The World Almanac® for Kids

About This Product

Take a quick look at the overview video for The World Almanac® for Kids:

With a dynamic new design, new and updated content, and exciting new features, The World Almanac® for Kids is the ideal one-stop reference resource for intermediate-level young patrons. Brand-new modules and a wealth of new content have been added, along with more than 50 new interactive games, more than 100 new videos, and many other enhancements. Plus, the convenient new search filters make it even easier for users to find the content they need most.

Erasing the line between homework support and fun exploration, The World Almanac® for Kids includes exclusive online-only material as well as content from award-winning Chelsea House and Facts On File sets and series. Each topic area provides resources for homework, reports, and projects, and kids—including homeschoolers—can explore age-appropriate subjects while developing online research skills with a trusted content source.

Highlights:

• Acclaimed reference content, including online-only material and content from Infobase titles
• Engaging, fun entries on age-appropriate topics, plus special daily features
• Excellent resources for student reports and research, including:
  • Extensive, up-to-date articles
  • Tablet/mobile-friendly videos to support the content in areas including biographies, geography, health & guidance, language arts, life science, math, physical science, social studies, sports, and the arts
  • Games—including interactive worksheets, “Test Your Knowledge” quizzes, crossword puzzles, word searches, and more—on topics including biographies, health & guidance, language arts, life science, math, physical science, and social studies
  • Science projects in fields such as Earth science, the environment, general science, life science, and physical science, plus projects for students with disabilities
  • Fun Facts articles, maps, flags, and more
• Homework Help, including study tips; writing help; research help; reference guides on using a dictionary, thesaurus, timeline, and map; math help; videos; and more
• Educator Resources, including lesson plans, a link to search by educational standards, graphic organizers to use with any section, outline maps, printable handouts, science diagrams, and an interactive Trivia Challenge that can be used to enrich lessons or as an engaging introduction to new topics—perfect for homeschoolers! Each lesson plan includes:
  • Learning objectives, including an Essential Question to introduce sections
  • Important vocabulary—great for previewing terms to enhance comprehension of new topics
  • Ideas and themes summarizing the section for educators
  • Printable handouts
  • Critical-thinking and assessment activities, including additional follow-up “after-reading” activities

Topics Include:

The Arts:

• History of Fashion: Describes in detail what people wore during iconic historical periods and, in doing so, helps students better understand the world of society, work, leisure, and professional and family life during those eras. The module features information on available fabrics, dyes, and lifestyle constraints, plus helpful hints for costume recreation are also included for classroom application or staging. Full-color photographs and drawn illustrations, glossaries, Fun Facts articles, and bullet biographies of key people round out the text.
• Understanding Art: An overview of art—from painting and sculpture to architecture, installation, and performance art—covering what art is, major art movements from prehistoric art to Pop Art, and the ways art intersects with social and cultural influences. Hundreds of full-color images of famous pieces of art; videos on art, art history, and painting and drawing techniques; and links to biographies of famous artists enhance the accessible articles. A timeline, glossaries, and Fun Facts articles round out this unique unit.
• World of Dance: Features book-length articles that offer a brief history of dance and also cover modern dance, ballet, and traditional dances from around the globe. Students will also find colorful images, videos, Fun Facts articles, and biographies of related key people.

Biographies, including both bullet biographies and more than 700 book-length biographies, in the following professional categories:

• Artists, Architects & Designers: Highlights movers and shakers in the arts, including architecture and fashion design.
• Athletes: Highlights well-known and notable athletes in baseball, basketball, boxing and martial arts, cricket, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, racecar driving, ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.
• Entertainers: Highlights major personalities in entertainment, including actors and directors, dancers, media personalities, singers and musicians.
• Explorers, Astronauts & Adventurers: Highlights courageous and well-known adventurers, astronauts, and explorers.
• Leaders of America: Highlights major personalities from American history and current events, including Supreme Court justices, first ladies, leaders of the American Revolution and Civil War era, Native American leaders, historical and political figures, modern military leaders, civil rights leaders, business leaders and philanthropists, and social leaders and activists.
• Multicultural: Highlights notable Black Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans.
• Scientists, Inventors & Mathematicians: Highlights influential scientists, inventors, and mathematicians.
• U.S. Presidents: Biographical information on all 45 presidents, from George Washington to Donald Trump. Fun Facts articles include information on the first ladies, as well as trivia about the presidency; users can also take an interactive quiz on the presidents.
• World Leaders: Highlights global giants from around the world, including ancient world leaders, business leaders and philanthropists, military leaders, modern world leaders, and social leaders and activists.
• Writers, Poets & Journalists: Highlights groundbreaking and popular authors from throughout history, from Geoffrey Chaucer to Toni Morrison.

