Make the grade with 10 homework helpers

Take a look at this list of terrific Web sites for students

By Marc Saltzman

Today's students are far more likely to turn to the Internet for research and homework help than to visit the library.

The problem is, there are so many Web sites in cyberspace that it can be difficult to find what you're looking for—and trust what you're reading. Here are 10 terrific sites that provide homework help, reference guides, and imaginative projects for a range of grades and subjects.

1. Fact Monster
A monster of a site indeed, Fact Monster offers a handful of tools, like a searchable dictionary, word games, an encyclopedia with more than 57,000 articles, and scores of world maps. But it's the robust Homework Center that we like best, which includes help in geography, history, math, science, language arts, and social studies. Click the desired subject for countless subsections that provide information, tips, and interactive lessons for students of all ages.

2. Bartleby.com: Great Books Online
Students in high school or college will want to bookmark Bartleby.com, a site that contains a dizzying number of documents—from the Complete Works of William Shakespeare to Roget's Thesaurus to Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body. Bartleby.com also houses one of the largest categorized collections of famous quotes on the Web. Free fiction and non-fiction books, short stories, and poetry anthologies round out this invaluable resource.

3. Funbrain
Who says learning has to be boring? Funbrain features a handful of educational but entertaining math games and exercises for students in kindergarten to grade 12. While the Math Brain board game is a hoot, our favorite is Math Baseball for one or two players: Funbrain gives you a math problem to "swing" at; if answered correctly, it'll be worth a single, double, triple, or home run. Interactive grammar help and various games should also help students sharpen their skills.

4. Math Central
Available in English or French, this Canadian Web site offers mathematical help for students in kindergarten to grade 12. We tested the math Q&A section by typing in "how do you add fractions?" The answer appeared in seconds: "To add or subtract two fractions you need the denominators to be the same," followed by various examples. If the answer is unknown, the Web site will attempt to find it for you.

5. HyperHistory Online
HyperHistory Online navigates through 3,000 years of world history with interactive lifelines, timelines, and maps. The People section reaches from 1000 BC to the present, while the Maps section displays seven Periods of World History with many links to dozens of regional maps. This site is unique in that it's an ongoing science project in which people from around the world are encouraged to participate—from supplying information that could be included to suggesting good hyperlinks.

6. History Channel
Based on the American television channel of the same name, the attractive History Channel Web site offers a rich multimedia experience, including a large collection of video footage, such as the original moon landing and Second World War events. Audio highlights include hundreds of famous speeches from the likes of Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein to James Dean and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

7. Funology
This handy Web site vows to make science fun—and it's succeeded! Funology features plenty of science information, games, trivia, and other "boredom buster" ideas (including science-related magic tricks), all presented in a colorful and easy-to-navigate layout. Don't succumb to that predictable "tornado" or "volcano" science fair project—Funology suggests far more interesting experiments, including ones related to biology, physics, chemistry, and weather.

8. Enchanted Learning
While not aesthetically pleasing, this informative Web site is ideal for kids who want to have fun and learn at the same time. Sections range from Anatomy to "Zoom School," an online elementary virtual classroom with lessons that include biology, math, and languages. Other highlights include geography help pages, which feature a hearty collection of maps, printouts, quizzes, flags, and assorted activities, and the multiple "Little Explorers" language dictionaries, complete with pictures to aid student comprehension.

9. HomeworkSpot.com
Rather than housing the information for students, the aptly named HomeworkSpot serves as a springboard to hundreds of hand-picked destinations on the Internet, divided into elementary, middle, and high-school categories. Each of the three main sections begins with a "homeroom" of hot links to general sites and timely information, while the rest is divided into subjects, such as English, fine arts, foreign languages, and technology. Be sure to add the related LibrarySpot as a Web browser favorite for its dozens of online reference books, lists, and facts.

10. Homework High
This U.K. Web site provides homework help for students aged six to 16, who can ask the virtual librarian (think "Ask Jeeves") questions. Students can also participate in a live advice session with a teacher during select evening hours (but remember, this site is on U.K. time).

Alternatively, fun online games and activities help sharpen skills in a variety of subjects. For example, kids will enjoy MathsZone, an interactive role-playing adventure starring Ben and Mai, who must complete four challenges to win the game. Teens will likely get a kick out of the Fashion Victim science game.

Article written by Marc Saltzman and adapted from an original piece from Microsoft Home Magazine.

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