The Library

SPS Online Resources

World Book (look for maps and historical figures; keywords)

SPL Databases:
Britannica Reference
Biography Resource Center
Gale Virtual Reference Library (especially religion)

Internet Public Library: Prehistoric and Ancient History http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/hum30.02.10/
(IPL chooses authoritative websites based on these criteria:
Source of the material is trustworthy
Affiliation with recognized authorities in a field
Reputable credentials
Background/history in providing authoritative information on a topic
Credentials or reputation of sponsoring organization
Other authoritative web sites also link to this site

On the district Online Resources , use World Book Encyclopedia to find extensive information about Ancient Egypt.

Recommended websites from Ms. Linden:

History for Kids: Ancient Egypt http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/

Pyramids: Houses of Eternity http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pyramids/home.html

Egypt: Secrets of an Ancient World http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/pyramids.html

Ancient Egyptian Culture Exhibit http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/index.html

Citation Machine: to help you create a bibliography. http://citationmachine.net/

Endangered Species Research: Save the Octopus
www.faultline.org/place/pinolecreek/archives/002717.html
www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm433859.html

Northwest Association for Biomedical Research http://nwabr.org/
Click on Education and find Biomedical Breakthroughs and My Life Essay Contest

Look for Washington Middle School students among the Past Winners, such as Zoe Erb, 2005.

Young Readers Choice Award 2008

Sasquatch Award

Citationmachine.net is a useful tool to help you create a bibliography in the correct format.

When you use a DATABASE or ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA, you will find a link or citation labeled, “How to cite this article” or something similar. Be sure to use that in your bibliography!

Using Citation Machine to Create a Bibliography:

1. If you got information from a book, go to http://citationmachine.net/. On the left side of the page, click on MLA, then book, one author. Fill in the information, copy and paste your citation to your bibliography.

2. If you got information from a database (through the school or public library websites), find the MLA citation provided on the database. Copy and paste the citation to your bibliography.

3. If you got information from a free web site, go to http://citationmachine.net/. On the left side of the page, click on MLA, then Web Page. Fill in the information, copy and paste your citation to your bibliography. Write one or two sentences explaining why this site contains reliable information. (Free web sites must be annotated in your bibliography.)

Examples:
• The CIA Factbook site is reliable because it is written by a government agency with access to the most recent statistics from governments around the world. It is a .gov.
• The National Center for Disease Control site is reliable because it is written by an institution that specializes in information about diseases. It is a .gov.
• Defenders of Wildlife is a .org dedicated to protecting native species in their natural habitat. It was founded in 1947. Lots of donation pitches on the page but their list of accomplishments looks pretty solid.

When deciding if a website is reliable, consider these things:
• Who wrote it?
• What country or state does it come from?
• What type of site is it? .com? .org? .gov? .edu?
• What is the purpose of the site?
• Has it been recently updated?

Use your library card to go online to excellent resources (and check the online catalog for books).
Seattle Public Library resources :
Britannica Online Reference Center (preferable to Britannica Online for Kids, which is more elementary-level). This searches the actual Encyclopedia Britannica, which has an extensive article on Ancient Rome (the list of subheadings on the left allows you to move to specific sections).

Biography Resource Center: great for researching people

Literature Resource Center: great for any literary topic

Seattle Public Schools resources:
World Book gives general overview for many of the topics on the list, and articles like the one on Ancient Rome offer links to recommended websites and a list of recommended books.

IF YOU FIND A GREAT WEBSITE ON ANCIENT ROME, SHARE IT IN THE COMMENTS. (Remember to look for who wrote it, and consider how reliable the information is.)

Online databases are great resources for current facts on countries. You can use these through the Seattle Public Schools website.

World Book
CultureGrams
ABC-Clio World Geography

are all GREAT sources for country information.

At school:
Student Online Resources
You’ll see links to World Book, CultureGrams, and other databases.

At home/outside of school:
Some of the databases will require you to enter a username and password. Please request this from Ms. Amster-Burton in the library.

Seattle Public Library
The public library has MANY more great databases available through their website. You can use these from home or on public library computers.

Databases A to Z at Seattle Public Library

Grolier Online Passport is a great resource for information on countries.

Links marked with a blue library card symbol require your library card number and PIN to access. If you do not know your library card number and PIN, contact your local branch library.

SPS Student Resources These databases are freely available at school; see Ms. Amster-Burton for the password to use them from home.

Native American Recipes

More Online Resources

Ancient China eMuseum from Minnesota State University

Ancient China Timeline

Travel China: Discovery Take a look at sections on Art, Architecture, and Ancient Chinese Currency

Legacy of Ancient China Great webquest from Baltimore Public Schools, with a page for each dynasty

These sites were found and recommended by Ms. Cohen’s second period class!

Literature Resource Center
Click on Readers Resources, then Literature Resource Center
REQUIRES SPL LIBRARY CARD # and PIN
This is the premiere online source for literature. Thousands of biographical and critical essays, collected from respected reference books into an easily searchable database. After searching for your author, be sure to click the tab for “Literary Criticism, Articles, & Work Overviews.”

Proquest
No password required at school; from home, username is W001CSEATL password is WELCOME
Search using your author and title, clicking “Full text documents only.” Look for “Suggested Topics” and “Narrow Your Results” to focus within the thousands of search results you’ll get.

LitLinks
This publisher website lists dozens of authors, including Camus and Joyce, providing links to notable websites.

Yahoo! Directory on Authors
Links to assorted websites (of varying quality; check carefully). This link is to the alphabetical listing by authors’ last names.