Use Online Kid-Safe Research Tools
Lesson preview: the Mini Lesson and Vocabulary are open to everyone. Guided practice, exercises, the parent checklist and the printable PDF worksheet come with full access (free 7-day trial or membership).
What you will learn
- 1Identify trusted kid-safe websites for research
- 2Explain how to evaluate whether an online source is reliable
- 3Record research notes using a structured template: topic, source, key fact, and question
Mini Lesson
The internet is full of information, but not all of it is correct or safe for children. Using trusted, kid-safe research tools with a grown-up beside you helps you find accurate information and stay safe online.
What Makes a Website Kid-Safe and Reliable?
- It is written for children — language is clear and age-appropriate.
- It has a known, trustworthy author: a university, a museum, a science organization, or a library.
- The information is checked by experts before it is published.
- It does not have lots of advertisements or pop-ups trying to sell things.
- It uses a trusted domain: .gov, .edu, .org (or a dedicated children's site).
Recommended Kid-Safe Research Tools
- National Geographic Kids (kids.nationalgeographic.com) — animals, science, and world topics with photos and videos.
- Britannica Kids (kids.britannica.com) — age-appropriate encyclopedia articles.
- Your public library digital catalog — books and checked databases.
The Research Note Template
- Topic: What are you researching? Write the topic clearly.
- Source: Where did you find the information? Write the website name or book title.
- Key Fact: What is the most important fact you found? Write it in your own words.
- My Question: What do you still want to know? Write one question to research next.
Words to know
Research
Looking up information to learn about a topic
e.g. I did research on koalas for my report.
Online
On the internet
e.g. I read online to find facts.
Kid-safe
Made or chosen to be safe for kids to use
e.g. A kid-safe website is right for my age.
Source
The place where information comes from
e.g. My source is a kids' science website.
Search engine
A tool that helps you find websites by typing in keywords
e.g. I used a kid-safe search engine to find facts.
Trustworthy
A source that you can believe
e.g. A trustworthy source is one a librarian recommends.
Never copy and paste text from a website. Always read the information first, then close the page and write the key fact in your own words. This shows you really understand it.
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