K-12 Atlases, Thesauri,
Dictionaries
and other Research Sites
by
Gina Otto

  Make sure to use the Edit/Find menu or "Control F" to FIND keywords on this page

Back to Table of Contents

Almanacs
Atlases and Maps
Biographical References
Dictionaries/Encyclopedias and Thesauri
Other Research Sites
TV/News

ALMANACS Back to the Top

FAST FACTS: ALMANACS/FACTBOOKS/STATISTICAL REPORTS & RELATED REFERENCE TOOLS -http://www.freepint.com/gary/handbook.htm
Need to look up a statistic fast? Try this reference list, which links to many government agencies and publishers to get the just the facts.  By NO stretch of the imagination is this resource intended to be a comprehensive tool but rather a guide to find "fast facts" like those you find in an almanac or statistical abstract.

INFORMATION PLEASE ALMANAC - http://www.infoplease.com/

TIME CAPSULE - http://dmarie.com/timecap/
Do you know what was the average price of a house when you were born?  Do you which movie won Best Picture the year you graduated from high school?  You can find out what happened on any day of any year   -

ATLASES AND MAPS      Back to the Top

ALTAPEDIA ON LINE - http://www.atlapedia.com
Atlapedia Online contains full color physical and political maps as well as key facts and statistics on countries of the world.

<>ANIMATED ATLAS: GROWTH OF A NATION - http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html
A ten minute narrated movie, divided into smaller segments, which depicts the geographic history of the United States from the beginning of the nation to fifty states. Geographic elements are interactive, as is the timeline. It will take sixty seconds to load with a 56K modem. A teachers' guide is located at http://www.animatedatlas.com/teachersguide.html#growth-class (Requires Flash 6.)

ATLAS FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC -
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/index.html

ATLAS OF WORLD CULTURE - http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ATLASES.HTM
From Washington State University, Historical atlases and map resources for Greece, Hebrews, Judea and Israel, India, Italian Renaissance, Japan and Rome.

CITY POPULATIONS  - http://www.citypopulation.de/
If you're looking for current population information for cities  around the globe, this is the place for you.  Print out a list of the abbreviations so that you can understand them before you get into the maps and tables. Figure population density of population by hectares.

CLIMATE MAP OF THE U.S. - http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/USclimate/states.fast.html
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this map is a JAVA applet of all fifty states; click on areas of interest to learn more about basic climatology or examine monthly rankings for temperature and  precipitation.

COLOR LANDFORM ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES - http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/states.html
This site offers a nice range of maps on each state, from the political and topographic to shaded relief maps and satellite images. It includes a post script map format which allows the user to download and print a map image of a state with ease on any printer. This site offers a nice cross-pollination of Social Studies and Science.

DEGREE CONFLUENCE PROJECT - http://www.confluence.org/index.php
The goal of the project is to visit each of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world, and to take pictures at each location. The pictures and stories will then be posted here.

GEOGRAPHY WORLD MAPS AND GLOBES - http://members.aol.com/bowermanb/maps.html
Great links to map sites and altases on the web.

GPS, MAP AND COMPASS  - http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/gps.html
USGS site with all kinds of information and guidelines for using GPS in the classroom. Includes web sites, step by step plans and ways to bring GPS coordinates into a GIS.

HISTORICAL MAPS - http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html
Need a historical map?  Do not miss this site.  It has everything, including links to gazetteers and other map sites of importance!!

INFOPLEASE ATLAS - http://www.infoplease.com/atlas
Infoplease Atlas is everything you'd want from an atlas, including maps, country profiles, flags and statistics. Enter via the clickable world map, or browse the map index. Best clicks are the nineteen geography quizzes, sixteen interactive crossword puzzles, geography glossary, world time zone maps, and printable outline maps of the United States and the seven continents. What are the "seven seas?" Click on over to Geography FAQ to find out. Be sure to bookmark this site for school reports.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: GEOGRAPHY & MAPS - AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE - http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/guide/
The LOC's Geography and Map Division today functions as the National Map Library. Its primary responsibility is developing the Library's cartographic collections.

LOST AT SEA - THE SEARCH FOR LONGITUDE - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/
Nova offers this intriguing look into navigation and the use of maps to determine your location. The site covers the use of the Global Positioning System, How to Find Your Longitude and the Ancient Navigators.

MAJOR WORLD CITIES - http://geography.about.com/library/city/blcities.htm
A list of cities from About.com by Matt Rosenberg on his Geography page.

MAPORAMA.COM - http://maporama.com
Print out a street level map of just about any address in the world.  Put multiple addresses and the site will map out directions between points A, B and C.  whether it's Mongolia or Zambia, France or Australia, this site will find  your spots in seconds. Recommended by Yahoo Magazine

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAP MACHINE - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps/
Not just an online version of a printed atlas, National Geographic's Map Machine lets you create and save your own customized maps. A few examples of your mapping choices include Degree of Ecosystem Threats, Annual Precipitation, Recent Earthquakes or Mineral Resources. Of course, political maps (as well as flags, statistics and all the country stuff you need for school reports) are also available

ONLINE MAP CREATION - http://www.aquarius.geomar.de/omc/
Create maps interactively at this site. Fill out the form, submit your entries and a page with the desired map will be returned to your browser. The result is a GIF image you can download and save on your hard drive!
PERRY CASTENEDA LIBRARY MAP COLLECTION - http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html
Need a historical map?  Do not miss this site.  It has everything, including links to gazetteers and other map sites of importance!!

