Find hints and tips to make homework a little easier.

You will find a range of resources from web links for information to evaluating websites and online citation aids to make referencing easier. Look for the subject link on the following page.

Toowoomba Regional Library members also have free access to online databases including encyclopedias, science and other journal databases and literature databases. Go to read more for links to databases helpful for primary and secondary school study. All databases can be found on our databases page.

All members are also eligible to apply to the State Library of Queensland for a QPL account that enables the user to have free access to many more databases. For more information visit the State Library of Queensland's website.

Homework help links and more on evaluating websites can be found in the libraries' links for young people page

Online databases.

You will need your library membership number to access these databases.

  Britannica Encyclopedia (opens in new window) has a wealth of information in various formats to suit any age learner.

World Book online (opens in new window) not only has encyclopedia articles, but primary and secodnary sources documents for researchers young and old.

The Australian and New Zealand Reference Centre (opens in new window) has Australasian magazines, newspapers, reference books and company information.

 Credo Reference (opens in new window) has a range of fulltext reference books.   

   Proquest (opens in new window) offers a collection of full text journals covering the sciences. This database is very useful for secondary science. 

   Newsbank (opens in new window) Enable your cookies to access fulltext newspaper articles from more than 230 Queensland, Australian and international titles, with a particular focus on Australian, American and English publications.

  Magpies - The Source. (opens in new window) This children's literature database is comprehensive in its content. Search poetry, short stories and books. Useful for people looking for books in certain themes, brilliant for teachers and librarians. 

 Novelist (opens in new window) is an American literature database for all ages. 

  Tumblebooks (opens in new window) is for kids. Read or listen to storybooks online, write a book review and play games.

 

 Evaluating Websites

Make sure your websites legitimate! Here are some questions you might ask:

• Accuracy 
  Is the information reliable and error-free?
• Authority 
  Who wrote the page and can you contact him or her?
   Is the author qualified?
   Check the domain of the document? .edu .com. org .net
   Is the sponsor of the page reputable?
• Objectivity
   Does the information show a minimum of bias?
   Is there any advertising on the page?
   Why was this written and for whom?
• Currency
   Is the page dated?
   If so, when was the last update?
   How current are the links?
• Coverage
   How detailed is the information?
   What topics are covered?

 Check out Cybersmart Kids Online (opens in new window) - 'smart net surfing for kids and their grownups'

Reference

These websites offer a range of references material...

2008/9 Wikipedia Selection for schools (opens in new window)

Based on the UK curriculum, this website includes many subject areas for upper primary and secondary students. All information has been verified and checked for correctness and content.

CIA - The World Factbook (opens in new window)

Kidcyber (opens in new window)

Search Engines

  Kidtopia (opens in new window)
A google custom search engine of useful sites recommended by Teacher Librarians. Suitable for Lower to Middle Primary students.  

Citation Helpers

Try these online tools next time you need to write a reference list. 

Citation Maker using MLA style (opens in new window).

Internet Citation Maker (opens in new window)

What type of learner are you?

Check out the Vark (opens in new window) website to see what type of learner you are. Find some hints and tips on how to be more effective with your studying and get the marks you want! 

Subject Specific Links

Art

Artcyclopedia - The fine art search engine (opens in new window)

Aboriginal Art Prints (opens in new window)

Aboriginal Fine Arts Gallery (opens in new window)

American Art Timeline (opens in new window)

ArtLex Art dictionary (opens in new window)

Free art lessons - learn how to draw, paint and design.  (opens in new window)

English

Shakespeare

Need a little help with Shakespeare? Try the No Fear Shakespeare website (opens in new window). Make sure you scroll down the list on the site to find what you need.

We also have some of these titles available form the library in hard copy. Search our catalogue (opens in new window) for the full list. 

Absolute Shakespeare (opens in new window).

Picture Books

Picture books are different to illustrated books in many ways. The main difference is that the words (verbal text) and pictures (visual text) work together to form the picture book, some say the third text. Narelle Oliver once said you cannot read a picture book on the radio, as without the visual text the meaning is lost. Picture books can be for older reades and many have various layers of meaning. An adult will gain a different meaning to that of a child, depending on their background and history. Some website that will help explain are:

The Art of Picture Books

Picture Books

Article - Why Picture Books?

Viewing Through Picture Books

Visual Literacy

Elements of Picture Books (power point download)

Film and Television

AllRovi – Movie and Music (opens in new window) A searchable database on music and movies.

A place to think (opens in new window)

History

General History Sites

BBC - Schools - Primary History (opens in new window)

See separate links for Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Also available from this site is information about the Vikings, Children in Victorian Britain, World War 2, and Children of World War 2.

Internet Medieval History Sourcebook (opens in new window)

Internet Ancient History Sourcebook (opens in new window)

Internet Modern History Sourcebook (opens in new window)

Ancient / Classical History (opens in new window)
Search for your topic, for example, Persepolis. 

