All you need to get started with Benchmark Universe and more! Building Literacy and Language for Life
Contents Meet Ellie and Dino... 3 What is Benchmark Universe?... 3 Sign in to Benchmark Universe... 4 Get Started with the Dashboard... 5 Explore the Dashboard... 5 Make your Dashboard look cool... 7 Compose, send, reply, and get messages from your teacher... 7 Be a book reviewer... 9 Change your password...10 Get Started with My Library...12 Explore My Library...12 Remove a filter and clear all filters... 15 Search for books... 15 Add a new bookshelf... 15 Add books to a bookshelf... 16 Edit a bookshelf... 17 Customize a book... 18 See book customizations... 18 See book reviews by classmates... 18 Be a book critic... 19 Get Started with Ebooks...20 Explore an ebook in Edit Mode...22 Switch between Edit and Present modes...25 Use Auto, Play, Stop, and Annotations...25 Turn the pages of an ebook...26 Print an ebook...26 Page 1
Adjust audio speed...27 Save a customized ebook...28 Why does the Save icon change color?...28 Add annotations to an ebook...29 See or hide ebook page thumbnails...34 Use thumbnails to navigate...34 See previous or next thumbnail pages...34 Add Close Reading notes...35 Go back to My Library...36 Get Started with My Assignments...37 Explore Assignments...37 See and complete your assignments...38 Write a book review...39 Get Started with Assessments...41 Explore Assessments...42 Decrease or increase font size...44 Read line by line with the Line Reader...44 Pause or restart assessment...45 Complete an assessment...45 Review questions and answers before submitting a test...46 Submit a test...46 Get Started with My Reading Log...47 Explore My Reading Log...47 See your completed ebook assignments...49 Write a review...49 Read your review...50 Open a book...51 Print My Reading Log...51 Page 2
Meet Ellie and Dino Hi and welcome to Benchmark Universe! Meet Ellie and Dino from our learning lab. They have been chosen to show you how to use Benchmark Universe and are really excited about getting out of the lab! What is Benchmark Universe? Benchmark Universe is a learning management system (LMS) designed for teachers and students. What is a learning management system? It's just a fancy term for a resource that enables you to learn and your teacher to teach online. You can create bookshelves full of great ebooks in your library, compose messages to your teachers, take tests, and check on your progress. You can easily see and work on your reading assignments, write and share book reviews with your teachers and classmates and perform other learning tasks. A message from our president, Tom Reycraft "We at Benchmark Education Company are focused on continuing our tradition of developing the highest-quality curriculum resources for teachers and students, and we are proud to offer programs and products that are applicable in any teaching and learning environment." Kids rock with Benchmark Universe! Page 3
Sign in to Benchmark Universe Ellie says, "You have to sign in before you can open and work with any of the ebooks and tools available to you in Benchmark Universe. Go to Benchmark Universe Your school will be provided with a unique Benchmark Universe website address. Contact your teacher for the website address, user name, and password. Sign in You can use the Sign in page to sign in to Benchmark Universe, perform a system check, change your password, and contact Technical Support. 1. Type or copy the Benchmark Universe website address in the browser address bar and press Enter. The Benchmark Universe Sign in page appears. 2. Type your user name in the Type your user name box. 3. Type your password in the Type your password box and press Enter or click Sign In. Forgot Password? Use the Forgot Password link to change your password. Contact Technical Support Use the Technical Support link or telephone number to contact Technical Support about Benchmark Universe issues. Page 4
Get Started with the Dashboard The Dashboard is the first page you see after you successfully sign in. Woo-hoo! You can use the following tools and resources. View Profile, My Messages, My Reading Log, Help, My Assignments, and My Library Explore the Dashboard Page 5
Dashboard Map Description 1. Benchmark Universe logo Go to the Dashboard from wherever you are in Benchmark Universe. 2. Sign Out Sign out of Benchmark Universe. 3. Page Icon and Name Display a panel and navigate to Benchmark Universe tools. Know where you are and what page you are working on. Note: The Dashboard page is the only page that does not show the Page icon. 4. Picture, Name, and View Profile See your name, view and edit your profile, including your picture. 5. My Message, My Reading Log, and Help Use the following tools to: My Messages compose and send/receive messages to and from teachers. My Reading Log check out how you re doing with your assignments, read, write, and share boo reviews. Help see Benchmark Universe Help to learn more about it. 6. Change My Universe Change the Dashboard background. 7. My Assignments and My Library Use the following tools to: My Assignments see your assignments. My Library see book titles and create bookshelves. Page 6
