Online tools to enhance research skills	Ready Reference Sites and Subject Directories	English/Language Arts
Mathematics	Science	History
Geography	Visual and Performing Arts	Great sites in Spanish

“Nuts and Bolts of the Big 6” Game	Make research fun and interesting for your 5th and 6th graders with this printable free board game. Print the game rules—also available in Spanish—and gaming pieces in color or black and white. There are scorecards and cheat sheets too (all Word documents). Created by: Linda Woods Hyman, SBC Knowledge Network Explorer, ST. Louis, MO.
Assignment and Research Paper Organizer	Once kids understand how to access information, they must learn to organize what they’ve found. These web based organizers can help kids in grades 3-12 do just that. Created by: Barbara A. Jansen, librarian, St. Andrews School, Austin, TX.
Big6 Research Forms	This site provides guidance on Big6 topics such as “Information Seeking Strategies” and “Keeping Track of Resources.” Created by: John Lees, librarian, Mt. Baker Middle School, Auburn, WA.
Introducing the Big6	This noncommercial section of the Big6 web site offers creative ideas for teaching information and technology skills to K-12 students. Three “Know How” sections provide student tips on how to take good notes, ask good questions, and more. Created by: Big6 Associates, Syracuse, NY.
The Big6 in Many Languages	If you teach ESL students, this site provides the Big6 research steps in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages. Created by: Big6 Associates, Syracuse, NY.
Do the Dewey	Here’s a basic guide to Dewey for older kids, teenagers, and adults. Grades 4-12+. Created by: Robert Tiess, librarian, Middletown (NY) Thrall Library.
Dewey Browse	This comprehensive list of sites arranged by DDC number is a great resource for homework help. Grades 4-12. Created by: Gail Grainger, media specialist, Chesterfield (NH) K-8 School.

Ready Reference Sites and Subject Directories

World Almanac for Kids	Fun facts from around the world.
Word Central	A Merriam-Webster site for the younger audience that includes an online dictionary, rhyming dictionary, word of the day, and activities that encourage students to play with language.
Encarta	The free version of this resource offers at least one article on most subjects.
Awesome Library	Links are organized by school subject.
Internet Public Library	A well organized list of resources designed by the University of Michigan School of Information.
Kids Click!	Librarian selected, evaluate, and grade level noted sites for kids.
Yahooligans	Organized sites, games, and lots of popular topics for kids.

English/Language Arts

100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know	A recommended picture book list compiled by the New York Public Library.
Daily Buzzword	Kids can subscribe to a word a day from Word Central to learn its meaning, pronunciation, how to use it, and sample synonyms.
Little Explorer’s Picture Dictionary	Select a litter and display a screen of illustrated words beginning with the letter. Some words link to more information.
Encyclopedia Mythica	An encyclopedia of articles, definitions, and images on Mythology, folklore, legends, and more. Grades 7-12.
World of Reading!	With hundreds of reviews from all over the world, this is one of the best kids book review sites created by a public library. Kids can sift through 33 different topics ranging from autobiography to suspense, or they can click “Write a Review” and complete the online form. Created by: Ann Arbor District Library, Ann Arbor, MI.
Kids Views	Here you’ll find hundreds of book reviews, mostly by American kids. You can search by the author’s last name or by keywords in the title. Before sending a submission via the “Send a KidView” button, see an example by clicking “Sample KidView.” Created by: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA.
Raving Reviews	Book reviews from English children dominate this site, which also focuses on the works of UK authors. Kids may contribute their own opinions by following the “Review a Book” link and completing the online form. Created by: Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham, England.

Mathematics

A+ Math	Games, flashcards, worksheets, puzzles, and homework help are available to help elementary school students improve their fundamental math skills interactively.
Math Forum	A gateway to a wealth of math related resources, including activities, puzzles, and recommended links. It is accessible to all grades and hosts Ask Dr. Math.
Math League Help Topics	Straightforward explanations with examples on topics for students in grades 4 through 8.

Science

Endangered Species	The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife provides this site which contains lists of threatened and endangered species in the U.S. and abroad as well as information about policies and laws. The site contains a “Kids Corner” which includes a link for teachers.
California Botany	The University of California at Berkeley Digital Library Project created this page of information on California plants. The database contains over 8,000 vascular plants, which may be searched by part or all of the name. There are common name, scientific name, and family name indexes. Plants can also be searched by geographic area.
Ocean Link	These pages include information on many marine science topics, including marine biology, oceanography, marine mammals, seabirds, marine pollution, and much more. There is a section on marine animal records, such as deepest, fastest, smallest.
Geo Web	Geology master ste. Volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, dictionaries, geologic time sites, organizations, maps, minerals and much more. A great list of links to other sites.

