Atlases

USGS National Map Small-Scale Collection – The U.S. Geological Survey National Map is a collection of free, downloadable, small-scale datasets useful for scientists, decision-makers, and planners to provide a geographic context for research projects. Datasets were created for the National Atlas of the United States, which was discontinued in 2014.

Dictionaries & Thesauri

Acronym Finder – With more than 1,000,000 definitions, Acronym Finder is the world’s largest and most comprehensive dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms.

Cambridge Dictionaries – Provides dictionaries in Learner’s English, English, Essential American English, and Essential British English; bilingual translation generators in English, Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese; and grammar advice.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary – Provides online access to an English dictionary and thesaurus.

Thesaurus.com – An online thesaurus to assist with finding synonyms and definitions of words.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar – Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature (articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions) and locate the complete document through your library or on the web.

Encyclopedias and Almanacs 

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Organized by a table of contents in alphabetical order, this encyclopedia covers philosophers and philosophical ideas from antiquity to the present day.

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy, written by an editorial staff who are professors at universities around the world.

Web Gallery of Art – A virtual museum and searchable database of European painting and sculpture from the 8th century to the 19th century. Covers the pre-Romanesque; Romanesque; Gothic; Renaissance; Baroque; Rococo; Neoclassical; and Romantic artistic periods. Includes an alphabetical list of artists and a glossary containing articles on art terms, relevant historical events, personages, cities, museums, and churches.

Business & Economic History

EH.net Encyclopedia of Economic and Business History – An encyclopedia created by the Economic History Association. Articles are indexed alphabetically. Primarily about economics issues in the United States but some coverage of other nations (Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Mexico, Israel, England).

Business Planning

Bplans.com – Bplans, owned and operated by Palo Alto Software Corp., contains the largest single online collection of free sample business plans, plus tools and guides for business launch, growth, and management.  <

U.S. Small Business Administration – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the federal government that aids, counsels, assists and protects the interests of small business concerns, and helps Americans to start, build, and grow businesses.

Journals and Periodicals

Bloomberg Business Week – American weekly business magazine that delivers U.S. and international business and financial information, news, and insight.

Forbes – Business magazine that covers finance, industry, investing, marketing, technology, communications, science, politics, and law.

Fortune – Multinational business magazine known for in-depth articles and annual “Fortune 500” list of top companies.

Journal of Commerce – JOC provides comprehensive news, data & analysis to the global maritime and logistics sectors. Registering on JOC.com gives free access for up to 5 articles every 30 days.

Management Issues – Practical information, tips and advice to help those in management roles deal with the fast-changing world of work. Information on the site covers key areas of management, from the challenges of working with others to dealing with stress and performance-related issues.

Newspapers

Financial Times – The latest UK and international business, finance, economic and political news, comment and analysis.

Washington Business Journal – Local business news and information on companies, entrepreneurs and business leaders in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Statistics

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs – UN-DESA generates, analyzes and compiles a wide range of official economic, social and environmental data, including population estimates and statistics with a focus on global sustainable development.

United Nations Monthly Bulletin of Statistics Online – Current economic statistics in such areas as population, employment, finance, manufacturing and transport for most countries and regions of the world.

U.S. Census Bureau – The Census Bureau releases key economic indicators reports and data about the U.S.A.’s people and economy including changes in population, workforce, housing, and state and local governments.

U.S. Department of Commerce – The Department of Commerce oversees ocean and coastal navigation, helps negotiate bilateral free and fair trade, and enforces laws that ensure a level playing field for American businesses. Site has data and statistics on U.S. business, trade, economics and foreign investment.

U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics – The Bureau of Labor Statistics has data on labor productivity and compensation; inflation; prices; employment and unemployment; occupations; pay and benefits; workplace injuries; and employment protections.

World Bank – Helps countries to share and apply knowledge and solutions in economic management; environmental and natural resources management; urban and rural development; gender inclusion; and public sector governance to reduce poverty and build prosperity in developing countries. Open-source collection of reports and analyses, some in multiple languages.

