Homework & Research Help for Teens

Homework Tips

There are loads of resources to help you with your homework. Library databases have lots of useful information that’s not necessarily available through Google. Plus, you know you can trust this information. Many websites can also help you with your homework, but make sure you’re safe while surfing the Internet, that the websites you find are from reliable sources, and learn how to cite those sources.

Library Databases

The “databases” here have lots of information not typically available through the Internet. You’ll need your library card to log into some of them.

	EBSCOhost magazines & periodicals – Search the content of more than 10,000 popular and academic magazines, reference books, plus images, covering all subject areas, from current events and history to the arts and sciences. Many Canadian titles are included. Narrow results by date, subject, publication, etc. Tutorial:  Video Tutorial [2:25 minutes]
	Explora Canada – Information for students of all ages on a wide variety of topics, from history and current events to science and technology. Search a variety of sources such as magazines, encyclopedias, primary source documents and more.

Websites

Research & Writing Tools

• Cambridge Dictionary OnlineCambridge Dictionary Online, opens a new window - Find definitions for those tricky words!
• Essay Writing Center - Help with essay planning, structure, and basic writing. Has information on types of essays, presentation writing, business writing, and scholarships.
• Lexico Dictionary (Powered by Oxford) - Oxford English and Spanish dictionary, thesaurus, and Spanish to English translator. Includes tips for learning English as a second language.
• Thesaurus OnlineThesaurus Online, opens a new window - Easily searchable online thesaurus to help spice up your writing.
• Plagiarism - Learn how to avoid plagiarizing other people's work.
• SparkNotes Guides- Summaries and insightful critical analyses of English literature, including Shakespeare, along with guides for history, math, biology, and other subjects.

Can You Trust That Website?

When you're doing online research for your writing assignment, you want to make sure that the websites you are consulting are factually-based.

• Evaluating Information Sources (UBC) - This guide will help you to evaluate resources you use for research, whether it is an online or print journal article, a website, a book, a newspaper article, or other source that you want to cite.
• MediaBias - There's no such thing as unbiased news. But hidden media bias misleads, manipulates and divides us. AllSides empowers you to understand the role media bias plays in the news and information you consume.

Internet Safety

• MediaSmarts - Canada's Centre for Digital and Media Literacy. Topics include cyberbullying, cell phones & texting, Internet & mobile, queer representation, and more...

Citing Sources: Writing a Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of all the books, articles, websites, interviews or movies that you used to create your project or report. There are several styles of bibliographies, so find out which one your instructor prefers. This is a quick introduction to get started:

• Write a Bibliography - from WikiHow.

Looking for more information?

Check our Youth page for more information on library programs for teens and other websites to help support teens as they grow up.