TIGER MAP SERVICE - http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapbrowse-tbl
The site, using 1990 census figures, by the U.S. Census Bureau allows you to custom design maps based on coordinates or the name of a city and state. Create your own custom legend showing all the features you want highlighted and omitting unnecessary information. Best of all, the maps can be saved to disk for use off-line in classroom projects.

THE US50 - A GUIDE TO THE FIFTY STATES - http://www.theus50.com/
Click on a state for interesting information.

USGS GEOGRAPHIC NAMES INFORMATION SYSTEM - http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form
Just type in information on the region you're interested in and have access to the U.S.G.S. resources on that region. A little slow loading (like all USGS sites), this site is worth the wait.

WORLD FACT BOOK - http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
Great site. Information about all the countries of the world. Includes maps, and information like, life expectancy, water sources. Everything you need to know from the CIA.

WORLD GAZETTEER - http://www.world-gazetteer.com/
This site uses 2000 census figures.  How many inhabitants has your city or your region? This site provides population figures for thousands of cities, towns and regions of all countries.

WORLD MAPS, TRAVEL GUIDES, TOURISM & TIME ZONE MAPS - http://www.find-our-community.net/
Country finder, travel links and other stuff. Just click on what you want and then hit print.  Voila!  Youíve got it.

WORLD TIME INTERACTIVE WORLD ATLAShttp://www.worldtime.com
 

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BIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Back to the Top

ASK JEEVES-KIDS - http://www.askforkids.com//
Type in where can I find the biography of ..

AWESOME LIBRARY - BIOGRAPHY - http://www.awesomelibrary.org/Classroom/Social_Studies/Biographies/Biographies.html

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY - http://www.s9.com/biography/
Includes more than 25,000 notable men and women who have shaped our world from ancient times to the present day. It can be searched by names, birth years, death years, positions held, professions, literary and artistic works, miscellaneous achievements, and other keywords.

BIOGRAPHIES - http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Miscellaneous/Popular.html
Over 1350 neat biographies of people in math and science through the ages.

BIOGRAPHIES OF PEOPLE 1000-1500 - http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/chart5.html

BIOGRAPHIES OF PEOPLE 1500-2000 - http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/chart6.html
 

BIOGRAPHIES OF SOME NOTABLE PEOPLE - http://historymedren.about.com/education/historymedren/msubmenunote.htm
Scroll down to the entries you need, like Who's Who in Medieval History, or click on the side (Renaissance or Reformation) for more.

BLACK HISTORY - http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/AfroAm.html
Nice overview of what's available, including links, a subject sampler, interactive treasure hunt, a Webquest and video conferencing
events.

DISCOVERERS WEB HOMEPAGE - http://www.win.tue.nl/~engels/discovery/
Links and information on voyages of discovery including an alphabetical listing of explorers, chronological lists, sources.  Whatever you need, it is here.

DISCOVER THE RENAISSANCE - http://education.iupui.edu/webquests/rennais/rennai.htm
By high school teachers Melissa Daves and Jennifer Dunn; art, history, math, science, health and government during the Renaissance - great webquest!  You can take a tour using the Renaissance Map or do research on people of the time.

DISTINGUISHED WOMEN - http://www.DistinguishedWomen.com/subject/field.html
Categorized by fields of work, this site covers important women and their roles contributing to society.

ERIK WEISSTEIN'S TREASURE TROVES OF SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHIES - http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/
Cross-referenced entries of 209 figures and counting...great.

ESSENTIALS OF MUSIC - http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/
The site contains biographies of 70 composers and 200 definitions of many words connected to music, with examples.

FAMOUS HISPANICS IN THE WORLD AND HISTORY - http://coloquio.com/famosos/alpha.html
Links to biographies of important Hispanic men and women.

INVENTORS AND INVENTIONS THEME PAGE - http://www.cln.org/themes/inventors.html
Links to resources and instructional materials to aid in incorporating creative thinking into your Science classroom; presented by CLN    Links to Ancient inventions, etc.

INVENTORS MUSEUM - http://www.inventorsmuseum.com/museum_map.htm
This online resource has different categories than other inventor sites.  African American, Colonial, and women inventors are featured, as are communication inventions, medical inventions, and transportation technology. The fun and games directory has inventions from the sport of golf. Take the Inventors IQ Test for fun.

JIM THORPE - http://www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe/index.php
Definitive site on the man who made his fame in the Olympics only to lose his medals because he was determined to not have amateur athlete status; great info and pics with lots of resources.

