Wikis as Information Sources

From sports almanacs to local history pages, you'll find that people of all ages are creating and using wikis as a place to share and locate information.

Wikis as Reference Materials

The best know wiki is Wikipedia.

Use wikipedia as a quick reference. It's also great for current events and lesser known information. The key is identifying the fact, fiction, and perspective. Pay attention to the references and the external links.

• Current Events - Topics not covered in mainstream media
• Nile Kinnick - Lesser known people
• Pluto - Scientific updates

Try It!
Use Wikipedia to look up your home town. What's fact, fiction, opinion, and a matter of individual perspective? What references are used? What seems to be missing? What would you add, extend, modify, or delete from this page? Why?

Explore other wiki reference tools.

• Wikipedia for Schools
• Wikimedia - Wikimedia Commons - Images
• Wikijunior
• Wikia
• WikiTravel
• Wikibooks - High School Math Extensions
• WikiVersity - High School Math

Wikis as Information Sources

Explore the following examples of topical wikis.

• EduWikipedia
• Lyric Wiki - Find and share music lyrics.
• The Moon - Focuses on everything you want to know about the moon.
• Planet Math - An encyclopedia of math
• Literature - A Wiki of Unfortunate Events: Lemony Snicket (About), IPL's Teen Poetry Wiki, Queen Loana
• SciFi/Fantasy - Redwall Wiki, SciFi/Fantasy Wiki, StarBase 118
• WikiaGreen
• Galaxiki

Try It!
Want to find or participate in a wiki information project? Do a Google Search for your topic and add the word wiki.

Wikis, Schools, and Information

Wikis are a quick way to make web pages, so they're great for posting projects. In the First Grade Space Page, students share drawings and audio recordings. Many classes, centers, and schools are using wikis instead of web pages. In the HHS Library Media Center wiki, they have library information as well as class projects.

Student Helpers

• Student Study Skills Information

Pathfinders and Web Links

• Deaf Awareness
• Free Stuff for Science Teachers
• Science News Page
• Wetlands

Special Days or Events

• National History Day
• Presidential Celebrations

Teacher and Parent Resources

• Parent Handbook
• Policies Manual from Priestsic Primary and Nursery School

Educational Wikis

• Classroom Google Earth - This wiki is collecting ideas for using Google Earth in the classroom.

Contribute

Try It!
Go to Favorite Day Trips. Contribute a page on your favorite day trip.

 

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