Kids and Government Websites: Together @ Your Library


 
 
Kids and Government Websites: Together @ Your Library [presented at the 2007 American Association of School Librarians Conference] • October 26, 2007
 
Sandra Q. Williams, Professor
Government Documents Librarian, St. Cloud State University
(320) 308-2063                 sqwilliams@stcloudstate.edu
 
Thank you, Sandra Q. Williams, Government Documents Librarian, St. Cloud State University (MN) for allowing us to share this excellent list of resources!
 
 
 
Kangaroos and Other Animals               
*Elem. All About Animals (Food & Drug Administration)
            Suggestions are given for the proper way to care for pets. Find out if you’re ready to own a dog.
            http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/kids/html/pets.htm
 
Elem.   Kid’s Corner (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
            Demonstrations of how loss of habitat and ecosystems can lead to a decline in biodiversity.
            http://www.fws.gov/endangered/kids/
           
             North American Mammals (National Museum of Natural History)
            A searchable database of more than 400 mammals of North America. 
            http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/
 
            Virtual Frog Dissection Kit (Department of Energy)
            Part of the “Whole Frog” project; included are links to games, as well as to Frogwatch USA.
            http://froggy.lbl.gov/virtual/
 
 
 
 
*Elem: This abbreviation means that this site is especially useful for younger students.
Insects, Plants, & Birds
        Insects
Elem.   Children’s Butterfly Site  (National Biological Information Infrastructure)
            Includes coloring pages, an overview of life cycles, resources for teachers, FAQs & links to other sites.
            http://bsi.montana.edu/web/kidsbutterfly/
 
            Insects (U.S. Geological Survey)
            Provides links to many sites having to do with insects, and some sites include maps of distribution.
            http://www.usgs.gov/science/science.php?type=theme&term=591
       
        Plants
Elem.   Ask the Answer Worm (Natural Resources Conservation Service)  
            Everything – and more – you ever wanted to know about soil.
             http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/education/squirm/skworm.html
 
Elem.   FSAKids (Farm Service Agency)
            Many fun activities, including games in Spanish, to teach students about agriculture.
            http://content.fsa.usda.gov/fsakids/
 
Elem.   Plants (Agricultural Research Service)
            Information on breeding better berries, pollen, Nightmare on Elm Street, and more.
            http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/plants/plantsintro.htm
 
Elem.   Soil Science Education Home Page (NASA)
            Links to stories about soil, soil in the news, activity of the month and other features.
            http://soil.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html
 
            Agriculture in the Classroom (Department of Agriculture)
            This program is coordinated at the federal level, but carried out in each state.           
            http://www.agclassroom.org/   
       
        Birds
Elem.   Woodsy Owl  (Forest Service)
            This site helps motivate kids to form healthy relationships with nature.
            http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/woodsy
           
            Bird Friends at NIEHS! (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
            Learn about 20 different birds, then play a matching game and listen to bird songs.
            http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/birds/home.htm
 
             NOAA’S Ark (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
            Subtitled “A virtual boatload of fins, fur, and feathers.” Photos of mammals & birds protected by NOAA.
            http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/animals/index.html
 
Dimes to Dollars
Elem.   H.I.P. Pocket Change (United States Mint)
            Games, cartoons, and a time machine help teach kids about money. Especially fun is “Cents of Color.”
            http://www.usmint.gov/kids/
                      
Elem.   Learning Bank (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
            “Carmen Cents” is your guide through the Learning Bank.
            http://www.fdic.gov/about/learn/learning/index.html
 
            MoneyFactory (Bureau of Engraving and Printing)
            Students are shown how to spot counterfeit bills. A new $5 bill is scheduled for release early in 2008.
            http://www.moneyfactory.com/
 
Science
Elem.   Biological Resources Kid’s Corner (USGS Biological Resources)
            Projects, games, coloring pages and stories to help kids learn about biology.
            http://biology.usgs.gov/features/kidscorner/kidscrnr.html
 
Elem.   Kids’ Pages (United States Patent and Trademark Office)
            Discover inventions that have received patents in the past – the telephone, the traffic light, etc.
            http://www.uspto.gov/go/kids/
 
