Homework Helpers

Ready Reference  |  Almanacs  | Biographical Sources
Career Information  | Encyclopedias  |  News/Newspapers

Ready Reference/Reference Desk Sources

• Homework Center -  This Internet subject directory consists of Web sites and web pages that specifically concentrate on k-12, homework-related subjects. Web resources included on this site are reviewed by librarians from Multnomah County Library, Oregon. The Social Issues page is especially viable for projects because it covers current, controversial topics from support and opposition angles.  http://www.multcolib.org/homework/
 
• High School Hub - This site provides an extensive reference desk that includes links to such useful information as math tables, a rhyming dictionary, and translators.  Materials selected for their accuracy and appropriateness for high school students, are also available in four subject areas:  math, social studies, science, and English.  Features change daily include New York Times crossword puzzle quizzes, this day in history, and SAT questions. http://HighSchoolHub.org

 
• Internet Public Library Ready Reference - The IPL Ready Reference collection is a collection of Internet resources gathered together with the needs of the Internet community in mind. It is not intended to be a comprehensive hotlist to all sites on every subject, but rather an annotated collection, chosen to help answer specific questions quickly and efficiently. Sources are selected according to ease of use, quality and quantity of information, frequency of updating, and authoritativeness. http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/

 
• New York Times Navigator -  This is the student version of the home page used by the newsroom of The New York Times for forays into the Web, Navigator. This student version/directory is very helpful for homework assignments and just plain fun! http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/navigator/students.html

 
•  ResearchPaper.com - The Web's "largest collection of topics, ideas, and assistance for school related research projects."  http://www.researchpaper.com

 
• Research Tools - Find phone numbers, addresses, stock quotes, package tracking, and more in this indispensable tool.  http://www.iTools.com/research/

 
• SchoolWork.ugh! - Fine homework help with math, science, literature, dictionaries, encyclopedia, poetry, politics, history, art, music, sports, biographies, online books, and more. http://www.schoolwork.org

 
• The VRD Learning Center - The Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) Learning Center can help you find information and answers to your questions about school subjects, fascinating facts, research topics, and more! The Virtual Reference Desk can help you connect with experts. The Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) is a project of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology and the National Library of Education with support from the Office of Science and Technology Policy. http://askvrd.org/vrd/

 

Almanacs

• Information Please Almanac -Packs a whollop!  Infoplease Web sites offer an encyclopedia, a dictionary, and several continuously updated almanacs in an organized interface.  Use this tool to settle a sports argument, collect data sets for analysis, get a quick biography or timeline, or find out what happenedd today in history.  Contains extensive material on pleple, current events, entertainment, sports, business, science, or society.  Spotlight Features offer detailed treatment of popular topics.  The Homework Center includes a help desk:  outlines and study sheets are available in Frequently Assigned Topics.   Also offered is one for kids:  Infoplease Kids' Almanac (http://kids.infoplease.com).  http://www.infoplease.com

 
• Old Farmer's Almanac (abridged) - This is a classic!  It's a handy online tool for determining the best fishing days, how to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and when to plant wheat.   http://www.almanac.com

 
• CIA World Fact Book - http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

 

Biographical Sources

• A&E's Biography Database -  A&E has gathered a database of over 20,000 brief profiles with links to web sites.   http://www.biography.com/find/find.html

 
• Academy of Achievement - This is a multimedia experience, designed as a virtual museum to "bring the inspiring life stories of this century's eminent achievers to the fingertips of every student, teacher, and parent."  In the Gallery of Achievers, visitors explore profiles of heroes in the Halls of Arts, Business, Public Service, Science & Exploration, Sports, and the American Dream.  Biographies are suplemented by interviews and quotes, and include audio and video of their subjects.  http://achievement.org/mainmenu.html

 
• Distinguished Women Past and Present - A Web encyclopedia or "K12opedia" on Women's History.  The encyclopedia currently contains entries from students in grades 1 through 12, and for some students, English is a second language. Entries have NOT been edited for grammar or content. If you have questions or comments on a particular entry, you are invited to contact the author. http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/