Geography:

• America’s National Parks: Details on some of North America’s most treasured national parks, including their history, geography and geology, key features, flora and fauna, and facts and figures about each park as it is today as well as tips for planning a visit. Includes Fun Facts articles, videos, links to bullet biographies of key people, and brief histories of the American National Park Service and the Canadian National Parks System.
• Canadian Provinces and Territories: Details on the history, culture, geography, and economy of each province or territory. Also includes places of interest, famous people, Fun Facts articles, elevation and outline maps, flags, and coats of arms.
• Countries of the World: More than 190 nations, with Fun Facts articles and profiles covering population, industries, major cities, geography, and more—plus a brief history of the nation, videos, maps, flags, and images.
• The 50 States: Details and Fun Facts articles on all 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including profiles with valuable information on population, climate, and more; local history; landmarks; and famous personalities, plus maps, flags, and symbols for reports.
• Oceans, Lakes & Rivers: Articles, Fun Facts, and videos on Earth’s hydrosphere, oceans, lakes, and rivers, as well as humanity’s impact on Earth’s bodies of water.

Health & Guidance:

• Career Ideas: More than 175 careers and jobs in 12 key categories. Includes career overviews, profiles of real-life professionals, and resources to explore potential careers, plus videos and Fun Facts articles.
• Character Matters: Timely, straightforward articles and videos on being fair and honest, dealing with bullying, handling peer pressure, teamwork and respect, managing responsibilities, dealing with frustration and anger, and managing conflict resolution. Includes Fun Facts articles, games and puzzles, and links to bullet biographies of key people.
• Healthy Eating: Informative videos and important facts about how and what we should eat, including basic nutrition, weight management, nutrition for sports and exercise, eating disorders, and food safety and disease prevention, plus games, puzzles, links to bullet biographies of key people, and food-related Fun Facts articles.
• Money Matters: A solid resource for understanding the basics of banking, investing, earning and spending money, sustainable living, and more, with glossaries, “Here’s What You Need to Remember” bulleted takeaways, Fun Facts articles, relevant videos, and links to biographies of prominent entrepreneurs.

Language Arts:

• Grammar and Punctuation: Clear, concise entries, many with images and diagrams, explaining the often confusing rules of grammar and punctuation. Fun Facts articles offer interesting tidbits of information about the English language, plus a punctuation quiz and videos with punctuation tips.
• Reader’s Corner: Biographies of popular authors and profiles of their most popular books—plus Fun Facts and lists of recommended books in particular genres, best-sellers, ALA recommendations, and prestigious award winners. The perfect section for a budding bookworm.
• Sentences and Paragraphs: Articles covering sentence and paragraph structure, including grammar, types of paragraphs, and topic sentences, as well as tips on editing and revising your writing. Includes Fun Facts articles, videos, and games and puzzles.
• Take a Stand: Concise articles offering students and educators an opportunity to explore how to make an argument, back it up with facts, apply critical-thinking skills, and finally take a stand on relevant topics such as “Should There Be Animal Testing?” and “Is Social Media a Positive or Negative Influence on Young People?” Includes Fun Facts articles, plus brief videos on honing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

Life Science:

