K12 Lessons, Sources and the Internet Research Sites

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

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 -

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

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.

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.

HISTORICAL MAPS - http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html
Current pictures and maps here. But if you need a historical map, do not miss this site. It has everything, including links to gazetteers and other map sites of importance!! In January, 2010 you could see photos of the golf course where Haitian residents took refuge after the devastating earthquake.

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.

MAJOR CITIES OF THE WORLD - http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-city-maps/
Page opens with a world map with major cities on it. Along the left hand side is a list of links of citie which gives maps of the city and info on the country in which it resides. Interesting stuff.

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

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!!

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

WORLD FACT BOOK - https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
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.

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

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.

MARTIN LUTHER KING SCAVENGER HUNT - http://tstrong.com/
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.org
A living memorial to Dr. King, this site describes the center and its history, its programs and research facilities.

"Here you will find some of the most comprehensive articles and list of the many and varied personalities in American History, from interesting characters of the Old West such as outlaws, painted ladies, Native Americans, and the U.S Cavalry, to Presidents, Explorers, Traders and Trappers, Women and lots more!" Check it out.

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 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." Has Chronological Index. Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society, amd Geographical Index

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).

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.

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/
Sign language online dictionary. Contains some signs not found in other online dictionaries. You may need to subscribe to get what you want,

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.

ACRONYM AND ABBREVIATION LIST - http://acronyms.silmaril.ie/index.html#0
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://animal.memozee.com/
From Bioinfo, over 16,000 images posted specifically for educational use. Most of the images in this archive were downloaded from the newsgroups.

ANSWERS EXPERT NETWORK - http://www.answers.com/experts
Another helpful site where you can find out almost anything. Divided by categories or ask random questions. There are even coupons available on the site. This was suggested by "Maggie" who says "This page is a directory of all the Experts that we have brought on board to write articles for our site. You may have heard of us - we are a top 25 comScore site with over 180 million registered users. Our expert network is made up of professionals with credentials and advanced degrees in their field who write articles and answer thousands of questions a day." Try it out.

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!! Listed as an attack site so may not load.

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.tv.com/shows/beakmans-world/
The show ended in 1998, but it is the science is still relevant. You can download or watch programs from the l990s. Or "You Can with Beakman and Jax" ask questions at http://www.beakman.com/

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!

CNN STUDENT NEWS - http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/
CNN Student News is designed for use in middle and high school classrooms. “It’s always a good idea for teachers to preview each program before showing it to students. You can download the podcasts or watch the news clip on line.

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.

COPYRIGHT FOR EDUCATORS - http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/
Designed to help educators learn about Fair Use and what they can and can't do within the category of, "Teaching" in the Copyright Act, or using video in your class?

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.

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.

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.

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. I like the quiz hub too.

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

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.

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.

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.

LAWSUITS AND OTHER PUBLIC RECORDS - http://www.knowx.com
Sorry, you might have to pay, but a good way to look up law stuff if you're not a lawyer.

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.

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." 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.

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.

NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS (& TV)- 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.

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. TIME - http://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.

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.

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.

SCHOLASTIC: NEWS FOR YOUR CLASSROOM - http://magazines.scholastic.com/
Well-designed and well-written, News for Your Classroom is a must-see site for news hungry elementary and middle-school students. Scholastic combines original reporting with coverage written by kids (Kid Reporter's Notebook) and short videos. Some of the articles are only for print subscribers, but there is plenty of free content for the rest of us.

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.

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://www.bing.com/translator/
Just type in any text, or website, and translations happen.

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

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://www.thewb.com/
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://www.discovery.com
Lessons and matching Discovery Channel programming. Links to The Learning Channel as well.

FOX - http://www.fox.com/index.php
The FOX network, shows and other stuff.

THE HISTORY CHANNEL - http://www.historychannel.com
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.

TIME FOR KIDS - http://www.timeforkids.com/
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 CBS provides photo galleries, a schedule, preview clips and show summaries.

WB TELEVISION NETWORK - http://www.thewb.com/
This is the official web site for the Warner Bros. television network, featuring links to web sites for its major shows.

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.

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Last Updated - January, 2016

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