<>KIDSCLICK BIOGRAPHY - http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/searchkids.pl?searchtype=subject&keywords=biography&title=Biography
Links to all kids of biographical information, from quotes by Corrie TenBoom, to Einstein for Kids, to Nat Turner.

MARTIN LUTHER KING SCAVENGER HUNThttp://tstrong.com/mlking/index.htm
This site can be used with children of all ages. It has audio, pictures, questions to download, a lesson plan, and a PowerPoint template.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.: THE KING CENTER - http://www.thekingcenter.com
A living memorial to Dr. King, this site describes the center and its history, its rograms and research facilities.

PEOPLE PAST AND PRESENT - http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/people.html
The  sites are recommended for children from preschool through age 14, their parents, and other caregivers. Recommendations apply only to sites listed, not to any sites that may be linked from these sites.  Links include:biographies,  Cultures of the World, World History, United States History: General United States history: Pre Colonial To 1865.

THE PRESIDENTS - http://ginaotto.com/presidentsites.html
Check the Innovative Teaching site for links to all the presidents from Washington to Clinton

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S BLACK BASEBALL -http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1997/blackbaseball/timeline.html
As far back as the Civil War, African-Americans were playing organized baseball.  This site details the history of the African-Americansí struggles in the sport of baseball.  Long before Jackie Robinson played for the Dodgers there was a black baseball league and a long history prior to it.

WHO'S WHO IN AMERICAN HISTORY - http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/bios/bios.html
Covers important figures in American history from the Civil War to the present: eras, names, occupations, photos

WHO'S WHO IN MEDIEVAL & RENAISSANCE HISTORY - http://historymedren.about.com/library/who/blwwabout.htm
"The 'Who's Who in Medieval History' project is intended to help you find information about significant individuals from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, when available, on the web and in print. Each page will offer a brief explanation of who the individual was and why he or she is important or interesting in medieval and Renaissance studies. For more information, be sure to investigate the websites or books provided." Has Chronological Index. Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society, amd Geographical Index

WOMEN IN SCIENCE - http://crux.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/4000WS.html
Biographies, photographs and references of women in science in the past 4,000 years.

WOMEN IN SCIENCE - http://library.thinkquest.org/20117/
ThinkQuest site: Registry for Women Scientists, Electronic Field Trips, Mentoring, Future Scientists, Interviews, and Teacher Resources -  Here you can get an overview of several women of past and present who are involved in science. TURN THE SOUND DOWN!.

WOMEN'S HISTORY - http://womenshistory.about.com/
From Just-Ain't-So Stories to biographies, this site contains information about rulers, queena, first ladies, art, sports and other things women.  Click along the sides.

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DICTIONARIES, ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND THESAURUS Back to the Top
 

DICTIONARY - http://www.onelook.com/

DICTIONARY LINK  - http://www.dictionarylink.com
A nice compilation of free online dictionaries, thesaurus, language translators, encyclopedias, crossword solvers, quotes and other language resources. Also contains an alternate page with links to major news sources and newspapers (http://www.dictionarylink.com/news.html).

ENCARTA ENCYCLOPEDIA - http://encarta.msn.com/artcenter_/browse.html
Encarta offers 17,000 articles from their CD-ROM encyclopedia, hundreds of related multimedia clips, a talking dictionary, a world atlas,  and Schoolhouse (a resource for educators.)  

ENCYCLOPEDIA.COM - http://www.encyclopedia.com/
Composed of 50,000 articles from the Columbia Encyclopedia.  Each entry is short but includes hyperlinked references to other encyclopedia articles, as well as links to periodicals and images in the fee-based Electric Library.  A single click of the "Search Encarta" button (on the right-hand side) performs a related search at Encarta.com, making  Encyclopedia.com a good place to start your research.

ENCYCLOPEDIA MYTHICA - http://www.pantheon.org/
Online reference tool for all things to do with mythology: 4300 definitions of gods and goddesses, supernatural beings and legendary creatures and monsters from all over the world.

ENCYCLOPEDIA SMITHSONIAN - http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/start.htm

FACT MONSTER  - http://www.factmonster.com/
Formerly Information Please: Kids' Almanac, this online dictionary, encyclopedia and homework helper is a site where kids can search for information about people, sports, the  U.S., the world, fun facts, science, and more. Included are links to a  Homework Center, Word of the Day, Today in History, and Today's Birthday information.

HANDSPEAK  - http://www.handspeak.com/
A practical sign language online dictionary. Contains some signs not found in other online dictionaries. You may need to subscribe to get what you want,

ROGET'S THESAURUS - http://humanities.uchicago.edu/forms_unrest/ROGET.html

SCHOOLWORK, UGH! - http://www.schoolwork.org/forum/
Search this site for all kinds of help in every subject, from Britannica Internet Guide.  It is no longer being updated, but has great stuff.

THESAURUS - http://thesaurus.reference.com/

VIRTUAL REFERENCE DESK - http://www.refdesk.com/facts.html
Everything you wanted to know about everything, with a search function.