History

Daily Life in Ancient Civilizations	Basic information on the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, and China, with an additional section on Early Man, geared toward elementary students.
Mystery of the Maya	Rich and well organized information on Mayan civilization, including religion, society and writing.
Mummies of Ancient Egypt	Plenty of information about mummies, as well as a hieroglyphics key, a timeline and a glossary.
The Middle Ages and the Renaissance	Developed in partnership with the Annenberg Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, these informative sites offer well organized information about these periods of history.
13 Originals	Overview of the original thirteen colonies, with maps and related links.
The Presidents of the United States	This site contains a picture and brief biography of every president, plus links to first lady bios and quizzes.
California Gold Rush	A virtual tour of the Oakland Museum’s exhibit on the gold rush, this site contains plenty of history, as well as photographs and art from the period.
The African American Journey	This World Book site for teens offers five chronological sections on black history. Click on sidebar links in each section to take an interactive quiz. Grades 9-12. Created by: World Book Encyclopedia, Chicago, IL.
Black History Month Activities	Here you’ll find 20 terrific classroom activities freely available from the Gale Group’s Black History Moth Resource Book. Grades K-12. Created by: Thompson Gale Group Publishers, Farmington Hills, MI.
Stand Up for Your Rights	A nice interactive site about the civil rights movement. Click on “Buzz” and meet Melba Beals, who describes her experience as on e of the first black students to integrate Little Rock High School during the 1960s. Grades 6-9. Created by: WGBH-Boston and the Public Broadcasting Service
Women’s History Month	Here you’ll find 15 classroom activities based on the Gale reference Celebrating Women’s History—from Mythic Women to the Best of Aretha Franklin—as well as biographies of famous women, and an interactive online quiz. Created by: Thompson Gale Group Publishers, Farmington Hills, MI.
Not for Ourselves Alone	A fascinating animated presentation on the lives of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and the women’s suffrage movement, based on the Ken Burns film Not for Ourselves Alone. Ideal as a classroom presentation. Created by: WETA, Washington, DC, and the Public Broadcasting Service.
Women of the Century	A “Note the Quote” game challenges students to correctly match a famous woman with a quote. (Need a hint? Click on “Get a Clue”) Created by: Discovery Communications, Inc., Bethesda, MD.
The Quest for Equality	This authoritative site, with sections on women’s suffrage and the modern women’s movement, contains excellent printable and online quizzes and puzzles. Created by: World Book Encyclopedia, Chicago, IL.
The Great War	Understand the history and effects of World War I. PBS provides interviews with historians, maps, timelines and recommended resources
The Second World War Encyclopedia	This well organized site provides biographies of important political figures, as well as a thorough history of the war.
The Holocaust	The Holocaust Memorial Museum provides a wealth of online activities and resources for educators and students.

Geography

Flags and Maps of the World	Clear graphic depictions of flags of the world with corresponding maps. Information provided by the CIA World Factbook.
World Factbook of Countries	This CIA source provides geographical, political, economic, and statistical information on the countries of the world. A basic map for each country is included, as well as numerous regional and world maps.

Visual and Performing Arts
 

Jazz Kids	This PBS site introduces Jazz interactively to kids.
National Gallery of Art	Learn about famous art and artists and tour the sculpture garden.
Art Safari	An interactive site from the Museum of Modern Art that invites kids to express what they see.

Great Sites en Español

Excelente Biblioteca	This subject index is a comprehensive homework help site for kids and teens, as well as a good place for teachers to find Spanish resources on lots of subjects. The original site (Awesome Library) is in English. Grades: 3-12. Created by: Dr. R. Jerry Adams, Evaluation and Development Institute, Portland, OR.
EduHound Español	A nice directory site that offers links to Spanish-only resources on Hispanic culture, history, health, reference, and more. There’s also a Bilingual Tutorials (Tutoría Bilingüe) section and links to Spanish language media, from newspapers to radio and television stations. Grades: 1-9. Created by: EduHound, Inc., Broad Brook, CT.

The information on this page was compiled from Gail Junion-Metz’s “Technowedge” columns in School Library Journal and from Cynthia MacDonald for the Infopeople project www.infopeople.org.