Make your Dashboard look cool Ellie says, You can use the Profile link to see and change your profile, including your picture. You can also change your password and view class and teacher information." Change Image 1. Click the Profile link at the top-right of the page. Abracadabra! The Profile page appears. 2. Go to Profile Tools. 3. Click the Change Image button and pick an image from the gallery. Change Password See Change your password for more information. View class and teacher information You can also view your class and teacher information from the My Profile page. Compose, send, reply, and get messages from your teacher Dino says, You can compose, send, reply, and get messages from your teacher by using Messages." Compose a message 1. Click Messages. Bam! The Message Center appears. 2. Click Compose. 3. Click the To box down arrow. A list of your teachers names appears. 4. Pick a teacher s name. 5. Type a subject; for example, My Book Review in the Subject box. 6. Type your message in the Message box. 7. Click Send. Page 7
Reply to a message 1. Click Messages. The Message Center appears. 2. Click a message. 3. Click the Reply arrow. 4. Click the To box down arrow. A list of your teachers names appears. 5. Pick a teacher s name. 6. Type your reply in the Message box. 7. Click Send. Shazam! Your message is sent. Click the original message link at the bottom-left of the Message box if you need to look at your teacher s message again. Click the back to writing link to continue and reply to your teacher s message. Remember to check the Message Center often for messages from your teacher. A number appears at the top-right corner of Messages to show you how many messages you have. The Message Center is for you and your teachers only. You can t use it to send messages to your friends. Page 8
Be a book reviewer My Library Ellie says, Looking for a good book to read? Check out My Library, Assignments, and My Reading Log and see book reviews by other classmates that have been approved by your teacher. Be a book reviewer, do your own book reviews and share! 1. Find a book on the My Library page. 2. Click the Gear icon on the bottom-right of the cover. The Gear menu appears. 3. Click Reviews. The Book Reviews box appears. 4. See book reviews, if any. 5. Click Add New Book Review. 6. Click 1 to 5 stars to add a rating; 1 star is the lowest and 5 stars are the highest rating. 7. Type your comments in the Review box. 8. Click Submit. Assignments See Write a book review. My Reading Log See Write a review. Page 9
Change your password Dino says, "You can use the Profile page to change your password. Check with your teacher first before you change your password." 1. Click the Profile link at the top-right of any Benchmark Universe page. The Profile page appears. 2. Go to Profile Tools. 3. Click Change Password. A security question appears. Contact your teacher if you do not know the response to your security question. 4. Type your response in the Type your answer box. 5. Click Submit. The New Password box appears. 6. Type your new password in the New Password box. 7. Retype your new password in the Retype new password box. The following message appears if the passwords do not match: Passwords must match. Please try again. 8. Click Submit. The Password Changed message appears. Page 10
Learn more about Benchmark Universe Ellie says, What are you waiting for? Learn all you need to know about Benchmark Universe by using Help. Use the Get Started Quick Links on the Welcome page to begin your exploration! Page 11
Get Started with My Library Be your own librarian and find books by language, grade, and content area. Create bookshelves of your favorite books. Get information about the books you picked. Switch from being a librarian to a book critic. Read it, review it, and see book reviews by your classmates. The sky s the limit! Explore My Library Page 12
My Library Map Description 1. Page Icon and Name Display a panel and navigate to Benchmark Universe tools. Know where you are and what page you are working on. 2. Grade, Unit, and Language Filters Filter the book titles in your library by: Grade Unit Language 3. Search/Filter bars and Start Over Search by book title or keyword See the filters you have set for your library, remove filters, or clear all filters and start over. 4. Category headings View resources grouped by category headings and total number of resources; for example, whole and small group texts and resources. 5. Book Thumbnails with Gear icon See book thumbnails and use the Gear icon to: Open open a book. More Information open, read, and get more information about a book. Add to Bookshelf add the book to a bookshelf. Reviews see reviews by your classmates. 6. Add New Bookshelf Add new bookshelves. 7. Bookshelf block See the number of books you have in your bookshelf and make changes to your bookshelf. Page 13
Filter My Library Ellie says, Benchmark Universe has a lot of books in the library. Let s say you are looking for books about animals because you want do a book report about elephants like me! Filters help you find books fast! You can filter your library by grade, unit, and language. 1. Click any, a combination, or all of the following filters. Grade Unit Language 2. Click All Filters. Abracadabra! The All Filters box appears with the filters you picked, if any. 3. Click any of the Filter buttons; for example, Genre, and pick additional filters. 4. Click Submit. You must select the Grade filter to see any books. The filters you pick are colorcoded. Filter your library to get the book titles you need for your bookshelves. See Add a new bookshelf for more information about creating bookshelves. Page 14