Stocks & Commodities Exchanges

NASDAQ Quotes & Research – Find stock quotes, interactive charts, historical information, company news and stock analysis on all public companies in the U.S.

S&P Dow Jones Indices – Provides access to the latest information on index policies, industry regulations and market consultations in global markets.

Think Tanks

Brookings Institution – A non-profit, non-partisan public policy organization that provides research, policy recommendations and analysis on a range of public policy issues such as foreign policy, economics, development, governance, and metropolitan policy.

Center for Global Development – An independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit think tank that undertakes independent, high-quality research in economics and other disciplines to reduce global poverty and inequality.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) – The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) promotes democratic debate on important economic and social issues that affect people’s lives on an international basis through timely, original and independent research. Site includes publications translated into Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Latvian, Swedish, Romanian, Polish, Korean, and Hungarian.

Trade

International Trade Centre (ITC) – The ITC, a joint agency of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN), implements trade-related technical assistance on a worldwide scale. Site provides country-specific trade data.

Trade Statistics Branch of the United Nations Statistics Division – Develops and maintains guidelines on international merchandise trade statistics; statistics of international trade in services; tourism statistics; distributive trade statistics; and basic economic statistics including the Statistical Business Register (BES). Site has publications in multiple languages.

U.S. Bureau of the Census Foreign Trade Statistics – Current U.S. import and export statistics from the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

U.S. International Trade Administration Trade Statistics – The ITA, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, promotes trade and investment and ensures fair trade through enforcement of trade laws and agreements to help U.S. organizations compete at home and abroad. Site has data and reports about national U.S. trade, U.S. exporting companies; export-related jobs; and tariffs.

World Trade Organization International Trade and Tariff Data – Trade and tariff statistics from The World Trade Organization, the only global organization that deals with the rules of trade between nations.

World Trade Organization Publications – Annual reports, trade profiles, world trade reports, world tariff profiles, and world trade statistics reviews produced by the WTO. Many can be freely downloaded.

Securities

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) EDGAR Database – The EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) system houses submissions by companies that are required by law to file forms with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Searchable documents in EDGAR include Form 10-K or 10-KSB, annual reports that give a comprehensive summary of a public company’s performance.

Statistics

Wolfram/Alpha Computational Knowledge Engine – Wolfram|Alpha is a free online computational knowledge engine that generates answers to questions in real time by doing computations on its own vast internal knowledge base of over 50,000 types of algorithms and equations.

Online Full-Text Books in Computer and Information Science

FreeTechBooks – Searchable database of more than one thousand free or open access online computer science books, textbooks, and lecture notes.

Dictionaries and Glossaries

Free Online Dictionary of Computing (FOLDOC) – Dictionary of acronyms, jargon, programming languages, tools, architecture, operating systems, networking, theory, conventions, standards, mathematics, telecoms, electronics, institutions, companies, projects, products, and history related to computing.

Webopedia – Online tech dictionary for IT professionals, educators, and students that provides definitions to words, phrases, and abbreviations related to computing and information technology.

Encyclopedias

Whatis?.com Tech Target – Encyclopedia of information technology terms related to AppDev, business software, computer science, consumer technology, data center management, IT management, networking, security, and storage and data management.

Organizations

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) – W3C, led by inventor Tim Berners-Lee, is an international community where member organizations, staff, and public work together to develop protocols and guidelines to ensure long-term growth for the World Wide Web.

Java

The Java Tutorials – Practical guides for programmers wanting to use the Java programming language (primarily Jave SE 8) to create applications. Includes hundreds of complete, working examples, lessons, and tutorials.

Journals and Periodicals

Developer.com – Online magazine for developers working with Java, Microsoft, .NET, mobile, Android, open source, cloud, database, architecture, PERL, PHP, and Ruby.

Information Week – Information technology news related to business technology.

Info World – Expert, in-depth analysis of enterprise technology from a publication known for identifying important tech trends early.

