Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that they'll have to fork over $70 a year to access all of this site's content. It may be worth it as you won't have to worry about your kids coming across any inaccurate and inappropriately-presented material. Yes, your kids will be able to read about penises, but the entries will be scientific and straightforward -- and they won't have any explicit images to go alongside them. There are ads, but they're minimal and all linked to things that will improve your mind (subscriptions for The Economist), and a link to the Britannica store.
Families can talk about why it's often better to go to a trusted site like Britannia than to Google to find the best age-appropriate, reliable information. What are safe sites to browse? How can you tell which sites you can trust? Parents can also explain why curiosity about the world can enrich our lives (and help us do better in school!).
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Heidi Kotansky
It's time to clear your shelves of the set of dusty encyclopedias: BRITANNICA.COM is a faster way to find information on every subject. Written mostly by Nobel Prize winners, the no-nonsense articles are comprehensive and well-organized. The timeline feature is very cool -- you just click on a subject and scroll through its history. The main drawback of this site is that only members ($70 a year) can read entire article entries and get access to the online resources (dictionary, thesaurus, and news articles). Want to learn about Uganda? Head on over to the atlas. Need a stat? The World Data Analyst breaks it all down. A separate subscription of $70 a year lets you explore one of the site's best features for kids: the online student edition filled with research guides and learning activities. Here's to passing the next exam with flying colors.
For other educational resource hubs, check out HowStuffWorks.com or BJ Pinchbeck's Homework Helper.
Reviewed: 08/17/2007
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentEntries about sexual topics are straightforward and educational. The illustrations that accompany them aren't explicit. For example, for vagina, it says "canal in female mammals that receives the male reproductive cells, or sperm, and is part of the birth canal during the birth process" and a drawn diagram calls out the different parts. |
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ViolenceEntries about violent topics (such as war) aren't glorified and are similar to what you'd find in a school textbook. |
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CommercialismIf you want access to entire articles and parts of the site, you have to pay $70 a year. There's a link to the Britannica store and ads to magazine and educational items. |
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Educational ValueThe idea behind an encyclopedia is to learn things! |
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