Learning how to be an effective and efficient researcher is a skill that takes a little time to hone as a college student, yet students of today have an asset that those of yesteryear didn’t: the web. Sites like Google Scholar can help you quickly and more easily find the information you need to write a stellar paper and do well in your classes. Whether you’re new to using Google Scholar or are just looking for a few ways to improve your searches, here is everything you need to know about using Google Scholar.

Understanding Scholar

Here you’ll find answers to the most basic questions surrounding Google Scholar.

1. How can I search through my college? If you want to search through your school, you can use a computer at your school, configure your browser to a library proxy or login with your library password.
2. What does Google Scholar include? Using Google Scholar, you’ll be able to search through articles, books, theses and court opinions that are found in journals, databases and universities.
3. What are the basic features? Google Scholar works much like Google. Users can search for helpful research materials online and in university libraries and databases, as well as get help with managing citations and doing continuing research.
4. How does it rank documents? The search engine weighs the full text of the documents it scours, taking into consideration who wrote it, where it was published and how recently it was written or cited by other scholars. This ensures you get the best search results during your research.
5. How reliable are the results? Studies have shown that Google Scholar performs as well as, if not better than, a wide range of library-based search engines and databases. Essentially, you’ll be getting the same quality of results as you would in your on-campus library.
6. How is it different from regular Google? Unlike regular Google, Scholar only searches through academic and scholarly sources, ensuring you have information you can trust and that is appropriate to use in a research paper at the college level.
7. What are the advantages of using Google Scholar? Google Scholar makes it easy to start looking for materials for your paper or to even find a paper topic. Students can access it at any time of day or night and do not have to leave home to find many of the materials it contains.
8. How can I find full-text articles? Once you’ve searched for a topic, you’ll be able to click on your results to see where an article is from. Some may be free to access and others may require that you access them through your university.
9. Will this help my research? While research is really only as good as the researcher doing it, Google Scholar can be an excellent starting point for any research project. It can point you in the direction of some important articles, books and resources that will be essential to writing a good paper.
10. Why is it in beta? Beta means that the search engine is still in the trial stages and that some kinks are likely to be worked out as users discover the pros and cons of the existing system. It does not necessarily mean that it won’t deliver quality search results.
11. What does the quote on the main page mean? The main page features the quote, "stand on the shoulders of giants." As a research tool, Scholar lets you metaphorically stand on the shoulders of the researchers, scientists, scholars and academics who’ve come before you.
12. How does Google Scholar compare? While some specialty services may be able to deliver better results, students can still expect to find the vast majority of what they need, or at least a starting point through Google Scholar.

Explaining the Basics

Here you’ll find help understanding the basics of what you’re looking at when you do a Google Scholar search.

13. Search box. Just like Google, this is where you’ll enter in your search query, whether by topic, journal, author or title.
14. Advanced settings. Using advanced search you can do a more detailed search, digging exclusively through journals, authors, catalogs and even through legal results in each state.
15. Scholar preferences. With this tool, you’ll be able to choose language, collections, libraries, number of results and citation management.
16. Articles, patents or legal opinions. Using this check box, you can determine what kind of results you’ll get whether they’re just articles or they include patents and legal opinions.
17. Collections. When you choose a collection, you’ll be able to exclusively get results from categories like Life Sciences, Medicine, Social Science, Engineering and more.
18. Search results. Once you’ve done a search, you’ll get a list of search results. This will direct you towards articles and books that fit your topic.
19. Cited by. Below the title and author of your results, you’ll see a number next to cited by. This will tell you how many other books and articles have cited this particular source.
20. Related articles. When you’ve found a real gem of an article, this tool will allow you to find others that are similar to it.
21. Versions. Sometimes there may be multiple versions of an article out there from different sources. This link will let you see the different ones that are available.
22. Book or article. You will find the form of your results in brackets in front of the title. This will let you know if you can find it in a journal, in a book or if its available as a PDF.
23. Library search. Click on this link to search through your WorldCat to find if an article or book is available at your college library.

Make the Most of Scholar

These tips will help you ensure you’re getting the most out of your Google Scholar experience.

24. Your school can give you access to additional materials. Using Scholar when signed into your school account can give you free access to a wide range of articles.
25. Never pay for full-length articles. Always check to see if your school has access to the article through one of the databases it pays for first. If you’re not sure, ask a librarian.
26. You can hook up Scholar with RefWorks, RefMan, EndNote and BibTeX. Many schools offer these reference tools to students to use, so make your research a little easier by downloading scholar citations to them.
27. Several editions of an article might be online. This can mean some are free while others cost something, but students should beware as early versions of articles can have undergone major revisions along the way.
28. You can find materials outside your school library. If your school doesn’t carry the books you need, check out the Library Link in scholar to search WorldCat.
29. Cut your research time in half by using cited by. This will link you automatically to other articles that are related to your topic and that cite it as a source.
30. Not everything is online. Keep in mind as you’re doing your research that not all journals and sources have been digitized or are searchable online. Look outside of Google Scholar as well.
31. Set your preferences. Knowing what language you need, what library you’re searching and the kind of results you want is essential to doing good, productive research.
32. Refine, refine, refine. Scholar lets users refine what they are looking for to a pretty good degree. Once you know what’s out there start refining your search using the advanced tools and some search tricks.
33. Use Scholar as a starting point. Google Scholar should never be the only tool you use to do research. Treat it as a jumping off point and take your search elsewhere when you’re done.
34. Not all materials are covered. Remember when you’re using Scholar that Scholar doesn’t index every journal and database out there. You will need to search outside Scholar to be comprehensive.
35. Ask for help. If you are not familiar with Scholar or doing college level research, never be afraid to ask for help from someone more knowledgeable.

Search Tricks

Make your searches as efficient, effective and awesome as they can be with these helpful tips.

36. Search by author: If you want to search by just the author’s name, type in author:author’s name.
37. Search by title: You can find an exact title by putting your search term in quotes, like "Title of materials".
38. Find the most recent research. Use the drop down menu to change your period of interest.
39. Find court opinions. Before you search, choose legal opinions and journals in the check box below the main search box.
40. Limit court jurisdictions.To do this, go to the advanced search page then select to limit your results to just federal or courts in a given state.
41. Use the related articles tool. This can make it much easier to find things that are really on topic and that suit your research needs.
42. Find articles in specific publications. Using the advanced search tool, you can limit your search to only one journal or scholarly publication.
43. Search by topic. When you’re just trying to get an idea of what’s out there, it can be useful to search by topic alone or several terms at once.
44. Click on citations. These will make your life a lot easier as they can instantly link you to relevant articles that are similar to a particular article.
45. Search by author and topic. If you know the author you want information from, you can find what they’ve written on a certain topic by searching for both at once.
46. Select collections. Through the advanced search, you can limit your search to just certain collections, a big advantage if you are working on something for a science course versus a social studies course.
47. Check out foreign language journals.Not all the good stuff will be published in English. Search through foreign language journals as well by using Advanced Search. You can translate later.
48. Craft a more precise search. Once you’ve picked a research topic, you’ll want results that are most related to what you’re writing about. Slowly craft a more precise search and you get more of an idea of what is out there.
49. Add a plus sign to key words. By adding a plus sign, you’ll be able to emphasize that a certain term must appear in the results.
50. Add more keywords. Adding more words, and placing emphasis on those that are the most important, will help you get results that are most pertinent to your needs.
51. Use OR. If you’re trying to refine your search it can be useful to use the OR operator which will let you search for two terms at once.
52. Use the minus sign. The minus sign will ensure you don’t see any results with particular terms.
53. Use a tilde. By adding a tilde in front of your search terms, you’ll allow scholar to bring up items that are synonyms as well as those that match your term exactly.
54. Do a timeline search. You can limit your search to only resources published within certain years, which can be helpful when you’re looking for recent research or that done in the past.
55. Search smart. Don’t just search blindly for what you need. Instead, search smart, constantly refining and revising your search terms.
56. Create an alert. A recent feature of Scholar is to allow users to get alert when new articles on their topic are added.
57. Try a web search. If you’re not finding what you need through Scholar, do a quick web search to see what comes up. You might be looking in the wrong direction.

Helpful Links

These links will take you to other Google sites, apps you can link up with Scholar and essential online resources.

