The free MSN Encarta site features more than 4,500 articles pooled from Microsoft Encarta, the award-winning electronic reference library, and comes with dictionaries, maps, fast facts, interactive quizzes, handy homework tools, and more.

Since 1995, Refdesk.com, which stands for "reference desk," has served as a one-click springboard to many of the Web's top dictionaries, encyclopedias, calculators, atlases, news headlines, and search engines. The site also includes a handy "homework helper" section that provides help in all subjects to students in every grade.

Ever wanted to know why earthquakes happen? How CD burners work? What the sun is made of? These questions, and a large amount of others related to computers/electronics, automobiles, science, entertainment, and people, are all answered at this award-winning Web site. Simply type a query into the search window or peruse the topics by category. Extras include free newsletters, surveys, and printable versions of all answers.

This site features an almanac, atlas, dictionary and encyclopedia made especially for kids, as well as handy search engine and layout designed for easy fact-finding. Check out fun features such as Biographies of the Presidents, the Geography Hall of Fame, and the Tallest Buildings Slideshow.

Consider Download.com the ultimate file repository that links to literally tens of thousands of downloadable free or shareware programs. This includes utilities for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux, Internet tools, desktop dictionaries and language translators, Pocket PC and Palm applications, and of course, computer games. Visitors can search by typing in a keyword or by perusing the many sections.

The Web's answer to those black- and yellow-striped Cliff Notes is Novelguide.com, a reliable and free source for literary analysis of classic and contemporary books such as Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes from the Underground. The site offers character profiles, metaphor and theme analysis, and author biographies.

This site provides help in a number of mathematics-related subjects, including basic grade-school math, calculus, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics. Practice exercises are automatically graded, plus this free site also features a glossary, calculators, homework tips, math games, and lesson plans for teachers.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Perfect for language studies, this handy Web site automatically converts text from one language into another, such as English to Simplified Chinese or French to English. Simply type and paste up to 10,000 characters (about 1,800 words) into the search window and then select the desired language. Alternatively, you can cut and paste a Web URL to convert the entire site.

This Web site can be filed in the "where was this when I was a kid?" category. On the aptly named Shakespeare Online site, visitors can read every play or poem from the world's most celebrated writer and, more importantly, make some sense of his works with free analysis, Old English language translations, and famous quotes.

Science classes—including the ubiquitous science project—aren't as easy for some to grasp as for others. At Science Made Simple, kids of all ages can get detailed answers to many of science's questions, read current news articles related to science, get ideas on school projects, and take advantage of unit conversion tables. Users can also find out if their school's textbooks pass the test.

www.globaleye.org.uk

Worldaware's award-winning website on global issues. Two separate sites, for primary and secondary schools, offer interactive pages for pupils.

www.globalfootprints.org

A website geared towards primary schools to explore the social and environmental impacts of lifestyle choices, and how to take steps towards a more sustainable future.

www.olliesworld.com is the umbrella site with planned sites on water, energy, air and biodiversity currently being developed.

www.eco-schools.org.uk provides ideas for action and class activities on litter, waste, energy, water, transport and the school grounds. The site includes a 'kids' zone' page with games.

www.wwf.org.uk and www.wwflearning.co.uk includes the 'Go Wild' kids page with information on a range of environmental issues and 'what you can do' and a new interactive site, 'Primary Internet Investigator'. Young people can take part in an on-line debate on what should happen at Earth Summit II. The debate begins on May 31 and you can register on the 'Our World' website at: www.wwflearning.co.uk

www.globalactionplan.org.uk

The UK charity, Global Action Plan, with ideas for action in school.

www.jusbiz.org

A site for teachers of Business Studies and Economics, including the excellent 'timber' game (for 10-13 year olds), the 'debt' game and the 'tourism' game (two versions for 9-11 year olds and 12+ year olds).

www.doingyourbit.org.uk

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/schools/index.htm Two sites developed by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs department.

www.globe.org.uk

The Globe Programme, an international environmental education project involving 90 countries. Data is collected from schools and collated in the USA. The teachers' page has suggestions for activities and downloadable worksheets.

www.globalgang.org.uk

Christian Aid's user-friendly site with games and teaching ideas on global issues.

www.childrensforest.com is a very attractive, interactive site funded by Yorkshire Water (UK)