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Research Sources

  1. Encyclopedias
    They provide general information and are a good starting point if you know little or nothing about the topic. Be sure to check more than one set; each one covers subjects in a unique way.
  2. Special References
    These sources are found in the reference section in the MIS Library and provide more detailed information than general encyclopedias do. They include biographical dictionaries, geographical dictionaries, almanacs, thesauri, writing style manuals, field guides, and many specialized books dealing with specific topics.
  3. Non-Fiction Books
    This category includes all biographies and all books organized by Dewey Decimal numbers. Ask Mrs. Duncan, the librarian, to check the online catalog with your keywords to find the appropriate books.
  4. Magazine Articles
    Articles from 1985 to the present day are found by using Infotrac at the Tenessee Electronic Library (TEL). In addition, the library has past copies of several magazines. Ask the librarian to help you find the titles you need.
  5. Internet Resources
    You must have completed an Internet User Policy form with a parent's signature in order to search Internet sources. Use the MIS Library web page as a starting point.  Google, Bing.com, or YAHOO are recommended as search engines, and the Berkeley Librarian's Guide to the Internet is recommended as a subject tree. Below is a comprehensive list of Internet Curriculum links suggested by the library media specialist to help with your research. Use the following quick links to navigate to the various sections of the list:
General Reference/Research
 
  • Bartlett's Quotations - Search for famous quotes and phrases.
  • Can You Do the Dewey? - Test your knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System and find out about Melvin Dewey.
  • "Do We" Really Know Dewey? - A detailed, yet child friendly, investigation of the Dewey Decimal System of classification
  • InfoPlease - Allows students to search the encyclopedia, dictionary, and several almanacs
  • Library Spot - A huge hotlink page to ready reference sources, online libraries and other online media (journals, newspapers, speeches, etc.) - a must see!
  • Little Explorers Picture Dictionary - Primary dictionary provides illustrations and example sentences
  • Merriam-Webster Online - Online dictionary and thesaurus
  • Multicultural Calendar - Online calendar that allows searching holidays by month, country or holiday
  • OneLook Dictionaries - Type a word, choose a dictionary.
  • Puzzlemaker- Create a variety of types of puzzles, including crosswords, word searches, and mazes.
  • The Quotations Page - A large-scale quotation site with many original resources
  • The Weather Channel - This site has weather forecasts for U.S. and International cities.
  • WordCentral - Merriam-Webster student site with definitions, parts of speech, and pronunciations, as well as a rhyming dictionary
  • Zip Codes - United States Postal Service Zip Code directory
 
Authors, Illustrators, and Characters
  • Avi - Biography and news
 
Biography 
 
  • Presidents of the U.S. - In this resource you will find background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents.
 
Countries, Maps, and Flags
 
  • Google Earth - Google Earth combines the power of Google Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D buildings to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.
  • Google Maps - This searchable site uses Google Earth satellite technology to assist with finding locations.
  • Historical Map Web Sites - This site has historical maps from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the  University of Texas at Austin.
  • InfoPlease - Countries of the World - This site includes maps, flags, facts, quizzes and crossword puzzles, to name only a few features.
  • [email protected] - Information, games, and activities about the world
  • Map Machine - National Geographic provides electronic maps and links to a wide variety of map resources.
  • National Geographic Country Profiles - Check this site out for a wealth of country information.
  • Outline Maps - Use this site to print or download a variety of outline maps for homework or classroom use.
  • USA City Link - Look at this comprehensive source for information on cities and states.
  • U.S. Gazetteer - This site allows users to search for United States maps by zip code or city and state.  It is published by  the U.S. Census Bureau.
 
Magazines
 
  •  Dragonfly - Online version of the science magazine
  • Time for Kids - Online version of the magazine features current events and a news ticker.
 
News Sites, Magazines, Journals
 
  • 50states.com - This website provides a directory with links to newspapers across the United States.
  • Knoxville News Sentinel-- Use the Knoxville News Sentinel's page for today's headlines, sports, and weather.
  • National Geographic World - Explore kid-oriented articles on a variety of topics.
  • Time for Kids - Affords kids an age appropriate version of Time magazine
  • Washington Post- In addition to the current issue the full text of issues printed during the previous two weeks are searchable and available free of charge.
  • WBIR - Local news, traffic, and weather, 24/7
 
United States - Facts, History, Government
 
  • Black History Month - Meet famous African Americans, listen to jazz music, publish your own writing, and explore history with our interactive timeline.
  • EPA Student Center - This site contains information about conservation, water, ecosystems, human health, waste and recycling, air, "in your neighborhood".
  • The White House - Presents information about the federal government, presidential information, access to White House documents, and commonly requested federal services.