Remove a filter and clear all filters Dino says, You can remove a filter or multiple filters by using the Filter bar. You can also clear all filters and start over. 1. Find the filter you want to remove in the Filter bar below the Search bar. 2. Click X next to the filter name. 3. Continue the step above to remove additional filters, if you need to. Use the Start Over button to clear all filters from your library and start over! Search for books Ellie says, You can search for books by title or keyword. Searching for books by using the Search bar is faster than searching for your books in your bedroom! 1. Type a book title or keyword in the Search bar. 2. Press Enter or click the Magnifying glass icon. Add a new bookshelf Dino says, Bookshelves are a great way to organize books for your learning activities. Creating bookshelves is easy to do on the My Library page. You can create bookshelves by using the Add New Bookshelf button. 1. Click the Add New Bookshelf button with the yellow plus (+) icon. Boom! The Bookshelf name box appears. 2. Type the name of the bookshelf in the text box. Page 15
3. Click Submit. The Bookshelf block with a zero appears below the Add New Bookshelf button. The Bookshelf block is a rectangle that shows the name of your bookshelf and the number of books you have. Bookshelf blocks are listed in alphabetical order. Drag a book title to the Add New Bookshelf button to add new bookshelves. Try it the next time you want to add a new bookshelf. Add books to a bookshelf Ellie says, You can add your favorite books to a bookshelf by using the Gear icon. The Gear icon shows you a menu that lets you do a lot more with your books. 1. Find the book you want to add to your bookshelf. 2. Click the Gear icon at the bottom-right of a book title. Pow! The Gear menu appears. 3. Click Add to Bookshelf. The Materials to Add/Select bookshelf message, and your bookshelves appear. 4. Scroll to find the bookshelf block, if you need to. 5. Click the bookshelf block to add the book. The number next to the bookshelf name shows the number of books you have in your bookshelf. Drag a book title to add books to a current bookshelf. Try it the next time you want to add books to a current bookshelf. Page 16
Edit a bookshelf Dino says, Oops! You see your bookshelf name is misspelled or you want to remove some books from one bookshelf to another. What can you change in your bookshelf? You can change a bookshelf name, delete book titles, or bookshelves by clicking the bookshelf block. Edit a bookshelf name 1. Find a bookshelf and click to edit. Hocus-pocus! The My Library > Bookshelf page appears. 2. Click and change the bookshelf name in the text box. Delete book titles from a bookshelf 1. Find a book title. 2. Click the Gear icon. The Gear menu appears. 3. Click Delete from Bookshelf. Delete a bookshelf 1. Find a bookshelf and click to edit. The My Library > Bookshelf page appears. 2. Make sure you have selected the correct bookshelf before deleting. 3. Click Delete below the bookshelf name. Be careful! Deleted books or bookshelves can t be restored. Page 17
Customize a book Ellie says: You can customize books by adding text, notes, shapes, links, bookmarks, and more. You can have two or more versions of a book; for example, one with notes for a book report, and another one with notes to share with your teacher. Multiple versions of the same book are known as customizations. See Get Started with Ebooks for more information about customizing books. See book customizations Dino says, You can see the customizations of a book and customize it some more. 1. Find a book from your bookshelf. 2. Click the Gear icon. The Gear menu appears. 3. Click Customizations. The Customizations box appears. 4. Click to pick a customization. See book reviews by classmates Ellie says, See book ratings and what your classmates had to say about a book by reading book reviews. You can see book reviews from your library or bookshelf. 1. Find a book from your library or bookshelf. 2. Click the Gear icon at the bottom-right of a book title. The Gear menu appears. 3. Click Reviews. The Book Reviews box appears. 4. Review your classmates book reviews. Page 18
You can read and review the book if you liked the book reviews by your classmates. See Be a book critic for information about writing book reviews. Be a book critic Dino says, Being a book critic lets you share your feelings about a book with your teacher and classmates. All you need to do is read a book, give it a star rating, and write about what you liked or didn t like. 1. Pick a book from your library or bookshelf. 2. Click Done after reading the book. 2. Click the Gear icon and choose Reviews. The Book Reviews box appears. 3. Click Add New Book Review. 5. Click 1 to 5 stars to add a rating; 1 star is the lowest and 5 stars are the highest rating. 6. Type your book review in the Review box. 7. Click Submit. Page 19
Get Started with Ebooks Ebooks are not just for grown-ups with mobile devices. Ebooks have been created for you to read at school or at home. You can do a lot with ebooks. You can add notes, shapes, text, bookmarks and links to enrich your reading assignments. In addition, multiple versions of an ebook can be customized and saved for your learning activities. The following message appears when you first open an ebook. You can do one of the following when you open an ebook. Click No if you just want to read the ebook and do not want to create a customized ebook or Type a name for the customized ebook in the text box and click Yes. The customized ebook is saved with the date and time information shown in the text box if you do not give it a name. Follow your teacher s instructions on creating customized ebooks and use information that is easy for you to remember; for example, Book Report for Ms. Ramos. Page 20