VISUAL THESAURUS - http://www.visualthesaurus.com/
An amazing application of technology in which the learner actually watches terms being spun into webs of meaning; move your cursor towards different places on the JAVA applet and watch new terms dynamically emerge, interact and evolve into related meanings - DYNAMITE STUFF! It is an explanation of sense relationships within the English language. By clicking on words, you follow a thread of meaning, creating a spatial map of linguistic associations. The Visual Thesaurus was built using Thinkmapô, a data-animation technology developed by Plumb Design.

WORLD FACT BOOK - http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

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OTHER RESEARCH SITES  Back to the Top

ACRONYM AND ABBREVIATION LIST - http://silmaril.ie/cgi-bin/uncgi/acronyms
Searchable database containing common acronyms and abbreviations about all subjects.

AMERICAN MEMORY - http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
From the Library of Congress, a searchable database of its online digital collection - priceless.

ANIMAL PICTURES ARCHIVE - http://AnimalPicturesArchive.com/
From Bioinfo, over 16,000 images posted specifically for educational use. Most of the images in this archive were downloaded from the newsgroups.

ASK AN EXPERT - http://www.askanexpert.com
Ask an expert about a topic at Pitsco's website.  Just pick a category.

ASK AN EXPERT - http://www.able2know.com
This is a volunteer run site and you must register (free), but there can never be enough expert information available.

ASK A QUESTION - http://www.ipl.org/youth/ref.html
For kids under 13, this is run by the Internet Public Library, whose staff evaluates Web sites and organizes them into categories.  Sometimes help can be emailed if it cannot be found directly.

ASK JEEVES FOR KIDS - http://www.askforkids.com/
Kids write a question and Jeeves will find an answer that will link to student appropriate websites.

ASK DOCTOR MATH - http://mathforum.org/dr.math/dr-math.html
A comprehensive site for common quests plus a link to contact Dr. Math yourself if you can't find your answer on his site.

ASK DR. SCIENCE - http://www.drscience.com/
Heard daily on radio stations and seen in 3D at DotComix website, you can have his question sent to you by email or read it on the Internet.  Check out the Mystery Theatre, or submit a question, or read previous questions.  The information is amazing!!

AWESOME LIBRARY K-12 EDUCATION DIRECTORY - http://www.awesomelibrary.org/
The Awesome Library organizes the Web with 15,000 carefully reviewed resources, including the top 5 percent in education.  You can browse in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese.

BARTLETT'S FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS - http://www.bartleby.com/99/index.html
This is 9th edition from 1901 put online by Columbia University. Has a keyword search tool, index of authors and more.

BEAKMAN and JAX - http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/set/4567/ex.html
No longer available at Bonus.com - you can find lots of experiments at this site. Some are obsolete links.

CARTOONISTS' INDEX - http://www.cagle.com/teacher/
The largest collection of newspaper editorial cartoons on the web --updating current cartoons from 54 newspaper editorial cartoonists PLUS lesson plans for using the editorial cartoons as a teaching tool in Social Sciences, Art, Journalism and English at all levels.
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION - http://www.cdc.gov/
News, statistics, traveler's information, health information and publications and products from the CDC,  Do you need to know how to cure Bubonic Plague?  You will get your answers here.

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE WEB GUIDE - http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
Books, awards, authors, resources, lessons and ideas for the classroom -very comprehensive and it's quick and easy to load and use.  Good lessons!.

CONGRESSIONAL DOCUMENTS - http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lawhome.html
Covering the US Congress from 1774 through 1873, includes House and Senate Journals, Annals and a search of all Law titles.  Featured is the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson.

CONTACT A U.S. REPRESENTATIVEhttp://clerk.house.gov/

CONTACT A U.S. SENATORhttp://www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm

COPYRIGHT FOR EDUCATORS - http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/copy.htm
Want the info on the legalities of intellectual property usage online? Copyright for Educators will deliver! Excellent information on Fair Use policies and Copyright presented specifically for educators and our unique needs for students working with digital text and graphics.

DIGITAL LIBRARIAN - http://www.digital-librarian.com
A librarian's choice of the best of the web, this is a fine catalog of subject area; online book reviews, periodicals, articles and data bases at your fingertips - easily searchable.

DISCOVERERS WEB HOMEPAGE - http://www.win.tue.nl/~engels/discovery/
Links and information on voyages of discovery including an alphabetical listing of explorers, chronological lists, sources.  Whatever you need, it is here.

DITTO.COM - http://ditto.com
The premier way to search for pictures.  If there is a picture on the web, Ditto will find it. Just enter a term and search for pictures of it like Pokemon, James Bond, etc.  Or by topic like Holidays, Animals, Sports, etc.

EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK  - http://www.ernweb.com/
Easy access to the best print and electronic research information available in education. Up-to-date research on teaching, classroom management, psychology, testing, child development, and cognitive science.

EURO DOCUMENTS - http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Main_Page
Looking for primary source material?  Western European (mainly primary) historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated.

EUROPEAN VOYAGES OF EXPLORATION - http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/eurvoya/
Links to everything about anything having to do with exploration.  Great information and pictures from the University of Calgary.