Livius - Articles on Ancient History (opens in new window)

Secrets of Lost Empires (opens in new window)

Amercian History

African American History (opens in new window)

Ancient China:

The History of Chinese Inventions (opens in new window)

10 Best Inventions of the Ancient Chinese | Socyberty (opens in new window)

List of Chinese inventions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (opens in new window)

Chinese Inventions @ The Franklin Institute (opens in new window)

Silk (opens in new window)

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt. From the British Museum (opens in new window)

Ancient Egypt - Guardian's Egypt (opens in new window)

BBC - History - Egyptians (opens in new window)

Digital Karnak: Experience Karnak (opens in new window)

Egypt and Art (opens in new window)

Egypt pyramids pharaohs hieroglyphs - Mark Millmore's ancient Egypt (opens in new window)

Egypt's Golden Empire (opens in new window)

Egyptology Resources (opens in new window)

Free art lessons - learn how to draw, paint and design. Includes lessons on Ancient Egyptian Art. (opens in new window)

Theban Mapping Project (opens in new window)

You wouldn't want to be an Egyptian mummy (opens in new window)

Ancient Greece

Aegean civilization (opens in new window)

BBC - Primary History - Ancient Greece (opens in new window)

Bureaucrats & barbarians: Minoans, Mycenaeans & the Greek Dark Ages (opens in new window)

Greece, including Alexander the Great, Diadochs and other topics. (opens in new window)

Hellenic Macedonia: history and civilization from antiquity to the present (opens in new window)

The ancient Greek world (opens in new window)

Ancient Rome

BBC - History: Romans (opens in new window)

BBC - Primary History - Romans (opens in new window)

Forum Romanum (opens in new window)

ROMA: history and civilisation of the Eternal City (opens in new window)

Roman Numerals 101 (opens in new window)

Roman Times (opens in new window)

You wouldn't want to be a Roman gladiator! (opens in new window)

Australia

Gold (opens in new window)

Life on the goldfields Virtual Exhibition State Library of Victoria (opens in new window)

The Discovery of Australian Gold (opens in new window)

The Eureka Stockade (opens in new window)

Exploration

You wouldn't want to be a Polar Explorer (opens in new window)

Inventions

A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries (opens in new window)
Twentieth Century inventors can be researched here.

Persia

Persia (opens in new window)

Russia

Alexander Palace Time Machine - Romanov and Russian history (opens in new window) 

Mesopotamia

Ancient Mesopotamia: This History, Our History (opens in new window)

Legal Studies

Children's Rights

Australian Human Rigths Commission - Children's Rights (opensin new window)

UNICEF Australia online (opens in new window)

Maths

Roman Numerals 101 (opens in new window)

Hexaflexagons

Origami Hexaflexagon (opens in new window)

3-D Hexaflexagon (opens in new window)

Hexaflexagons (opens in new window)

The Fabulous Flexagons (opens in new window)

You Tube - Hexaflexagons (opens in new window) 

You Tube - Hexaflexagons (opens in new window) 

Indigenous Studies

ABC Online Indigenous Interactive Map (opens in new window)

Science

A. Einstein: image and impact (opens in new window)
An interesting site on Einstein’s life, theories and discoveries. For senior students.

A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries (opens in new window)
Twentieth Century inventors can be researched here.

Ask an astronomer For Kids! (opens in new window)

Guide to the world of forensic science. (opens in new window)

Solar System Exploration (opens in new window) 

Views of the Solar System (opens in new window)

Welcome Image Awards 2011 (opens in new window)
Some amazing photographs from the science world.

Windows to the universe (opens in new window)
A comprehensive website on space.

Your weight in other worlds (opens in new window)
Calculate what you would weigh on one of the planets! 

Biology

Cell biology and cancer (opens in new window)

Cell biology animation (opens in new window)

CELLS alive! (opens in new window)

Graphics Gallery (opens in new window)

Learn genetics (opens in new window)

Life: The Science of Biology Seventh Edition (opens in new window)

Microscope Imaging Station (opens in new window)

Stem cell information  (opens in new window) 

Stem cells clearly explained (opens in new window)

 Evolution

Evolution (opens in new window)

Fossil Hominids: the evidence for human evolution (opensin new window)

Human evolution: You try it (opens in new window)

BBC - Science & Nature - The evolution of man (opens in new window)

Bridges

BUILDING BIG: All about bridges (opens in new window)

How bridges work (opens in new window)

Sydney Harbour Bridge (opens in new window)

Virtual Laboratory (opens in new window)

Chemistry

Top 10 Amazing Chemistry videos (opens in new window)

Chemical Elements.com - An Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements (opens in new window)

Tom Lehrer's The elements (opensi n new window) Learn the song!

WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements (opens in new window)
 Comprehensive information of all the elements.

Renewable Energy

Click 2 learn - origin energy Australia (opens in new window)

EERE: Kids Home Page (opens in new window)

Arizona Solar Center - Your guide to Solar and Other Renewable Energy Sources in Arizona. (opens in new window)