Explore an ebook in Present Mode Ebook in Present Mode Map 1. Auto On/Off, Play/Pause, Stop, and Annotations On/Off icons Description Play audio and turn pages automatically for you. Play, pause, or stop the audio. Enable and show annotations on an ebook during a presentation. Note: Annotations like notes and drawings added to an ebook during a presentation are not saved. Annotations can only be saved in Edit mode. 2. Print Print pages or page notes. 3. Add Close Reading Notes icon Add close reading notes to the left and/or right of a page. 4. Wrench icon Show the editing tools used to annotate an ebook. Page 21
5. Edit Tools: Mouse Pointer, Pen, Highlight, Shape, Shade, Text, Note, Bookmark, Link, and Zoom Pick and show specific Tool options. Note: See the Ebook in Edit Mode Map table for more information about using the Edit tools. 6. Up or Down arrow Show or hide page thumbnails and use to go to other pages. Note: The Save, Shade, Bookmark, and Link tools are not available and appear dim in Present mode if you chose not to create a customized ebook. Explore an ebook in Edit Mode There are three icons that you see when you open an ebook. Show the editing tools to add notes and more to your ebook. Show notes as links that you can use to go to a specific note on a page. Show bookmarks as links that you can use to go to a specific bookmarked page. Page 22
Ebook in Edit Mode Map Description 1. Present and Edit Mode toggle keys Switch between Present and Edit modes. 2. Auto On/Off, Play/Pause, Stop, and Annotations On/Off icons Play audio and automatically turns the pages for you. Play, pause, or stop the audio. Enable and show annotations on an ebook. 3. Print and Save icons Print pages or page notes. Save a customized ebook. 4. Add Close Reading Notes icon Add close reading notes to the left and/or right of a page. Page 23
5. Edit Tools: Mouse Pointer, Pen, Highlight, Shape, Shade, Text, Note, Bookmark, Link, and Zoom Pick and show the following Edit Tool options to: Write or draw with the Pen. Highlight text or draw with the Highlighter. Draw shapes with Shapes. Hide text or areas of an ebook with Shade. Add text to any page with Text. Add a bookmark to any page with Bookmark. Add a note to any page with Note. Add a link to any page with Link. Change the Zoom level or pick a Zoom area on a page. Note: In Edit mode, you can only pick and identify a Zoom area. Zoom areas can only be seen in Present mode. Delete any annotation you added to a page by using the Trash can. 6. Up or Down arrow Show or hide page thumbnails and use to go to other pages. 7. Previous Page(s) arrow Go to previous pages. 8. Next Page(s) arrow Go to next pages. Page 24
Switch between Edit and Present modes Ellie says, Ebooks have two modes or flavors like vanilla and chocolate. You can use Edit mode for editing and Present mode for presenting an ebook. Both Edit and Present modes have similar tools. There are some tools available in Edit mode that you will not be able to use in Present mode. The mode you are using appears at the top-left of the ebook. Click the Present or Edit mode toggle key. How will you know which tools you can t use in Present mode? Tools not available in Present mode appear dark and dim. Use Auto, Play, Stop, and Annotations Dino says, You can use the Auto, Play, Stop, and Annotations settings to set the audio to automatically play and turn the pages of an ebook; play, pause, or stop the audio. You can also click on any word on a page to resume if you paused or stopped the audio. In addition, you can mark or annotate the ebook with text, shapes, and more by picking the appropriate icon. Annotations must be set to On in order to see anything you added to the ebook and to use Edit tools. Watch out! The Edit tools are not available and appear dim if Annotations is set to Off. Page 25
Turn the pages of an ebook Ellie says, Turning the pages of an ebook is a bit different. You can turn the pages of an ebook when Auto is set to Off by moving the mouse over to the bottom-left or right corners of a page. The page corner turns up ready for you to click and turn the page. You can also swipe to turn the pages of an ebook if you are using a mobile device like a tablet. Print an ebook Dino says, There are two ways to print an ebook. You can print the pages or notes. Check with your teacher about what to print and save paper. Be a conservationist and friend to the trees. Page or Notes Print mode 1. Click the Print icon. The Print page appears with the Page and Notes Print options at the bottom of the page. 2. Select Page or Notes Print mode. The Page Print mode is the default. Page 26
3. Click Print. Click Back to go to the ebook. In Step 2, a default is a selection or choice made automatically by a computer program for a user. Adjust audio speed Ellie says, You can adjust the audio speed of an ebook whenever you need to. Adjusting the audio speed improves your listening and reading skills. You are in control! It's ok to slow down. You can always speed things up when you are ready. To decrease or slow down the audio speed 1. Open an ebook from a library or bookshelf. 2. Click to set Auto on, if necessary. 3. Slide the blue circle to the left on the Audio Speed slider or click the Minus (-) icon to the desired audio speed. 4. Click the Play button (right arrow) to listen to the audio. To increase the audio speed or make it go faster 1. Slide the blue circle to the right on the Audio Speed slider or click the Plus (+) icon to the desired audio speed. 2. Click the Play button (right arrow) to listen to the audio. The audio speed has three settings; 80% - slow, 90% - medium, and 100% - normal. You have to stop or pause the audio if it is playing in order to change the speed. Page 27
