Students are always needing to effectively gather, study, and cite sources for their essays and projects. As teachers know, the internet has made this process both more fruitful and more complicated. The Wild West of the web requires students to think more critically about sources and more effectively organize all the different kinds of things they find -- both digital and physical. These picks will show students how to go beyond Google to find credible, usable scholarly resources, and then to unpack and use these sources to fuel awesome essays and projects. To this end, on this list you'll find top-rated tools for not just collecting sources but annotating and citing them.
Lessons and Materials
Civic Online Reasoning (by the Stanford History Education Group):
These resources make it easy to teach and assess students' fact-checking abilities when it comes to things like social media posts or videos and websites.
E.S.C.A.P.E. Junk News (by the Newseum):
This lesson teaches students six ways to debunk bad info.
InfoZones (by the News Literacy Project):
Learn and categorize six types or "zones" of information, from news to propaganda.
Fact checking video
This video features a useful think-aloud fact check of a social media post by MediaWise's Katy Byron.
Seriously, if you can't tell if something on the internet is fact or fiction, tag @MediaWise and use the hashtag → #IsThisLegit ←and they'll help you figure it out.
Read like a historian
This video features a useful think-aloud fact check of a social media post by MediaWise's Katy Byron.
Seriously, if you can't tell if something on the internet is fact or fiction, tag @MediaWise and use the hashtag → #IsThisLegit ←and they'll help you figure it out.
Read like a historian
Research Resources
Advanced Google Search
Check Bias
Check your sources, see if the magazine, news source, website has bias.
Databases
Digital Public Library of America
Organized digital library features piles of useful primary resources
DPLA is at the top of the list of high-grade, online primary source collections if teachers make effective use of what's on offer.
Gooru
Personalized tool fosters exploration, teacher-led meaningful learning
A great portal for supplementing classroom instruction; supports independent and personalized learning.
ZoteroBib
Fewer clicks and less clutter equal a new go-to site for citing sources
An intuitive site that takes the stress out of citing sources, but students will still need instruction to tweak auto-generated citations.
SweetSearch
Search engine with filtered results leaves room for critical thinking
SweetSearch supplies valid, reputable websites that can help kids learn about a variety of topics.
Diigo
Social bookmarking encourages discovery, collaboration, and sharing
With a Diigo educator account, teachers and students have a safe space to organize, customize, and share Web content while learning about a variety of subjects.
EasyBib
Helpful citation and writing resource for instant bibliographies
Bottom line: EasyBib works great for citing sources and generating bibliographies, but other tools such as a grammar checker are limited.
Weava
Chrome extension helps organize web-based research
Bottom line: For Chrome users and mostly digital classrooms, this is a fairly intuitive tool that'll help students wrangle their research.
Google Scholar
Academic search engine, an excellent source for credible research info
Bottom line: This smart tool can help teens locate credible material for paper and report writing, general research, and other school projects.
Purdue Online Writing Lab
Quality resources for literary teens, but won't motivate reluctant writers
Bottom line: Use this site as a robust resource for all aspects of the writing process, but don't expect an online community or interactivity.
Advanced Google Search
Check Bias
Check your sources, see if the magazine, news source, website has bias.
Databases
Digital Public Library of America
Organized digital library features piles of useful primary resources
DPLA is at the top of the list of high-grade, online primary source collections if teachers make effective use of what's on offer.
Gooru
Personalized tool fosters exploration, teacher-led meaningful learning
A great portal for supplementing classroom instruction; supports independent and personalized learning.
ZoteroBib
Fewer clicks and less clutter equal a new go-to site for citing sources
An intuitive site that takes the stress out of citing sources, but students will still need instruction to tweak auto-generated citations.
SweetSearch
Search engine with filtered results leaves room for critical thinking
SweetSearch supplies valid, reputable websites that can help kids learn about a variety of topics.
Diigo
Social bookmarking encourages discovery, collaboration, and sharing
With a Diigo educator account, teachers and students have a safe space to organize, customize, and share Web content while learning about a variety of subjects.
EasyBib
Helpful citation and writing resource for instant bibliographies
Bottom line: EasyBib works great for citing sources and generating bibliographies, but other tools such as a grammar checker are limited.
Weava
Chrome extension helps organize web-based research
Bottom line: For Chrome users and mostly digital classrooms, this is a fairly intuitive tool that'll help students wrangle their research.
Google Scholar
Academic search engine, an excellent source for credible research info
Bottom line: This smart tool can help teens locate credible material for paper and report writing, general research, and other school projects.
Purdue Online Writing Lab
Quality resources for literary teens, but won't motivate reluctant writers
Bottom line: Use this site as a robust resource for all aspects of the writing process, but don't expect an online community or interactivity.