layout, often smaller
more elaborate font

Very long passages of

uninterrupted text
that may include
columns or other
variations in layout,
often small densely
packed print
Extensive, intricate,
essential integrated
tables, charts,
formulas necessary to
make meaning of text
Abstracts, footnotes,
citations and detailed
indexes, appendices,
table of contents,
bibliography
Includes sustained
sections that utilize
different types of
writing and/or hybrid
or non-linear texts

Graphs, pictures,
tables, charts that
directly support the
text

Essential integrated
graphics, tables, charts,
formula (necessary to
make meaning of text)

Table of contents,
indexes, glossaries,
occasional quotes,
references

Quotes, concluding
appendices, table of
contents, indexes,
glossaries, bibliography

One type of
writing is evident

May include
different types of
writing

Includes smaller
sections that utilize
different types of
writing of varying
complexity

The organization
of the text is clear
or chronological
and/or easy to
predict

The organization of
the text may
include a thesis or
reasoned
explanation in
addition to facts
Connections among
events or ideas are
sometimes implicit
or subtle

The organization of the

text may contain
multiple pathways
and/or more than one
thesis

The organization of
the text is intricate or
specialized for a
particular discipline

Connections among
events or ideas are
often implicit or subtle

Connections among
events or ideas are
implicit or subtle
throughout the text

Simple and
compound
sentences with
some more
complex
constructions.

Many complex
sentences, increased
subordinate phrases
and clauses or
transition words.
Mostly Tier Two Words

Mainly complex
sentences, often
containing multiple
concepts. Mostly Tier
Three Words

Connections
among events or
ideas are explicit
and clear

Language
Features

Very Complex Text

Graphics and
pictures that
directly support
and help interpret
the written text
Table of contents,
simple indexes,
glossaries,

(e.g. argument,
expository,
opinion,
narrative)

Structure

Complex Text

Mainly simple
sentences
Mostly Tier One
Words

Andrew Johnston

Nonfiction Resource Evaluation

Vocabulary is
mostly familiar

Informational
Knowledge
Demands

General topic is
familiar, with
details known by
reader
Simple, concrete
ideas

Some Tier Two

Words
Vocabulary includes
some unfamiliar,
context-depended
words
General topic is
familiar, with some
details new to
reader
Both simple and
more complicated,
abstract ideas

with some Tier Three

Words
Includes much
academic vocabulary
and some domain
specific (content)
vocabulary
General
topic
is
somewhat familiar but
with many details
unknown to reader
A range of recognizable
ideas and challenging
abstract concepts

LIS532

Includes extensive
academic and domain
specific (content)
vocabulary
General topic is
mostly unfamiliar with
most details unknown
to reader
Many new ideas
and/or complex,
challenging, abstract
and theoretical
concepts