Skip to Main Content
Fairfax County logo

Homework Resources

Resources to help you study, write reports, do homework and more. Last Updated: Oct 21, 2025 10:18 AM

Biography

  • Academy of Achievement
    The Academy of Achievement recognizes real-life heroes in five major categories. Read a short life story of these achievers. You might find your own role model!
  • Biography
    This site aims to tell the most "gripping, surprising and fascinating" stories about famous people. Produced by A+E Networks.
  • Black Women's Suffrage
    Black women made many contributions in the campaign for voting and other civil rights. This site showcases key figures in the Suffrage movement and beyond.

Current Events

You may also like Academic Search Complete which is a general subject research database providing access to thousands of full-text periodicals and peer-reviewed journals covering a broad selection of topics.

  • AllSides
    This news service tries to balance the news. This means that you will see the same story from left-, center- and right-leaning sources. It also includes media bias ratings to give readers an idea of where news sources lean on the political scale.
  • Open to Debate
    Listen to debates argued by leading authorities. Some debates include the research used by debaters. 
  • ProCon.org
    This site offers pros and cons of controversial issues. Most topics have an overview, pro/con arguments, a list of discussion questions, actions to take and a list of sources.
  • Public Opinion Polls and Surveys
    The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press publishes information about “issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.” It conducts public opinion polling and research. Read poll results and learn the facts of political and social issues.

Economics and Personal Finance

  • EconEdLink Financial Fun Pack
    The activities in these fun packs can help students learn about personal finance. There are four separate downloadable packages which are based on a grade band. Choose K-2, 3-5, 6-8 or 9-12.
  • FCIC's How Money Smart Are You?
    Congress created the FDIC to "maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system." The site has games that will help you learn about earning, spending, saving, borrowing and protecting money. There is also a Resources section for Key Takeaways, Tools, FAQs and Helpful Links.

Fact Checking

  • Checkology
    A program from the News Literacy Project. It helps students learn how to decide whether claims from a source are true or false. Register for a free account to practice using critical thinking.
  • CRAAP Test 
    Take this test to see if you should accept, cite or share information. Developed by Sarah Blakeslee and librarians at California State University, Chico. Shared as an image by the University of Virginia Library. 
  • Election Facts

    Fact check U.S. election news in this non-partisan site that includes a Fact Check Feed and Rumor Radar. From The League of Women Voters of Virginia in partnership with VerbaAI.  

  • Fact Checking 
    Is that news true? Learn how to check if a story is fake. From Indiana University East.

  • Fake News vs. Biased Reporting
    Learn how to tell if news is biased. Does it show an uneven viewpoint? From the University of Virginia Library. 

Government

United States

You may also like Government.  

  • Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
    Students can learn about the U.S. Federal government. Information is divided into three levels of learning. Read about the three branches of government, how laws are made, how the federal and state governments share power and more.
  • Branches of the U.S. Government
    The Constitution of the United States organizes the federal government into three branches. Infographics show what each branch does. Discover how the branches respond to each other. The site is also available in Spanish.
  • Electoral College
    The United States elects the President and Vice President through a process called the Electoral College. Learn how it started and how it works. View historical election results.
  • Kids in the House
    Learn about House members and officers and how bills become law. From the U.S. House of Representatives.
  • Presidents from Virginia
    From the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
  • U.S. Government and Politics
    This Crash Course is for high school students and is based on the 2014 AP Government and Politics curriculum. There are 50 short videos on topics that will help you learn how the U.S. government works.

World

You may also like International Information.

  • Countries
    Take a trip to another country with National Geographic. This site has amazing photos! Read the quick facts about other countries. Learn about the people and culture of the country. Read about the country’s government and history. You might see what animals live there or what the land is like. For upper elementary students.
  • Flags of the World
    This site has thousands of flags! Search by country name to find images and facts about its flags. There are also black and white outline drawings of many flags.
  • Rulers
    This site lists the names of the rulers and other heads of government. It covers all countries and territories and goes back to about 1700. It also includes a list of relevant events by month from 1996 to the present.
  • World Factbook
    The Factbook includes detailed information about 262 countries. Explore photos, maps, history, statistics and more. Factsheets offer a shortened overview with basic information of each country. Provided by the CIA.

History

Good Starting Points

You may also like History of Virginia.

