Resources by Content Area
- Combat Fake News
- Art
- Communication Arts
- FACS
- General Reference
- Graphic Novel Resources
- Health/PE
- Math
- Modern Language
- Science
- Social Justice and Human Rights
- Social Studies
- Travel Resources
- Web Links for Teachers
Combat Fake News
Wading through the muck and mire of fake news, bias, and outright lies is a complex issue. The good news is that there is a growing list of tools to help with this!
Experts agree that people who create news, organizations that disseminate it, social networks, and end users are all responsible for the spread of biased or false news. If adults are struggling, how can we expect our students to question and verify information before they believe it and even share it? Here are some resources to help teachers and students navigate the world of misinformation:
Fact Check Fake News:
The Learning Network from the New York Times - Been around since 1998. Provides news/free NYT articles, classroom resources, lesson plans, writing prompts quizzes, student contests and more — all based on the articles, essays, photos, videos and graphics published on NYTimes.com and is totally free without a subscription.
Freedom Forum (formerly Newseum) - Daily newspaper covers from all over the country--lots of uses but would make an interesting media assignment for headlines and takes on same events in different places around the country--love this! This section of Newseum is also great for discussion and articles. It has a ton of resources and lesson plans gathered in one place for different topics. Browse 1,000s of Lesson Plans, Classes, Digital Artifacts, Historical Events, and other NewseumED learning tools.
Allsides - Unlike regular news services, AllSides exposes bias and provides multiple angles on the same story so you can quickly get the full picture, not just one slant--provides right, left, and middle POVs of same article topic from different publications. Provides a lot of information about bias and fake news and the filter bubble we all experience. Best feature: create your own "My Front Page" by adding and taking away content you want students to use/see and then you can share your link with students --so easy and the link is always the same---you just change the content.
Media Bias/Fact Check - Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC News) is an independent online media outlet. MBFC, owned by Dave Van Zandt, attempts to educate the public on media bias and deceptive news practices by providing original articles on media bias, journalism and politics.
Politifact - PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. PolitiFact is run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper in Florida. Politifact is simply the best source for political fact checking. Won the Pulitzer Prize.
ProPublica - This independent, nonprofit newsroom has won several Pulitzer Prizes, including the 2016 Prize for Explanatory Reporting. ProPublica produces investigative journalism in the public interest.
Fact Check - FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. They are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
Open Secrets - Open Secrets is a nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, run by the Center for Responsive Politics, which is the nation’s premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Open Secrets are by far the best source for discovering how much and where candidates get their money. They also track lobbying groups and whom they are funding.
Snopes - Snopes has been the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation for a long time. Snopes is also usually the first to report the facts.
The Sunlight Foundation - The Sunlight Foundation is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses the tools of civic tech, open data, policy analysis and journalism to make our government and politics more accountable and transparent to all. Sunlight primarily focuses on money’s role in politics.
Poynter Institute - The Poynter Institute is not a true fact checking service. They are however a leader in distinguished journalism and produce nothing but credible and evidence based content. If Poynter reports it, you can count on it being true.
Flack Check - Headquartered at the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, FlackCheck.org is the political literacy companion site to the award-winning FactCheck.org. The site provides resources designed to help viewers recognize flaws in arguments in general and political ads in particular.
Truth or Fiction - Very similar to Snopes. They tend to focus more on political rumors and hoaxes.
Hoax Slayer - Another service that debunks or validates internet rumors and hoaxes.
FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting - FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. They advocate for greater diversity in the press and scrutinize media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints--including breaking up dominant media conglomerates. As an anti-censorship organization, they expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled.
Fact Checker by the Washington Post - The Washington Post has a very clear left-center bias and this is reflected in their fact checks. Their fact checks are excellent and sourced; however their bias is reflected in the fact that they fact check right wing claims more than left. Otherwise the Washington Post is a good resource.
Media Matters - This nonprofit and self-described liberal-leaning research center monitors and corrects conservative misinformation in the media.
NewsBusters - A project of the conservative Media Research Center, NewsBusters is focused on “documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.”
Trendsmap.com - Show the latest Twitter trends by location and topic. Requires a subscription and also has a pay-to-use version.
Emergent - Emergent is a real-time rumor tracker. It's part of a research project with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University that focuses on how unverified information and rumor are reported in the media.
Evaluate your resources:
- CRAAP Test
- RADCAB: Your Vehicle for Information Evaluation
- CARS Checklist for Evaluating Sources
- RAILSProject Resources
- Evaluating Resources Checklist
Lesson Planning for Media Literacy:
- Lesson Plan Ideas for Information Literacy by AASL's Knowledge Quest
- Lesson Plan: How to Teach Students about Fake News- PBS
- CRAAP Test Slideshow
- The Top Web Search Tricks Everyone Should Know
- Boolean Searching With EBSCO
- EBSCOhost Searching Tips
- Database Search Tips from MIT Libraries
- InsertLearning - Insert instructional content into any webpage and get a shareable link for students to access. Content can be anything the teacher wants. Assessments, links, videos, etc. can be embedded right into the page. Great tool for pointing out and dissecting information literacy components.
