How to address violence in the news with your students.
TOP PICKS | 20 TOOLS
Research and Citation Tools for Students
Top Picks
RELATED
Print | Save as PDF
PebbleGo
Easily accessible, kid-friendly database for the littlest researchers
Bottom line: Delightful, safe introduction to the world of research, databases, and reporting, with interesting content and stellar supports.
Grades: K–3
Price: Free to try
Library of Congress
Dig into famed library's collection of research goodies
Bottom line: The Library of Congress delivers the best of America's past and present, and with teacher support it could be a reliable research resource for students.
Grades: 1–12
Price: Free
NowComment
Rich collaboration and close-reading tool invites deep, easy-to-assess discussions
Bottom line: Versatile, free discussion platform for teaching, peer review, assessment, and fostering active reading.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
PebbleGo Next
Safe nonfiction database develops students' research skills
Bottom line: Student-centric research site gives kids a just-right amount of information to build foundational research skills.
Grades: 3–6
Price: Free to try, Paid
Smithsonian Open Access
Stellar museum-based resources available for exploration and use
Bottom line: This high-quality collection of museum resources -- ranging from artifacts to full-blown exhibits -- provides unlimited exploration for students, reliable primary sources for teachers.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free
Digital Public Library of America
Organized digital library features piles of useful primary resources
Bottom line: 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.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
Gooru
Track progress, differentiate instruction with vast content library
Bottom line: Though it's not perfect, it's a great portal for supplementing classroom instruction and supporting personalized learning.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
ZoteroBib
Fewer clicks and less clutter equal a new go-to site for citing sources
Bottom line: An intuitive site that takes the stress out of citing sources, but students will still need instruction to tweak auto-generated citations.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
SweetSearch
Search engine with filtered results leaves room for critical thinking
Bottom line: SweetSearch supplies valid, reputable websites that can help kids learn about a variety of topics.
Grades: 6–10
Price: Free
AllSides for Schools
Civics site offers building blocks for meaningful dialogue
Bottom line: This site meaningfully promotes dialogue rather than argument, and collects a lot of resources you might normally have to curate yourself.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Britannica School
More interactive support and instruction than Wikipedia -- for a price
Bottom line: Over 140,000 credible and up-to-date articles are presented with social media savvy; the research here is engaging and accessible.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free to try, Paid
Hypothes.is
Browser extension adds layer of annotation and discussion to the web
Bottom line: Free, user-friendly tool opens up the web to in-context annotation and discussion.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
NoodleTools
Expansive research tool uniquely melds learning and productivity
Bottom line: While the complex, old-school design isn't ideal, NoodleTools gives students specific assistance where they need it the most -- with citations, paraphrasing, elaboration, and organization.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free to try
Diigo
Social bookmarking encourages discovery, collaboration, and sharing
Bottom line: 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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid
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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid
PowerNotes
Simple, efficient research tool lacks features for group projects
Bottom line: When paired with strategic teacher guidance, the simple user interface and effective research-gathering capabilities make this a useful but incomplete option.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid
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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free, Paid
Scrible
Browser extension helpful for annotation and research organization
Bottom line: A solid -- with room to grow -- annotation and research tool; serious users will need to pay for premium.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free, Paid
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.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
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.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free