Marianne J. Dyson

Homework Help


Papeback & Library Binding available I wrote this book in 2000, and though I did my best to find sites that were regularly updated, it is undoubtedly dated by now. I have not checked the websites listed in the book recently to see which ones are still valid, but I do list some that I know are outdated below the reviews. Scholastic has not shown any interest in a revised edition, but there are still copies of the original in libraries and schools (and I have a few in my closet). If you are looking for good sites for space or astronomy, my new book Space and Astronomy has loads of websites and other references at the end of each chapter. If you have questions on other areas of Homework Help on the Internet, send an email, and I'll see if I can help. Good luck with your homework!

REVIEWS

SCHOLASTIC: Whether doing research at home, at school, or in the library, kids will get the most out of their time online with this comprehensive guide. First, the book provides students with tips on how to use the Internet safely and efficiently. Next, the readers are specifically shown where to find information on the six main curriculum topics: American History, World History, Math, English, Geography, and Science. The final chapter provides great sites for kids to go with their general informational needs.

Specifications: 64 pages, 5 1/4" x 7 5/8" paperback, ISBN 0-439-20892-0, $3.95 retail

THE BOOK REPORT, Worthington, IL: At a time when it's easy to drown in a sea of information, this valuable little book is one that no library should be without. Six chapters deal with the specific content areas of American history, English, geography, math, science, and world history. Within each section is a list of related Web sites, all of which appear to be child-friendly. The sites listed seem to be of high quality, maintained by institutions such as museums and governmental and educational organizations. The introduction contains some valuable tips on how to best use the Internet as a resource. A fairly complete list of "netiquette" rules also is provided, as are two sites for gathering more information on netiquette and surfing. Copyright rules as they pertain to the Internet are explained, and the importance of bibliographic citation is emphasized. The final chapter contains several homework help sites. One of this book's strengths is the guidance it provides for students on how to approach an electronic search. Several sites are listed that share criteria for evaluating the credibility of an online resource. Libraries would benefit from having several copies of this volume to check out for use at home. Highly Recommended. - Susan Raben, Learning Center Director, Lyon Elementary School, Glenview Illinois. March/April 2001.

BOSTON SUNDAY HERALD: "If your child is of homework age, a wonderful book for finding help on line is "Homework Help on the Internet" by Marianne J. Dyson (Scholastic, $3.95: ages 9-12). Each chapter tells where to find help on a particular subject, including American history, English, geography, math, science, and world history. The book also includes helpful tips on "Netiquette," safe surfing, and sites offering general homework help." - Jennifer Galvin, September 10, 2000.

THE SUNDAY ADVOCATE MAGAZINE: "There's no doubt that the Internet has impacted education in America. As Lisa Tramontana documents in the cover story of today's Magazine, people who home school their children are finding a wide variety of Web sites that can be used to supplement traditional pedagogic materials such as books, pencil and paper and chalkboards. ... Resources for reports, math, science, you-name-it are available on the Internet. I watched my 7-year-old doing multiplication tables on one homework site. It was amazing. He knew instantly if he had submitted the correct answer. ...

The fact is, the Internet is with us. Those who are able make good use of it. Those you aren't labor under a handicap. The proliferation of education Web sites is documented in books such as Homework Help on the Internet by Marianne J. Dyson (Scholastic Reference, $3.95). ... There are pages and pages of web sites, including the one my son uses for homework practice: https://www.edu4kids.com/math. This is an excellent handbook and hits all the high points for children who want to try using the Internet for homework help. This includes those who use home computers and those who use computers at schools, libraries and other places." - Greg Langley, Books Editor, October 15, 2000.

UPDATES

  1. On page 10, three of the Safe Search Engines are no longer available: https://cybersleuth-kids.com, and https://www.kidsnook.com and https://www.yahooligans.com. One that is listed that still works is: https://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/
  2. On page 27, under General English Sources, the new URL for the Internet Encyclopedia by Clifton Davis and Margaret Fincannon is: https://www.cam-info.net/enc.html
  3. On page 28, the site: https://www.kidpub.org/kidpub is no longer available.
  4. On page 33, under General Geography Sources, the URL for the CIA maps page is now: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/refmaps.html
  5. On page 45, the first animal site, https://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/index.html no longer works.
  6. On page 46, the first animal site, https://www.oceanicresearch.org/lesson.html no longer works.
  7. On page 47, delete first two sites: https://www.seasky.org/sea2.html, and https://www.si.edu/organiza/museum/zoo/photos/phoset.htm.
  8. On page 48, in the Ecology section of Science, the URL for a slide show on air pollution, https://www-wilson.ucsd.edu/education/airpollution/airpollution.html, is no longer working.
  9. On page 50 there are two changes. The site about galaxies, https://www.icu2.net/faahomepage/galaxies.htm, and the site about the nine planets, https://www.tcsn.net/afiner, are no longer working. Replace with: https://www.seds.org/messier/.
  10. The back cover of the book has a typo in the address for this web site's home page. It had "geocites" instead of "geocities." Note that "www.geocities.com/mariannedyson" is the same site as "www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Campus/5999" and also "www.mariannedyson.com."