58. RefWorks: Manage all of your research using this handy online tool. Your school may even be able to set you up with free access.
59. RefMan: You can purchase Reference Manager to keep your citations in order when working on a big research paper.
60. EndNote: Hook up your Google Scholar results with this citation manager.
61. BibTeX: Read up and use BibTeX to keep yourself organized.
62. WorldCat: You’ll be able to find any book, anywhere using this search tool.
63. Google Custom Search Engine: Build your own search engine for your research here.
64. Google Groups: Set up a group here to work with others on schoolwork.
65. Google Notebook: Keep track of your notes and important information using this tool.
66. Google Code University: Computer science majors will get help writing code here.
67. Google Knol: Got a question? Get expert answers here.
68. Google Docs: Start writing your paper or keep notes using this web-based tool.
69. Google Books: If you find a book you need on Scholar, see if it’s available on Google Books here.
70. Google Scholar Blog: Read up on the latest news regarding Google Scholar here.
71. Google Guide: Learn everything there is to know about using Google from this blog.
72. Google Chrome: Integrate Google into your browsing experience with this free browser.
73. Googlepedia: The Ultimate Google Resource: Find out more about Google using this encyclopedia resource.

Helpful Articles

If you’ve got some lingering questions about Google Scholar, these articles can help to answer them.

74. 56 Google Search Tricks for Students: Find new and better ways to use Google with help from this article.
75. 100+ Google Tricks That Will Save You Time In School: This article is full of tips and tricks to make using Google a snap.
76. Google Scholar Wikipedia: Learn all about the basics of Google Scholar from this Wikipedia article.
77. Research Digest: Google Scholar and/or Impact Factor?: This article will teach you how the search results of Scholar can actually affect the research community.
78. Create Your Own Google Scholar RSS Feed: If you’re working on a long term project, you might want to create an RSS feed of related topics as they become available. This article can tell you how.
79. Google Scholar Is Ideal for Some Things: Here, you’ll find an article that tells you what kind of projects Google Scholar really is best suited for.
80. Google Scholar Bibliography: Want to do a little reading about Google Scholar? This site pulls together dozens of articles all about it.
81. Google Scholar: A New Way to Search for Cases and Related Legal Publications: Check out this article for information on using Google Scholar to do legal research.
82. How Scholarly Is Google Scholar? A Comparison to Library Databases: Worried about the quality of Google Scholar results? Here you’ll get a comparison with scholar and library search tools.
83. How to Use Google Scholar to Find Research Paper Material: If you’re searching for a research paper topic, try using this trick on Scholar to find one.
84. Finding Research Paper Topics With Google Scholar: Still need some help finding a topic? This article will show you how it’s done.
85. Save Hours Writing Research Papers with Google Scholar & Refworks: Learn how to better use the integration of Scholar and Refworks when you’re writing a paper.
86. Google Scholar and Other Scholarly Search Engines: Check out this article for tips on using a scholarly search engine.
87. Make the Most of Google Scholar for Journal Articles: If you’re looking for journal articles, this post will explain how to find the best ones for your topic using Scholar.
88. A Google Scholar open search plugin for Firefox and IE: Techies can apply this plugin to their browsers to more easily search through Google Scholar.
89. Using Google Scholar Tools in Blackboard: Did you know you could integrate Scholar and Blackboard? This article explains how.
90. Google Scholar: The Pros and the Cons: Learn both the good and the bad when it comes to Scholar from this article.

Browser Tools

Trick out your browser for maximum Google Scholar searching power with these extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

91. Google Scholar Firefox Add-On: This extension adds Google Scholar to Firefox’s search bar.
92. Zotero Scholar Citations for Firefox: For those using Zotero, this tool will automatically collect the citations in it from Google Scholar.
93. Scholar H-Index Calculator for Firefox: Use this Firefox add-on to see the citation indices related to the results you’re getting on Google Scholar.
94. Google Scholar Legal Content Star Paginator for Chrome: Those doing a little legal research on Google Scholar can use this Chrome extension to change results to look more like Westlaw or LexisNexis.
95. Handy Google Shortcuts for Chrome: Add this tool into your Chrome to get quick shortcuts to all Google’s tools.
96. Scholarometer for Chrome: Extract bibliographic data from Google into Scholarometer using this easy tool.
97. Zotero for Firefox: Make your research a little easier by adding this tool into Firefox.
98. Google Search Sidebar for Firefox: Put a sidebar into your Firefox that makes it simple to search Scholar.
99. Research Access for Firefox: Download this tool to make all research papers become links to Google Scholar.
100. DeeperWeb for Firefox: This tool will help you more easily navigate your Google search results.
101. Scholarometer Sidebar for Firefox: If you use Firefox rather than Chrome, use this tool to integrate Scholarometer into Scholar.

Glee clubs, show choirs, a cappella groups: call them whatever you want, but with the success of Fox’s "Glee," kids with killer voices are once again taking center stage. Student singers are in the pop culture spotlight in a big way, and this list is dedicated to those groups who know what it’s really like to put together a show-stopping number. Even if you’re taking classes online, these schools will make you stand up and cheer.

1. P.S. 22 Chorus: These kids are fantastic, and their earnest covers of pop songs have garnered national acclaim.
2. Visual Adrenaline: This show choir from Ankeny High School in Ankeny, Iowa, is one of the many whose style inspired "Glee."
3. Olentangy Keynotes: This Ohio glee club is so good they were featured on CBS’ "Sunday Morning."
4. Georgia Tech Glee Club: Anyone who doesn’t start dancing in their chair to this mash-up of "Brown Eyed Girl" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is crazy.
5. The Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones: This coed group based at Harvard College boasts amazing harmonies and original arrangements.
6. Acquire A Cappella: Based at UC Santa Cruz, this vocal group racked up YouTube hits with their awesome cover of The Lonely Island’s "I’m on a Boat."
7. Powerhouse: John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California, has an outstanding glee club, as they demonstrated for the country with an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
8. UC Men’s Octet: This all-male group at UC Berkeley cooks up some fantastic arrangements, and they’ve got so many good ones that I had to include two videos. You’ll thank me.
9. DeCadence: Another UC Berkeley group, DeCadence found online fame with a cover of Ben Folds’ version of Dr. Dre’s "Bitches Ain’t Shit." (Got all that?)
10. Resonance: This MIT singing group was founded in 2001, and this cover of The Killers’ "Mr. Brightside" showcases their musical prowess and pop music knowledge.

For young adults, making smart financial decisions can be hard because most of them are about saving for the future or planning for retirement, things that can feel impossibly far away for recent college graduates. But whether you just walked the stage or are just now starting to take some online classes, here are some important financial tips to help you spend wisely and plan ahead.

Basic Saving

Whether it’s holding onto more of your money or spending it in different ways, there are plenty of ways to save.

1. Take 10 percent off the top: Take 10 percent out of every paycheck and put it into savings. You can split it further into long-term and short-term savings accounts, but the key thing is to take that 10 percent off the top, before you spend anything else. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your savings starts to grow.
2. Start an emergency fund: Put some money every month toward an emergency fund that you can use for things like hospital trips or car repairs.
3. Cut the excess: Sure, it’s nice to have a Netflix subscription or premium cable channels. But if you really want to see savings, you’ll eliminate those luxury perks.
4. Consider the options: Paying yourself first by taking 10 percent off the top is smart, but putting that money to work in a higher-yield savings account over the long-term is even smarter. Talk with your banker about how to get the most from your money.
5. Sack it: Do you eat out for lunch most days? Time to trade that habit for a brown bag lunch. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by preparing your midday meal at home and taking it to work with you.
6. Hop a bus: This might be easier for people in big cities, but public transportation is still a great way to save money by cutting down fuel expenses. Plus you get to help the environment.
7. Don’t use credit cards: One of the best ways to save money is to eliminate all — each and every one — of your credit cards. Just don’t use them, period. Pay off the balances and you’ll be floored at how much you can save when you don’t have to pay monthly minimums.
8. Shop for generic brands: When you’re at the grocery store, buy generic brands of products like soda and medicine. You get the same ingredients for a fraction of the cost.
9. Shop in bulk: Consider joining a warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s Club. The cost of the annual membership can be easily offset by some of the savings you get from buying in larger quantities.
10. Set your thermostat higher: I know summer can be brutal, but setting your home’s thermostat at a higher degree will keep the air conditioner from running all day in a futile attempt to turn your house into a refrigerator. Buy a couple of oscillating floor fans to help with circulation.
11. Change those bulbs: It sounds like a little thing, but it’s not: Switching to energy-efficient light bulbs can save you hundreds, especially since they last years longer than traditional bulbs.

Retirement Planning

It’s never too soon to start making plans for your future.