See Get Started with Ebooks for more information. Save a customized ebook Ellie says, You can save an ebook that you have customized with annotations like notes, drawings, highlight and more in Edit mode only by clicking the Save icon that looks like a cloud. Why does the Save icon change color? Icon State Description Active (blue) Inactive (grey) You have made changes to the customization where a save is needed. You have not made changes to the customization where a save is required. Page 28
Add annotations to an ebook Edit mode Erase stuff with the Eraser Dino says, You can add annotations like text, notes, drawings, shapes, and links to an ebook to enrich your learning experience. Let your understanding of an ebook come to life! Follow your teacher s instructions and be creative in Edit mode. Take a closer look at the Edit tools and how to use them by practicing. 1. Click the Eraser icon. A pen appears with an Eraser tip. 2. Move the Eraser over the annotation or element you want to delete. 3. Press and drag to delete. Write or draw with the pen 1. Click the Wrench icon. Bravo! The Edit tools appear at the right of the page. 2. Click Pen. The Pen tools appear. The mouse pointer changes to show which Edit tool you picked. For example, the mouse pointer shows a pen when you pick the Pen tool. 3. Choose any or all of the following Pen options. Pen Style - The default is highlighted in blue. Pen Color The default is black. 4. Drag the pen to write or draw on the page. The text or drawing and a Trash Can appear. 5. Select the annotation and click the Trash Can to delete, if you don t like it. Square boxes known as handles appear when the annotation is selected. Click the mouse pointer icon at the top-right of the page to select the annotation if the handles do not appear. The annotation must be selected and the Trash Can must be visible in order to delete. Use the arrow at the bottom of the Pen tool set to go back to the Edit tools and pick a different tool. This arrow appears at the bottom of any tool set you have chosen to work with. Page 29
Highlight text 1. Click Highlight. The Highlight tools appear. 2. Choose any or all of the following Highlight options. Highlight Style - The default is highlighted in blue. Highlight Color The default is yellow. Opacity The default is 50%. 3. Drag the highlighter to highlight text and areas on the page. The highlight and Trash Can appear. 4. Select the annotation and click the Trash Can to delete, if you don t like it. Add a shape 1. Click Shape. The Shape tools appear. 2. Choose any or all of the following Shape options. Shape Type The default is square. Shape Style - The default is highlighted in blue. Shape Border Color The default is black. Shape Fill Color The default is white. Shape Opacity The default is 50%. 3. Drag the mouse pointer to create a shape. The shape and Trash Can appears. 4. Select the annotation and click the Trash Can to delete, if you don t like it. Hide stuff with shade 1. Click Shade. The Shade tools appear. 2. Choose any or all of the following Shade options. Shade Color The default is white. Shade Opacity The default is 100%. 3. Drag the mouse pointer to shade (hide)text or areas on a page. A shade block and Trash Can appear. 4. Select the shade block and click the Trash Can to delete, if you don t want to shade. Page 30
You will not be able to see text or areas on a page that have been shaded in Present mode. Edit mode is used to pick text and areas in an ebook that you want to shade. Add text 1. Click Text. The Text tools appear. 2. Choose any or all of the following Text options. Text Font The default is Arial. Text Size The default is 14 px (pixels). Text Color The default is red. Text Block Background Color The default is white. Text Block Background Opacity The default is 50%. Text Bold Text Italics Text Underline Text Left-Alignment Text Center-Alignment Text Right-Alignment 3. Drag the mouse pointer to create a text block on the page. A text block and Trash Can appear. 4. Type your text in the text block. 5. Select the annotation and click the Trash Can to delete, if you don t like it. Page 31
Add a sticky note 1. Click Note. The Note tools appear. 2. Select a Notes style (color). 3. Drag the mouse pointer to create a note block on the page. The note block and Trash Can appear. 4. Type a note. 5. Select the annotation and click the Trash Can to delete, if you don t like it. Your sticky notes are saved to the Notes panel. Click the Notes panel to see and go to your specific notes on a page. Bookmark a page There are two Bookmark icons that you will use to create and view bookmarks. You must be in Edit mode to create bookmarks. The Bookmark icon on the Wrench > Edit tools palette is used to create bookmarks. It looks like a ribbon. The other Bookmark icon (not inside the Edit tools palette) below the Page icon is used to view bookmarks. The View Bookmark icon can be used in Edit and Present modes. 1. Select the page(s) you want to bookmark. 2. Select the Wrench. The Edit tools palette appears. 3. Click Bookmark. The Create Bookmark dialog appears. 4. Type a bookmark title in the Title box. 5. Click Create. A bookmark (ribbon) appears at the top-left of the page. 6. Select the bookmark. A border around the bookmark and Trash Can appear. 7. Click the Trash Can to delete, if you need to. 8. Click the Wrench icon to close the Edit tools palette when you are done. Your bookmarks are saved to the Bookmark panel. Click the View Bookmark panel icon to see and go to your bookmarked pages. Page 32