FIND A ZIP CODE -   http://www.framed.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/lookup_zip+4.html

FIND SOMEONE'S ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER - http://www.switchboard.com/

FLAGS - http://www.wave.net/upg/immigration/flags.html
Flags of all the countries, territories and sub-national regions. There are over 260 pages on countries and international organizations. Each page contains basic information on the country, including its formal name, capital city, area, population, currency, languages, and religions. The flags include the national and state flags, ensigns, and sub-national flags. Where countries have changed their flags in the last few years the old flag is also shown.

FLAGS OF THE WORLD - http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/
World flag database hs a list of all the organizations, countries, territories and sub-national regions. Countries and territories are shown in bold. Sub-national regions have their country shown in brackets. Note that where an overseas territory is considered a part of its parent country it is marked as a sub-national (eg. French Guiana).

FOREIGN LANGUAGES FOR TRAVELERS - http://www.travlang.com/languages/
THERE ARE LOTS OF ADS BEFORE YOU GET TO THE PAGE. BUT not only does this site allow students to select a language and translate phrases, they also hear the language being spoken, join a chat room using that language, and they can even examine exchange rates with U.S. currency.

FOUNDING.COM - http://www.founding.com/home.htm
A site full of original documents from the founding of America to Civil War times from the Claremont Institute, its primary concern is the Declaration of Independence and issues.  A great database and searchable index.  All documents have been scanned into the site, so no need to wait for long- site downloads from other sources. Great documents, use comments with usual caution.

GATEWAY TO EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS (GEM) - http://www.thegateway.org
Type a topic, grade level, and other information into a search screen that then retrieves -- from more than 140 federal, state, university, non-profit, and commercial organizations web sites -- lessons, instructional units, and other free educational materials on that topic, for that grade level. A GEM search retrieves fewer resources than most search tools, and with more precision. Also, in the future, teachers will be able to search and find resources by state academic standards.

GOVERNMENT LINKS - http://government.thelinks.com/
Links to online sites for state, federal and world government offices - very complete.

HIGH SCHOOL ACE - http://HighSchoolAce.com
Not just for High Schoolers - this is an academic resource for students (and teachers) with a research and reference desk, daily sites, links to CNN, NY Times, subject guides, search engines and web directories and games and puzzles.  High school teachers, try it, you may like it.  I like the links to magazines, newpapers and TV stations in the Social Studies section.

THE HISTORY INDEX - http://vlib.iue.it/history/index.html
From the University of Kansas, links to all social studies subjects by eras and epochs, historical topics and countries and regions.

HOMEWORK HELP - http://homeworkhelp.about.com/
This site has a list of annotated links best suited for older elementary and junior high students.

THE HOMEWORK WIZARD - http://www.express.howstuffworks.com/homework.htm
News and weather sites, plus links to encyclopedias, general references, maps, history and biographies, people and population, science and math.  You name it and it is probably here. Currently off line.

HOW FAR IS IT? http://www.indo.com/distance/
Just type in two places in the world and the distance will be calculated for you.  From the U.S. Census Bureau

HOW STUFF WORKS - http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Ever wonder how toilets work?  Or how bread works, even how time works?  Check it out here.
THE IMAGE SEARCHER - http://www.ditto.com/
Search the Internet by words or pictures and the results will be thumbnail pictures of the results of your request.  A search for "maps" got more than 6400 hits (all images).  Be sure to type in a narrowed search.  The thumbnails have links to details and URLs.  Clicking on the URL gives you the enlarged picture and takes you to the linked page.  Great!!.

INFOMINE - http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Beyond K-12 research resources, this database includes a broad range of educational collections. Government, science, social science, maps.

INTERNET LIBRARY FOR LIBRARIANS - http://www.itcompany.com/inforetriever/
This Infoworks site presents a highly categorized collection of links touted as "The Most Popular Information Resource Site for Librarians Since 1994". Included are the cream of Internet reference sources broken down into familiar headings, librarian links specifically for the library professional and his/her clientele, and a collection of 'accessories' that support the needs of information specialists at all levels in all capacities. Truly practical.

INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE - http://imdb.com
Contains millions of facts about films--cast, credits, goofs.

INSTRUCTOR MAGAZINE - http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor.htm
Lesson plans, teacher forums, teacher exchanges, from the Scholastic company.

INTERNET PUBLIC LIBRARY - http://www.ipl.org/
Links to its reference center, its exhibits, 2300 magazines that can be searched or browsed through, on-line newspapers, and sections for teens and youth.

KIDSCLICK - http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/
A websearch for kids site by librarians.  Includes encyclopedias, atlases, dictionaries and more, with a searchable database.

KIDSNET - http://www.kidsnet.org.
A national resource for children's television and radio.  You can search the Kidsnet Media Guide by grade level, title, special needs, rating, curriculum area or program description to find programs and support materials from preschool to high school.  Only program that reflect the Kidsnet philosophy and meet educational criteria are included.  They even have off-air taping rights for each network

KIDS TOOLS FOR SEARCHING THE INTERNET - http://www.rcls.org/ksearch.htm
The Kid's Search tools include Encarta, Wordsmyth, dictionary, and others.  Just find the one you want to search on and go.