12. Set a date you want to retire: When would you like to retire? When you’re 65? 60? 70? Picking a date is the first step in planning because it sets a goal and will let you figure out what it will take to reach it.
13. Start saving immediately: Waiting just a few years to begin storing away money in a retirement fund will lower your eventual savings by tens of thousands of dollars or much more. Jump on the opportunity today.
14. Set up automatic investments: Have part of your paycheck automatically transferred to your savings account to make sure it gets done.
15. Find out how your employer can help: Many employers that offer 401(k) plans will match your contributions (up to a certain amount) every year. Ask how much your company will chip in.
16. Start a Roth IRA: A big benefit of a Roth IRA is that contributions you make are taxed, meaning you don’t have to pay taxes when the money is withdrawn in the future. Talk with a financial advisor for more information. These are great tools.
17. Adjust as necessary: As you save more and grow, you’ll be able to revise your savings plan based on changes in income and other situations.

Investing

Investing can be a scary concept for people who don’t know much about it. Use these tips to familiarize yourself with the process.

18. Set clear goals: Why are you investing? Is it for short-term or long-term gain? What do you hope to accomplish? Ask yourself these questions before parting with any of your money.
19. Consider a target-date fund: A target-date fund automatically changes its risk set-up as you age based on your planned retirement date. This is a good pick for first-time investors.
20. Listen to your gut: Before investing, take a while, or even a night, to carefully consider the move. If the thought of it keeps you up and distracted, and if it just doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
21. Avoid "too good to be true" situations: If an opportunity seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t over-extend yourself or wind up in a hole by chasing fantasies. Invest wisely, with planning.
22. Take investing seriously: Not to sound overly dour, but investing isn’t a game or a hobby. It’s a calculated financial move designed to yield a net gain. Approach it with caution and intelligence.
23. Understand fees and commissions: A fee is a flat rate, while a commission is a percentage. Generally, try to pay fees on big cash amounts and commissions for smaller ones.
24. Brush up on the Efficient Market Theory: Basically, this states that stock values are perfectly priced when you factor in all possible known information, so that the only way to really make big money is to take risks. Knowing this will help you plan those risks accordingly.
25. Don’t be greedy: In addition to the moral issues, greed is a bad financial choice. Just because you see someone making money through a particular investment doesn’t mean it’s a smart one to make. Always, always, always do your homework.
26. Consider overall value: In addition to a stock’s price, try to get a sense of its true value and how that might fall or rise with time. This is the true indication of a stock’s potential.
27. Get lots of advice: One of the biggest mistakes you can make is thinking you don’t need help, especially as a beginner. Talk with advisors and trusted friends with investing experience before starting out.
28. Don’t believe the hype: If you hear about a "hot tip," ignore it. There’s no such thing as a sure winner or inside scoop, and believing there is will just get you burned.
29. Be prepared to invest time and money: In addition to the money you’ll want to invest, you should prepare to spend plenty of time studying and researching the market and spend money on software or online memberships to trading sites that will let you invest.
30. Deal with the truth: If you’ve got a losing stock on your hands, no amount of wishful thinking will turn it into a winner. Don’t be afraid to confront the reality of the situation and save your money while you can.
31. Don’t forget taxes: Know how much taxes are required for different investment choices, and when it’s advisable to pay them. Taking tax policy into account before you invest ensures you won’t have any nasty surprises.

Buying a Car

It’s great to have a new set of wheels. Follow these tips to ensure you get a good deal.

32. Look at used vehicles first: Most of the time, you’ll be able to find a great used car that meets your needs and doesn’t break the bank.
33. Do your homework: It doesn’t matter what car you think you need, or what you think will be best for you. In order to get the truth, research your desired make and model to see how it performs over time and how much you’ll have to spend on repairs.
34. Take a mechanic with you: Avoid getting a raw deal by having a friend with automotive training accompany you to the lot and help you weed out the lemons.
35. Get the Blue Book value: The Kelley Blue Book is an invaluable resource and will let you know what a car is potentially worth.
36. Shorten your financing period: You can improve your credit score and own your car sooner if you can afford to finance for, say, 48 months instead of 60. It’s worth it.
37. Drive safely: In addition to, you know, keeping you alive, driving safely will lower your insurance premiums.
38. Set a budget: Figure out what you can afford for monthly payments before you even start shopping. This is the best way to make sure you don’t sacrifice too much to get a car.
39. Get multiple quotes: If you’ve selected a make and model, call around to various dealers and check online to see what the price range is, which will give you a big advantage in negotiations when it’s time to finally buy.
40. Get your financing settled in advance: This is extremely important. Getting financing through a dealer can often add time and cost to the buying process, but if you get your financing taken care of in advance, you’ll be on much sturdier ground when it comes time to decide what you’ll pay.
41. Keep an eye out for special events: Dealers tend to offer better deals on cars when they’re under pressure to get rid of old stock so they can make room for new. These "events" can add up to major savings.
42. Always be willing to walk away: This is your money you’re spending, so don’t think you owe the dealer anything. If the offer isn’t exactly what you want, walk away.

Buying a Home

Next to choosing a spouse, buying a home is the biggest decision you can make, so use these tips to guide you through the process.

43. Research government-backed loans: Although they don’t go directly to consumers, they do help lenders cover the risk of the loan, which can have a positive impact on your interest rate.
44. Always get an inspection: Never, never, never buy a home that you haven’t had inspected by a professional. You need to know what you’re getting, and what might need to be repaired down the road.
45. Focus on the house: Don’t be discouraged if you don’t like the decor. Take a hard look at the layout and foundation to get a better idea of whether to invest in a particular home.
46. Use your agent: Relying on an agent for help can be a great way to save some money, since he or she can help you navigate the market and get the best deal possible.
47. Don’t over-invest: One conservative rule of thumb for buying a home is that your payment on a 15-year mortgage shouldn’t be more than 25% of your take-home pay. This is a strict way to go about things, but a good way to save money.
48. Work to pay off your mortgage: Even if you wind up with a great interest rate, it’s a smart idea to work hard to pay off your mortgage as quickly as possible.
49. Start saving before you shop: It’s not uncommon for sellers to ask for as much as 20% of the purchase price as a down payment, so start saving now for the home you want to buy in the future.
50. Build a fund for miscellaneous costs: The cost of buying a home is always more than you think it will be, thanks to closing and other costs. While you can often roll the closing costs into the mortgage, miscellaneous items like application fees and appraisal costs will need to be covered in cash. Be prepared to spend several hundred dollars here.

You think of a museum and you picture works of art, historical artifacts, and elderly docents telling you all about paintings. They’re educational, important places. However, some of them are just plain pointless, as you’ll see from this list. If you’re taking an online class, you probably don’t want to use these museums as resources for term papers. They’re weird, wacky, and the most unnecessary museums in the United States.

1. The Museum of Bad Art: The justification for this one was thin at best when it launched in the early 1990s, but at this point, it’s safe to say that the Internet’s a much better repository of terrible and useless art. Why not use this building to showcase, you know, good stuff?
2. The Museum of Menstruation and Women’s Health: Case in point: This website is devoted to the history of menstruation, for those who just can’t live another month without knowing what tampons were like in the 1940s. Totally random and completely unnecessary.
3. The Washington Banana Museum: It’s a museum. About bananas. Any money you spend getting here is money you deserved to lose.
4. Frank and Jane Clement Brick Museum: It’s literally rooms filled with old bricks. And just in case you want to pop in on a lark, it’s "by appointment only." I guess brick fans are hardcore people.
5. The Cockroach Hall of Fame and Museum: If you’ve ever wanted to see dead roaches posed in a variety of scenes and costumes, this is the place. Seriously, though: How is there a demand for this kind of thing?
6. Leila’s Hair Museum: Started by a former hairdresser, this Missouri museum is devoted to hair, and features rows and rows of hair wreaths in frames. More than a little creepy.
7. The Hammer Museum: I refuse to believe there are enough different types of hammer — you know, a stick with a weight on the end — to justify the existence of an entire museum dedicated to their history. There are more than 1,500 hammers on display at Alaska’s Hammer Museum, which is 1,499 more than you need to know about.
8. The Giant Shoe Museum: It’s not a giant museum of shoes; it’s a museum of giant shoes. Dedicated to oversized footwear, this oddball museum in Washington ranks as one of the most superfluous in the country.
9. Kansas Barbed Wire Museum: I am sure that the proprietors of this barbed wire museum are wonderful people, but there is no more unnecessary field trip for local schools than a day spent looking at old hunks of twisted metal.
10. National Mustard Museum: This Wisconsin museum has been around for a quarter century, during which time nothing about mustard has changed at all. It’s still yellow and made for hot dogs. That’s it.
11. Bergstrom-Mahler Museum: Don’t let the vaguely normal name fool you: This museum is devoted to paperweights of all shapes and sizes. Pretty? Sure, if that’s your thing. But a museum dedicated to hunks of glass and metal used on coffee tables is a bit much.