Link to a website or YouTube video 1. Click Link. The Hyperlink box appears. 2. Type a hyperlink title in the Title box. 3. Type or copy/paste a website address in the Url box. 4. Click Create. A link icon appears on the page. You can only create links in Edit mode. You must be in Present mode to see the website or other type of link. Zoom it 1. Click Zoom. The Zoom tools appear. 2. Select one of the following Zoom options. Zoom Area Drag the mouse pointer to create a Zoom area on a page. A Zoom area icon and Trash Can appear. Use the Trash Can to delete the Zoom area, if you don t want it. Zoom Page In (+): Increase the page size. Zoom Page 100%: Restore the page size to 100%, the default. Zoom Page Out (-): Decrease the page size. You can only see Zoom areas in Present mode. A bit more about Present mode Most of the Edit tools and instructions to annotate an ebook can be used in Present mode. However, the Shade, Bookmark, and Link tools are not available in Present mode; therefore, the Shade, Bookmark, and Link instructions above do not apply. Zoom area, sticky notes, and links have icons that appear in Edit/Present mode. Move the mouse pointer over the icon and click in Present mode to zoom, see sticky notes, and open links to websites. Page 33
See or hide ebook page thumbnails Ellie says, You can see or hide the pages of an ebook as thumbnails by using the Up or Down arrow at the bottom-center of a page. The page splits into two areas. The top part shows the ebook page and the bottom part shows all the ebook page thumbnails. See thumbnails Click the Up arrow to see the thumbnails. Hide thumbnails Click the Down arrow to hide the thumbnails. Use thumbnails to navigate Dino says, Thumbnails are used for quick and easy navigation to a page. Click the page thumbnail to go to any page. See previous or next thumbnail pages Ellie says, Wow, there are so many different ways to jump around in an ebook. You can use the left or right arrows located in the Thumbnail view to navigate and see a series of previous or next pages. Page 34
Add Close Reading notes Dino says, Your teacher may ask you to write down questions or book summaries for classroom discussion as part of your reading assignment. Where can you do this? You can add Close Reading notes to the left and right of an ebook page by using the Close Reading Notes icon that looks like a notepad page. 1. Click the Close Reading Notes icon on the left or right of a page. The Close Reading Notes notepad appears. 2. Click and type your notes in the notepad. 3. Click Close Reading Notes when you have completed your notes. Page 35
Go back to My Library Ellie says, You can go back to My Library anytime or when you have completed your ebook customization by clicking the Benchmark Universe icon next to Edit/Present mode at the top-left of the page. Remember to save your ebook customization before you go back to My Library. Page 36
Get Started with My Assignments Stay on top of your assignments by using the Assignments page. See a list of your assignments by status, assignment name, due date, and teacher. Know which and how many assignments are not started, in progress, or completed with a tally of your assignments. Get ready, set, and go! Explore Assignments Assignments Map Description 1. Assignments Tally See a tally of your Not Started, In Progress, and Completed assignments. 2. Status, Assignment Name, Due Date, and Teacher up/down arrows Use the up/down arrows to sort by status, assignment name, due date, and teacher. 3. Status See your assignment progress. Red status Not Started. Yellow status In Progress. Green status Complete. 4. Assignment Name See the assignment name. 5. Due Date See the due date. 6. Teacher See the teacher s name. Note: Click the Status icon, Assignment name, Due date, or Teacher name to see the assignment details. Page 37
See and complete your assignments Ellie says: Sorry, Dino couldn t make it for this learning session. He is working on another topic. You can view and track your assignments by using the Assignments list. You can also let your teacher know you have finished your assignments by marking them done. Before you begin The Assignments icon on the Dashboard shows the number of assignments you have. View and complete assignments 1. Click the Assignments icon on the Dashboard. The Assignments list appears. 2. Find the assignment you want to start. 3. Click one of the following items in the assignment row. Status icon Assignment name Due Date Teacher name Abracadabra! The Assignment Details dialog appears. 4. Review your teacher s instructions, if any, and find the material you want to read. 5. Click the book icon in the Read column. The book opens. 6. Complete your assignment and click the Benchmark Universe logo to go back to the Assignment Details dialog. 7. Go to the Done column and click the circle to mark the assignment done. Page 38
