• A database is an online collection of encyclopedia articles, newspaper and magazine articles, images, podcasts and radio broadcasts, videos, primary sources, and more, all accessible from school, home, or anywhere with an Internet connection. Databases are great resources for projects because they combine the quality of print sources with the searchability and easy access of a Web site. Norwell Middle School has access to many databases through our membership in the Massachusetts Library System, but we've also added a large collection of reference e-books that students, teachers, and parents can access at school or from home.
     
     
     
    Or, here are some quick links to the resources most likely to be helpful for NMS students:
     
     

    Funnel for Books Our collection of Reference E-Books offers encyclopedia and other articles on a variety of topics including history, science, business, arts, and culture. You can search for specific topics or browse by general subject area.

     
    This is an online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica designed especially for middle school students.
     
    InfoTrac is a general database, meaning it covers topics related to most subjects. It includes reference articles, news and magazine articles, primary sources, audiovisual sources (images, sound files, and video files), and more. 
     
    This database includes resources on various topics within the sciences, as well as resources about famous scientists. 
     
     
    This database is focuses exclusively on biographies. It will be especially helpful for extended biography projects like the Living Wax Museum or for assignments that require only a brief article about a famous or important person.
     
    This database is all about world history, which means it includes resources related to a lot of topics. Topic pages cover the following categories:
    -- Biographies
    -- Countries, Cultures, and Civilizations
    -- Economics
    -- Events, Periods, and Cultural Trends
    -- Human Rights
    -- Political Constructs, Movements, and Organizations
    -- Religions
    -- Wars and Conflicts
     
    This database is all about United States history, including topics related to:
    -- African American Perspectives
    -- American Colonies
    -- Biographies
    -- Court Cases and the Supreme Court
    -- Economics
    -- Events, Decades, and Cultural Trends
    -- Government Documents
    -- Native Americans
    -- Political Constructs, Movements, and Organizations
    -- Wars and Conflicts
     
    This database includes current and primary source information about countries, cultures, and issues around the world. It may be especially useful for countries that get less coverage in the World History In Context database.
     
    This is a database of articles from the New York Times going back to 1985.
     
     
     
    This database offers biographical information about authors and poets as well as reviews and criticism of many literary works.
     
    This is a database especially for teachers, with professional and academic articles on topics related to education and child development.
     
     
    filing cabinet None of the databases above have what you're looking for? Click here to see more databases we subscribe to through the Massachusetts Library System. You can also check out the Norwell Public Library's Databases page, which includes some databases like Novelist that are just for Norwell residents.