Art
Links that will help students explore the many facets of art, display, and creativity.
Annenberg Space for Photography
Celebrates the human condition as seen through the lens of some of the world's most renowned photographers.
Artcyclopedia
Comprehensive index of artists and artwork, of museum quality, available on the internet.
Artlex Art Dictionary
A lexicon of over 3100 terms used in art, art history, art criticism, aesthetics, and art education (artists and titles not listed separately).
Artists Directory
A directory of major 20th century and contemporary artists.
Lego Mosaic Maker
Use a free Lego account to create a mosaic portrait that you can as a pattern to build your own Lego Mosaic. There is a mosaic set of Legos you can purchase but it is not required. You can either print your created mosaic portrait or if you have a large enough screen, you can follow along directly from your computer.
Women Artists in History
A showcase of women artists through the centuries.
Communication Arts
This list contains links to various writing, literature, and communication resources.
College Bound Reading List
Includes fiction, biography, history, science, drama, and poetry. Compiled by YALSA.
Bartleby
An Internet publisher of literature, reference, and verse. Site has thousands of titles to read online and several different reference features.
American Literature
Over 2,000 short stories can be found and read in The Short Story Library at American Literature, including many of the greatest short stories ever written.
Short Stories at East of the Web
Another great source for short stories online. This site is completely searchable and includes stuff for teachers and students.
Knowing Poe
This site has activities and information used to introduce learners (or, be introduced, yourself) to the literature, life, and times of one of America's foremost writers, Edgar Allan Poe.
Shakespeare Online
A general listing of resources for Shakespeare study and Renaissance literature.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Home to the world’s largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials and major collections of other rare Renaissance books, manuscripts, and works of art.
Voice of the Shuttle
Links to many web pages related to English Literature and Humanities including authors, books, poets, poetry, criticism and other information.
Greek Mythology
An illustrated, sometimes animated version of the heroes, gods, and monsters of Greek mythology.
Encyclopedia Mythica.
Features more than 4300 gods and goddesses, legendary and supernatural beings, real and imagined objects and concepts.
Representative Poetry Online
Features great poets of the English language from 1912-1996 selected by the Department of English at the University of Toronto. Includes criticisms. Indexed by poet, title, date,
Online Literary Criticism Collection
This collection leads to over 1,000 websites with criticism and biographical information about authors and their works.
The OWL at Purdue
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. This is a VERY comprehensive site!
Poetry Archive
A searchable archive of poetry and poets. Browseable by author name or searchable by keyword.
Banned and Challenged Books
Each year, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom records hundreds of attempts by individuals and groups to have books removed from library shelves and from classrooms. See this list here.
Welcome to Tudor England
An annotated list of sites that are related to Tudor History.
FACS
Here are some great resources for students and teachers in FACS classes.
Dressing a Nation - Several resources and activities on historical dress and costumes in the US. Our library catalog is also full of resources for clothing, textiles, and costumes.
Food Network - A unique lifestyle network, website, and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. Excellent list of chefs, recipes, and everything food!
Celebrity cooks:
General Reference
These links can apply to any subject area. Includes newpapers, facts, biographies, and other general information.
News Resources
- AllSides
- Freedom Forum (formerly Newseum)
- St. Louis Post Dispatch
- Los Angeles Times
- Chicago Tribune
- New York Times
- Wall Street Journal
- Time Daily News Summary
- USA Today
- CNN News
- Christian Science Monitor
Biographical Information
- A&E biographies
- The People Spot
- Biographies from the Library of Congress
- Biographies from the National Archives
Dictionaries
- Webster's Dictionary
- American Heritage Dictionary
- Acronym Guide
- LangtoLang Multilanguage Translator
- Travelang Translating Dictionary
- Babelfish Translator
- Roget's Thesaurus
Quotations
- Quotations on Bartleby
- Brainy Quote Scientific Quotations
- Movie Quotes from the Internet Movie Database
Place Information
Facts
- The Old Farmer's Almanac
- Information Please
- Bartleby Concept Explainers
- Guiness Book of World Records
Miscellaneous
- Grooveshark
- All Music
- All Movie
- SideReel
- The Virtual Reference Desk
- Internet Public Library
- World Flag Database from the CIA
- Freeality: Online Encyclopedias
- 700 Great Sites for young people! Maintained by the ALA
- Time-Life Photo Gallery
- The Better Business Bureau
- The Library Spot
- Encyclopedia Mythica.
