School Begins Soon

For some, school has already begun. While others have only a few days left on summer vacation. Here are a group of sites geared for a wide range of subject and age. Consider placing them in your favorites list for academic excellence.

One of the best and oldest reference sources around is Refdesk. It contains more hyperlinks to references than I can name here. But we'll try to provide a brief taste of the links to be found here. Query boxes for three of the most popular search engines, two dictionaries, one thesaurus, current event links, news sources (print and broadcast), almanacs, photographs, and much much more. You have to visit and see for yourself.

The New York Times Learning
Network is rated Grades 3-12. It tends to focus on current events & historical events. But it's not just the newspaper but a collection of lesson plans with hyperlinks to various topics. It's a gold mine of ideas for teachers, a thinking springboard for students.

Both the Library Spot and the Homework Spot are operated by the same parent company and have many similar links. Once again both sites have a multitude of links to reference sites as well as ideas for science fairs, popular classroom questions, links to specialty libraries like medical and law. Check out these sites.

The InfoPlease website also has a great many reference links like all the other sites listed here. I don't feel it has the same depth as the others but that might be a good thing. Many of the other sites are approaching information overload. See for yourself.

Several years back youngsters got a real feel for geography with the introduction of Where in the World is Carmen Santiago. Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation (FFFBI) tries to peek a similar interest in young minds. Not only do they go after geography but culture and environmental issues are also a part of the blend. Rather than one big mission there are a series of constantly changing "missions." The few modules I looked at had no violence whatsoever. Knowledge was the key. If you knew the answer and understood the significance of the answer you could successfully complete your mission.