100 Best Books for Humanitarians

While college courses can teach you many things, sometimes it’s better to seek out information on a given topic on your own. If you’re interested in learning more about humanitarian crises, famous humanitarians, social entrepreneurship or other issues related to these topics, sometimes books can be the best way to do so. Here are 100 books that are excellent reads for anyone wanting to learn more about humanitarian endeavors.

Fiction and Memoirs

These books provide both fictional and true-life accounts of some of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world.

1. What Is the What? by Dave Eggers: This book tales the story of Valentino Achek Deng, a boy forced to flee his home in Sudan and the struggles he faced there and once moving to the US.
2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: Want to know why Afghanistan is the way it is today? This book blends history and politics with a moving tale about friendship.
3. Africa: Stranger Than Fiction: Memoirs Of A Humanitarian Aid Worker by Steven VanOrden: Learn about the realities of being an aid worker in Southern Africa from this man who experienced both the terror and joy of it firsthand.
4. They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan by Benjamin Ajak, Benson Deng, Alephonsian Deng and Judy Bernstein: Here, you’ll find a book that allows you to learn about the lives of three boys pushed out of their homes and how they’ve struggled to adapt to a new life abroad.
5. God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir by John Bul Dau and Michael S. Sweeney: This book tells the tale of John Bul Dau, just 13 when he was forced from his home during the civil wars in southern Sudan.
6. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah: We often do not think of soldiers as being children, but in Sierra Leone that is often tragically not the case. This book will let you see the life of a young man who became a soldier at 12 and the struggles he endured to move past the experience.
7. Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat: See how the Six Day War and its aftermath affected this young Palestinian woman’s life in this moving book.
8. On That Day, Everybody Ate: One Woman’s Story of Hope and Possibility in Haiti by Margaret Trost: In this book, Margaret Trost shares her experiences working in Haiti, exposing the faith, hope and determination that lie in some of the most desperate places on Earth.
9. Girl Soldier: A Story of Hope for Northern Uganda’s Children by Faith J. H. McDonnell and Grace Akallo: Learn how thousands of Ugandan children have been kidnapped by rebels and forced to fight, like the young Grace Akallo pushed into combat at only 15.
10. When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip and Jay Wurts: Read this book to learn one woman’s account of the terror and heartbreak of the Vietnam War.
11. Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Wartime Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic: Those old enough to remember the struggles in Bosnia will remember that they were brutal and violent. This book offers a firsthand look at what it was like to grow up during such a chaotic time.
12. Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti by Frances Temple: In this novel, readers will find a powerful tale set against the poverty and oppression in modern day Haiti.
13. Slave: My True Story by Mende Nazer and Damien Lewi: While we’d like to think that slavery no longer exists in the world, the reality is that many, including the author of this book, are still affected by it.
14. The Translator: A Memoir by Daoud Hari: This book follows Hari, who, after escaping the massacre of this village, returns to Darfur to be a translator for reporters and UN investigators.
15. Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir and Damien Lewis: Learn what Sudan was like in the days before the war and bloodshed they are so well-known for today and the tragedies that arose when religious conflicts took over in this book by native Halima Bashir.
16. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda by Philip Gourevitch: This book is filled with stories of the tragedy and human kindness that occurred during the bloody struggles between Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda.
17. Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan: This collection of short stories about children living through a variety of difficult situations in Africa shows the resilience of the young and their drive to survive.
18. Night by Elie Wiesel: Perhaps one of the worst humanitarian crises the world has ever seen, this Prize-winning book takes a look at the guilt and pain one Holocaust survivor feels.
19. However Tall the Mountain: A Dream, Eight Girls, and a Journey Home by Awista Ayub: While many enjoy few freedoms at home, learn about a group of Afghan girls who travel to the US to play soccer in this book.
20. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung: See the horrors of the Khmer Rouge firsthand in this author’s life story, now a spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World.

Inspiration and Education

These books can help you learn more about those involved in humanitarian projects and what more needs to be done or changed to help a greater number of people.

21. The Devil Came on Horseback: Bearing Witness to the Genocide in Darfur by Brian Steidle and Gretchen Steidle Wallace: This book allows you into the world of an observer who could not intervene only document the horrors that occurred in Darfur.
22. Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St. John: In this book you’ll learn about the fugees, a soccer team composed of African refugees struggling to make a new life in a new country.
23. Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast: Learn how to better make a difference in speaking out and helping to end the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
24. Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak by Jean Hatzfeld: Here, you’ll find a unique perspective on the Rwandan crisis, hearing what those responsible for the killings themselves have to say.
25. Worse Than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen: This book presents a controversial position that eliminationism is the leading cause of large-scale violence in the world today.
26. Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin: Read this book to learn more about a man who has constructed schools and attempted to improve access to education in the impoverished village of Korphe.
27. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: These authors believe that the world can be improved by helping women get on their feet and make a living.
28. A Thousand Sisters: My Journey into the Worst Place on Earth to Be a Woman by Lisa Shannon: Through this book, you’ll learn about the journey of one woman from Portland to the heart of The Democratic Republic of Congo and the help and compassion she extended to the women who need it there.
29. The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World by Jacqueline Novogratz: Learn what this woman is doing through social entrepreneurship and charity to help those who need it around the world.
30. Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson: Greg Mortenson will inspire you in this extended account of his work to build schools and promote peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
31. Crimes of War 2.0: What the Public Should Know edited by Anthony Dworkin, Roy Gutman and David Reiff: This book is essential to those hoping to work in humanitarian or human rights fields, with a list of wartime atrocities and broken rules of war.
32. The Evolution of International Human Rights by Paul Gordon Lauren: In this book you’ll learn how human rights and the struggle for them have changed over the past decades.
33. The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly: You might not agree with the author, but this book on the role of outsiders in local conflicts and crises is interesting nonetheless.

Understanding Humanitarianism

These books will help you better understand humanitarian movements and the laws, politics and spin that come with them.

34. Humanitarian Intervention: Ideas in Action by Thomas George Weis: This book will teach you what humanitarian intervention is and showcases some of the problems it poses.
35. Condemned to Repeat?: The Paradox of Humanitarian Action by Fiona Terry: This head of the French section of Doctors Without Borders explains why humanitarian aid sometimes fails in its mission.
36. The Law of Armed Conflict: International Humanitarian Law in War by Gary D. Solis: Check out this textbook for an excellent discussion of the laws that apply in war with regard to human rights.
37. Humanitarians in Hostile Territory: Expeditionary Diplomacy and Aid outside the Green Zone by Peter W. Van Arsdale and Derrin R Smith: In this book, you’ll learn about the brave and kind souls who go into some of the most dangerous areas of the world to help those who need it most, and the struggles that come along with that kind of work.
38. Dangerous Sanctuaries: Refugee Camps, Civil War, And the Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid by Sarah Kenyon Lischer: Learn how refugee camps have spurred on international conflicts and read a discussion of how aid organizations can better learn how to prevent these kinds of issues.
39. Careers for Good Samaritans and Other Humanitarian Types, 3rd edition by Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler: If you’re looking for a career in a humanitarian field, consider reading this book for job ideas.
40. The Thin Blue Line: How Humanitarianism Went to War by Conor Foley: Humanitarian aid isn’t always cut and dry in its mission as this book will show.
41. The Responsibility to Protect: Ending Mass Atrocity Crimes Once and for All by Gareth Evans: This book looks at the idea that we are all responsible for stopping genocide when it occurs in the world.
42. War Games: The Story of Aid and War in Modern Times by Linda Polman: Here, you can learn about the big business of foreign aid and how much of it never gets to the intended recipients.
43. And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts: In this well-known and regarded book, you’ll be able to learn about how the AIDS epidemic started and where it’s gone from there.
44. Dual Disasters: Humanitarian Aid After the 2004 Tsunami by Jennifer Hyndman: Read this book to look at the issues that arose when humanitarian funding for the victims of the tsunami had to be divided up between existing conflicts and the new disaster.
45. Freedom’s Battle: The Origins of Humanitarian Intervention by Gary Jonathan Bass: This book is an excellent resource for learning about the beginnings of humanitarian military intervention.
46. An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action for the Twenty-First Century by James Orbinski: Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, this author shares his experiences working for Doctors Without Borders.

General Non-Fiction

Read these books to learn more about a variety of humanitarian topics.

47. Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises by Architecture for Humanity: Learn how architecture can make a real difference in the world from this acclaimed book.
48. Even in Chaos: Education in Times of Emergency by Kevin Cahill: This book will show you why it’s so important to continue to educate the young even when things are falling apart around them.
49. When Plague Strikes: The Black Death, Smallpox, AIDS by James Cross Giblin: Learn what a tragic toll illness can have on those least prepared to fight it off and ways that these crises are being dealt with today in this book.
50. Children at War by P. W. Singer: Here, you can learn what a toll war takes on children– especially when they’re forced to engage in combat themselves.
51. Child Soldiers in Africa by Alcinda Honwana: Take a look at this often sad book to learn more about the children who have been forced to fight in Africa.
52. unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson: This book will teach you how to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the media.
53. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath: Want to make your humanitarian mission succeed? Consider reading this book about what can make it stick.
54. The Unsayable: The Hidden Language of Trauma by Annie Rogers: Learn how to better understand those you’ll be working with in humanitarian crises through the help of this book.

Biographies and Autobiographies

Read these books to learn more about some of the greatest crusaders for human rights in recent history.

55. Susan B. Anthony: Rebel Crusader, Humanitarian by Alma Lutz: This book will teach you about the tireless efforts of Anthony to gain equal rights for women and other disenfranchised groups.
56. Diana, Princess of Wales: Humanitarian by Sherry Beck Paprocki: Learn more about the humanitarian work this famous princess did by reading this book.
57. Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela: You can become inspired to change the world by reading the biography of this amazing man.
58. Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth by Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi: One of the best known human and civil rights activists, Gandhi’s policy of peaceful resistance still resonates with us today.
59. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King Jr. and Clayborne Carson: This book is a great tool to learn more about the life and work of MLK.
60. Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography by Kathryn Spink: If you admire the dedication to humanitarian efforts Mother Teresa had, read this book about her life.
61. Out of My Life and Thought: An Autobiography by Albert Schweitzer: You might not know the name, but you are likely aware of the ideas and movements this humanitarian started.
62. Sweet Relief: The Marla Ruzicka Story by Jennifer Abrahamson: American aid worker named Marla Ruzicka and her Iraqi colleague, Faiz Ali Salim, were killed by a suicide bomber in 2005 on their way to visit an injured girl. Her friend tells her tale in this sad, but inspiring book.
63. Apostle of the Poor: The Life and Work of Missionary and Humanitarian Charles D. Neff by Matthew Bolton: You might not support missionary work, but you can’t deny the impact this man had on helping the world’s poor, documented in this book.

By Humanitarians

Here you can find some books written by well-known humanitarians.

64. Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter: Learn about the tireless efforts of this former president to bring peace to the Middle East in this book.
65. Sister Girl by Jackie Huggins: You can learn more about the efforts this activist has made for the rights of aboriginal people in Australia in this book.
66. No Greater Love by Mother Teresa: You don’t have to be a Catholic to enjoy the message of this book, promoting loving, giving and sacrifice for the betterment of humanity.
67. Healing Anger: The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective by Dalai Lama: Increase your patience and relieve your anger through the advice offered in this book.
68. An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life by The Dalai Lama and Nicholas Vreeland: The lessons taught in this book could help you to become a more compassionate person.

Social Entrepreneurship

Find out more about how businesses can change the world with their ideas in these great reads.

69. Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammad Yunus: Nobel Prize winner Yunus shares his thoughts on how businesses can make a difference in this book.
70. Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism That Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs by Muhammad Yunus: Learn more about the power of social entrepreneurship and business that serves a greater need in this book.
71. Banker To The Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus: This book describes the lending policies that earned Yunus a Nobel Prize.
72. How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideasby David Bornstein: This book is an essential read for those interested in pursuing social entrepreneurship.
73. The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World by John Elkington, Pamela Hartigan, and Klaus Schwab: Learn how businesspeople on the fringes of the mainstream might hold the key to a socially conscious marketplace.
74. Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know by David Bornstein and Susan Davis: Find out what being a social entrepreneur is all about by reading this book.
75. Mission, Inc.: The Practitioners Guide to Social Enterprise by Kevin Lynch and Julius Walls: These two social entrepreneurs lay out helpful guidelines to help others get started in the field in this book.
76. Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change by Alex Nicholls: This book is a great introduction for those hoping to learn more about the social entrepreneurship movement.
77. Tactics of Hope: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Changing Our World by Wilford Welch: Read the stories of numerous people around the world who are using their businesses to change lives.
78. Social Entrepreneurship: A Modern Approach to Social Value Creation by Arthur C. Brooks: If you’re studying social entrepreneurship or nonprofit management, this book is a great learning tool.
79. Small Loans, Big Dreams: How Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus and Microfinance are Changing the World by Alex Counts: Here, you can learn how people like Muhammad Yunus are truly making a difference in the lives of people through their social entrepreneurship.

Philanthropy

These books will teach you more about charitable actions and how to make your philanthropy count.

80. The Seven Faces of Philanthropy by Russ Alan Prince: Whether you’re managing giving on a large, non-profit scale or just for yourself, you’ll find valuable information here.
81. Wealthy and Wise by Claude Rosenberg: Learn how to get the most out of your giving with this book.
82. Who Really Cares by Arthur Brooks: This book exposes some surprising truths about who gives and who doesn’t in America.
83. Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy by Peter Frumkin: This book will teach you loads about the benefits of planned giving.
84. Understanding Philanthropy: Its Meaning and Mission by Robert L. Payton and Michael P. Moody: Read this book to learn more about the history and meaning of philanthropy in society.
85. Money Well Spent: A Strategic Plan for Smart Philanthropy by Paul Brest and Hal Harvey: You might find yourself working in an organization that needs a smart way to donate money. Learn more about it here.
86. The Art of Giving: Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan by Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey R. Solomon: If you’re looking for a career in a humanitarian field, this book can help you learn the basics of combining business with philanthropy.
87. Change Philanthropy: Candid Stories of Foundations Maximizing Results through Social Justice by Alicia Epstein Korten and Kim Klein: If you’re looking to promote a social justice organization, this book is good read to better understand how to get more funding and help more people.
88. The Wisdom of Generosity: A Reader in American Philanthropy by William J. Jackson: This book is a great primer on the history of American religious philanthropy.
89. Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save the World by Matthew Bishop, Michael Green, and President Bill Clinton: Learn how the world’s leading philanthropists are helping change how we give and changing the world.
90. Grassroots Philanthropy: Field Notes of a Maverick Grantmaker by Bill Somerville: This book will teach you how to do a better job getting grants and managing your foundation.

Fundraising

Every humanitarian cause needs a little financial help to get off of the ground, and these books can help make you better at getting those funds when you need them.

91. Fundraising for Social Change by Kim Klein: Those involved in fundraising will appreciate the advice on campaigns, special events and donor support found in this book.
92. Raise More Money by the Grassroots Fundraising Journal: Want to learn how to raise more money for your organization? This book can help.
93. Grant Proposal Makeover by Susan Fox: Many non-profits get a large portion of their funds from grants. Learn how to better write proposals for these grants to increase your chance of winning them.
94. Storytelling for Grantseekers by Cheryl Clarke: How you present your mission and your organization can go a long way towards determining whether or not you get the money you need, skills you can learn from this book.
95. Achieving Excellence in Fund Raising by Hank Rosso: Learn how to be a better fundraiser in a variety of ways from this book.
96. Writing for a Good Cause: The Complete Guide to Crafting Proposals and Other Persuasive Pieces for Nonprofits by Joseph Barbato and Danielle Furlich: This book is a great guide for improving your grant proposals.
97. Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work by Ilona M. Bray: Tired of books that promote fundraising strategies that aren’t realistic? Then check out the methods touted by this book instead.
98. The Zen of Fundraising: 89 Timeless Ideas to Strengthen and Develop Your Donor Relationships by Ken Burnett: Build better relationships with your donors by reading this book.
99. Fundraising When Money Is Tight: A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough Times and Thriving in the Future by Mal Warwick: Times may be tight right now, but you can learn how you can still get the funding you need with help from this book.
100. Ask Without Fear!: A Simple Guide to Connecting Donors With What Matters to Them Most by Marc A. Pitman: This book will help you to better communicate with your current and potential donors.

Adults are obsessed with the new iPad, but have you ever thought about sharing your new toy with your kids? Just like online education games provide kids with fun outlets for learning, iPad apps help your kids review basic skills, improve critical thinking and decision-making skills, and even learn to read. Hand over your iPad this summer, and take a look at these 40 amazingly educational and fun iPad apps for kids.

