Skip to content

5-8

About            FAQs          Contact

Databases and Resources for grades 5-8

101 Great Science Experiments
101 Great Science Experiments

Describes 101 science experiments or activities that can be done with household items and easily found ingredients.

American Decades
American Decades

A cross-disciplinary source for junior and high school users who need to analyze periods of contemporary American social history.

Cities of the United States
Cities of the United States

Provides vital information on 199 of America’s top cities. City-specific profiles organize pertinent facts and data.

Encyclopedia of Food and Culture
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture

Articles on food and its place in human culture and society. Find entries on everything from food preparation, distribution, holidays, cultures, nutrition, and health.

Explora Middle School
Explora Middle School

Designed specifically for middle school, Explora Middle School is a full-text database of popular magazines, reference books, and primary sources covering many subjects, including history, science, and health. It also includes over a million photos, maps, and flags.

Grzimek’s Animal Life Encycolpedia
Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia

Features articles that familiarize readers with animals found everywhere on the globe, detailing their life cycles, predators, food systems, overall ecology, and much more.

Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia: Evolution
Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia: Evolution

Covers evolution in detail and explores it from a scientific viewpoint. Includes comprehensive coverage of recent ideas and discoveries in the field of evolution.

History Reference Center
History Reference Center

Full text content of historical documents, biographies of historical figures, photos, maps, video, and other history reference materials.

Human Diseases and Conditions, 3rd ed., 2017
Human Diseases and Conditions, 3rd ed., 2017

Presents information on numerous diseases and conditions. Articles include a definition of the disease or condition, an explanation of how it works in the body, information on causes, symptoms and diagnosis, treatment or cure, and lifestyles.

LearningExpress Library
LearningExpress Library

A comprehensive collection of test preparation tools, skill-building materials, and career resources. Use to prepare for college and career, education tutoring, software tutorials, and workforce development.

Literary Reference Center
Literary Reference Center

Provides information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes.

Newspaper Source Plus
Newspaper Source Plus

Full text coverage of major newspapers, videos, and podcasts covering critical news topics.

Notable Sports Figures
Notable Sports Figures

Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of their success on the playing field or controversy off the playing field.

Novelist Plus K-8
Novelist Plus K-8

For readers in Kindergarten through 8th grade. Find fiction reading recommendations by book titles, author, genre, series, or key plot points. Ready-to-go read-alike lists for popular titles.

Pronunciator
Pronunciator

Provides both guided and self-directed instruction for 131 foreign languages, and ESL for 51 non-English languages. Check out the Course Designer, which allows for the creation and deployment of custom courses by educators. Pronunciator uses a variety of tools (e.g., drills, quizzes, feature films, streaming music with lyrics, poetry, plays, culture notes, etc.) to provide 360-degree exposure to a language within a safe, structured learning environment.

Scout: Classroom Edition
Scout: Classroom Edition

Video clips and multimedia tools for use in K12 classrooms in all subject areas. Includes lesson plans. Searchable by grade level and subject.

UXL Encyclopedia of Science
UXL Encyclopedia of Science

This resource provides information on scientific theories, life forms, inventions, controversies, and discoveries.

UXL Encyclopedia of Weather & Natural Disasters
UXL Encyclopedia of Weather & Natural Disasters

Includes content covering weather basics, climate, natural disasters, the effects of human activities on the weather, and advances in new technology.

World Book Discover
World Book Discover

Designed for high-interest, low reading level content, this tool is useful for new readers of English.

World Book Student
World Book Student

Encyclopedia content designed for students in middle grades.