Laptop Mag – Tips, how-to advice, product testing and reviews, interactive product finders and buying guides for laptop users.

Linux Journal – News and advice covering the global Linux community.

Macworld – Technology, news, analysis and guidance related to Apple tech products.

MSDN Magazine – Magazine for software developers who use Microsoft products.

Network Computing – Magazine for IT architects and engineers, with articles that focus on next-generation networks, enterprise infrastructure systems, data centers, mobility, storage systems, communications, and cloud architectures.

Network World – Information, intelligence and insight for network and IT executives in infrastructure management, LAN and WAN, mobile, wireless, security, unified communications/VOIP, cloud computing, Cisco, and Microsoft.

PC World – Digital magazine covering business, laptops, tables, phones, hardware, security, software, gadgets and product reviews.

Windows IT Pro – Magazine for IT professionals who work with Windows, Exchange Server, SharePoint, Visualization, Cloud, and systems management.

Comparative Religion

Interfaith Online – Provides information on a comprehensive range of issues relating to religion, faith, and spiritual beliefs around the world. Main areas of coverage include major world religions, new religions, mythology, and spiritual development.

Elections

Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES) – A collaborative program of research among election study teams from around the world. Participating countries and provinces include a common module of survey questions in their post-election studies to collect data on voting, demographics, district, and macro/electoral system variables. The studies are then merged into a single, free, public dataset for use in comparative study and cross-level analysis. (Free, but requires users to register.)

Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development

OECD iLibrary – OECD iLibrary is the online library of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) featuring its books, papers, statistics, analysis, and data. It also contains content published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the OECD Development Centre, PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), and the International Transport Forum (ITF).

Periodicals

The Atlantic – Since 1857, The Atlantic has covered news and analysis on politics, business, technology, entertainment, and culture.

Foreign Affairs – Since its founding in 1922, Foreign Affairs has been the leading forum for serious discussion of American foreign policy and global affairs.

Foreign Policy – Covers global affairs. A trusted source of insight and analysis for leaders from government, business, finance, and the academic world.

Statistics

Country Watch – Provides free country overviews and key data of most nations including history, GDP, population, climate, language, currency, and land area. More in-depth data available by paid subscription.

NationMaster – Massive data compilation sourced from CIA World Factbook, United Nations, OECD and others that allows users to graphically compare nations in a variety of areas ranging from GDP to climate change to murder rate.

Statemaster.com – A statistical database which allows users to research and compare a multitude of different data on US states. Data is compiled from various primary sources such as the US Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Center for Educational Statistics and also includes data visualizations such as pie charts, maps, graphs, and scatterplots.

Statistical Abstracts of United States (Historical Data Series) – The Statistical Abstract of the United States publishing division was closed by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2011. The historical data on this page spans the 1870s through 2010, the last year the Statistical Abstract was published. To access the most current data, please refer to the organizations cited in the source notes for each table of the Statistical Abstract.

The World Factbook (CIA) – Formerly the “CIA Factbook”, provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 countries in the world.

Think Tanks

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) – Founded in 1921, CFR is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators, student, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.

European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) – ECFR is an international think tank and pan-European institution that conducts independent research; provides a safe meeting space for policymakers, activists and intellectuals to share ideas; and promotes informed debate about Europe’s role in the world.

Middle East Institute – MEI, a respected, non-partisan think tank, is the oldest Washington, D.C.-based institution dedicated solely to the study of the Middle East.

U.S. Agency for International Development

U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) – USAID is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies. It carries out U.S. foreign policy by promoting broad-scale human progress; expanding stable, free societies; creating markets and trade partners for the U.S.; and cultivating goodwill abroad.

U.S. Congress

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs – The House Committee on Foreign Affairs considers legislation that impacts the diplomatic community, which includes the Department of State, the Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, the United Nations, and the enforcement of the Arms Export Control Act.

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee assists in developing and influencing United States foreign policy, at times supporting and opposing the policies of presidents and secretaries of state. It holds jurisdiction over all diplomatic nominations. Through these powers, the committee has helped to shape foreign policy in matters of war, peace, treaty negotiations, and international relations.

