|
|
|
TopClicks
->
Reference
->
Tools
Choose a SubCategory or Select a TopClick below:
Acronym Finder - Do you know what an acronym is? It's a word that is formed by the letters or syllables of other words. For example, let's say we created an organization called American Cats Resting On New Yarn Mattresses--its acronym could be ACRONYM! If you want to look up and see what some real acronyms stand for (try UNESCO or PTA for fun), take a glimpse at this site.
Biological Timing Online Science Experiment - Did you ever hear of a biological clock? That's what helps you go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. At this site there's a fascinating article called The Mystery of Sleepy Adolescents. Do you have trouble waking up for school? You're not alone. These kids decided to investigate the whole problem. This is their Web page about biological clocks, circadian rhythms, and how plants and animals tell time.
Canada Post - Postal Code Lookup - If you need to send a message to Canada (or if you're in Canada and you need postal code info), take a look here. A neat graphic shows you exactly where everything goes when you address an envelope. Toll-free 800 numbers are provided for assistance, and all sorts of info on the Canadian postal code system is available at this site.
CIA World Factbook - Did you know that Kenya (569,250 square kilometers) is twice the size of Nevada? Did you know that in Denmark four languages are spoken (Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic, and German)? If you ever wanted to know facts like these about countries around the world, this is the place to look. You'll also find a section on oceans of the world. By the way, did you know that as of 1993 there were 215 million TV sets in the United States?
Classic 164 Currency Converter - When is a dollar not a dollar? Wait a minute. Where did you get that dollar? Is that a U.S. dollar, or an Australian dollar, or a Namibian dollar? If it's a Namibian dollar, then it is likely worth less than half the U.S. dollar. The Australian dollar is worth more than the Namibian dollar but is still not worth as much as the U.S. dollar. Confused yet? What about the German mark, the Japanese yen, or the Slovenian tolar? Whoa! This stuff can get confusing. Luckily, at this site, with just a couple of clicks, you can compare 164 currencies all over the world, from their values in 1990 through today. Try it!
Conversion of Units - This is another HUGE measurement converter. Written in English and German, at this site you'll be able to get the formulas to convert just about anything. Included are electronic measures, such as amperage and watts. Remember, this one doesn't convert--it just gives the formula.
Do We Really Know Dewey? - Librarians organize books based on a number of different classification systems. One of the most popular systems for U.S. schools and public libraries is called the Dewey Decimal System. It was created by Melvil Dewey, and you can find out about him and his classification scheme here. By the way--are you confused about the difference between fiction and nonfiction? Just say to yourself, "I can only say `No' once." Then write out these little reminders: NOnfiction = True and Fiction = NOt true. This site was created by students for the ThinkQuest Junior competition.
Electronic Reference Desk - Groan...your paperback dictionary has disappeared. Hmmm, well, here are the A s in the middle of the kitchen, and there are B through F down the basement stairs. Maybe it was the dog? Don't despair. You can use dictionaries online! This site also has encyclopedias, a thesaurus, maps, current news, historical documents, time zones, area codes, and more.
Elements of Style - This little book of grammar was written a long time ago, but writers use it to this day, often referring to it as their "bible." You might be interested in checking the list of words and phrases commonly misused and misspelled.
ICONnect - KidsConnect - You've got a question, and no one seems to have an answer--not your mother or your grandpa or your uncle. Just head to this site and pose your question to one of the school library media specialists throughout the world. They provide direct assistance to any student looking for resources. They'll help you learn how to use the Internet effectively for your class work, and you can tell Mom, Grandpa, and your uncle that you've got the answer! Try the FAQs (frequently asked questions) for answers to questions other kids have asked. Maybe your question has already been answered.
Infonation - This very interesting site lets you campare statistics on up to seven different countries at a time. Select the countries you want. Then click on up to four data sets. These can be things like population, unemployment, life expectancy, or more than 40 other choices. Then click on View Info to see how your countries compare with each other. Amazing! If you need a descripion of a category item, there's a Definition of Terms that describes them all.
Information Please: On-Line Dictionary, Internet Encyclopedia, & Almanac Reference - Infoplease.com, an online fact finder, is the way to get answers fast from an encyclopedia, almanacs and dictionaries.
Karla's Guide to Citation Style Guides - Using the net to find information for research projects is great, but how do you give credit to, or cite, all of those electronic resources? Try this guide.
KidsClick! Web Search - Browse almost 5,000 educational and fun Web sites in 15 different categories. All of them have been selected, categorized, and described by a team of librarians who know what kids want. How do they know? Because kids come into their libraries and ask for these types of things! There is a neat and fast search engine to get you where you want to go. You can search for sites by your reading level as well as the amount of graphics you care to load.