Elem.   Sci4Kids (Agricultural Research Service)
            Click on the carp to find links to fish farming, and on the tractor for links to soil.
            http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/
           
            Science.Gov (First Gov for Science)
            A gateway to over 50 million pages of authoritative selected science information.
            http://www.science.gov/
           
            Smithsonian Students (Smithsonian Institution)
            “A place for kids to explore, discover, and learn.”
            http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students/
       
            Water Science for Schools (U.S. Geological Survey)
            Pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center help teach about all aspects of water. Also in Spanish.
            http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu
 
Geography & Maps
Elem.   MapStats for Kids (FedStats)
            Stixie and Globie will teach concepts about maps and statistics through fun games.
            http://www.fedstats.gov/kids/mapstats/
 
Elem.   NGA Kids’ Site (National Geospatial Intelligence Agency)
            Make a map, connect the dots, or do a word search.
            http://www.nga.mil/ngakids/kids/games/index.html
 
            Astro Kids (U.S. Geological Survey)
            See Flat Stanley go to the moon and get planetary images to use in making globes.
            http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/Kids/
                       
            National Atlas of the United States (Department of the Interior)
            Students can make a map, print pre-formatted maps or play with interactive maps.
            http://nationalatlas.gov/
 
Occupations
Elem.   Career Resources for Kids (National Agricultural Library)
            Explore careers in science through links for kids in grades K-6, and 7th graders through college.
            http://www.nal.usda.gov/kids/careers.htm#k-6

Elem.   FBI Kids Page, K-5 (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
            Darrell and Shirley, black labs who sniff for bombs, take kids on a field trip of the FBI. http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/kidsk5th.htm
           
            BLS Career Information (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
            Provides links to information on careers in law, math, building things, and more.
            http://www.bls.gov/k12/
 
            CollegeNavigator (Department of Education)
            Information provided on 7,000 postsecondary institutions in the U.S. Compare by size, degrees, etc.
            http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
 
            Cool Tech Jobs (Girl Power)
            Summarizes information about careers in science & technology that could appeal to girls.
            http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/sciencetech/jobs/index.htm
           
            Occupational Outlook Handbook (Department of Labor)
            The premier reference on occupations and tomorrow's job market. Hardbound: $39; Paperback: $20.
            http://www.bls.gov/oco/
 
Vermeer & Other Artists
Elem.   Bottlecaps to Brushes (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
            Cappy, the skateboarding giraffe, takes students on a tour of the art in the museum’s collection.
            http://americanart.si.edu/education/cappy/
 
Elem.   Meet Me At Midnight (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
            If you were the Root Monster, what artworks would you pick for your treasure chest?
            http://midnight.si.edu/default_flash.html
 
Elem.   NGA Kids (National Gallery of Art)
            Includes many art activities and also an interactive site where kids can make art online.
            http://www.nga.gov/kids/
 
            Archives of American Art (Smithsonian Institution)
            Includes 16 million letters, photographs and other documents about the visual arts in America.
            http://archivesofamericanart.si.edu/
 
            Portrait for Kids (Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery)
            Solve a mystery about what’s missing in a famous painting of George Washington.
            http://georgewashington.si.edu/kids/portrait.html
 
            Smithsonian for Kids (Smithsonian Institution)
            Resources of the many museums and art galleries run by the Smithsonian.
            http://www.si.edu/kids/
 
Earth Science & Energy
        Earth Science
Elem.   Kids Stuff – Waterdrops (Environmental Protection Agency)
            Water Drops is a collection of fun facts, games, and projects for kids to learn about water.
            http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/KidsStuff/
       
 
Elem.   MMS Kids’ Pages (Minerals Management Service)
            Links to Tidepool Math, Ocean Energy, The Ocean’s Sand, and Historic Shipwrecks, among other topics.
            http://www.mms.gov/mmskids/                       
 
            Earth Observatory (NASA)
Satellite imagery and information about the Earth’s climate and environmental change are found here.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
       
        Energy
Elem.   Energy Kid’s Page  (Energy Information Administration)
            Energy Ant serves as a guide to these links and an ambassador to energy information.
            http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/
 