  • Crash Course
    The Crash Course video series is entertaining and educational. History Crash Courses include Big History, which is based on the Big History Project. It covers history of the universe from the Big Bang into the Deep Future. Big History 2 delves deeper into why Big History matters. European History (from 1450 to the present) is based on AP European History and college level Introduction to Western Civilization curriculum. U.S. History is based on the 2013 US History curriculum.
  • Khan Academy — History
    Khan Academy covers topics on U.S. history and world history. Each topic has multiple subtopics, so you can break up the material in parts. First, watch the videos. Then answer practice questions. Finally, take a test at the end of each unit to check your understanding.
  • Speeches
    • American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank
      This site contains more than 5000 speeches. Depending on the speech, you can read it, listen to it, or watch it. Explore important speeches from the 21st century. Find the top 100 political speeches of the 20th century. The site also includes movie speeches and Christian rhetoric.
    • The History Place: Great Speeches Collection
      This site contains dozens of speeches selected by the author. There is an introduction before each speech to give it historical context.

Ancient History

  • BBC Bitesize World History
    Younger elementary students can learn about ancient Greece, the Roman Empire and ancient Egypt. From the British Broadcasting Company. Please note that some videos and games will not work outside of the UK.
  • Discovering Egypt
    This site is a fun way for kids to learn about ancient Egypt. Use a hieroglyphic typewriter to see your name in hieroglyphs or write a secret message. Read stories of kings and queens. Find out about ancient Egyptian gods, mummies, inventions and more.
  • Index — World History Encyclopedia
    For high school students. The Index has scholarly information about people, places, things and events. You can search or browse the alphabetical list. You can also explore by region or time period. Take quizzes to test your knowledge of ancient history.

Historical Documents and Images

  • 100 Milestone Documents
    These documents tell the story of important events in U.S. history from 1776 to 1965. You can view and download an image of the original document. You can also read the document transcript. Each document includes an introduction to place it in historic context.
  • Avalon Project
    The Avalon Project is a collection of law, history and diplomacy documents from ancient to contemporary times. The documents are text transcriptions. Links to supporting documents are included when possible. The Avalon Project is provided by the Lillian Goldman Law Library at Yale Law School.
  • Famous Trials
    This collection focuses on six themes: free speech, murder, religion, race, war/corruption/politics and wrongful conviction. Professor Linder of UMKC Law School has written original commentary on the selected trials. The site also includes trial transcripts, maps, images and other materials. The site is intended for high school, college and law school instructors and students. Professor Linder also offers a Constitutional Law companion site which focuses on United States Supreme Court cases.
  • Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930
    Many people have chosen to move to the United States. This collection offers a look at some of the experiences those immigrants had. The collection includes digital books and photographs. Browse topics by category or region. You can also search the collection by keyword. Provided by Harvard University

United States History

You may also like History of Virginia.

  • Eagle Eye Citizen 
    Middle and high school students can practice critical thinking. They will solve challenges by breaking down primary sources. Topics include American history, civics and Congress. Sources are provided by the Library of Congress.
  • Interactive Constitution
    Learn about the Constitution. Scholars who have different outlooks discuss the clauses to provide a broader understanding. They explore the history of the text. They also debate how it can be interpreted today.
  • KidCitizen
    This site is for K-5 students. Students will look at primary source photographs to explore government and civics topics. From the Library of Congress.
  • Presidents
    • American President
      This site is geared toward high school students. It contains a "Facts at a Glance" section in addition to essays on each U.S. President. The essays include information on life before and after the presidency, campaigns and elections. The essays also cover domestic and foreign affairs, impact and legacy, and key events. The first ladies and cabinet members are profiled as well. The site is sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs. The Miller Center is a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia.
    • Library of Congress — Presidential Images
  • Shmoop — US History
    Shmoop tries to make learning about history fun for high school or college students. Most topics include an introduction, summary and analysis, timeline, facts, and information about the people who made it happen. Many of Shmoop's writers are PhDs and PhD candidates. They write in a teen-friendly way and want to help students understand why they should care about history.
  • Supreme Court: The Oyez Project
    Browse cases by court term or issue. See the question, facts about the case and its conclusion. Read the opinion(s) and supporting documents where available. You may listen to oral arguments from 1968 to the current term. The site includes biographies of the justices. From Cornell's Legal Information Institute, Justia and Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Law

  • Virginia Rules
    How does Virginia law apply to teens in everyday life? Find out about the legal rights of juveniles, family relationships and the law. There is also information about dating violence, property crimes and more. From the Office of the Attorney General.
  • Youth Rules
    Are you a teen working in a part-time or summer job? Learn about federal and state rules for teen employment including what hours you can work, what jobs you can do and how much you should be paid. From the U.S. Department of Labor.

Online Social Sciences Resources

Back to Social Sciences websites.

Fairfax County Public Library offers online resources for education and enjoyment. A library card is required for use outside the library:

Fairfax County seal