Factmonster.com: IRA Newsletter Literary Site Review #5- Cameron

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 Heidi Cameron

ED638-41

Dr. M. Rivera

IRA Newsletter Project Effective Literacy Website Review #5: www.factmonster.com



Factmonster.com is more than just a collection of random facts. This site was reborn from a sister site from 1990 called infoplease.com. The need for a kid friendly research site was made a apparent and the creators set out to do just that. Infoplease inlcuded dense information that was not very accessible to children. At factmonster the content editors ensure that the content is factual through and backed by notable and reliable sources. Each topic includes pictures and relevant information to expand students’ learning and knowledge. 

On factmonster.com students can look up facts and information on a wide range of topics. Some of the categories include: World, U.S, People, Math and Science, Language Arts, Homework, Holidays and Calendars, Tools, and Games. Each of these major categories have a drop down menu that include specialized topics that make navigation easier for new researchers. The Homework tab includes information on academic school related topics such as Math, Science, and Writing. Students can find tips on how to write a good paragraph as well as fun quizzes for each topic to apply what they have learned. Through the Tools menu kids can access an almanac, altas, dictionary, thesaurus, conversion calculator, distance calculator, spelling checker, and place finder. The Games menu includes easy to play review games on multiple topics from Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and more. 

The most beneficial aspect of this site is that students are reading and researching topics that interest them and you as the teacher or parent do not have to worry about them being side tracked down an internet rabbit hole that is not age-appropriate, which I am sure we have all done before. By allowing kids to learn about topics that interest them they are able to take ownership of their learning and will not even notice the amount of information they are reading and consuming as they do it. Factmonster.com will become a vital addition to my classroom’s digital gems. 

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