government information for kids and teens

Government Information for Kids (and Teens)

Kids.gov

http://www.kids.gov/ Organized by grade levels Highlights good government science websites for

kids

Montana Kids

http://www.montanakids.com/Fun facts about MontanaGood information about agriculture &

business in Montana

Federal Kid-friendly sites

Most agencies have a student-oriented site Example: EPA Student Center (

http://www.epa.gov/students/)

Ocean Explorer

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/Media-rich, includes lesson plans & details of

explorations

NASA for Students

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html

Detailed information on space explorationKid-friendly interface, media-richTeaching tools

Ben’s Guide

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/Working on a redesignClassic source for civics information

America’s Library

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi

Library of Congress site with a focus on history and famous Americans

Games, stories, & media files

Smithsonian Kids Zone

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students/Online exhibits, games, & activities in art,

science, & history

BLM Learning Landscapes

http://www.blm.gov/education/LearningLandscapes/students.html Classroom activities, homework helpers, about the BLM

Ready Kids

http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.htmlKid-oriented information on planning for

emergencies Making “just-in-case” family plans What should go in an emergency kit Facts about different kinds of emergencies

Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov/k12Aimed more at teens: career guidanceLinks to the Occupational Outlook Handbook

for more information

GirlsHealth.gov

http://www.girlshealth.gov/Merges health information with social

informationSelf-esteem tools

National Security Agency (NSA) Cryptokids: http://www.nsa.gov/kids/

Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms (ATF)http://www.atf.gov/kids/

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)

FREE: http://free.ed.gov/index.cfmProvides curricular materials by subject

USGS and Education

http://education.usgs.gov/Example of robust government site supporting

educationLesson plans, handouts, posters, images

USEFUL S ITES FOR TEENS & TWEENS

Student Project Resources

USA.gov

Good browse options : http://www.usa.gov

Statistical Abstract of the U.S.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

Montana Census & Economic Information Center

http://ceic.mt.govFantastic site for quick access to Montana

demographic and economic data

FedStats Census: Subjects A to Z

http://www.fedstats.gov

http://www.census.gov

Other Starting Points

Energy Information Administration (EIA)

o Current & historical data on energy sources, prices, & consumption: http://www.eia.doe.gov/ o Energy outlookso Information by energy sourceo Renewable & alternative fuel datao Household energy use

Health Statistics

o National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS): http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ o Core vital statistics (birth, disease incidence, death)o Data on health care trends

o SAMHSA: http://www.samhsa.gov o Data on mental health & substance abuse

o CDC Data & Statistics: http://www.cdc.gov/DataStatistics/ o Quick links to core tools like Behavioral Risk

Factor Surveillance System & Health, United States

Historical Census Browser

http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus

A University of Virginia projectState and county data for common topics,

1790-1960

Environmental Protection Agency

EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/ Always a good place to start for environmental

topics “My Environment” functions are powerful Data on air, water, Superfund sites, etc.

Climate Science Resources

National Climatic Data Center (NCDC): http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov Free access to detailed climate data for users

from .gov, .edu, .k12, .mil, and .us domains

U.S. Climate Change Science Program: http://www.climatescience.gov/ Key climate change reports

EPA : http://www.epa.gov/climatechange Links to policy documents Information on climate factors

National Park Service

Nature & Science: http://www.nature.nps.gov/ Terrific site with biological, geological, and general

environmental information Air & water quality data Noise monitoring information Wildlife management

Consumer-oriented Health Information

MedlinePlus: http://medlineplus.gov/ Consumer-oriented side of Medline Overview information on conditions Medical encyclopedia & dictionary Descriptions of drugs, supplements, and herbal

remedies

Healthfinder: http://www.healthfinder.gov/ Health library describing illnesses and treatments Drug interaction checker

Nutrition & Wellness

Nutrition.gov: http://www.nutrition.gov Quick links to dietary guidelines & other nutrition

infoHealth.gov: http://www.health.gov/

Portal to multi-agency health initiativesHealthierUS: http://www.healthierus.gov/

Tips for nutrition, physical activity, & prevention Aggregates best practices info from several

agenciesCenter for Food Safety and Applied

Nutrition: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html

American Memory

http://memory.loc.govWonderful digital collections of manuscripts,

photos, scores, oral histories, music, etc.

Montana Historical Society

A Student Guide to the Study of the Statehttp://mhs.mt.gov/education/studentguide/default.asp

Montana History wiki: http://montanahistorywiki.pbworks.com/

Making of America

Making of America: http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/

The Cornell site has the War of the Rebellion series for the Army and Navy.

Bureau of Land Management

General Land Office records: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/ Land Patent search for all available states Plat maps for some states (not Montana)

Montana plat maps: http://glo.mt.gov/

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Electronic Reading Room: http://www.foia.cia.gov/ Family Jewels UFOs Psychological warfare Space weapons Memos about other countries

American Presidency Project

American Presidency Project: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu Public papers of the Presidents: Washington to Obama Speeches: Inaugural addresses, Fireside Chats,

debates

Senate Library

http://www.senate.gov/Virtual Reference Desk produced by Senate

LibraryInteresting facts about Congress & helpful

glossary

Core sites for Civics/Government Projects

White Househttp://www.whitehouse.gov

THOMAShttp://thomas.loc.gov

GPO Accesshttp://www.gpoaccess.gov

Supreme Courthttp://www.supremecourtus.gov

Sites for Government Projects

Follow the Money

http://www.followthemoney.org

Open Secrets

http://www.opensecrets.org

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

Open CRS: http://opencrs.com/Surprisingly difficult to get CRS reportsGovernment-funded “think tank”

analysis of policies, issues, trends

Jennie Burroughsjennie.burroughs@umontana.edu

406-243-4548

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