Language and Vocabulary

Here you’ll find apps for learning the alphabet, using the dictionary, reviewing grammar rules, and more.

1. ABC Animals: Help young children learn the alphabet and phonics with this cute, illustrated app.
2. Word Magic: Kids fill in the missing letter to form words, accompanied by bright pictures.
3. Clifford’s BE BIG with Words: In this game, kids spell out words so that Clifford and his friends can think of things to paint.
4. Dictionary.com – Dictionary and Thesaurus: This easy-to-use app features a search bar, thesaurus, search history and word of the day.
5. Free Spanish Tutor: Introduce or help your kids review Spanish with this app that features native speaker audio, puzzles, written tests, flash cards, and a multiple choice quiz.
6. Textropolis: Kids have to find and piece together words in order to build up their "textropolis" in this game.
7. iWrite Words: Small children learn to write by tracing words with this game.
8. Spell and Listen Cards: Kids rearrange letters to form basic words, improving their vocabulary and sight reading.
9. TypeFast: If your kids don’t have time to take a typing class, they can use this app to learn how to type faster and more accurately.
10. Grammar Up: Help kids learn adjectives, nouns, verbs, adverbs, infinitives, gerunds, conjunctions, and other grammar basics.

History

These American and world history apps involve your kids in making decisions that determine the success or decline of whole civilizations.

11. Manual for the United States of America: Kids can learn about and read the Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, biographies of Supreme Court justices, and a lot more.
12. Oregon Trail: This classic game is now available on the iPad and helps children of various ages practice problem-solving and decision-making skills as they learn about history and try to survive the great trek West.
13. Civilization Revolution: Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution teaches kids about world civilizations, including Japan, Germany, China, Spain, America, and others, as they lead their people to victory.
14. On This Day: Help your students learn more about history with this trivia-like game that lists important events each day.

Math and Science

These apps use flash cards, games and interactive displays to teach your kids about math, astronomy and more.

15. Math Cards: This grade-as-you-go game teaches subtraction, division, multiplication and addition in a touch-screen game.
16. Kids Math Fun – Third Grade: This app is devoted to third grade math skills, including basic arithmetic. Games like Double Dare and Minute Math keep it fun, too.
17. The Math Master: Practice math drills and learn math facts on this app, which features a numeric touchpad.
18. KidsCalc 7-in-1 Math Fun: This app teaches young children number recognition, and older kids arithmetic. It features a birthday party theme, and includes flash cards, puzzle game, running timer, and more.
19. PopMath Basic Math: This level-based math game is supposed to be non-stressful but still effective.
20. Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy: This app displays the night sky just as you’re seeing it, but with more detail and descriptions of constellations and stars.
21. Mathematical Formulas: This app serves as a great reference and review tool that catalogs and explains math formulas for geometry and more.
22. The Chemical Touch: View the periodic table and learn about chemical properties with this app.
23. Brain Tuner Lite: This free app is a great tool for getting your kids to practice math skills each day.
24. Mathemagics – Mental Math Tricks: More advanced students can practice multiplication, square numbers, and more.

Reading

Help your children learn to read and get excited about reading the classics with these apps.

25. Learn Sight Words: Help your children learn the expected high-frequency words they need to know by the end of 1st grade with this cute app.
26. Newspapers: Encourage your children to read about the rest of the world by linking them to newspapers from different cities.
27. Free Books: This app costs $1.99, but you’ll get to read over 23,000 classic books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and plays by Shakespeare.
28. iLibrary+audio: Download whole chapters and then listen to them read aloud with this app. Books include The Call of the Wild, Emma and Treasure Island.

Art and Music

Encourage your children to explore art and music with the help of these apps.

29. Preschool Music: Kids can create their own songs and play a virtual piano as they play along with sheep and birds on this app.
30. Ultimate Guitar Tabs: Kids can read guitar chords and tabs to learn about music.
31. Art: Your kids — ages 12 and up — will learn about important artists like da Vinci, Georgia O’Keefe, Jackson Pollock and more with this searchable app that features quizzes, a slideshow, newsletter, and more.
32. Instruments in Reach Basic: Learn the fingerings for instruments like the flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, bassoon, oboe and trombone.

General Education and Life Skills

These general education apps help to improve critical thinking skills through games, matching, puzzles, and more.

33. Monster Mix & Match: Kids practice critical thinking and problem solving skills with this game that lets them create monster cartoon characters.
34. Preschool Arcade: Preschoolers can learn numbers, the alphabet, and capital and lower case letters while developing critical thinking and matching skills.
35. Highlights Hidden Pictures: Highlights Magazine designed this game that includes eight puzzles filled with hidden pictures your kids search for while using clues and hints.
36. I SPY Spooky Mansion: This is a great app for helping kids think critically as they solve riddles and puzzles while collecting keys in a spooky old mansion.
37. TeachMe: Kindergarten: Review or help younger children get a head start on kindergarten lessons in reading, math and spelling.
38. 10,500+ Cool Facts: This app provides an easy way to add random tidbits of knowledge to your kids’ brains. Shake your iPad to get a new cool fact.
39. 2010 World Factbook: With this app, your children can learn about different countries, their flags, languages, government, economy, and more.
40. Flashcards Deluxe: Customize your own flashcards with this app, which integrates with Quizlet.com, features audio and text, and can hold over 5,000 flash cards.

The old saying "you are what you eat" is true for all of us, but especially so for children who need the vitamins, minerals and nutrients provided by what they eat to grow their bodies and minds. Since a good portion of what your child eats in a day is consumed at school, it’s important to make sure that what they’re getting is healthy and safe. These stats will show you that school lunches, whether made at home or in the cafeteria, aren’t always the best for your child, allowing you to give some serious thought on how to change them for the better and make sure your child is getting the best food possible.

1. Children who eat school lunch consume 40-120 calories more than those who don’t, increasing their chances of being overweight by 2-4%. Obesity among the young and old alike is rampant in our nation, and studies have shown that school lunches aren’t always helping when it comes to rectifiying this problem. In fact, the problem has become so bad that the government has declared it a national security issue, since many recruits to the armed forces are too overweight for duty. While there is a lot of room for improvement, parents can expect to see changes in the coming years.
2. Many studies have found that lunches from home are worse than lunches from school. Children who ate lunch at school got more nutrients in their meals than kids responsible for bringing their own lunches. The culprit? Too many salty, sweet and nutrient-poor snack foods make up lunches brought from home. If your child takes his or her own lunch, make sure it’s a healthy one.
3. School lunch foods are influenced by meat and dairy lobbyists rather than nuritional needs, with $179 million spent on cheese and another $170 million for beef. It’s unlikely that eating more cheeseburgers is going to help your child grow up strong and healthy, but the spending habits of the school lunch program would have you think otherwise. Rather than focus budgets on eating more veggies and fruits, lobbyists support their industries through government contracts that keep school lunches filled with ingredients that really should only be eaten in moderation.
4. Federal regulations prevent schools from serving soymilk or other non-dairy beverages. Unless your child can prove with a doctor’s note that he or she has an intolerance to dairy products, you can expect that there won’t be any other options at your child’s lunch. With many students, especially those who are African-American or Asian, not being able to consume dairy but who may not know they have a lactose intolerance problem or the money to fund extra visits to a doctor, this can become a major issue.
5. A mere 6-7% of subsidized meals meet all nutritional standards. For those students who must subsist on subsidized meals, nutrition can be a real issue. These meals very often don’t come anywhere close to meeting their nutritional needs, something people around the nation are calling discriminatory and are hoping to change. If your child gets subsidized meals, do what you can to educate your child on what and how they should be eating to stay healthy.
6. 42% of schools in a nationwide survey offered no fresh fruits or vegetables in their lunch programs. It might sound crazy, but getting fresh fruits and veggies into your child’s diet if they eat school lunches might be a coin toss. Just a little less than half of schools don’t offer students simple foods like apples, oranges and fresh vegetables as lunchroom choices, influencing food tastes and decisions that might affect how they eat when they get home and follow them throughout their lives.
7. The lower your income, the worse your child will fare nutritionally. Very often, those in low income families must rely on federeally subsized breakfasts and lunches to be able to feed their children. Studies have shown that these meals are often full of fats and sugars that do little to help children pay attention in class or contribute to their overall health.
8. Thousands of school cafeterias do not undergo health inspections. While food poisoning is not common, it can take a big toll on young children who get sick from salomonella and E. coli, in some cases even leading to death or serious disability. A 2009 article from USA Today revealed that your school cafeteria could pose a bigger danger than you think, with 26,500 of the nation’s cafeterias never undergoing health or sanitation inspections.
9. Some school lunch pizzas contain up to 25 different ingredients. If you’re trying to raise your kids with food that isn’t packed with preservatives and additives, cafeteria food may not always be the best option. A 2010 study found that school lunch pizza contained ingredients like azodicarbonamide — a food bleach that is also used as a plastic defoaming agent. You can guess that pizza isn’t the only dish served that contains these kind of bizarre and unnecessary additives, perhaps not because the schools aren’t trying to feed students well but because these kinds of preserved foods are much cheaper than their fresh counterparts.
10. Kids will eat healthier options when presented. Children have a bad reputation when it comes to having expansive palates, with many people thinking kids will always shy away from greens and fresh fruits when presented with them. Several studies of schools that have implemented fresh or oganic foods have shown that kids will eat healthy and know what healthy options are even when sugary, fatty alternatives are readily available.