U.S. State Department

Foreign Relations of the United States Series, U.S. Department of State – The Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity, from 1945 through 1988. Post-Reagan presidential administrations are still being fully documented by U.S. State Department historians for future release.

United Nations

Official Documents System of the United Nations – The Official Document System (ODS) is an online database of full-text UN documents published since 1993, including documents of the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and their subsidiaries, and administrative issuances. Also includes scanned documents published between 1946 and 1993, including all resolutions of the principal organs, all documents of the Security Council, and the General Assembly Official Records.

United Nations Treaty Collection – The United Nations Treaty Collection is a searchable online depository of over 560 multilateral treaties. It also provides access to information on treaties deposited with the League of Nations. Users can search by title, data and place of conclusion; participants; reservations, objections, and other communications relating to a treaty; and corrections and amendments.

World Bank

World Bank – The World Bank provides low-interest loans, zero to low-interest credits, and grants to developing countries to support a wide array of investments in such areas as education, health, public administration, infrastructure, financial and private sector development, agriculture, and environmental and natural resource management in order to reduce poverty and support development.

Education Policy

Education Policy Analysis Archives – International, multilingual (English/Spanish/Portuguese), multidisciplinary journal of education policies.

Educational Research and Reviews – Covers subjects such as comparative education, early childhood education, adult education, special education, teachers’ training, vocational education, educational technology, educational administration and management, curriculum development, and education policies and management.

Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies – Critiques global, national, neo-liberal, neo-conservative, New Labour, Third Way, postmodernist and other analyses of policy developments, as well as Socialist/ Marxist transformative policy for schooling and education.

Journal of Education Policy – Addresses issues of rights to an education in the public domain and educational policy making in a democratic society.

Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation – Research and ideas about methodological issues and practices, designed to help readers keep up-to-date with methods, trends, and research developments.

Education Practices & Philosophies

Australian Journal of Educational & Developmental Psychology – Research from the broad areas of educational and development psychology, to understand learning processes across all age groups and educational settings.

Current Issues in Comparative Education – Respected source for cutting-edge debate in the field of comparative and international education.

Current Issues in Education – An open access, peer-reviewed academic education journal produced by doctoral students at Arizona State University.

Education Next – A journal of school reform, focused on research, sound ideas, and responsible arguments that are free of program, campaign, or ideological bias.

Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology – Joins the knowledge of academics and practitioners in the fields of education and school psychology.

Higher Education Studies – Promotes scholarly exchange among teachers and researchers in the field of post-secondary education

International Education Studies – Original research papers, case reports, and review articles on education method, policy and development; education technology and psychology; special education and cross-cultural education; education leadership, administration and evaluation; training, teaching and learning; and language education.

International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education – Open access journal that focuses on learning, development, instruction and teaching at the elementary level.

International Journal of Education & the Arts – Peer-reviewed, research-based field studies in aesthetics; art theory; music education; visual arts education; media education; drama education; dance education; education in literature; and narrative and holistic integrated studies.

International Journal of Multicultural Education – IJME publishes empirical research reports that address multicultural educational issues; conceptual and theoretical articles that advance theories and scholarship of multicultural education; and praxis articles that discuss successful multicultural education practices.

International Journal of Special Education – Original, experimental and theoretical articles about special education.

International Journal of Whole Schooling – Explores ways to improve learning and schooling for all children, using the eight principles of whole schooling.

Journal of Career and Technical Education – National publication of Omicron Tau Theta, the national, graduate honorary society of career and technical education, and a forum for philosophy, theory, practice, and issues in career and technical education.

Journal of College and Character – Professional journal that examines how colleges and universities impact the moral and civic engagement of students.

Journal of Research in Rural Education – Addresses the interrelationships between rural schools and communities; the sociological, historical, and economic context of rural education; rural education and community development; learning and instruction; preservice and inservice teacher education; educational leadership, and educational policy

Journal of Social Science Education – International peer-reviewed, academic open access journal about teaching and learning in the field of social science education.