THE LAST WORD  - http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/
Did you ever wonder?..If you did, this site is for you. Readers of NewScientist Magazine, a weekly publication from the UK, write in with unanswered science questions. One might be: Have you noticed brown bread toasts more quickly than white bread?  Several reasons are suggested.

LAW LIBRARY RESOURCE EXCHANGE - http://www.llrx.com/

LAWSUITS AND OTHER PUBLIC RECORDS - http://www.knowx.com

LEGENDS - http://bestoflegends.org/
History, literature, and lore presented with the promise of guided access to primary source material and up-to-date scholarship, personal essays and extended reviews, and historical surveys and thoughtful commentary

LIBCAT - http://www.librarysites.info/
You are in for a no-nonsense, professional listing of the best major libraries online and the resources offered. It includes special collections, public databases and a slew of library support materials. Fully searchable, users can also recommend a site they would like to see added, so it is always growing and improving.

LIBRARIANS INDEX THE INTERNET. - http://lii.org/
Browse by topic and use the search function.

LIBRARIAN'S YELLOW PAGES - http://www.librariansyellowpages.com/main_content/home.aspx
Here is the cybrarian's best friend; a cataloging of librarian web pages online so that the profession as a whole may support one another in their efforts to become digital information specialists. Common sense categories include Audio & Video, Automation, Books and Periodicals, CD-ROMs and Software, Equipment, Furnishings and Supplies, Internet/Online Resources, Library Services, A School Librarian`s Resource Guide, A Law Librarian`s Resource Guide, and my personal favorite, Impossible to Find Library Resource Information

MIDI FILE SEARCH - http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~ckelly/midi/help/midi-search.html
Looking for the words or music?  Click here and search. Or try http://www.manythings.org/midi/

NATION MASTER - http://www.nationmaster.com/
Welcome to NationMaster, a massive central data source and a handy way to graphically compare nations. NationMaster is a vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, UN, and OECD. Using the form above, you can generate maps and graphs on all kinds of statistics with ease.They want to be the web's one-stop resource for country statistics on everything from soldiers to wall plug voltages. Easy to browse through, the site will be helpful for students looking for basic statistics on the world's different countries.

MY VIRTUAL ENCYCLOPEDIA - http://www.refdesk.com/myency.html

THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE - http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/index.html
Declassified U.S. Government documents are available from George Washington University. Some of these primary sources include "The Real Thirteen Days" (Cuban Missile Crisis), "Fujimori's Rasputin" (background documents that explain Peru's sudden shift in leadership), and the "U.S. and Chinese Nuclear Programs (1960-1964)." Many documents have blacked out areas that contain information that still might threaten national security.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS - http://www.lib.washington.edu/sla/natmus.html
Natural history is defined as the scientific study of the natural world on a macro level. It includes the specific disciplines of anthropology and archaeology, botany, zoology, paleontology, geology, meteorology, and astronomy.  Links to many natural history museums.

NEWSPAPER - http://www.refdesk.com/paper.html
Newpapers, USA and worldwide.

NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS - http://www.crayon.net/using/links.html
The latest periodical information on the internet, brought to us by Crayon.  Magazines, Newspapers, and other links, sorted by U.S. Canada, Local, World and topics.

NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION (DETROIT FREE PRESS) - http://dnie.com/
Topical units, weekly lesson plans, daily news discussion questions to help you integrate print media into your curriculum.

NICKELODEON ONLINE - http://www.nick.com/index.jhtml
Skip the sign-in and the site loads. For a cool site with fun games and great animation, look to Nickelodeon Online. Whap the digital piñata, help CatDog grab the tacos, and browse the Nicktionary, filled with words made up by kids. Close the box that pops up.

NY TIMES LESSONS - http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/index.html
Each day one article is selected from the newspaper and a lesson is created based upon that article. Every subject area is visited somewhere along the line - you can check the archive for older articles - they are sorted by subject area.

THE OFFICIAL U.S. TIMEhttp://www.time.gov/
As more students and teachers collaborate with other around the nation via chat and videoconferencing, it's helpful to know the correct time. This site provides just that in an elegant interface. Also, in its list of related links, users can access other sites about clocks, time, and calendars. Similarly, you can access another site for the correct time internationally.

ONELOOK DICTIONARY - http://www.onelook.com/

<>ONLINE MEDIEVAL AND CLASSICAL LIBRARY - http://omacl.org/
The Online Medieval and Classical Library (OMACL) is a collection of some of the most important literary works of Classical and Medieval civilization.  Has a searchable database by title, author, genre or language and you can search all the texts in the collection as well for words, phrases, etc.  A great site.
ON LINE CITATION STYLES - http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html
When you finish your report, this is how you need to cite your sources.  Great place!

PBS TEACHER SOURCE - http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/
A growing inventory of more than 1,300 free lesson plans, teacher guides and online student activities. This expanded PBS Teacher Source offers a profusion of new content and features, including easier access to curriculum, and professional development and community resources provided by PBS stations across the country. The first Web site to correlate each of its classroom activities to national and state curriculumstandards.