 
• Faces of Science:  African Americans in the Sciences - Profiled here are African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science and engineering. The accomplishments of the past and present can serve as pathfinders to present and future engineers and scientists.  http://www.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/faces.html

 
• Great Economists & Their Times - This publication traces the development of the major schools of economic thought through the work of ten important economists. These economists were the leading exponents of their schools, and their ideas represent the major contributions to economic thought made by each school. A chronicle of historical events recounts the politics, social environment and intellectual climate of each decade in which the famous economists lived.  http://www.frbsf.org/publications/education/unfrmd.great/greattimes.html

 
• Lives, the Biography Resource - Claims to be the "largest guide to biography sites on the Web."  Lives is an excellent index; the content is not original.  Searches link to thousands of Web sites containing biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, diaries, letters, narratives, and oral histories.  Browse alphabetically by name, search by era, region, or profession, or examine such special collections as African American, Women, U.S. Civil War, Holocaust Survivors and Rescuers, or Canadians.   http://amillionlives.com/

 
• National Women's Hall of Fame - In 1969, a group of women and men of Seneca Falls, NY, created the National Women's Hall of Fame, believing  that the contribution of American women deserved a permanent home in the small village where it all began. The Hall is home to exhibits, artifacts of historical  interest, a research library and office.  http://www.greatwomen.org/index.html

 
• Nobel Prize Internet Archive - Click on any Nobel category (literature, physics, chemistry, peace, economics, or physiology & medicine) to see an annotated, hyperlinked list of all Nobel laureates in that category. http://nobelprizes.com/nobel/nobel.html

 
• Time Man of the Year Archive -  For each of the last 70 years, TIME [magazine] has presented a Man of the Year--the single person (man, woman, or even idea) who, for better or worse, has most influenced events in the preceding year. Now, as the century begins to draw to its end, TIME presents a digital portrait of previous Men of the Year. Click on the recipient's name to get the full text from that year's story.  http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/special/moy/moypast.html
 
• 4000 Years of Women in Science - The list includes astronomers, physicists, mathematicians, chemists, natural philosophers, inventors, writers and many others.  Physicians are not included.  http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/4000WS.html

 

Career Information

• Occupational Outlook Handbook - http://www.bls.gov/oco/

 

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia Britannica - Search the entire encyclopedia online!.  See the librarian for home access information.

 
• Funk & Wagnalls Online Encyclopedia - Search the Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia of 26,000 entries for articles that cover the natural world, science, history, places, people, ideas, cultures and more.
Provided via the SIRS Discoverer Deluxe database.  Info
 
• Encarta Concise Encyclopedia (the free version) - Good, reliable and free!  This source is a good starting point for research.  Result lists display accessible "free concise encyclopedia" articles, selected WEb links from an MSN search, and related news articles from MSNBC.   http://encarta.msn.com

 
• Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) - This has proven an excellent tool for historical and biographical research.  Though it's truely an old version, for most uses this 15-volume encyclopedia does an excellent job.  http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/cathen.htm

 
• Encyclopedia.com - This free encyclopedia returns over 50,000 articles and Web links, along with its links to the Electric Library ($).  Uses extensive cross-references and is useful in narrowing a topic for research.  http://www.encyclopedia.com

 
• Encyclopedia Smithsonian -The Smithsonian Institution receives a great many public inquiries covering a wide range of  topics. Encyclopedia Smithsonian features answers to frequently asked questions about  the Smithsonian and links to Smithsonian resources from A to Z.  http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/start.htm

 
• Let's Find Out Encyclopedia (Knowledge Adventure) - Presents an eclectic assortment of articles appealing to elementary users (hey, this could be fun!).  The attractive interface, which is organized by subject, promotes browsing.  http://www.letsfindout.com

 
 

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