Website: http://online.culturegrams.com
Distribution: ProQuest LLC
Content Review: The purpose of the CultureGrams database is to provide factual information about countries and provinces or states. The front page of CultureGrams offers four different links – World Edition, Kids Edition, States Edition and Provinces Edition. Though each section focuses on different areas, the main gist of the content is similar. This review focuses on the World Edition. Once the user clicks on the World Edition picture, an interactive map of the world appears. Every continent is presented in a different color, and once the continent is clicked on, the user can choose a country. The country pages offer a vast amount of information from a country’s given traditions to an audio file of the national anthem. The user can click on any subject, which will give them a full report with further links. Each report gives the user the option to listen to it, generate a citation or share the article. Each report also provides images, videos, graphs and tables, a currency converter and even recipes.
Critical Evaluation: CultureGrams is the perfect database for quickly gathered facts about any given country. While the material does not offer much in the way of critical thinking, it does give an appropriate and reliable overview of a country and its customs, people, history and government. This database is perfect for English language learners and for young scholars learning to navigate databases for the first time. The interface is somewhat text-heavy as the user progresses into more specific areas, but it is never confusing or overwhelming.
Interest Level: Grades 4-12
Talking Points: Learn about another culture, How do they…in another country?, Country scavenger hunt
Reader’s Annotation: CultureGrams provides exhaustive factual information about the countries of the world and their people.
Wallingford Takes on Young adult materials 