PRIMARY SOURCES AND ACTIVITIES - http://www.archives.gov/
This page contains reproducible copies of primary documents from the holdings of the National Archives of the United States, teaching activities correlated to the National History Standards and National Standards for Civics and Government, and cross-curricular connections. They are listed in Chronological order.

PRINTABLE MAPS - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps/
Just click on the country, province, continent or area you wish a map of, and there it is, ready to print.

PUPPET RESOURCE CENTER - http://www.legendsandlore.com/puppet-resource.html
How to make sock puppets, sack puppets, write plays, teach history, teach math, teach English are just some of the subjects on this page.

RAGING SEARCH  - http://www.altavista.com/sites/search/text?raging=1
This is a newer, quicker search engine brought to you by Altavista which indexes 250 million unique Webpages, using text relevance and link analysis to bring you the best results. You can choose to customize this search engine to your computer and you can add a child filter. However, this filter is very easy to turn on; therefore, easy to turn off.

REFDESK.COM HISTORICAL INFORMATION RESOURCES - http://www.refdesk.com/facthist.html
A wonderful alphabetical listing of historical information sources, lessons and references.  A must use.

RESEARCH IT! - http://www.iTools.com/research-it/
A very thorough page offering tools for reference work, languages, library work, geography, financial research, shipping and mailing info, and educational listservs. Nice no nonsense approach.  You can also translate words, phrases, pages.

RESEARCH TOOLS - http://www.loc.gov/rr/tools.html
From the Library of Congress, allowing you to not only peruse their own fabulous data bases, but to make use of online catalogs and resources from other institutions' online offerings.

REVERSE PHONE DIRECTORY- http://reversephonedirectory.com

SMITHSONIAN - http://smithsonianeducation.org/educators/index.html
LESSONS from the Smithsonian in Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Arts.

SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCES - http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/index.html
Current events, online activities, lesson plans, resources, newsgroups and mailing lists

SO YOU HAVE TO DO A RESEARCH PROJECT? - http://www.ri.net/schools/East_Greenwich/research.html
Start the year out right by giving 4th to 8th grade students information to help them complete a research project; access tips, worksheets, and resources that help build information literacy skills.

THE SPORTING NEWS - http://www.sportingnews.com/

STATE REPORTS - http://www.50states.com
An excellent source of facts, pictures and information about state birds, and links to favorite 5th grade sites including Mayan folktales translated, Biographies of Famous Americans - updated monthly.

STOP JUNK MAIL  - http://www.junkbusters.com

STUDENT RESEARCH TOOLS WEB TOUR - http://lone-eagles.com/webtour5.htm
Spend just three minutes at each site to appreciate the volume and quality of what's available, and then return to your favorite sites later for more in-depth exploration. Here are 30 minute mini-tours of the best resources on key topics.

10,000 YEAR CALENDAR - http://calendarhome.com/tyc/
On this site, you type in a date and it gives you the events etc. that occurred then.  It's fun to do for the kids birthdays and briefly discuss what happened when they were born.
TRANSLATE ANY FOREIGN LANGUAGE - http://babelfish.altavista.com/
Just type in any text, or website, and translations happen.

TRANSLATORhttp://www.systransoft.com/
Try this translator to translate a web page.  Enter the URL and you are on your way.  Or, you can paste in text.  Either way, you are no longer limited to English pages for sources and information.

U.S.G.S. SEISMOLOGY SITE - http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/
Database on current and general earthquake data, as well as station codes and coordinates

U.S. TRAVEL WARNINGS - http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.html

THE UNITED STATE PLAYING CARD COMPANY: GAME RULES - http://www.usplayingcard.com/
Rules for new games, old games, and childrens' games can be found at this website.  From Rummy to Go Fish, find out how the games are played. Included is a short history of playing cards and a glossary of card playing terms.

VIRTUAL LIBRARY - http://vlib.org/
This site has a nice, simple design that puts a premium on quick loading links and a search function.

VIRTUAL REFERENCE DESK - http://www.refdesk.com/facts.html
Everything you wanted to know about everything, with a search function

WORLD FACT BOOK - http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

ZIP CODE, AREA CODE, CITY, COUNTY & TIME ZONE CROSS REFS - http://zip.langenberg.com/
Just type in the code and it will bring up all kinds of geographic and demographic data on a community or region - even zip code maps.

