Homework Help

Local Schools | English & Language Arts | Foreign Languages | History & Social Studies | Math | Science | Research | Test Preparation

Local Schools

• Downers Grove North - District 99
• Downers Grove South - District 99
• Hinsdale Central - District 86
• Hinsdale South - District 86

English & Language Arts

• Book Rags - Similar to Schmoop and Cliffs Notes, Book Rags provides summaries, plot analysis, and other information for students writing papers about books.
• English Style, Usage & Composition - Searchable versions of useful reference books on grammar and language, including William Strunk's The Elements of Style and The American Heritage Book of English Usage.
• OWL: Online Writing Lab @ Purdue - Find tips for overcoming writer's block, gathering information, and writing a great paper. OWL also offers tips on style and avoiding plagiarism.
• Poets.org - The American Academy of Poets online - find biographies, essays, criticism, full text poems and audio recordings.
• Schmoop - provides information on theme, plot analysis, and literary devices used in many of the books you have to read and write about for school.

Foreign Languages

• BBC Languages - Choose a langauage and find learning games, videos, cultural information and news.
• Google Translate - Translate text from over 50 languages.
• Mango Languages - Online language-learning system that can help you learn languages like Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian and more. (REQUIRES IPPL CARD)

History & Social Studies

• Biography.com - A&E's site Look here for biographies of more than 25,000 people from throughout history.
• CIA World Fact Book - Profiles of 266 countries and territories around the world. Information on geography, people, government, transportation, economy, and more.
• Country Studies - Features over 100 country profiles from the Library of Congress.
• Year by Year - Find information about key United States and world events, statistics, sports, entertainment, and science developments for any year in the 20th Century

Math

• Ask Dr. Math - Have a math question? Browse frequently asked questions here or ask your own.
• FactMonster Math - Flashcards, formulas, math history and more.
• HippoCampus - Multimedia instruction on a variety of math and science topics.
• WebMath - Covers K-8 math, Algebra, Trig & Calculus, etc, and doesn't only give the answer but shows how to arrive at it.

Science

• Cells Alive - Everything you want or need to know about cells.
• How Stuff Works - Explains thousands of topics, from engines to lock-picking to ESP, with video and illustrations so you can learn how everything works.
• Sci Central - Covers 120 specialties in science, medical research, and engineering.
• Science Daily - An online magazine featuring quick takes on the latest research on a wide variety of science topics.

Test Preparation

• Learning Express Library - Online interactive practice tests for the ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and many career tests. Also, includes skill improvement tests for elementary, middle, and high school students. Login with IPPL Library Card Required.
• ACT - Free online ACT practice test, tips, descriptions, and strategies.
• Advanced Placement (AP) - Resources, tips, and FAQs about taking the AP in 37 subject areas.
• College Level Exam Program (CLEP) - Free downloadable programs to help prepare for the CLEP exams for college placement.
• PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship) - Test preparation, strategies, and free online practice exercises in reading, math, and writing.
• SAT - Test descriptions, strategies, tips, and test booklets for the SAT and SAT Subject tests.