Write a book review More about completing your assignments. You can only change the status of assignment if you marked it done when the Assignment Details dialog is open. Make sure you are finished with your assignment before you mark it done. You won t be able to undo the Done checkmark and go back to the assignment if you marked it done and closed the Assignment Details dialog. The Done check mark appears with a grey background the next time you open the Assignment Details dialog. The grey background is used with the Done check mark to let you know that the assignment is done and not available. Tests are automatically marked complete when you submit. Dino says: Teachers like to know what you liked about a book that has been assigned to you to read. Book reviews are a perfect way for you to express your thoughts about a book. You can rate the book and post your comments. How cool is that! 1. Click the Assignments icon on the Dashboard. The Assignments list appears. 2. Find the assignment you want to start. 3. Click one of the following items in the assignment row. Status icon Assignment name Due Date Teacher name Hooray! The Assignment Details dialog appears. Page 39
4. Review your teacher s instructions, if any, and find the material you want to read. 5. After reading the book, click the review icon in the Review column. The Book Review dialog appears. 6. Click Add New Book Review. The Book Reviews box appears. 7. Click 1 to 5 stars to add a rating; 1 star is the lowest and 5 stars are the highest rating. 8. Type your book review in the Review box. 9. Click Submit. The following message appears: "Your review has been posted successfully..." Your teacher has to review and approve your book review before you and your classmates can see it. Page 40
Get Started with Assessments Assessments is an online test environment that your school may have requested for its students. This topic is only for students whose school is using Assessments. Assessments are assigned to you by your teacher. You can use the tools available in the Assessments toolbar and review questions and answers before submitting the test The questions and answers are presented to you in different formats. Text only Text and graphics Text and audio Some questions may be hidden and requires that you listen to the question by selecting an Audio icon located within the assessment. Page 41
Explore Assessments Assessment Map Description 1. Assessments toolbar Use the Assessments toolbar to: Tools decrease/increase font size and read line by line with the Line Reader. Pause/Restart pause and restart an assessment. Test Questions review questions to answers before submitting the test. Submit Test submit completed test to your teacher. Page 42
2. Assessment title, number, and grade View assessment title, number, and grade information. 3. Reference panel View assessment instructions and content (passage). Note: The snapshot above shows the Highlight Text and Line Reader in action. 4. Resize arrows Use to resize the page. 5. Scroll icon Use to scroll and view more information. 6. Questions and Answers panel See the question and select correct answer. 7. Question number and total number of questions View the question number and total number of questions in the assessment. 8. Previous and Next page arrows Go to the previous or next page question Page 43
Decrease or increase font size Ellie says, "You can decrease or increase the font size in an assessment by using the Tools button on the Assessments toolbar." 1. Click Tools on the Assessments toolbar. The Tools options appear. 2. Click the Font Size: A- or A+ icons to decrease or increase the font size. Continue to click the Font Size icons until you are satisfied with the font size displayed. Read line by line with the Line Reader Dino says, "You can use the Line Reader to help you read the passage line by line by using the Tools > Line Reader option on the Assessments toolbar." 1. Click Tools on the Assessments toolbar. The Tools options appear. 2. Click the Liner Reader icon. The Liner Reader dialog appears. 3. Drag the Line Reader window to the content area you want to read. 4. Increase or decrease the Line Reader window by using the triangular dots on the right or the series of horizontal lines on the bottom of the dialog. 5. Click the X icon to close the Line Reader window when you are done. Page 44
Pause or restart assessment Ellie says, "You can pause or restart an assessment by using the Pause/Restart Test icon on the Assessments toolbar." 1. Click the Pause Test icon on the Assessments toolbar. The Test is paused dialog appears. 2. Click Yes to save and finish the test later. The test is saved and closed. The Student Test Login appears. 3. Click No to return to the test, if necessary. You need to log in to the assessment if you pause the test. Use the same test code and student information to continue taking the test. Complete an assessment Dino says, "You can review and answer each question by using the Previous or Next Question arrows located at the bottom-right of an assessment. The assessment opens with the Reference (passage) including instructions on the left and the questions and multiple choice answers on the right." 1. Review the question and click the option button next to the appropriate answer. 2. Click the Save answer and go to the next question right arrow to continue. 3. Repeat Step 2 until all questions are answered. 4. Click the Previous question left arrow to go to previous question, if necessary. 5. Review your questions and answers before submitting the test. See submit a test for more information about submitting a test. Page 45