LibrarySpot - LibrarySpot is the library and reference information portal of the Web. Find top dictionaries, encyclopedias, newspapers, maps, genealogy tools and much more in one user-friendly spot.
Martindale's "The Reference Desk" - Hotlist this one now. First off, find out what time it is, not only where you live but all over the world. You'll learn what the weather is, where the earthquakes are, and where the surf's up. Then move on to the calculators. There are over 6,400 of them. In fact, there is so much compelling information here we bet you can't take just one link! Unfortunately, each time you go back for a new one, the entire page has to reload, and it's very frustrating. Perhaps by the time you read this, Martindale will have divided up the Web site a little more for your navigating pleasure.
Martindale's `The Reference Desk: Calculators On-line' - Sure, you get the usual converted units: feet to meters, Celsius to Fahrenheit, and more. But then you go from the commonplace to the exotic: automotive, loan and budget, math and engineering, medical, and even fabulous miscellaneous calculators (calculate the size of the fish tank you need). You can definitely count on this Web site!
Mnemonic Number Alphabet - Mnemonics are handy little devices for jogging our memories. For example, the first letters of "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles" gives the initials, in order, of the nine planets. "Lucy Can't Drink Milk" provides the Roman numerals in order for 50, 100, 500, and 1,000. Some of these mnemonics have been helping students breeze through tests for years; now it's your turn to use them! Do you have trouble remembering dates in history class? Try the mnemonic alphabet system, which replaces numbers with consonants. Maybe you can make up some of your own, too.
Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus - This resource offers a Java-based way to see relationships in English words. Imagine the starting word at the center of the screen, floating in space. Around it are the various synonyms of that word, arranged like spokes on a wheel. If you click on one of those words, you will see that word drift to the center, while new spokes for it appear. The link to the original word is still there for you to see, too. It's a visual dictionary. No, it's a flight simulator. No, it's just fun!
Research-It! - Your One-Stop Reference Desk - This site's cool! Spell a word, conjugate a verb, find a quote, or locate facts about a famous person. Almost 30 quick reference tools are rolled into one easy-to-use site.
SuperPages : Yellow Pages - Search for a business phone number by category, name, or state. There are also "idea" pages with suggestions on whom to contact for back-to-school supplies, travel information, and lots more. One of the ideas is an expedition into your closet to have a "try-on day" to see what still fits before you shop for new school clothes. Maybe your little brother can fit into your old stuff now.
U.S. Census Bureau - Do you know what Obi-wan Kenobi said to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars , when he had a question about the population of the United States? "Use the Source, Luke!" For such questions, go right to the source: the U.S. Census Bureau. How do they count the number of people in the U.S.? Find out here; plus learn lots of statistical info on jobs, housing, health, crime, income, education, marriage and family, race and ethnicity, aging, transportation and travel, and recreation.
U.S. POPClock Projection - The current estimated U.S. population is found at this site. The U.S. Census Bureau starts with the 1990 census and adds the births and subtracts the deaths. Then they factor in their best guesses about trends and come up with this estimated result. In case you wondered, only residents in the U.S. and the District of Columbia are counted and not families of military serving overseas or others living abroad.
Unit Converter - This great resource will convert distance (such as miles to kilometers), mass (or weights, including pounds to kilograms), temperature (for example, Celsius to Fahrenheit), speed (such as kilometers per hour to miles per hour), and other types of measurements.
What's a Dollar Worth? CPI Calculation Machine - Did you know that, from day to day, week to week, and year to year, money is not always worth the same amount? The consumer price index is a way for us to compare the buying power of today's money to the money of yesteryear. Type in an amount and a base year; then put in this year and see the difference.
Word Detective - This syndicated newspaper column has been running since 1953. William Morris started it, and now his son, Evan, does the honors. A short while after the columns run in newspapers, he posts them on this page. Morris answers readers' questions about the English language and its odd words and phrases, such as "busting chops," "lame duck," or "eyes peeled," and he does this cleverly, with wit and humor. He also has a sampling of The Word Detective , a newsletter that "aims for the large grey area between the Oxford English Dictionary and Monty Python."
World POPClock Projection - Quick! If you wanted to send a letter to everyone in the world, how many stamps would you need? See an estimate of the world's current population at this site. You'll also find out how many births and deaths occur each minute.
ZIP+4 Code Lookup - This is a very useful U.S. ZIP code lookup service. This site will provide, in most instances, a ZIP code for a street and town address you provide. This service is provided by the U.S. Postal Service. If you don't know your nine-digit ZIP code, this site will tell you based on your address..
|
|