Writing is an important skill for any student to develop and will help them in their education, career, and adult life. With the help of writing exercises, you can better work to improve the writing skills of your students and maybe even have fun doing it!

Quickies

Get major writing impact in a short amount of time with these exercises.

1. Add details: Encourage students to think about the details, asking them to write quick pieces that describe things like how your feet feel and how perfume smells.
2. Avoidance: Create a list of words that students can’t use when writing.
3. Restrictive: Place restrictions like words, word counts, and letters that can’t be used.
4. Start a list: Select random, obscure words and make a list from them.
5. Write a letter: Ask students to write a letter-to anyone, like an actor, family member, or public figure.
6. Color exercise: Choose a color and write about everything that reminds you of that color.
7. 15 Minute Writing: Set a timer and have each student come up with a story in 15 minutes.
8. Start with a single word: Choose a word at random from a dictionary to start writing.
9. Expand stories: Take a short clip from a newspaper and expand its story.

Group Work

Encourage group writing work using these exercises.

10. Pair students with adult buddies: Arrange for students to have an adult mentor who can teach them about writing.
11. Assign stories to each other: Gather in a circle and have each person write an assignment for the person next to them.
12. Casually talk about students’ lives: Get writing started with casual talk about what students are currently doing.
13. Free write: Use free writing to produce writing ideas for at least twenty minutes straight without worrying about coherence or grammar.
14. Use revision: Take time to look over old work regularly and revise effectively.
15. Write about shared events: Have a discussion on a current event in students’ lives, and then write about it.
16. Writers’ tennis: Pair up and ask students to take turns writing paragraphs of a story.
17. Create a character: Work together as a class to come up with about 15 character attributes.
18. Trade places: Write as if you’re trading places with someone else.
19. Mythological mad libs: Turn old mythology into a mad lib game.
20. Write a sentence at a time: Gather in a circle and have each student write a sentence, then pass it along.
21. Require written reports: When doing critique work, have students create written responses.
22. Write from different perspectives: Create characters and a plot as a group, then have each group member write from a different character’s point of view.
23. Start a classroom newspaper: Interview school staff members for a classroom newspaper.
24. Write suggestions: Pick categories, collect suggestions, and draw suggestions from each category that students will write stories from.
25. Start a classroom cookbook: Ask students for their favorite recipes to create a classroom cookbook.

Introductory Exercises

Use these exercises to ease students in to writing.

26. Brainstorm: Ask kids to come up with ideas for writing about a certain subject.
27. Have them write a self description: Ask students to write a description of themselves, like appearance, likes, and family.
28. Keep a journal: Have students write a daily journal.
29. Make a list: Make a big list together as a class.

Imagination

These writing exercises will help develop the imagination of your students.

30. Create a character: Work together as a class to make up a character.
31. Isolate key ideas: Find out what story ideas are really about.
32. Finish the conversations of people around you: Sit in a crowded area, write down snippets of conversation, and write your version of what comes next.
33. Start with the last line: Write your last line first and write backwards.
34. Change the ending: Rewrite the ending of a movie or book that you didn’t like the end of.
35. Cut-ups: With the cutup technique, students will cut a long paragraph into short phrases, then rearrange the strips.
36. Write stories about art: Visit a gallery and make up short stories about art pieces.

Details

Help your students focus on the details of writing with these exercises.

37. Revise old works to add detail: Have students go back to revise one of their old works by adding detail and color.
38. Pick 10 people: Pick ten people you know and write a description of each of them.
39. Describe an inanimate object: Take time to write about an inanimate object as descriptively as possible.
40. Take a walk: Take a walk and ask students to write a description of the walk.
41. What you see in music: Write about what you see as you listen to a piece of music.
42. Replace nondescript words: Take a look at old writing and add details instead of nondescript words.
43. Describe your bedroom: Write a short description of your bedroom.
44. Rewrite from a different perspective: Change a piece of writing from first person to third person.
45. Describe a scene: Take time to describe scenes.
46. Match up nouns: Make a list of tangible nouns, then a list of intangible ones to match them up with and make phrases with.
47. Write a review: Get students to write a review about their favorite product.
48. Write about one word: Choose a word and write about it for 10 minutes nonstop.
49. Pick a person to describe: Have everyone write detailed descriptions of a person.
50. Describe a magazine picture: Pick out a picture in a magazine to write about for 10 minutes.

Prompts

These prompts will help get writing off to a good start.

51. A sentence for each word: Write down words on a page, which students will use to write a sentence.
52. Write a 500-word biography: Limit students to 500 words to write a biography for their life.
53. I remember…: Start with "I remember" and write for 15 minutes.
54. Start stories from one word: Write about the first word that comes to your mind.
55. First line/last line: Ask students to write the first line of a story, and the last line at the bottom, then fill in the rest.
56. Mix and match stories: Provide a variety of selections for three criteria to start stories.
57. Write your own obituary: List your life’s accomplishments as if you died today, or in the future.
58. Turn around: Turn around and write for several minutes about the first thing you see.
59. Weave a Word Challenge: Choose ten words and ask students to use them all in a piece of fiction or non-fiction.
60. What would happen if?: Pose the question of what would happen if (x) happened, and ask students to write about it.
61. Identify your earliest childhood memory: Write down everything you can remember from your earliest childhood memory.
62. What if you had 365 days to live?: Describe what you’d do if you only had a year left to live.
63. Picture prompts: Ask students to write a story about a picture that you’ve printed out.
64. 10 things about…: Assign students this prompt that asks them to write 10 things about a given topic.
65. Invent your own country: Have students describe an invented country in detail.
66. Write about a song: Play a song for students to listen to, and have them write about the song’s meaning.
67. Write an argument with another person: Remember an argument you had with another person from their point of view.
68. A question for each answer: Give students a sheet of answers that they’ll need to write questions for.
69. Draw and write a picture: Ask young writers to draw a simple image and write about it.
70. Another time: Choose a date in the future and have students write about that time.
71. Finish the sentence prompts: Start a sentence, then ask students to finish it with a story.
72. Discuss a place: Write a short description of a place using all senses except for sight.

Style

These exercises will help students develop a sense of writing style.

73. Rewrite a passage: Take a passage from a book and rewrite it in a different style.
74. Imitation: Get students to imitate the style of a piece of poetry they’d like.
75. Record a talk radio show: Record a radio show and write down the dialog as if you were writing a scene.
76. Write what you like about an author’s work: Explore style elements that you appreciate in an author’s work.
77. Argue for a grade: Ask students to write an argument in support of a final grade.

Creative Writing

With these exercises, you can teach creative writing in a fun, effective way.

78. Open up a book: Use the last sentence of a book passage as the beginning of a piece.
79. Write for a play: Have students write for a purpose-performing arts.
80. Write as an animal: Select an animal and write about the world from its perspective.
81. Keep a diary for a fictional character: Write a diary for a fictional character.
82. Sing: Pick lines from a song and use them as the title of your next piece.
83. Character interviews: Practice character interviews to better develop characters and the story.
84. Do character studies: Write descriptions of the action in a novel from the perspective of characters.
85. Encourage descriptive writing: Focus on the sounds of words to work on descriptive writing.

Business Writing

Share the art of business writing with students using these exercises.

86. Write a business letter: Write a business letter and carefully evaluate it.
87. Judge business writing: Gather examples of business writing and examine them for what could be done to improve them.
88. Unjumble English: Find winners of the Bad Writing Contest and ask students to rewrite them so they make sense.
89. Keep a journal: Write a daily journal and evaluate whether their writing has improved.

Interviews & Other People

Involve people outside of the classroom in these writing exercises.