- GOVSPOT
- Free Article Database
- Missouri Driver Practice Test
Graphic Novel Resources
Interested in using graphic novels with your content? These resources can help get you started. The RHS library has a large collection of graphic novels from all genres.
- Persepolis is more than a comic book... Resources on the Iranian Islamic Revolution and Persepolis
- From Fringe to Mainstream: Graphic Novels in the Classroom (NEA News 2016)
- Teaching With Graphic Novels (School Library Journal, September 2014)
- Scholastic Guide for Using Graphic Novels (Scholastic, 2014)
- Using Graphic Novels and Comics in the Classroom (Edutopia, January 2012)
- Graphic Novels Belong in Your English Class. Here's How to Use Them (Education Week 2019)
- Graphic Novel Teaching Guides (from Popculture Classroom)
- Comics in the Classroom: Why Comics? (August 2014)
Teaching Strategies for Graphic Novels
- Tea Party: Put bits and pieces of a graphic novel on index cards. Students read their cards and listen to others during the tea party. Afterwards, students discuss various literary elements of the story-plot, character, setting, style, and theme-and record their predictions on a graphic organizer. The next day students read the section in its entirety and revisit the graphic novel to make additions and subtractions.
- Sequencing: Take panels from a page in a graphic novel and cut them up so that they are out of order. Have students put them in order and justify their choices in writing.
- Cloze Passage: Erase panels or word bubbles on a page in a graphic novel and have students use context clues to make sense of the story.
- Predicting: This is a variation of the cloze passage. Have students predict what will happen in the next panel.
- Dialogue: Erase the text in word bubbles and have students add their own dialogue. Then have them rewrite the story, including the dialogue in quotation marks.
- Cumulative Story: Erase the text in word bubbles and have students add their own dialogue into the first world balloon and pass it on to the next student. That student fills in the second word balloon and passes it on. This can be a variation on the dialogue activity.
- Panel Storytelling: Have students practice telling a story in three or four panels. Use websites such as the comic creator on readwritethink.org.
- Summarizing: Once students become somewhat proficient in panel storytelling, the technique can be used to help them summarize information. A nine panel grid is particularly helpful.
- Reader’s Theater: Have students convert graphic novels to a reader’s theater script or vice versa.
- Literature Circles: This teaching Strategy encourages students to have a choice in what they read for class. It also forces them to take responsibility for their own learning by collaborating on the book discussion.
- Writing/Drawing Collaboration: Artistic students and literary students can create a comic strip. In a graphic novel, typically one person will write the story, another will draw the art, another will add the color, and yet another will draw the letters in the word balloons.
- Carousel Activity: Isolate a skill such as symbolism or onomatopoeia. Post examples on butcher paper around the room. Divide students into groups and assign each group to an example. Students respond to the example by writing on the butcher paper. Rotate each of the groups through each example for several minutes.
- Silent Discussion: This is a variation of the carousel activity. Post examples on butcher paper around the room, but rather than subdividing the students in groups, they are free to move around the room, but they must do so in complete silence. The only communication takes place on the butcher paper under the examples.
- ABC Book: This is an assessment tool that requires students to synthesize their knowledge into twenty-six letters of the alphabet.
- Acrostic Poem: This is an assessment tool that requires students to synthesize their knowledge into an acrostic poem.
- Parallel Timeline: This is an assessment tool that is particularly effective for Social Studies. Create multiple timelines and place them one under another. This is great for showing things that are happening simultaneously. (e.g. WWII Pacific theater vs. WWII European theater) or for comparison and contrast (George Washington vs. Abraham Lincoln).
- A Moment in Time: Another assessment tool with social studies applications. Draw a literary (or historical) character and label the parts of the character with captions which explain their significance.
- Collage: Synthesize a topic solely in terms of images. For example, A World War II collage would simply have a title, but then could include an image of Uncle Sam, an image of various battle scenes, a map, or other relevant issues.
- Book Report: Assign students to read a graphic novel for a book report and have them report on the book in the form of a comic book.
This document is taken from handouts originally produced as part of the workshop: “The Best Graphic Novels for Young Adults and How to Use Them in Your Program (Grades 6-12)” Created by Jonathan Hunt for the Institute for Educational Development.
Health/PE
This page includes loads of health, medical, and physical education links.
The Merck Manual of Medical Information—2nd Home Edition
Covers causes, symptoms, diagnoses, prognoses, prevention strategies, and treatments for hundreds of diseases.
American Academy of Pediatrics
Deals with childhood health and diseases.
National Women's Health Information Center
Covers women's issues and is maintained by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
The site evaluates what types of periodic exams, lab tests, immunizations, counseling, and other measures are science-based, cost-effective, and useful according to public health officials. Maintained by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Centers for Disease Control
Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting public health activities in the US. This site is a public health clearinghouse that contains both current and archived guidelines for preventing and treating diseases, injuries, and disabilities.