Educational Technology

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology – Focuses on the integration of technology in tertiary education, particularly post-school education settings including higher and further education, lifelong learning, and training.

Australian Educational Computing – Addresses the use of information and communications technology in education.

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology: La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie – CJLT covers learning theory and technology; cognition and technology; instructional design theory and application; online learning; computer applications in education; simulations and gaming; and other technology uses in the learning process.

Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education – Open access, peer-reviewed publication of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE).

Electronic Journal of e-Learning – Pedagogical, learning and educational perspectives on topics relevant to the study, implementation and management of e-Learning initiatives.

International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT) – Use of ICT in education for development in developing countries and in rural and remote regions of developed countries, including distance education; mobile learning, e-learning and online learning; flexible learning and delivery; open learning/open access/open educational resources; and e-literacy.

Journal of Applied Testing Technology – Focuses on role of technology in educational and psychological measurement, and advances in applied psychometric practice, especially related to use of technology.

Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice – Publishes the best innovative practices on using information technology in education, and the teaching of information technology.

Journal of Information Technology Education: Research – Scholarly articles on the use of information technology in education.

Journal of Interactive Media in Education – Online journal in educational technology that focuses on the implications and use of digital media in education.

Journal of Interactive Online Learning – Scholarly, peer-reviewed online journal about issues related to higher-level learning outcomes.

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration – Journal that focuses on the management of distance education programs.

Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education – An academic distance-education journal, with a broad focus from ESL courses to teaching adult learners.

Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – International journal that focuses on all aspects of educational technology.

Pedagogy

AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice – Quarterly journal with a focus on research and evidence-based practice pubished by American Association of School Administrators (AASA)

International Journal on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education – A forum for higher education faculty, staff, administrators, researchers, and students who are interested in improving post-secondary instruction, with a focus on higher education pedagogy and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).

Issues in Educational Research – Refereed academic research journal published by the Institutes for Education Research in New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia.

Journal of Learning Design – Searchable archive (2005-2017) of an online journal that focused on the study and investigation of pedagogy and learning design in higher education, especially innovative use of technology.

Journal of Research Practice – A journal about research applications, spaces, education, experience, and philosophy.

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – Addresses contemporary issues bridging teaching and learning in higher education, philosophical approaches to teaching, current research, and praxis.

Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice – Focuses on teaching and learning practice in the higher education environment.

Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy – Examines digital and multimodal composing practices through rhetorical and innovative uses of new media.

STEM Education

Bioscene Journal of College Biology Teaching – Publication of the Association of College and University Biology Educators (ACUBE)

Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education – Peer-reviewed articles about mathematics, science, engineering, medical, STEM, and technology education, and educational/instructional technologies.

International Journal of Environmental and Science Education – Original research articles from throughout the world in the fields of education, social sciences, engineering, and environmental science

Issues in the Undergraduate Mathematics Preparation of School Teachers: The Journal – Research results, insights, and ideas of professional educators and mathematicians on issues pertaining to the college level mathematics preparation of future K-12 teachers.

Journal of Statistics Education – Knowledge for the improvement of statistics education at all levels, including elementary, secondary, post-secondary, post-graduate, continuing, and workplace education.

Journal of Technology Education – Scholarly discussion on topics relating to technology and engineering-related education

Journal of Urban Mathematics Education – Critical research, pedagogy, and scholarship of engagement in urban communities, within the multitude of cultural, social, and political spaces in which mathematics teaching and learning takes place.

Mathematics Educator, The – Promotes the interchange of ideas among the mathematics education community, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Science Education International – Quarterly journal of the International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE), which works to extend and improve education in science for all children and youth.

Academic Word List

Academic Word List – Developed by Dr. Averil Coxhead at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, the Academic Word List (AWL) is a list of useful English words for college students to use to develop a core academic vocabulary.