• Age of Dinosaurs: Illuminating articles about dinosaurs divided into three eras—the Triassic Period, the Jurassic Period, and the Cretaceous Period—with full four-color illustrations and diagrams, glossaries, Fun Facts articles, videos, and biographies of key people in the life sciences.
• Animal Behavior: Articles on different aspects of animal behavior, including animal communication, courtship, defenses, hunting and feeding, life in groups, and migration, plus Fun Facts articles, games and puzzles, and links to biographies of key people.
• Biomes: Fascinating articles covering geography, geology, flora and fauna, and the future of six different types of biomes found on Earth—deserts, freshwater biomes, marine biomes, forests, grasslands, and tundra—with Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and links to bullet biographies of key people.
• Birds: Articles, videos, Fun Facts, and games and puzzles on dozens of birds from African gray parrots to willow ptarmigans. Includes information on anatomy, physiology, feeding, and hunting behavior.
• Fish & Aquatic Life: Articles, videos, Fun Facts, and games and puzzles on dozens of fish and aquatic animals from anchovies to whale sharks. Includes information on anatomy, physiology, feeding, hunting, endangered species status, and family tree charts.
• Human Body: Clearly labeled diagrams, photographs, and accessible text providing an essential introduction to the human body. Includes information about the body systems and the five senses, plus Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and links to bullet biographies of key people in medicine.
• Insects, Spiders & Worms: Articles, videos, Fun Facts, and games and puzzles on a variety of insects, spiders, and worms. Includes information on anatomy, physiology, feeding, and hunting behavior.
• Mammals: Articles, videos, Fun Facts, and games and puzzles on dozens of mammals from aardvarks to zebras. Includes information on anatomy, physiology, feeding, hunting, endangered species status, and family tree charts.
• Plants: Easy-to-understand information, along with colorful images, on all things botanical in this section. Features games and puzzles, Fun Facts articles on all manner of plants, and links to bullet biographies of famous researchers in botany.
• Reptiles & Amphibians: Articles, videos, Fun Facts, and games and puzzles on dozens of reptiles and amphibians from adders to yellow-spotted river turtles. Includes information on anatomy, physiology, feeding, hunting, endangered species status, and family tree charts.

Math:

• Expressions & Equations: Articles and worksheets covering expressions, equations, exponents, and inequalities (greater than, less than, etc.). Includes Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and bullet biographies of key people.
• The Four Operations: Covers number systems and addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, with a section on graphing coordinates. Includes worksheets, Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and bullet biographies of key people.
• Geometry: Overviews of shapes, area, and volume, with a section to practice graphing shapes. Includes worksheets, Fun Facts articles, videos, “Age of the Angles” game, and bullet biographies of key people.
• Ratios & Proportions: Informative overviews of ratios and proportional relationships, with practice sheets covering fractions, decimals, and more. Includes Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and bullet biographies of key people.
• Statistics & Probability: A thorough overview of mean, median, and mode, with sections to practice statistics word problems with statistics, correlation coefficients, and more. Includes Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and bullet biographies of key people.

Physical Science:

• Energy Today: Informative articles covering different types of energy, the science behind them, and their environmental impact. Includes information on coal, oil and natural gas; biofuels; wind power; water power; solar power; nuclear power; geothermal energy; and hydrogen fuel. Plus, Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and links to bullet biographies of key people.
• Exploring Space: Fascinating articles that take students on a virtual journey to outer space, documenting the history of major space exploration—including the Mercury Program, the Gemini Program, and the famous Apollo Program—and providing facts and figures about the International Space Station, NASA’s search for life in space, and other human spaceflight feats. It also discusses how the universe began, stars, constellations, galaxies beyond ours, and black holes. Fun Facts articles, videos, interactives, and links to bullet biographies of key people round out this up-to-date module.
• Our Planet Earth: Illuminating articles explaining how the Earth formed, rocks and minerals, fossils, erosion and weathering, earthquakes, volcanoes, and much more. Detailed illustrations, photographs, Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and links to bullet biographies help explain the science.
• Our Solar System: In-depth content on the sun and all the planets in our solar system, including Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and the dwarf planets including Pluto. Additional coverage includes phenomena like asteroids, meteors, and comets. With games and puzzles, Fun Facts articles, videos, and bullet biographies of key people, this module is perfect for studying our own solar system and the planets around us.
• Sound & Light: Explores the physics behind sound and light, covering sound and light waves, vision and hearing, light and sound in the universe, and more. Full-color photographs and drawn illustrations, Fun Facts articles, videos, and bullet biographies of key people round out this exploration of a core topic in the science curriculum.
• States of Matter: Fascinating articles introducing readers to the concept of matter, with topics such as “What Is Matter?”, “Changing States of Matter,” and “Properties of Matter,” as well as a section on the Periodic Table of Elements. Fun Facts articles, videos, and biographies of key people are also included.
• Technology Today: Covers in easy-to-follow language the rise of technology from the 1700s to today; technology as we know it, including the internet, cell phones, computer animation, 3D printing, and other technologies; life in the digital age; and mobile applications in everyday life, plus Fun Facts articles, videos, and biographies of key people in technology.
• Weather & Climate: In-depth articles covering atmosphere; weather; moisture, clouds, and rain; and climate and climate change, plus important information on how weather forms and major weather events such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and links to bullet biographies help students understand these important topics.