The Food and Nutrition Information Center
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Information Center contains dietary guidelines and details about the food pyramid. Provides credible, accurate, and practical resources for nutrition and health professionals, educators, government personnel and consumers.
Drug Information Database
Drug Information Database site identifies drugs and details their effects.
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) site offers a wide array of practical information about the heart.
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) site includes detailed discussions, information, and research reports about cancer.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center site that look at herbs, dietary supplements, and alternative cancer treatments.
ConsumerLab
ConsumerLab.com, based in White Plains, New York, independently tests dietary supplements and herbs to determine their potency and find out if they're free of contaminants like lead. ConsumerLab.com, LLC ("CL") is the leading provider of independent test results and information to help consumers and healthcare professionals evaluate health, wellness, and nutrition products.
Quackwatch
A guide to quackery, health fraud, and intelligent decisions. Operated by Stephen Barrett, M.D.
AVERT-HIV & AIDS Statistics Previously also known as the "AIDS Education & Research Trust", AVERT is an international HIV and AIDS charity based in the UK, working to AVERT HIV and AIDS worldwide through educuation.
MEDLINEplus
A free consumer health information source maintained by the National Library of Medicine that includes health topics, drug information, dictionaries, directories, and links to many medical organizations.
MEDLINE/PubMed
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that includes over 18 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles back to the 1950s. PubMed includes links to full text articles and other related resources.
Math
Contains links to various games, puzzles, math history, and study resources for math.
Desmos.com is a free online graphing calculator you can access from anywhere.
Biographies of Women Mathematicians
A good source of information on the contributions made by women to the development of mathematics.
Fractals
Everything you ever wanted to know about fractals and more.
Frequently Asked Math Questions
The FAQ list is a compilation of knowledge of interest to most professional and amateur mathematicians, ranging from advanced topics such as Wiles' proposed proof to Fermat's Last Theorem to the list of Fields Medal winners.
Interactive Mathematics, Miscellany & Puzzles
A site rich in all things mathematical. This site is for teachers, parents, and students who seek engaging mathematics.
Number Nut
This site offers an introduction to mathematics and its variety of topics.
Brain Bashers
A collection of brain teasers, puzzles, riddles, games and optical illusions.
Modern Language
Language resources for French, Spanish, German, and multilingual.
Multilingual Sites
- BBC Languages - Language information, news, dictionaries, etc.including audio and video of conversation.
- Verbix Verb Conjugator - A multilingual site that will give history of the language and then conjugate verbs that are entered by the user. Very cool!
- Foreign Languages for Travelers - A multilingual site with audio in the native language. Concentrates on vocabulary for travelers--useful words and phrases, numbers, greetings, time, and asking directions. Also includes a currency exchange rate option, translating dictionary, and a hotel database.
French Sites
- French Cafe - Contains different genres of French literature in French.
- Le Monde - French newspaper covering different topics.
- Tourism in France - The French tourism site.
- Yahoo! France - Yahoo! in French.
German Sites
- Leo - A German/English translation dictionary.
- Verbix for German - German verb conjugator. Also offers other languages.
Latin America and Mexico
- Latin American Network Information Center - The Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC) is affiliated with the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) at the University of Texas at Austin. Facilitates internet based information to, from, or about Latin America.
- Learn Spanish Phrases - Great site for learning quick spanish phrases.
- Virtual Museum of Diego Rivera - Explores the work and life of Mexican artist Diego Rivera.
Spain
- Cyber Spain - Good site on Spain--in English.
- Si, Spain - Site on Spain--in English or Spanish.
- Spanish Arts - Art in Spain, featuring the Prado and the Reina Sofia Museums.
- Online Picasso Project - Excellent site on Picasso but you must request username/password from the owner of the page.
Spanish Grammar
- Study Spanish - Spanish tutorial with lots of free features.
- Spanish Verbs - Great resource for help with conjugating Spanish verbs.
Miscellaneous
- CNN en espanol - CNN in Spanish.
- El Corte Ingles - Major Spanish department store.
- El Pais - Spanish newspaper.
Science
Resources and links for all areas of science.
Biology
- Biology4Kids
Information on cell structure, cell function, scientific studies, plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, and other life science topics in a fun format.
- World Wildlife Federation
The largest multinational conservation organization in the world, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally.
Nucleic Acids
- DNA Interactive
This is a super-cool site about all aspects of DNA. Includes graphic representation of DNA structure, including the composition of nucleic acids.
- The Biology Project at the University of Arizona
Problem sets dealing with nucleic acids.
Chemistry
- Periodic Table of Elements
An interactive table of elements that provides data on all of the known elements, their atomic number, mass and electron configuration.
- Chem4Kids
Information on matter, atoms, elements, the periodic table, reactions, and biochemistry in a fun format.
