United StatesTypes of Reference Books
Atlas
A book of maps with or without text. The word atlas was first used as the title of a book by Gerardus Mercator in 1585.
Examples: Atlas of the World, Rand McNally Atlas of the Earth's Resources
Biographical Index
A book of information about people who are well known in a particular field.
Examples: Who's Who, Current Biography
Dictionary
Definitions, spellings, and pronunciations of words, arranged in alphabetical order.
Examples: The American Heritage Dictionary, The Misspellers' Dictionary, Young People's Science Dictionary
Directory
The names and addresses as well as other facts about specific groups, persons, or organizations.
Examples: Guide to Summer Camps, Children's Media Marketplace
Encyclopedia
Information on just about every subject arranged in alphabetical order.
Examples: World Book Encyclopedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Gazetteer
A geographical dictionary or index with the names of places and their locations in alphabetical order.
Example: Chambers World Gazetteer: An A-Z of Geographical Information
Guidebook
Information and directions, often for travelers.
Examples: Fodor's Travel Guides, Guide to the Ski Touring Centers of New England, Barron's Guide to the Most Prestigious Colleges
Manual/Handbook
Instructions on how to do or make something.
Examples: A Manual for Writing Term Papers, by Kate L. Turabian; The Manual of Martial Arts, by Ron van Clief
Thesaurus
Synonyms, or near synonyms, for words as well as related terms.
Example: Roget's Thesaurus
Yearbook/Almanac
Current information on a wide range of topics.
Examples: Time Almanac, Information Please Sports Almanac, Guinness Book of World Records
Provided by Infoplease—an authoritative, comprehensive reference website that offers an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas, and several almanacs. Visit Infoplease.com to find more resources endorsed by teachers and librarians.
Asian-Pacific-American Heritage Month
May is Asian-Pacific-American Heritage Month! Don't overlook this opportunity to study and enjoy activities about the history and culture of Asian-Pacific American communities.
Top 10 Galleries
Explore our most popular Top 10 galleries, from Top 10 Behavior Management Tips for the Classroom and Top 10 Classroom Organization Tips from Veteran Teachers to Top 10 Free (& Cheap) Rewards for Students and Top 10 Things Every Teacher Needs in the Classroom. We'll help you get organized and prepared for every classroom situation, holiday, and more! Check out all of our galleries today.
May Calendar of Events
May is full of holidays and events that you can incorporate into your standard curriculum. Our Educators' Calendar outlines activities for each event, including: Children's Book Week (5/13-19), Biographers Day (5/16), and Memorial Day (5/27). Plus, celebrate Asian-Pacific-American Heritage Month, Clean Air Month, and Physical Fitness & Sports Month all May long!
Common Core Lessons & Resources
Is your school district adopting the Common Core? Work these new standards into your curriculum with our reading, writing, speaking, social studies, and math lessons and activities. Each piece of content incorporates the Common Core State Standards into the activity or lesson.