Elem.   Kids Saving Energy (Department of Energy)
            Games, tips, and facts just for kids who want to save energy!
             http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/
 
            Students’ Corner (Nuclear Regulatory Agency)
            Learn all about nuclear energy, nuclear reactors, radiation, and getting rid of radioactive waste.
            http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students.html
 
Rwanda & Other Countries 
Elem.   Future State (Department of State)
            Follow Pat, your Passport Pal, as you learn about the activities of the U.S. Department of State.
            http://future.state.gov/fun/index.htm
 
Elem.   Peace Corps Kids World (Peace Corps)
            Join Traveler as she explores the globe and learns about making a difference.
            http://www.peacecorps.gov/kids/
           
            Background Notes (U.S. Department of State)
            Facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, etc., of countries.
            http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
 
            NationMaster
            A central data source and a handy way to graphically compare nations. Includes many gov. documents.
            http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php
 
            Portals to the World (Library of Congress)
            Links to more than 175 countries are provided for authoritative and in-depth information. Terrorist links.
            http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html
 
            United Nations
            Learn facts about the member nations, as well as what’s happening in world events.
            http://www.un.org/
 
            World Factbook   (Central Intelligence Agency)
            Includes up-to-date information about all countries. Link to Flags of the World. Paper: $99.
            http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
      
        United States
Elem.   America’s Story from America’s Library (Library of Congress)               
            Many activities on this site help students discover some of the people and events of America’s past.
            http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi
Elem.   Ben’s Activity Book   (Government Printing Office)
            This supplement to the Ben’s Guide website (see next) helps students learn about our country’s symbols.
            http://bensguide.gpo.gov/files/Ben_Activity_webversion.pdf
 
Elem.  Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids (Government Printing Office)
            Benjamin Franklin is the host of this site for all grade levels about government in the United States.
            http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html
 
Elem.   Kids in the House (Office of the Clerk; U.S. House of Representatives)
            Learn more about Congress, play games, see how our laws are made, and take a field trip to Capitol Hill.
            http://clerkkids.house.gov/
 
            Crime in the United States (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
            Statistics on crime offenses for the USA, the states, & individual agencies. Paper:$53.
            http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#cius
 
            Library of Congress Exhibitions (Library of Congress)
            Links to exhibitions as varied as Bob Hope, “The African-American Mosaic,” & Blondie.
            http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/
 
            Library of Congress: The Learning Page (Library of Congress)
            The front door to 100+ American Memory collections, including 7 million digital photos, and more.
            http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/
             
            Our Documents (National Archives)
            The 100 milestone documents of American history are found here. Information on National History Day.
            http://www.ourdocuments.gov/  
 
            Primary documents in American History (Library of Congress)
            Look here for links to the many digitized resources in the Library of Congress. 
            http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/PrimDocsHome.html
           
            THOMAS (Library of Congress)
            Follow new bills in the United States legislature and search for information about legislative history.
            http://thomas.loc.gov/
            
            United States Government Manual (GPO Access)
            The official handbook of the federal government. Paper: $23, GPO Bookstore.
            www.gpoaccess.gov/gmanual/index.html
 
        Constitution Day (September 17)
Elem.              White House Kids – Constitution (The Executive Branch of the United States)
            This site gives facts and has links to games and a video children will enjoy.
            http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/constitution/
 
            Celebrate Constitution Day! (National Archives)
            Includes lesson plans and high resolution scans of the Constitution that can be downloaded and printed.
            http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution/constitution-day.html
 
Nevada and Other States
        Nevada             
Elem.   Nevada Kids Page (Nevada State Library and Archives)
            This site provides links to Nevada facts along with some fun and interesting projects.
            http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/kids/
Elem.   Nevada eCards Collection (Dept. of Information Technology)
            Send free, electronic postcards (eCards) from the Nevada Postcard Collection to everyone on your list.       
            http://ecards.nv.gov/categories_JustForKids.htm
 
            Nevada (State of Nevada)
            Use this website to learn about Nevada and to connect with many online services.
            http://www.nv.gov/
 
