General Reference Sites
General Reference Sites • HS Library Search Tools • Internet Privacy/Safety
Major Search Engines • Specialized Search Engines
Internet Guides, Tools, & Tips • Teacher Resources • Homework Help
General Reference Sites
Infoplease –also contains an atlas, encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus
Thesaurus
Contains links to word help
Quotations
Familiar quotations.
Ask Here PA
Designed to provide fast answers to your questions, using information found on the Internet and in proprietary databases funded by libraries. In most cases, Ask Here PA Librarians will provide an answer online in 15 minutes or less! If your question involves lengthy research, we'll get you started and/or provide a referral for you or your question. Ask Here PA is a service for Pennsylvania residents, Pennsylvania students, and/or Pennsylvania-related questions.
howjsay.com
a free online talking dictionary. Allows students to get definitions as well as hear the pronunciations of words.
Tag Galaxy
a visual search engine
Learner's Dictionary
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary for English language learners. Gives students practical definitions that make sense.
High School Library Search Tools of Interest
Choosing the Best Search Engine for Your Project
NetLingo
Easy-to-use online dictionary internet terms
UC Berkley
Search engine tutorial
Internet Privacy/Safety
GetNetWise
offers advice for browsing, shopping, communicating,and sharing along with video tutorials that explain what is necessary to protect yourself when using various web browsers. About…Kids includes an online safety guide, tools for families, and reporting trouble
SafeKids and SafeTeens
Includes Guidelines for Parents, and Kids’ Rules for Online Safety. The Teens site includes Teen Safety on the Information Highway and Cell Phone Safety.
WiredSafety
nonprofit organization whose purpose is to keep young people safe online
Major Search Engines
About.com
In-depth info about broad topics
All the Web
Has advanced search offering multiple search options, restrictions, and filters
AltaVista
Features a multitude of search options
Google
Relevancy-ranked searches for web sites, images, message boards, and more
Vivisimo
Uses popular search engines to find results and then groups results into easy-to-navigate subcategories, such as papers, books, etc
Yahoo!
Links to relevant sites and Yahoo! Categories
Finding a Specialized Search Engine for Your Topic
Beaucoup!
Good directory for search engines & portals
Digital Librarian: Directories
Not only offers a directory of major search Engines but also includes links to search and reference tools such as the Library of Congress catalog, full text of Newsweek, and art resources
Internet Guides, Search Tools, & Web Design
Internet Guides
Helpful section devoted to Internet guides, search tools, and web design
Search Engine Watch
Not only directory of search engines but also offers reviews, ratings, and stats for different search engines; search tutorials and tips
Teacher Resources and Lesson Plans
A to Z Teacher Stuff
Wealth of teacher resources and lesson plans which can be searched by theme, grade level or subject.
Education World
Teacher resources including lesson plans, research materials, and reviewed Web sites. Educational sites can be searched by keyword or browsed by subject.
Homework Help
Fact Monster Homework Center
Part of the Family Education Network, it searches an almanac, a dictionary, a biography database, and the Columbia Encyclopedia.
HomeworkSpot
Best sites for help with English, math, science, history, art, music, technology, foreign languages, health, life skills, and extracurricular activities. Also has links to world’s best libraries, museums, and current event sources. (Grades 3-12)