Physics
- Interactive Simulations on PhET
Contains animations of concepts concerning acoustics and vibration by Dan Russell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Applied Physics at Kettering University in Flint, MI.
- Acoustics and Vibration Animations
Contains animations of concepts concerning acoustics and vibration by Dan Russell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Applied Physics at Pennsylvania State.
- Fear of Physics
A friendly, non-technical place for you to come and "play" with the laws of physics for a while.
Social Justice and Human Rights
Social justice and human rights have a shared goal: human dignity, equally for all.
What are Human Rights?
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was drafted by representatives from all regions of the world. The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948: General Assembly resolution 217 A. It describes the fundamental human rights that should be universally protected.
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
The official United States Government (USG) website for human rights-related information. The site’s search function links users directly with news, reports, and explanatory information from the State Department, USG agencies, and other resources, allowing for easy access to publicly available documents. We provide a one-stop site for researching USG’s involvement in human rights.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
The ACLU works in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
Immigration and Citizenship:
Possible Search terms: undocumented, unauthorized, illegals, citizenship, immigration, workplace, employment, language/accent, nationality, country of origin, Form I-9, Visa, green card, xenophobia, racial identity, culturalization, assimilation, acculturation, reform, naturalization, anchor baby, enforcement, DREAM Act, deportation, asylum, refugee, human smuggling, INS, ICE, illegal aliens
US Department of Homeland Security: Citizenship and Immigration Services
The USCIS LAWS section provides information on laws, regulations and interpretations controlling immigration and the work of the immigration-related components of the Department of Homeland Security. There is also good information here: USCIS: Preventing Discrimination and here: US Department of Labor: Immigration
US Department of Justice: Civil Rights Division
The Civil Rights Division enforces laws prohibit discrimination in education, employment, credit, housing, public accommodations and facilities, voting, and certain federally funded and conducted programs.
US Department of State: Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration provides aid and sustainable solutions for refugees, victims of conflict and stateless people around the world, through repatriation, local integration, and resettlement in the United States. PRM also promotes the United States' population and migration policies.
Migration Policy Institute
The Migration Policy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank in Washington, DC dedicated to the analysis of the movement of people worldwide.
Gay Rights/LGBT/Gender
Possible Search terms: gay, lesbian, transgender, queer, homophobia, questioning/curious, intersex, same-sex marriage, civil unions, conversion therapy, hate crime, traditional gender/sex roles, religious persecution, Defense of Marriage Act, masculinity, feminism, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"/US military, social values, social norms, morality, identity, gender reassignment
Gay Straight Alliance Network (GSA)
Gay-Straight Alliance Network is a next-generation LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers and trains queer, trans, and allied youth leaders to advocate, organize, and mobilize an intersectional movement for safer schools and healthier communities.
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
Supports strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation.
Gender Discrimination
Possible Search terms: glass ceiling, traditional gender roles, gender bias, sexism, masculinity, feminism, social values, activist, social norms, wage gap, sex roles, reproductive rights, identity, domestic abuse, sex preselection/MicroSort, working women, stay-at-home moms/dads, gender roles in religion, women in politics, hormones, gender equality, motherhood, fatherhood
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. You can also look here for information about other forms of discrimination.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) - Gender Discrimination
The umbrella federation for U.S. unions, with 56 unions representing 12.5 million working men and women. They work to ensure that all people who work receive the rewards of their work—decent paychecks and benefits, safe jobs, respect, and fair treatment.
Amnesty International - Gender Discrimination
Amnesty International is a global movement to fight injustice and promote human rights. This is currently the largest grassroots human rights organization that investigates and exposes abuse, educates the public, and helps transform societies toward a more just and safer world.
Racial Profiling
Possible Search terms: police brutality, airport security, racism, corruption, escalation, stereo-types, selective prosecution, trends, civil rights, crime, victims, court, sentencing, prison, drug offense, sentencing, over/under policing, militarization, assumption, culture, counter-terrorism, barriers, systematic racism, affirmative action, disparity, anti-Semitism
Bureau of Justice Statistics
The BJS' mission is to collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to federal, state, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded.
US Department of Education: Office for Civil Rights
OCR’s mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence through vigorous enforcement of civil rights in our nation’s schools.
FBI Crime Statistics
The FBI regularly publishes and contributes to a series of statistical crime reports and publications, detailing specific offenses and outlining trends that can help people better understand crime threats both nationally and locally.
National Institute of Justice: Race, Trust, and Police Legitimacy
Great site from the US Department of Justice for information about the legitimacy of police, perceptions, and trust in law enforcement.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
Poverty
Possible Search terms: socio-economic, disparity, nutritional deficiencies, inequitable education, mental health, substance abuse, entitlement, welfare, intervention, food desert, housing/homelessness, penalizing of poverty, poor, destitute
US Census - Poverty
The Census Bureau reports poverty data from several major household surveys and programs. The Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) is the source of official national poverty estimates. The American Community Survey (ACS) provides single and multi-year estimates for smaller areas. The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) provides longitudinal estimates. The Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program provide model-based poverty estimates for counties and school districts. See Description of Income and Poverty Data Sources to determine which survey or program meets your specific needs.