        Other States
Elem.   Explore the States (Library of Congress)
            Click on a state to find a thumbnail description of that state’s history, and links to cultural events.
            http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es
 
            State Legal Sources on the Web (Univ. of Michigan Documents Center)
            A quick link to each state’s constitution, legislative proceedings, and major newspapers.
            http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/statelaw.html
 
            StateMaster
            A unique statistical database where you can research and compare data on all states.
            http://www.statemaster.com/index.php
 
Miscellaneous Sites
Elem.   Kids.Gov (Federal Citizen Information Center)
            Links provided to federal kids' sites along with some of the best kids' sites from other organizations.
            http://www.kids.gov/
 
            EDSITEment (National Endowment for the Humanities)
            Humanities resources from museums and libraries aligned with many lesson plans for all ages.
            http://edsitement.neh.gov/
 
            ERIC: Education Resources Information Center (Dept. of Education)
            Free access to more than 1.2 million records of journal articles and other education-related materials.
            http://www.eric.ed.gov/
 
            FREE: Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (Dept. of Education)
            Find more than 1500 teaching and learning resources, from dozens of federal agencies. RSS available.
            http://www.free.ed.gov/index.cfm
 
            Google U.S. Government (Google)
            Search for government documents from federal and state sources.                
            http://www.google.com/ig/usgov
 
            Library of Congress: Online Catalog (Library of Congress)
            Find MARC records to import into your media center’s online database. 
            http://catalog.loc.gov/
 
            Primary Source Learning (Library of Congress/Northern Virginia Partnership)
            Find and use primary sources related to specific curriculum standards with best instructional practices.
            http://www.primarysourcelearning.org/index.shtml
 
            Smithsonian Education (Smithsonian Institution)
            Prepare, plan, & teach with lesson plans and resources from the Smithsonian. Links to state standards.
            http://smithsonianeducation.org/educators/index.html
 
            USA.gov (U.S. General Services Administration)
            The U.S. Government’s official web portal. 
            http://www.firstgov.gov/
 
                GobiernoUSA.gov (U.S. General Services Admin.)
            The U.S. Government’s official web portal for Spanish speakers.
            http://www.usa.gov/gobiernousa/index.shtml
Environment
Elem.   BLM Learning Landscapes (Bureau of Land Management)
            Explore “America’s big backyard” from your computer – from birds & dinosaurs to rivers & railroads.
            http://www.blm.gov/education/LearningLandscapes/students.html
 
Elem.   Endangered Species Picture Book (Environmental Protection Agency)
            Children can print out pictures of 21 endangered plants and animals and color them.
            http://www.epa.gov/espp/coloring/
 
Elem.  Energy Kid’s Page (Energy Information Administration)
            All about garbage – its history, timelines, and how we get rid of it.
            http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/primer.html
 
Elem.   Environmental Kids Club (Environmental Protection Agency)
            Games, pictures and stories to help kids explore and protect their environment. Pre-K - 4th grade.
            http://www.epa.gov/kids/
 
Elem.   EPA Student Center (Environmental Protection Agency)
            Information about ecosystems, waste & recycling, conservation, water, and more. Grades 5 - 8.
            http://www.epa.gov/students/
 
Elem.   NIEHS Kids’ Pages (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
            Brainteasers, music, jokes and more activities to explain the effects of the environment on human health.
            http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/home.htm
 

Elem.   Recycle City (Environmental Protection Agency)
            All about recycling and how kids can help.
            http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/
       
Elem.   Roofus’ Solar & Efficient Home (Department of Energy)
            Find out what makes Roofus’s energy-smart home run.
            http://www1.eere.energy.gov/kids/roofus/
       
Elem.   Smokey Bear (U.S. Forest Service)
            A visit with Smokey Bear and a variety of games will help children understand the dangers of forest fires.
            http://www.smokeybear.com/
 
Elem.   Tox Town (National Library of Medicine)
            Toxic chemicals and environmental health risks children might encounter in everyday life.
            http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/index.html
 
            High School Environmental Center (Environmental Protection Agency)
            This site will inform you about environmental issues and help you protect the environment.
            http://www.epa.gov/highschool/