Review questions and answers before submitting a test Ellie says, "You can review the questions and answers of an assessment before submitting it by using the Test Questions icon on the Assessments toolbar. This is a quick and easy method to review and answer questions instead of going through the assessment page by page." 1. Click the Test Questions icon on the Assessments toolbar. The Test Questions dialog appears. 2. Click the down arrow to review the questions that have been answered and see which ones need to be answered. 3. Click on a question to go to the question in the assessment, and answer it, if necessary. 4. Click anywhere outside of the Test Questions dialog to close the dialog, if necessary. Questions flagged with an A (blue icon) are questions that have been answered. Questions flagged with a Q (green) icon are questions that need to be answered. Submit a test Dino says, "You can submit a test by using the Submit Test icon on the Assessments toolbar." 1. Click the Submit Test icon on the Assessments toolbar. The Submit Test dialog appears with one of the following messages. You have completed the test. Would you like to submit now or keep working? You have unanswered questions. Would you like to submit now or keep working? 2. Click Yes (Submit Now) to submit the test. 3. Click No (Keep Working) to complete the test before submitting. You cannot go back to the test and change your answers once the test is submitted. Page 46
Get Started with My Reading Log The next time your mom, dad, guardian, or teacher asks, Did you do your homework? You can say, Yes! The My Reading Log is all about your completed reading assignments. You can use the My Reading Log page anytime you, a family member, or teacher want to know about your completed assignments. Check it often so you know which assignments you ve done for each teacher and by date. You can also write book reviews, submit to your teacher for approval, read what you wrote about a book and print. Explore My Reading Log Page 47
My Reading Log Map 1. Completed, In Progress, and Started Assignments pane Description View total number of books read (finished), in progress (finish later), and started 2. My Reading Log table View and sort the following information. Date Chosen by your teacher or you ebook Title shows a history of reading activity My Status shows I finished it or I will finish it later statuses Review read an approved review or write a review Note: Use the arrows in the header to sort the columns in ascending or descending order. 3. ebook cover Launch an ebook. 4. ebook title Use to view a history of reading activity. 5. Read Your Review link Read your book review. 6. Write a Review link Write a book review and submit to your teacher for approval. Note: Your teacher must approve your book review before you can see and read it on the My Reading Log page. A message is sent to your teacher when you submit a book review. 7. Print Print your reading log. Page 48
See your completed ebook assignments Ellie says, Be empowered and take control of your schoolwork. Check your reading log anytime you want, pat yourself on the back, and say, I finished it! 1. Click the My Reading Log icon on the Dashboard. Yeah! The My Reading Log list appears. 2. See the following information. Total number of books read with a I finished it! status. Use the Up and Down arrows next to the Date, Chosen by, ebook title, and My Status headings to sort the information in ascending or descending order. See Write a Review for more information. Write a review Dino says, Share your thoughts about a book you've read with your teacher and classmates by writing book reviews. Give the book a star rating and write your review. Voilà! Your teacher reads and approves your book review for you and other classmates to see. 1. Click My Reading Log on the Dashboard. The My Reading Log page appears. 2. Click the Write a Review link. The Book Reviews box appears. 3. Click 1 to 5 stars to add a rating; 1 star is the lowest and 5 stars are the highest rating. 4. Type your comments in the Review box. 5. Click Submit. The following message appears: Your review has been posted successfully... See Read your review for more information. Page 49
Read your review Ellie says, Be a member of a reading community that enjoys writing book reviews. See what you and your classmates have to say about books! 1. Click My Reading Log on the Dashboard. The My Reading Log page appears. 2. Click the Read your Review link. The Book Review dialog appears. 3. Read the review(s). 4. Click the Add New Book Review button to add new comments about the book, if necessary. 5. Choose 1 to 5 stars to rate the book (optional). 6. Type your comments in the Review box. 7. Click Submit. The following message appears: "Your review has been posted successfully..." 8. Click the Close (x) icon when you are done. Page 50
Open a book Dino says, Oops, you have a couple of books that you started to read, but didn't finish. You can easily open a book on the list and continue reading. 1. Click My Reading Log on the Dashboard. The My Reading Log page appears. 2. Find a book with a I will finish it later status. 3. Click the ebook cover. The ebook opens with the following message: Create a customization? 4. Click No to continue reading the book. 5. Click Done when you have finished reading the book. Print My Reading Log Ellie says, You know you've read a lot of books, but can't remember the titles. No problem! You can print your reading log and share with your teacher, classmates, and parents. 1. Click My Reading Log on the Dashboard. The My Reading Log page appears. 2. Click Print. The Reading Log page print version appears. 3. Review your reading log. 4. Click Print. Page 51