US Department of Agriculture - Economic Research Service
ERS research focuses on the economic, social, spatial, and demographic factors that affect the income and poverty status of rural residents and their participation in Federal assistance programs.
Government Surveillance
Possible Search terms: Patriot Act, oversight, intelligence gathering, NSA, TSA, CSS, Right of Privacy, electronic surveillance, anti-terrorism measures, espionage, data mining, cyber-security, data security, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, cyber-terrorism, security classifications, data retention laws, Freedom of Information, PRISM, EPIC
National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS)
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) leads the U.S. Government in cryptology, which encompasses both Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Information Assurance (IA) products and services, and enables Computer Network Operations (CNO) in order to gain a decisive advantage for the Nation and our allies under all circumstances.
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
EPIC is a public interest research center in Washington, DC. EPIC was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging privacy and civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, freedom of expression, and democratic values in the information age. EPIC pursues a wide range of program activities including policy research, public education, conferences, litigation, publications, and advocacy.
Age/Disability discrimination
Possible Search terms: Mandatory retirement, aging, geriatric, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), retirement age, ageism, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, accommodations, adaptations, accessibility, health services, medical equipment, mobility, mental disability, physical disability, vulnerable populations, informed consent, inclusion, least-restrictive environment
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. You can also look here for information about other forms of discrimination.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
This site provides information about the progress of the law, when items were passed, and what they include. It is a very inclusive site about the ADA.
US Department of Labor (DOL)
The Department of Labor (DOL) administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws--including ones related to discrimination due to age and disability. These mandates and the regulations that implement them cover many workplace activities for about 10 million employers and 125 million workers.
Need some statistics on many topics?
Try Pew Research Center for some fairly unbiased data and reporting on a vast number of topics.
Social Studies
Contains links to various resources dealing with all aspects of geography, and US and world history.
General Reference
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Digital Collections in the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. -
National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Research can be done on a family’s history, a veteran’s military service, or are other historical topics that include government records and documents.
American Government
- U.S. Supreme Court Decisions
Access to almost all Supreme Court decisions since 1990. Also includes information about the Court and links to selected historic Supreme Court decisions.
- Congress:Legislative Information
Contains full text of bills currently under consideration and information about the legislative process. Hot links to all senators and members of the House.
- US White House
Gateway to the American Government and Washington D.C.
- Federal Reserve - Education
- Contains several lesson plans, ability to search for different districts, and access to the fantastic resources provided in EconLowdown.
American History
- America's Library
"America's Story from America's Library" wants you to have fun with history while learning at the same time. It puts the story back in history and show things that you've never heard or seen before. The stuff you see comes from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Much of what you see on America's Library will be non-book items, and many of those materials are found only in the collections of the Library of Congress.
- Best of History Websites
This site contain quick, convenient, and reliable access to history oriented websites designed to benefit history teachers and their students.
- History Central
This site provides a timeline of major world events beginning in 10,00B.C. and ending in 1999. Featured is a complete history of U.S. presidential elections, a history-makers biography link, and a nation-by-nation database featuring basic information, history, culture, government, current news, primary source documents of American History, plus links to additional resources.
- American Memory
American Memory is an online resource compiled by the Library of Congress. It is a gateway to a rich source of primary materials composed of digitized documents, photos, sound recording, motion pictures, and texts related to American History. Over one million items are currently available to teachers, students, and the general public but they are being migrated to the general "digital collections".
- The History Network
This site publishes podcasts that cover all historical events from World History to American History. Learn about the Civil War, earth's greatest battles, World War II, profiles of historical personalities, and eyewitness accounts.
- Philadelphia Print Shop-Maps
Antique maps and prints for sale give details about the background of the items as well as the battles involved. Some really interesting finds.
- The American Revolution
Comprehensive timeline from the National Parks Service that provides links to many different sources of American Revolution information. - American History: From Revolution to Reconstruction and Beyond
Online texts in American History, with links to many primary sources. Very useful to see what was actually written or stated.
World History
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Cultures
This site is devoted to some indigenous cultures both recent and ancient. Photos, drawings, and animations are available plus links to the Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology and the Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures. -
Eye Witness: History Through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It
A collection of first-hand testimony and photos from historical events. -
United Nations Statistics Division
An easy-to-use database that allows users to view and compare the most up-to-date world information. Available in several languages. -
Resources on the Iranian Islamic Revolution and Persepolis
This is a great resource if you are using Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis. It includes several resources about the Iranian Islamic Revolution, resources from several news outlets, as well as resources about the graphic novel. -
Development Gateway
Aimed at the business community, this site has up-to-date information mainly about third world countries including culture, history, economic status, type of government, and development objectives. Managed by in-country teams, they share a commitment to using information technologies for development objectives.
