Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Introduction to the Internet: Search Engines/Directories for Kids

Great Websites for kids http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/default.cfm
ALA’s collection of sites for kids, including some sites on the arts, biography, and literature. Formerly known as 700+ Great Sites from ALA.

ALFY
http://www.alfy.com/index1.asp?FlashDetect=True
Billed as “the Web portal for kids”, ALFY has a colorful graphical interface for directing users to web resources. Aimed at kids aged 3-9.

Ask Jeeves Kids
http://www.ajkids.com/
A search engine that uses natural language technology. Simply type a question in plain English and click “Ask”. While the original Ask Jeeves is basically just a search engine, Ask Jeeves Kids includes a variety of resource and study tools, including links to a dictionary, a thesaurus, an almanac, biographies, science information, clip art, astronomy information, a world atlas, math help and a history link. Ask Jeeves Kids also includes a “Fun and Games” link with links to educational games, as well as just for fun games. “Jeeves Newsroom” offers links to a variety of news sources for elementary school, middle school and high school students.

Awesome Library
http://www.awesomelibrary.org/
Organizes the Web with 23,000 carefully reviewed resources, including the top 5 percent in education. Enter a door for teachers, librarians, college students, teens, kids or parents. Each door provides access to high-caliber, age-appropriate sites. The directory structure is logical and easy to navigate. A concise annotation introduces each site. The search option directs students to kid-safe search engines. The teacher links also includes lesson plans, worksheets and project ideas.

Berit’s Best Sites for Children
http://www.beritsbest.com/
A web directory for kids with additional tools for web searching. The wide-ranging of variety of sites include Just For Fun activity centers, crafts, and funnies; Holiday & Seasons, Creatures Great and Small, and Serious Stuff, such as the environment and health sites. There is a spot for signing up for email pen pals, chatting, and a special emphasis on safe searching. There is also a special Berit’s Browse section, which highlights a special theme. Created by Dalhousie University library and information sciences graduate Berit Erickson. The original site began in 1994, when Erickson was hired by Halifax’s Cochrane Interactive to create a Web site for the company’s popular children’s show, “Theodore Tugboat”. Became a separate site in 2000. Erickson evaluates each of the sites listed on ‘Berit’s Best’, then rates them for content, organization, ease of use, appearance and credibility.

CyberSleuth Kids
http://www.cybersleuth-kids.com/
Search engine and guide for K-12. Resources are categorized by topic into twenty-one groups. The database can be searched by keyword and there is also a top navigation bar available. A classroom clipart index, lesson plans for teachers and subject theme index are available on the left side of the main page.

Discovery School
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/
From Discovery Channel in the U.S. Discovery School is broken down into three areas: Teachers, Students and Parents. Offers lesson plans and teaching tools for educators, games and study tools for students, and product reviews for parents.

Fact Monster
http://www.factmonster.com/
From Information Please. Includes an almanac, atlas, dictionary, and encyclopedia, plus other features such as Games & Quizzes, and Homework Center.

Internet Detectives
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/tnl/detectives/
A Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) initiative for middle-school teachers and students, helping them to acquire skills in accessing and critically evaluating information found on the World Wide Web. Classes begin the Internet Detectives process by asking a question about a topic. After they locate Web sites that address the question, students evaluate the sites and write descriptions of the sites’ contents and features. Classes then select sites that relate to their question and recommend these sites for publication as part of Internet Detectives’ Library of Student Recommended Sites.

IPL Kidspace
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/
A directory of educational web resources for kids. Part of the University of Michigan, School of Information’s Internet Public Library (IPL).

Kid’s Search Tools
http://www.rcls.org/ksearch.htm
A page of links to search engines and directories for kids compiled by Ramapo Catskill Library System in New York State.

Kidsclick!
http://www.kidsclick.org/
Librarian designed web guide and search tools for kids. Click “What does this page look like through a Librarian’s Eyes?” to see subjects arranged in Dewey Decimal Classification order.

Tek Mom Search Tools for Students
http://tekmom.com/search/index.html
There are four main areas for students: Search Tools, Technology Buzzwords, citation guidelines and Computer Ethics. The Tools area is a guide to useful Web tools. It includes links to subject-specific search engines, engines created for children, online encyclopedias and dictionaries, maps and useful images.

Yahooligans!
http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/
A junior version of Yahoo! With a directory of filtered sites. Available since March 1996, Yahooligans is the oldest major directory for children.

Supplementary readings
Kids’ Search Engines: The Best for Grades 4-10.
Ken Haycock. Teacher Librarian. Volume 31, Number 1, October 2003.
http://www.teacherlibrarian.com/tltoolkit/bookmark/bookmark_31_1_haycock.html
Kids Search Engines. Danny Sullivan. SearchEngineWatch.com, Jan. 25, 2002.
http://searchenginewatch.com/2156191

Kids’ Search Tools. Ping He, Shirley Koh, Karen Lai, Shumin Wang. Website designed for Libr 557 Advanced Information Retrieval.
http://www.slais.ubc.ca/COURSES/libr557/02-03-wt1/group/kids/

Search Engines for Kids.; By: Clyde, Anne, Teacher Librarian, Apr 2001m Vol. 28 Issue 4, p28, 2p Academic Search Premier
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aqh&AN=4425567&site=ehost-live

Search for Kids’ Sites.; By: Minkel, Walter., Library Journal, Summer 2002 Net Connect, Vol. 127 Issue 12, p30, 2p, 1c.
Academic Search Premier
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aqh&AN=7096159&site=ehost-live

In Search of the Best Kids Search Sites.; By: Salpeter, Judy, Technology & Learning, Mar 2001, Vol. 21, Issue 8, p12, 4p, 1 chart, 2c.
Academic Search Premier

Savvy Searching. Anne Collier. Children’s Software & New Media Review, Jan/Feb 2002.
http://www.childrenssoftware.com/articles/savvysearching.html

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