90. Contact 5 people: Ask students to get in contact with 5 people who haven’t heard from them and write about their responses.
91. Find pen pals: Locate pen pals for your students around the world to share letters with.
92. Write a thank you note: Your students can write short thank you notes for birthdays, holidays, and more.
93. Write about servicemen/women: Help students find a serviceman or servicewoman to contact, thank, and interview.
94. Write a fictional interview: Pretend you’ve interviewed an acquaintance of famous figure.
95. Adopt a nursing home: Have students write notes for nursing home residents.
96. Why you wrote the song: Select a song, imagine you are the musician, and pretend you’re being interviewed about the song.
97. Design a card: As a class, design and write a card for a class friend who is absent or in the hospital.
98. Imperfections: Choose an imperfection you’ve noticed in a close friend or family member and write about why it’s endearing.
99. Have a career day: Set up a career day where your class writes letters to ask personalities to come and share their careers.
100. Write letters for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day: Ask the class to write special letters to their parents for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

American colleges and universities are built on the idea that higher education is a public right but also a privilege. With knowledge comes responsibility and accountability, and students, faculty members, administrators and counselors are all expected to act in a way that promotes these values. Unfortunately, the integrity of schools’ reputations are compromised after certain individuals act unethically and even illegally. As you complete your online classes, consider the stories of these top 10 con artists in academic history, and remember your commitment to the principles of higher education.

1. Liberato Servo: In one of the greatest college grade scandals of all time, student employees at Diablo Valley College in California were sentenced to jail time and heavy fines. Liberato Servo, considered one of the ringleaders of the swindle, worked as a student employee at the Diablo Valley College records office while he siphoned away $15,000 as he changed grades for other students. The scandal took place over six years and involved many student employees at the records office, involving some 53 defendants in all. Servo was charged with 18 felony counts in November 2007 and ended up serving one year in jail.
2. Adam B. Wheeler: One of the world’s most distinguished, exclusive universities was revealed to be vulnerable to a major admissions scheme led by Harvard senior Adam B. Wheeler. In May 2010, Wheeler pled to 20 counts of fraud and larceny after he was discovered to have falsified letters of recommendations and transcripts which he submitted for the Rhodes and Fulbright Scholarships, among other applications. A Harvard professor on the review board noticed similarities between Wheeler’s Rhodes application and another professor’s application, finding that Wheeler’s pieces were plagiarized. When administrators dug deeper, they found that Wheeler had falsified information on transcripts sent to other colleges, including Yale.
3. Florida State tutors: During the spring of 2009, Florida State was sanctioned by the NCAA after a tutor and instructor wrote papers and gave test answers to student athletes in 2006 and 2006. The scandal involved 61 athletes in 10 different sports, and the case ended up in the Florida Supreme Court after the NCAA punished the school by lowering scholarships and "stripp[ing]" Florida State of all wins that resulted from games played by any guilty students.
4. UVA students and alumni: University of Virginia is one of the oldest public universities in the country, but in 2001, the school had to deal with a serious cheating scandal that exposed a cheating ring of over 120 students. The students were discovered after their physics professor tested out his own software program that was designed to identify instances of plagiarism. He found that 122 students were guilty, prompting a controversial debate over the use of his program and of the academic honesty policy. Current and former students sued the school, seeking "damages in excess of $13 million," according to TheFire.com. UVA attempted to make amendments to the honesty policy, but students rejected the proposal.
5. Heather Bresch: As the governor’s daughter, Heather Bresch was expected to be a credible, responsible business graduate, but she in fact falsified her resume to indicate that she had earned an MBA from West Virginia University. In a con that also included WVU Provost Gerald Lang and the business school dean Steve Sears, it was found that Bresch couldn’t have earned an MBA because she was 22 credits short of graduating. She implied that her work experience made up for the missing credits, but apparently due to pressure from the WVU president, Mike Garrison, the administrators met in October 2008 to grant Bresch a retroactive degree. Today, Heather Bresch is President of the pharmaceutical company Mylan, Inc., and her degree was never rescinded.
6. Richard and Oral Roberts: Oral Roberts University’s own president and founding family were accused of money laundering and fraud in 2007, a demoralizing blow to a conservative Christian university founded in 1963 by evangelist Oral Roberts. President Richard Roberts and Oral Roberts — the son of the school’s founder — apparently took money from the school for personal home remodeling projects and also used university funds — an estimated $26,000 — to pay for his daughter’s senior trip and university employees to do her homework. Roberts — whose wife also went shopping and paid cell phone bills with the stolen money — claimed that he was being blackmailed by professors who complained about the school’s involvement in a Tulsa, OK, mayoral race.
7. Southern University assistant registrar: Louisiana’s Southern University was hit with a major grade-changing scandal in 2004, but the acts allegedly dated back to 1995. Nearly 550 students and former students were investigated after working with a now-fired assistant registrar to change their grades. The university even considered revoking undergraduate and graduate degrees in some cases, and at least one student was discovered to have lied about earning a degree altogether.
8. Benjamin Ladner: In another con involving university presidents siphoning school funds for personal use, American University president Benjamin Ladner took his wife to the Virgin Islands on the university’s dime, along with American University board chair George Collins and his wife. But Collins became annoyed with Ladner — one of the best paid university presidents at the time — after he asked for an extra $5 million on top of his base salary, to be paid over a period of 5 years. Collins convinced the board to hire a lawyer, and Ladner was suspended and then fired in 2005.
9. Fuqua Business School students: When 34 MBA students at Duke’s Fuqua Business School were exposed after cheating on an exam in 2008, the scandal garnered national attention, and many questioned the value and integrity of business schools elsewhere. The students had cheated on a take-home, open-book exam for a core curriculum course, and the guilty ones made up nearly 10% of their entire class. Nine students were expelled, 15 were suspended for one year and failed the class, nine students failed the class, and one student failed the exam.
10. Alexandra Goulding and University of Minnesota tutors: Alexandra Goulding and at least two other tutors at the University of Minnesota confessed to writing papers for members of the men’s basketball team in 1999. Goulding maintained that she helped players type papers and formulate sentences, and did not complete the entire papers without their contributions. Another tutor, however, also worked for the academic counseling unit and admitted to "complet[ing] 400 pieces of course work for 20 players from 1993 to 1998," reported Sports Illustrated. Some tutors received cash for their work, and even implied that coaches indirectly asked them to act unethically so that the players could remain on the team.

Whoever called it the "idiot box" clearly wasn’t paying attention. Television shows, as well as movies, have been responsible for some of the most compelling and inventive entertainment of all time, creating layered stories that probe society and examine everything from morality to philosophy to gender to the meaning of satire. It’s no surprise that colleges have noticed this and used visual media as a springboard for groundbreaking courses that examine the series and movies and talk about what they really have to say. Here are just a few of the courses born of our love for great entertainment:

1. "The Wire": HBO’s five-season drama about crime, politics, and the economy of Baltimore has been hailed by many critics as the best show ever made, so it was only a matter of time before it made its way into the classroom. Harvard University announced plans last fall to use the show in fall 2010 in a course examining poverty in America.
2. Star Wars, The Matrix, and The Lord of the Rings: The "Myth and Science Fiction" course at Centre College used these three popular films series to deconstruct narrative patterns and talk about what makes stories work.
3. "Judge Judy": Students at UC Berkeley were able to take a course that used "Judge Judy" to examine logical fallacies in arguments witnessed on television court series. A great way to get to the heart of rhetoric.
4. "The Muppet Show": Jim Henson’s Muppets are iconic characters, and this UC Santa Cruz course examines the series’ impact on puppetry and effects, children’s entertainment, and the popular media.
5. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": The cult hit TV show has spawned legions of passionate fans and high-level studies, including this UC San Diego course that uses the series to explore feminist writing, religion, and more.
6. "The Simpsons": This is just the place to argue about whether the show’s still any good: Rochester Institute of Technology’s introduction to cultural studies uses the animated modern classic to demonstrate changes in political and social climate.
7. "Star Trek": There have been numerous series and films set in the world of "Star Trek," but it’s the original 1960s series that Georgetown students used to learn about philosophy.
8. "The Apprentice"The show that brought Donald Trump even more prominence has inspired courses on business ethics and personal relationships in the workplace.
9. "South Park": CUNY’s Brooklyn College used Comedy Central’s irreverent animated series to talk about the show’s very real messages on everything from war to political correctness.
10. Soap operas.: Yes, soap operas. This University of Wisconsin course used them to show how the roles of women on the shows had an impact on real-world families and workplaces. Who knew?