Geography & Travel Resources
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Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Need a passport? Looking for information about embassies and consulates? Want information about traveling abroad? This is the best source for official information about traveling outside of the US, necessary documentation, and traveling to the US. -
The Lonely Planet
With over 40 years of experience, this is the world’s most successful travel publisher, printing over 120 million books in eleven different languages. Along with guidebooks and eBooks to almost every destination on the planet, Lonely Planet also produces a range of gift and reference titles, an award-winning website and magazine and a range of digital travel products and apps. Check them out and get going! -
Fodor's Travel
More than 700 travel writers that live in the areas they are writing about! Fodor's provides resources that you'll want to read as well as reference, their guide books and website offer current and discerning shopping, dining, hotel, and culture recommendations, as well as compelling features and articles that convey the essence of each destination. -
Frommer's
An essential online destination for those planning the perfect travel excursion. Not only can visitors easily find candid, timely articles written by Frommers.com experts, they also can read excerpts from and purchase Frommer's Guidebooks, while gaining additional insights from our lively message boards and purchasing travel products and services from their booking partners. -
Condé Nast Traveller
An energetic site for researching destinations, types of trips, spas, award winners, etc. Anything you want from any destination you would want to go. You will find a lot of pictures, reviews, blogs, articles, etc. If you like the site you will love the magazine! -
Rick Steves
Their mission is to inspire, inform, and equip Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. They value travel as a powerful way to better understand and contribute to the world in which we live. -
Bradt Travel Guides
Bradt has a reputation for tackling ‘unusual’ destinations, for championing the causes of sustainable travel, and for producing colourful guidebooks that are entertaining as well as useful. Their website includes comprehensive travel advice, articles from expert authors, news, interviews and competitions and galleries where you can display your travel photos and view those of other Bradt users. -
US News and World Report-Travel
For the U.S. News Travel website, editors analyze thousands of travel guides, user reviews, and online sources to bring you their Vacation Rankings, Hotel Rankings, and Travel Guides. Read what both travelers and travel professionals say about where to stay and what to do in the world's most popular travel destinations. They do the research, so you don't have to, about travel destinations worldwide. -
Smarter Travel
One of the largest online travel resource for unbiased travel news, deals, and timely expert advice. Experienced editors spend hundreds of hours each week researching the latest and best travel deals, compiling travel guides for destinations worldwide, and offering money-saving tips for travelers. Not only does the website get several updates a day, they also have a great newsletter and members get travel discounts! -
PADI
PADI is the world’s leading scuba diver training organization. With more than 6200 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts, and more than 136,000 individual PADI Professionals around the world, you’ll find PADI diver courses and scuba diving services and vacations nearly everywhere. -
Road Trip USA
Have you ever dreamed of driving along the cliffs that overlook the Pacific with the windows down? Or imagine traveling from border to border? Whether you want to traverse the great deserts and mountains along the “Backbone of America” or travel the Oregon Trail in a car instead of on a computer, these East-West routes across the U.S. are worth the trip. This is a great site to find a route and go! -
Exploring Abroad
A great site for travel resources. From here, you will be able to find currency converters, destination tips, museums, stuff not-to-miss, and links to other travel sites and resources.
Travel Resources
Going somewhere? Want to go somewhere? Check here for some great travel information before you go!
Going somewhere? Want to go somewhere? Check here for some great travel information before you go!
Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Need a passport? Looking for information about embassies and consulates? Want information about traveling abroad? This is the best source for official information about traveling outside of the US, necessary documentation, and traveling to the US.
The Lonely Planet
With over 40 years of experience, this is the world’s most successful travel publisher, printing over 120 million books in eleven different languages. Along with guidebooks and eBooks to almost every destination on the planet, Lonely Planet also produces a range of gift and reference titles, an award-winning website and magazine and a range of digital travel products and apps. Check them out and get going!
Fodor's Travel
More than 700 travel writers that live in the areas they are writing about! Fodor's provides resources that you'll want to read as well as reference, their guide books and website offer current and discerning shopping, dining, hotel, and culture recommendations, as well as compelling features and articles that convey the essence of each destination.
Frommer's
An essential online destination for those planning the perfect travel excursion. Not only can visitors easily find candid, timely articles written by Frommers.com experts, they also can read excerpts from and purchase Frommer's Guidebooks, while gaining additional insights from our lively message boards and purchasing travel products and services from their booking partners.
Condé Nast Traveller
An energetic site for researching destinations, types of trips, spas, award winners, etc. Anything you want from any destination you would want to go to. You will find a lot of pictures, reviews, blogs, articles, etc. If you like the site, you will love the magazine!