English Vocabulary Exercises – Over 800 exercises and 2,100 words to learn and review general and academic English vocabulary. Site features gap-fill sentences exercises, the Academic Word List, and a weekly study guide.

University Word List Flashcards – The University Word List (UWL) is a list of 800 English words commonly used in introductory-level University texts across all disciplines. This site has online flashcards to help you to learn the meaning of these words.

Dictionaries

Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary – A combination dictionary and thesaurus for learning new words. Includes recommended Core Vocabulary words from the dictionary’s editors, a Word of the Day, and quizzes.

Newbury House Dictionary of American English – Heinle’s Newbury House Dictionary of American English contains over 40,000 entries. With simple, clear definitions, this online tool provides a wealth of sample sentences and idioms.

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries – The Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries helps users to understand and use both British English and American English. Site features the “Oxford 3000”, a list of the 3,000 most important words to learn in English.

The Idiom Connection – A dictionary of idioms. Idioms can be searched for alphabetically or by category (e.g., animal idioms). Also explains idioms, phrasal verbs, and proverbs. Includes quizzes.

Lessons, Learning Materials, Quizzes, Listening, Etc.

Activities for ESL Students – Created by the Internet TESL Journal, this site offers quizzes, tests, exercises, and puzzles to help ESL learners. Includes grammar and vocabulary quizzes, crossword puzzles, and bilingual quizzes (English and another language) in almost 50 languages.

BBC Learning English – Developed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), this site provides learning tools, listenings, activities and quizzes for ESL learners who speak English, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Chinese, Persian, and Thai. Includes lessons in business English, news English, conversational English, grammar and vocabulary.

CNN Audio & Video Podcasts – Audio and video podcasts from CNN on news, politics, business, sports, technology, entertainment, and education.

CNN 10 (News Explained in 10 Minutes) – CNN 10 is a 10-minute digital news show that explains global news to a global audience.

Dave’s ESL Cafe – ESL and EFL resources for students and teachers, including grammar lessons, idioms, phrasal verbs, quizzes, slang, podcasts and student forums for language learners, and lesson ideas and job listings for teachers.

EnglishClub.com – Resources for learners and teachers of English. For students, the site features lessons (many with audio) in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. For ESL/EFL teachers, the site offers lesson plans, printable ESL worksheets, classroom handouts, activities, games, and teaching tips.

Englishpage.com – Free online English lessons for advanced learners of English, including in-depth English tutorials featuring dozens of interactive exercises.

EZ Slang – Developed by a seasoned ESL/EFL teacher, this website helps both independent and classroom learners to understand idioms and American slang. Students can listen to audio conversations and take short quizzes.

How Stuff Works – Unbiased, reliable, easy-to-understand answers and explanations of how the world actually works. Articles, podcasts, and video on a wide range of topics including adventure, animals, geography, health, history, science, and people.

Randall’s ESL Listening Lab – Audio lessons that use everyday conversation and listening quizzes to teach easy to advanced level English language learners.

Sounds of English – Site helps ESL students to improve their English pronunciation (vowels, consonants, stress and intonation) by using audio and video examples. Also includes lessons and activities for ESL teachers.

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading – Listen to remarkable people talk about a wide range of topics including technology, entertainment, design, business, science, culture, arts, health, the environment, and global issues.

ThoughtCo Language Learning Resources – Thousands of resources in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Mandarin for both students and teachers of second languages, from basic vocabulary and grammar guides to advanced writing and conversation exercises.

Train Your Accent – Provides samples of relaxed, North American English to help language learners understand vocabulary and expressions in everyday language.

UsingEnglish.com – Tools and resources for students, learners, teachers, and academics that cover ESL, EFL, ESOL, and EAP subject areas. Includes quizzes and language tests; a grammar glossary; lists of irregular verbs, phrasal verbs and idioms; and ESL discussion forums.

