Probably the fastest and easiest way for kids to get information is to get it online. However, if you are just surfing around looking for information by clicking on lots of links to different sites you might just find yourself in trouble.
There is a lot of gross stuff on the Internet. There is a lot of stuff that you aren’t ready to see, that will hurt you, and that will make your parents mad. The trick is to avoid going to sites where you will see this bad stuff and still be able to learn a lot and to write good reports.
One good thing you can do to avoid the bad stuff is learn some good sites and save them to your favorites. There are sites that are just for kids that are packed with great information. These sites, like Surfnetkids or National Geographic for Kids that are fun, safe places where you can hang out and learn.
There is also a site made up for kids to find sites made for kids. This site is made by the American Library Association and it has all sorts of great places for kids to go. The ALA site has categories about animals, art, history, math, and science. You can use this site to write a report on almost anything without worrying about seeing any bad stuff.
Another way to write a report is by going to an e-magazine or an online encyclopedia. Your library probably subscribes to some online magazines and encyclopedias. Talk with your librarian and ask about the online information available through the library. You will probably be surprised at how much information is available for you. The best things about getting your information from the library resources are that it is safe, free, and factual.
You cannot trust everything you read on the Internet. Some sites offer information that you would think was factual but it is just made up. One popular place to get information is from Wikipedia. While Wikipedia might give you some background information, you will want to consider other sources when writing your reports.
Another way to avoid seeing stuff you don’t want to see is to learn to use search engines to get the information you want to get. If you go onto the Internet with a specific question you are often able to get specific information. To do this, you can type keyword into a search engine like Google or AskJeeves. The information that comes up should be directly related to what you typed in. Read the little bit of text that comes up and determine if the information is what you are looking for.
When you are using Google to search there are green, grey or red tags for each option. Only click on items with green tags. These items have had the files scanned for viruses and spyware.
If you do happen to see something questionable, close the window immediately. You should always tell your parents if you see something bad on the Internet. They can help you figure out why you saw it and how to avoid seeing it again. Every once in a while you mistype an address by mistake and it takes you to some site where you wouldn’t want to be. Do not click on any link on that site. Just close the window.
By following these tips, you should be able to write your reports without exposing your self (or your computer) to any questionable stuff. Learn how to use favorites and when you find a good, kid-friendly site save it. You can use that site and links from that site to write future reports.