Finding information on any given subject is as easy as clicking a button on a search engine. Gone is the need for rows of encyclopedia’s, dictionaries and tangible books. Everything is available online at your discretion. Wading through the options, however, can take the shine off of the ease of accessibility. If you are looking for something specific, you still need to wade through your choices until you find a reliable source. This is not as easy as it sounds. Wikipedia, the wonderful, epic, online encyclopedia, is not considered a trustworthy website as it is user-generated. Literally any one can add and edit information at their discretion.

Yet the World Wide Web is an amazing resource of quality material, knowledge from experts and an educational smorgasbord at your fingertips. It is argued that a quality education should not cost as much as some private universities are charging and that influential change makers are creating ways to offer learning opportunities through the internet that are solid and authentic. So how can you navigate your way through the dead ends, cobwebs and arm chair educators to find what you need? With a little research and a lot of time you can hunt out the best, but I have compiled a list of quality geography, history and science sites to get you on your way.

Seterra is a geography program that offers a free download for a multiple level map game. Players choose their continent and go from there with either a wide focus, such as labeling the countries, or a more narrow one, such as finding the capital cities. The great thing about Seterra is the fun factor. It is easy to become addicted to improving your score and to forget that you are learning!
www.seterra.net

National Geographic is a trusted name and the organization has done a fabulous job of utilizing the internet to engage students of all ages with a variety of learning strategies that often come under the guise of games and videos.
www.nationalgeographic.com
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

The History Place is a gift to those who appreciate the past and love to dig deeper. It is a website filled with detailed information and pictures. The site has also won numerous awards.
www.historyplace.com

Ted Talks is an amazing website with hundreds of video presentations about ideas worth spreading by innovative change makers from around the world. You can find just about anything worth knowing about on this website.
www.tedtalks.com

Khan Academy is a free world class education that changed the way people learned online. It recently got a grant of money which has resulted in a lot more lessons and a lot more exposure.
www.khanacademy.org

BBC history section is an incredible source of material, both compelling and richly informative. Anyone who visits this website leaves with a better understanding of the world we live in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/