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Civics: American Rights: Home

American Rights Research

Explore an essential American right and research how it was shaped by the historical events, societal values, and challenges of its time. 

#1: Encyclopedia Databases

START with Encyclopedia Databases to explore your topic!

When you’re just starting your research, reading about your topic in different ways can help you:

  • Understand the basics – Get a clear picture of what your topic is about.
  • Find a focus – Figure out what interests you most and where to take your research.
  • Spot key terms, events, and people – Learn important words and names that will help you search for more information.

Encyclopedia Databases give you solid background information on many topics and are a great place to begin your research.

Encyclopedia Databases

World Book

General research for grades 5-10. On campus use only, no password required.

Britannica Academic

Discover encyclopedia articles, multimedia, primary sources, games, and other learning resources that support research for Elementary, Middle, and High School.

Username: cgps
Password: access

BrainPop

BrainPOP is an animated educational site for students - science, social studies, English, math, arts & music, health, and technology.

#2: Article Databases

NEXT STEP – Article Databases
These resources are best when you already have:

  • A basic idea of your topic – You know what you're looking for.
  • Important keywords, events, and people – You have terms to help guide your search.

Article Databases let you search through a collection of newspapers, magazines, journals, books, and more. They often have more detailed information than encyclopedias.

Using your key terms when searching will help you find the most useful articles!

Check out some selected databases below. Click here a full list of databases.

Article Databases

Middle School: Gale in Context

Academic articles, images, topic selections, and more for middle schoolers. No password needed if used in NY. Provided through NovelNY

History Research Center

Search all of Infobases' excellent history databases at once here! A good place to start. No password needed on campus or at home.

African -American History

A subject specific history database. Excellent for American History research. Really nice interface--check out the subject guides & the tabs in your search results. No password needed on campus or at home.

American Indian History

No password needed on campus or at home.

Modern World History

This is an excellent database for background information, primary sources, and academic articles. Search results are divided into tabs--so if you are looking for a particular type of information make sure you're in the right tab! No password needed on campus or at home.

Issues and Controversies in History

No password needed on campus or at home.

#3. Explore More Resources

FINAL STEP – Explore More Sources
Once you've gathered information from encyclopedias and article databases, take your research even further by exploring other sources!

Here, you'll find helpful links to:

  • Organizations – Groups that focus on your topic and provide expert information.
  • Digitized Primary Sources – Original documents, photos, letters, and other firsthand materials.
  • Other Media – Videos, interviews, and other resources that bring your topic to life.

These sources add depth to your research and help you see different perspectives. Note, this is not an exhaustive list! Check out the tabs above to find useful links!

Noodletools

Searching Tips

Not quite getting results during your search? Here are some tips for your keyword search strategy, try them out using Advanced Search:

  • Use Specific Keywords – Instead of "WPA," try "Workers Progress Administration."
  • Try Synonyms – Search for "Women's suffrage" as well as "Women's vote"
  • Go to Advanced Search and try Boolean Operators – Combine terms with AND (e.g., "Hollywood AND civil rights") or OR (e.g., "railroads OR economic rights").

Middle School Librarian