Teacher Resources

Breaking News English – Free ready-to-use EFL / ESL lesson plans for 7 levels of English. The site offers graded news articles, listening, podcast, and communicative activities. Lessons are based on a variety of themes, including: business English, the environment, health, issues, lifestyle, famous people and gossip, technology, and world news.

Washington Area Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (WATESOL) – WATESOL is a professional association for English language educators, program administrators, pre-service teachers, graduate students, and other language professionals in the Washington, D.C. metro area (Maryland, Virginia, and D.C.) working in the areas of K-12 education, adult education, higher education, language education research, and program administration.

Academic Writing

OWL (Purdue Online Writing Lab) Resources for ESL Students – This section of the OWL site helps ESL students in second language writing. Includes resources on writing across the curriculum, writing for certain audiences, and exercises useful for ESL students.

Evolution

Becoming Human – Becoming Human brings together interactive multimedia, research and scholarship to promote great understanding of the course of human evolution. Site features a documentary about human evolution; an interactive timeline covering 7 million years of human lineage; and a learning center with exercises, activities, and games for learners of all ages.

Understanding Evolution – An educational website that explains the science and history of evolutionary biology, helping you to understand what evolution is, how it works, how it factors in your life, how research in evolutionary biology is performed, and how ideas in this area have changed over time.

What Does It Mean to be Human? (Smithsonian Institution) – The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s website on human origins.

General

Basic Biology – More than 130 articles on a wide range of topics such as plants, animals, water, fungi, bacteria, biochemistry, microorganisms, genetics, taxonomy, and ecology.

Biodiversity Heritage Library – BHL is a global consortium of natural history and botanical libraries that have digitized over 100,000 titles and over 170,000 volumes of biodiversity and taxonomic literature. Browse by title, author, date, collection, and contributor.

American Rhetoric – Audio recordings and alphabetical index of over 5,000 notable 20th and 21st century public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews as well as full text, audio and video of 210 speeches from Hollywood movies.

Digital History – An interactive, multimedia history of the United States from the Revolutionary War era to the 21st century.

History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web – A highly regarded gateway to web resources and a repository of unique teaching materials, first-person primary documents, and guide to analyzing historical evidence for high school and college students, and teachers of American history.

CNN Audio & Video Podcasts – Audio and video podcasts from CNN on news, politics, business, sports, technology, entertainment, and education.

CNN 10 (News Explained in 10 Minutes) – CNN 10 is a 10-minute digital news show that explains global news to a global audience.

How Stuff Works – Unbiased, reliable, easy-to-understand answers and explanations of how the world actually works. Articles, podcasts, and video on a wide range of topics including adventure, animals, geography, health, history, science, and people.

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading – Listen to remarkable people talk about a wide range of topics including technology, entertainment, design, business, science, culture, arts, health, the environment, and global issues.

Classic Short Stories – Full-texts of classic short stories from over 50 authors ranging from Rudyard Kipling to James Joyce to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Most, but not all, of the authors represented are from the United States or England. You can search by title or author to find a story.

East of the Web: Short Stories – Classic and contemporary short fiction, organized by theme.

Great Books Online (Bartleby.com) – Digitized classic works of fiction and nonfiction including literature, quotations, verse, poetry, anatomy, and scientific papers.

Google Books Search – Use to search the world’s most comprehensive index of full-text books.

Internet Archive eBooks and Texts – The Internet Archive and Open Library offers over 11,000,000 fully accessible books and texts.

Poetry Archives – Containing over 5,000 classic poems, this database is searchable by first line of the poem; author of poem; or poem title by keywords.

Project Gutenberg – Project Gutenberg offers over 53,000 free eBooks, searchable by category. Language options include English, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese.

The Literature Network – A searchable online literature database that currently offers 3,500 full works of fiction and nonfiction, and 4,400 short stories and poems by over 260 authors. Includes a quotations database with over 8,500 quotes, and quizzes.

The Online Books Page – Hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, this site lists over 2 million free eBooks, searchable by author, title, and subject.

WikiSource – An online library of over 366,000 freely available, full content texts, documents, works of literature, and scholarly articles.