- AwesomeStories.com – Primary source materials collected from archives, libraries, universities, museums, etc.
- HippoCampus – Provides videos as a free educational resources for middle and high school students.
- ipl2 – Internet Public Library for Teens: A public service organization website and learning/teaching site, which includes other information for teens.
- POWER Teens – Research resources for teens from Pennsylvania’s Electronic Library.
- QuizHub – K-12 educational quiz games, homework help sites, and review questions with practice tests.
- RefDesk – A fact checking site
The Internet makes it incredibly easy to spread false or misleading information. A healthy dose of skepticism is in order regarding anything you may read online. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions recommends these steps for spotting “fake news”:
- Consider the source. Click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and its contact info.
- Check the author. Do a quick search on the author. Are they credible? Are they real?
- Check the date. Reposting old news stories doesn’t mean they’re relevant to current events.
- Check your biases. Consider if your own beliefs could affect your judgment.
- Read beyond. Headlines can be outrageous in an effort to get clicks. What’s the whole story?
- Supporting sources? Click on those links. Determine if the info given actually supports the story.
- Is it a joke? If it is too outlandish, it might be satire. Research the site and author to be sure.
- Ask the experts. Ask a librarian, or consult a fact-checking site, such as one of these:
FactCheck.org
https://www.factcheck.org/
Debunks political claims and viral fake news.
Lead Stories
https://leadstories.com/
Debunks trending hoaxes and false information.
Media Bias/Fact Check
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/
Check the truthfulness and bias of any news source.
PolitiFact
https://www.politifact.com/
Non-partisan fact-checking site focusing on political claims made in the U.S., including statements from politicians and general political news.
Snopes
https://www.snopes.com/
One of the oldest fact-checking sites, focusing on news stories, urban legends and memes.
TruthOrFiction?
https://www.truthorfiction.com/
Long-running fact-checking site, focusing on “eRumors, fake news, disinformation, warnings, offers, requests for help, myths, hoaxes, virus warnings, and humorous or inspirational stories that are circulated by email”.
- ALA’s Recommended Reading for YA-Teens – American Library Association’s LibGuide for Teens, a collection of ALA’s literature award winners and various notable reading lists, covering: Best Books for Young Adults, Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Outstanding Books for the College Bound, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Teens’ Top Ten, and several awards lists.
- Guys Lit Wire – Literary reviews and news for teenage boys. (Blog is discontinued, but has good suggestions for older teen reading materials.)
- Readergirlz – Celebrates strong girls in books along with book discussions.
- Reading Rants! – Out of the ordinary teen booklists!
- GirlsHealth – This site provides information about nutrition and health.
- TeensHealth – TeensHealth offers a safe, private place to get information about health, growth, and emotions.
- Web MD for teens – Better information, better health.