Rick Steves
Their mission is to inspire, inform, and equip Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. They value travel as a powerful way to better understand and contribute to the world in which we live.
Bradt Travel Guides
Bradt has a reputation for tackling ‘unusual’ destinations, for championing the causes of sustainable travel, and for producing colourful guidebooks that are entertaining as well as useful. Their website includes comprehensive travel advice, articles from expert authors, news, interviews and competitions and galleries where you can display your travel photos and view those of other Bradt users.
US News and World Report-Travel
For the U.S. News Travel website, editors analyze thousands of travel guides, user reviews, and online sources to bring you their Vacation Rankings, Hotel Rankings, and Travel Guides. Read what both travelers and travel professionals say about where to stay and what to do in the world's most popular travel destinations. They do the research, so you don't have to, about travel destinations worldwide.
Smarter Travel
One of the largest online travel resources for unbiased travel news, deals, and timely expert advice. Experienced editors spend hundreds of hours each week researching the latest and best travel deals, compiling travel guides for destinations worldwide, and offering money-saving tips for travelers. Not only does the website get several updates a day, they also have a great newsletter and members get travel discounts!
PADI
PADI is the world’s leading scuba diver training organization. With more than 6200 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts, and more than 136,000 individual PADI professionals around the world, you’ll find PADI diver courses and scuba diving services and vacations nearly everywhere.
On the Snow
Want to plan a ski trip? Check out the live feeds from snow cameras on slopes all over! Find deals, find gear, read articles, and check snowfall in one great site!
Road Trip USA
Have you ever dreamed of driving along the cliffs that overlook the Pacific with the windows down? Or imagined traveling from border to border? Whether you want to traverse the great deserts and mountains along the “Backbone of America” or travel the Oregon Trail in a car instead of on a computer, these East-West routes across the U.S. are worth the trip. This is a great site to find a route and go!
Exploring Abroad
A great site for travel resources. From here, you will be able to find currency converters, destination tips, museums, stuff not-to-miss, and links to other travel sites and resources.
Web Links for Teachers
This page has all kinds of tools and information that teachers can use to save time, be creative, and manage their classrooms.
- Online Stopwatch
Create a really cool online timer. There are several styles to choose from or you can customize your own timer (some of the sounds are great).
- Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning
- Dr. Sharroky Hollie's home. The Center is a leader in meeting the challenge of designing schools, classrooms, and learning experiences that result in academic success for diverse learners.
- Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance)
- Dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations, and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation's children. Offers a free magazine.
- Waters Center for Systems Thinking in Schools
- The mission of the Waters Center is to increase the capacity of educators to deliver student academic and lifetime benefits through the effective application of systems thinking concepts, habits and tools in classroom instruction and school improvement.
- Rubistar Scoring Guide Tool
- RubiStar is a free tool to help teachers create quality scoring guides that are fully customizable.
- Themes and Essential Questions
- A great resource for themes and essential questions to help frame student inquiry and promote critical thinking.
- Quizlet
- This site allows users to create flashcards that make learning vocabulary not such a chore. It is fun and also effective. The site was created by a 15-year old in 2005 and is still maintained by this student. If you assign vocabulary words in your classes, this is a great tool to help students study.
- Discovery Education (formerly known as "United Streaming")
- Engage students today with awe-inspiring video and other classroom resources. Customize and personalize lessons to different subjects, grades, and learning styles using an interactive World Atlas, compelling video clips, writing prompts, and more. See a librarian for the information to create your own account provided by EdPlus.
- Wired Learning in the Classroom.
- Projects, lessons, activities, and resources developed by San Diego State Department of Educational Technology and PacBell Fellows.
- Missouri Department of Education
- Anything teachers might need in education in Missouri.
- Global Schoolhouse
- A comprehensive site of teachers' technology issues.
- Teacher's Edition Online
- An online magazine for teachers featuring lesson plans, tips and ideas for yourself and your students.
- PBS TeacherSource
- This teacher-focused section of PBS Online has program listings organized by curriculum areas, tools for using technology in the classroom and a monthly national schedule of programs.
- Literature Resources for High School Students from PBS
- A well-organized, thorough collection of multimedia about literature from ancient to modern times.
- Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators
- Classified list of sites useful for curriculum and teacher professional growth. It is updated daily to keep up with the large number of WWW sites.
- Edutopia
- An in-depth and interactive resource that offers practical, hands-on advice, real-world examples, lively contributions from practitioners, and invaluable tips and tools.
- BookTV on CSPAN2
- This is the online portal to book reviews and author interviews. Each weekend, Book TV features 48 hours of nonfiction books from Saturday 8:00 AM to Monday 8:00 AM ET. Many of these segments are available from the website.