Social Studies:

• American History: Overviews of specific time periods backed up by detailed articles, as well as maps and photographs, Fun Facts articles, videos, games and puzzles, and links to bullet biographies, giving a well-rounded view of the country’s key moments and figures.
• Ancient Civilizations: Articles, images, maps, links to bullet biographies, games and puzzles, and Fun Facts articles providing accessible introductions to ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and other ancient cultures, including the history, major leaders, lifestyle, religion, and legacy of each civilization.
• Forms of Government: Explores the different comparative forms of government that exist in the world today. Key areas covered include milestones in the evolution of government, the development of communism, democracy, dictatorships, fascism, monarchies, and oligarchies. Fun Facts articles, photographs, relevant videos, chronologies, glossaries, and bullet biographies of key people complement the articles.
• Holidays & Celebrations: Detailed information on the backgrounds, customs, and traditions of the world’s holidays and celebrations, from religious observances to independence days, organized by holiday and region. Includes holiday-related Fun Facts articles and glossaries.
• Latino-American History in the U.S.: Era-focused sections covering the story of native and Latino contributions to the United States, particularly in regions such as the Southwest, Florida, Texas, and California. Includes timelines, glossaries, full-color images and maps, Fun Facts articles, videos, and bullet biographies of key people in Latin-American history.
• Native American Life: Covers all aspects of the history and culture of the native populations who inhabited North and much of South America before the arrival of the Europeans, particularly in regions such as the Northeast, Southwest, Northwest, and Canada. Includes timelines, glossaries, full-color images and illustrations, Fun Facts articles, videos, and bullet biographies of key people in Native American history.
• Primary U.S. Sources: A collection of founding documents, historic letters and proclamations, famous speeches, Supreme Court cases, and songs and sayings that have shaped American history, with related Fun Facts articles, videos, and links to bullet biographies—a great resource for researchers or students who are required to use primary source documents in support of their studies.
• Symbols of American Freedom: Describes the history of some of America’s most historically important landmarks—including Ellis Island, Fort McHenry, Independence Hall, Mount Rushmore, the Alamo, the Gateway Arch, the Gettysburg Battlefield, the Lincoln Memorial, the Statue of Liberty, and the Washington Monument—as well as what it’s like to visit them today, with glossaries, Fun Facts articles, videos, and bullet biographies of key people.
• U.S. Government: Informative articles, images, videos, games and puzzles, links to bullet biographies, and Fun Facts articles about the three branches of government, the Constitution, political parties, and citizenship and civic responsibilities.
• World History: Thorough overviews of specific time periods from prehistory to the present, linking to descriptions of milestone events in world history. Includes Fun Facts articles, videos, and games and puzzles.

Sports:

• Sports Statistics: Baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer—find historical stats, sports trivia, Fun Facts articles, images, and videos. It also features highlights and statistics from the summer and winter Olympic Games, including gold medalists in all categories.

Features:

• New content added regularly
• Saved Items Folder
• Fun Facts articles
• Images and tablet/mobile-friendly videos
• Interactive “Did You Know?” feature on the home page, with facts to engage students and a “Learn More” link to encourage exploration
• Daily featured article
• This Month’s Birthdays
• Maps and flags
• Games, puzzles, worksheets, quizzes, and other interactives
• Correlated to Common Core, state, national, provincial, IB Organization, C3 Framework for Social Studies, national STEM, and Next Generation Science Standards
• Google Sign-In, allowing users to easily access content with their Google credentials
• Embed code feature for adding The World Almanac® for Kids content to any HTML page or Learning Management System
• Read Aloud tool
• Google Translate for 100+ languages
• Search Assist technology and age-appropriate search results
• Persistent record links
• Dynamic citations in MLA8, Chicago, and Harvard formats, with EasyBib, NoodleTools, and RefWorks export functionality
• Searchable Support Center with live help chat