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TELEVISION & NEWS SOURCES

LOCAL/NATIONAL NEWS SITES:

CNN - http://www.cnn.com/
Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com
New York Times (requires registration for searches) - http://www.nytimes.com
MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
Boston Globe - http://www.boston.com/news/globe/
Los Angeles Times - http://www.latimes.com
San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner - http://www.sfgate.com
WASHINGTON POST KIDSPOST - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/kidspost/orbit/kidspost.html
Free registration required. This great American newspaper hosts this online kid's site to promote awareness and understanding of global news. In addition to first class news reporting, KidsPost offers special functions like Brain Food features a daily BrainPop movie and Poll and Speak Up which allow students to interactively express their opinions and see immediate results. Be sure to look at the Features link which includes animals, books, school science and sports.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS SITES:

BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk
Arabic News - http://www.ArabicNews.com
Sydney Morning Herald -  http://www.smh.com.au

OTHER NEWS AND CONTENT:

Environmental News Network - http://enn.com
NASA Online - http://www.nasa.gov
PEOPLE MAGAZINE - http://people.aol.com/people/index.html
Thomas - US Congress on the Internet - http://thomas.loc.gov

tvTV STATIONS

A & E CLASSROOM - http://www.aetv.com/class/
Great resources for educators, lesson plans and study guides from the Arts and Entertainment Channel.

ABC - http://abc.go.com
Get the scoop on sports, prime time shows, soaps, Saturday morning programming, and daytime TV. Shop for music, books, and videos.

AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSICS - AMC - http://www.amctv.com
The most up-to-date schedule of the cable channel's movies.  Choose from daily weekly or monthly schedules.  You can print too!

ARCHAELOGY CHANNEL VIDEO GUIDE - http://www.archaeologychannel.org/content/videoguide.asp
The Video Guide is a list of short, free videos featuring various archaelogical sites all over the world. The Guide can be sorted alphabetically, by location, or using a visual map of the world. The Archaeology Channel utilizes media (films, news, commentary, interactive programs, etc.) to provide information about  "past human lifeways." In addition to the videos, there are audio tracks and Teacher Resources (http://www.archaeologychannel.org/content/TeacherResources.asp). The Teacher Resources includes links to Activities, Exhibits, Interactive, Lesson Plans , Newsletters , Organizations, Programs, Workshops, and more.

BRAVO - http://www.bravotv.com/
Film and Arts Network offers original programming, five star and world cinema, independent films, interviews, contests and coming attractions

CABLE IN THE CLASSROOM - http://www.ciconline.org/
This $2 million-per-week effort, supported by 39 national cable networks and over 8,500 local cable companies, provides schools across the U.S. with free cable service and over 540 hours per month of commercial-free educational programming. Check out our Spotlight for information about links to life skills lesson plans, searchable Curriculum Connections and the Connected Schools guide for K-8 principals. Download four free Workshop Handouts you can print, copy, and distribute: web site directory, programming at a glance, blank taping calendar, and a videotaping request form!

<>CBS - http://www.cbs.com/
Find information about the national network's programming, schedules, and affiliates. Includes daily news and sports reports.

CW TELEVISION NETWORK - http://thewb.warnerbros.com/web/index.jsp
Formerly WB, this is the official web site for the Warner Bros. television network, featuring links to web sites for its major shows.

DISCOVERY CHANNEL - http://school.discovery.com
Lessons and matching Discovery Channel programming.  Links to The Learning Channel as well.

FOX - http://www.fox.com/home.htm
The FOX network, shows and other stuff.
THE HISTORY CHANNEL - http://www.historychannel.com/index.html
Check milestones of the millennium or search for any topic, any time.
THE LEARNING CHANNEL - http://www.tlc.com
On line lessons, broadcast information and fun things to do.

NBC - http://www.nbc.com/
Find extensive information on NBC shows and stars - plus original online episodes of favorite NBC programs and frequent live celebrity chats.

NICKELODEON ONLINE - http://www.nick.com/index.jhtml?_requestid=2449260&TimeZone=-3
Click the sign in screen off and the site loads. For a cool site with fun games and great animation, look to Nickelodeon Online. Whap the digital piñata, help CatDog grab the tacos, and browse the Nicktionary, filled with words made up by kids. Click the window closed when you first access the site.
PBS TEACHER SOURCE - http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/
A growing inventory of more than 1,300 free lesson plans, teacher guides and online student activities. This expanded PBS Teacher Source offers a profusion of new content and features, including easier access to curriculum, and professional development and community resources provided by PBS stations across the country. The first Web site to correlate each of its classroom activities to national and state curriculumstandards.

TECHTV - http://www.g4tv.com/
Television about computing" network's site is integrated with its programming. Tour the studio or surf the shows, schedules and features

TIME FOR KIDS - http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/news/index.html
Free Classroom connection. This online newsmagazine is suitable for upper elementary/middle school-aged students because TIME's content has been geared down for younger readers. Many of the articles focus on subjects of particular interest to kids, and there's a complete archive and a futuristic multimedia section. The Teacher section contains lots of lesson ideas and opportunities for extending your use of TFK in the classroom, and the Parent section is a great tool to share with your families.

UPN - http://www.upn.com
Official Web site for the Paramount Network provides games for kids and TV fans, photo galleries, a schedule, preview clips and show summaries.

WEATHER CLASSROOM - http://www.weather.com/education/
Presented by the Weather Channel, this site has excellent projects, including the Weather Classroom, Look Up, Weather Focus, and On the Safe Side. You can even order tapes of programs you missed.
 

ALSO SEE DIRECTORIES AND SEARCH ENGINES

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Last Updated - August, 2007

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