The Librarian's Internet-Government's New Domain
Kid-appropriate, online information about our government
By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 8/1/2000
H
ow can I find my senator's postal address?" "How does a bill become a law?" "Where can I locate information about President Truman?" Every year teachers give assignments that require kids to find detailed information about our government, and you end up spending lots of time helping them locate it. Thanks to some great Web sites, most of this information is now easy for kids to locate and use on their own.Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
Gr K-12
--This new site, named after legislator, scientist, and public librarian Ben Franklin, is designed to educate kids of all ages about the workings of government. Separate sections covering grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 contain information about U.S. symbols, the branches of government, citizenship, and the election process. Sponsor: U.S. Government Printing Office. Don't Miss: "About Ben," where you can learn about the founder of the first public library. Under each section click on "Games and Activities" for printable word searches, crossword puzzles, and other puzzles. Finally, check out the different age levels of "How Laws Are Made"--they offer simple step-by-step explanations for this complicated procedure.Uncle Sam for Kids
http://www.win.org/library/matls/govdocs/kids.htm
Gr 5-12
--Consider paying "Sam" a visit to get a good compilation of addresses of government officials and basic government documents. Sam also links to many other sites that kids can use to complete their homework assignments, and even includes the little-known history of the Uncle Sam character. Sponsor: St. Charles City-County (MO) Library District. Don't Miss: Any of the links listed under "U.S. Congress," or any of the links under "History of the American Flag." Both sections list only the best, easiest-to-use information.GIX Kids' Corner
http://www.info.gov/kids.htm
Gr 4-12
--Many federal departments and agencies create Web sites designed for kids, but it can be hard to find them. For a quick and easy guide, check out Kids' Corner. Here kids can locate information about space, the environment, even bike and car safety. Don't forget to show this site to teachers and homeschoolers: They can use it to locate lots of information and activities for students. Sponsor: U.S. General Services Administration. Don't Miss: "Social Security Youthlink," which contains information for kids and teens about social security cards and tax deductions. Detour: For a library-produced site that contains additional links to kids' government sites, visit Government Sites for Kids at www.westga.edu/library/depts/govdoc/kids.subject.shtml#govt.Presidents of the United States--POTUS
Gr 5-12
--Kids can locate information about any of the 42 Presidents (or their First Ladies) at this well-organized site. Each presidential biography contains personal information, detailed election statistics, and even information about individual Cabinet members. Sponsor: Internet Public Library, School of Information, the University of Michigan. Don't Miss: "Nicknames," "Notable Events," and "Historical Documents" for all presidents. "Audio Files" for modern presidents. Tech Stuff: RealAudio, MP3 player (for audio files) Detour: Junior and senior high-school kids studying the 2000 election as well as researching candidates and their views will want to link to Project Vote Smart at www.votesmart.org/index. phtml.Stately Knowledge
Gr 5-12
--Do kids need to locate basic factual information about a state, such as its flag, symbols, motto, history, and governor? No problem, just visit this site to get "just the facts." Sponsor: Internet Public Library, School of Information, the University of Michigan. Don't Miss: "Encyclopedias and Almanacs" for more detailed state information from Encyclopedia Britannica, Encarta, and Information Please Almanac. Detour: For additional information about each state, visit "States and Capitals" at http://www.50states.com/ (this site contains banner ads).
