7th Grade: ?Britannica or World Book Encyclopedia?

[Guest helenag]

Hi All,

Newbie here. For 7th grade grade history and geography: did anyone find that they used encyclopedias to supplement the basic texts? If so, did you purchase one? Does anyone know where I can purchase a used set?

 

Thank you,

Helena

[Jen the RD]

Hi Helena,

Welcome to the board! I'll try to help you out with some tips that I've gotten along the way. I own an old set of World Books from the 70's. (They were mine as a kid!) My kids have used them many times over our homeschooling years. If it is critical to find something that I know needs to be more current, then we usually search the internet and go to the library to find more info in current books.

 

Having said that, I decided this year to have my 8th grader do much more research in her American History/Geog studies, so I just purchased the 2011 World Book DVD-rom from Sonlight. A friend of mine has the 2010 version and says it is terrific. I have seen book sets on amazon, but they are EXPENSIVE! If you really want "books", you might check your local library. I know Colleen in NS let her library know that she would like a discarded set when they received their new ones and they called her and sold them for a rediculously low price.

 

Hope that helps!

Jennifer

[Hunter]

I love, love, love hard copy encyclopedias. I have several general and several specialty sets.

 

I prefer World Book to Britannica at least up to 10th grade. I Like New Book of Knowledge as the primary set for elementary and as a secondary set for middle/high. Comptons is also a good set that is easier than Britannica.

 

The Columbia Encyclopedia is a 1 volume encyclopedia that is in a class of it's own. It's half way between a dictionary and an encyclopedia and gives amazing definitions. It is published once every decade or so, not every year.

 

I don't mind older sets or even broken sets because I have always owned multiple sets. A CD or the internet is good for when you need the most up to date information, but nothing beats being able to curl up with an encyclopedia.

 

Find out if your library gives free access to World Book online. Many do. If not, see if any neighboring libraries do. In my state it's free to get a card from any library in the state. With a card we get access to all subcription sites and downloadable books. I have a LOT of cards :-)

 

A home reference library is a real treat to have! It takes a long time to build an affordable collection, but that is half the fun of it. I'm always on the hunt.

[Guest helenag]

Thank you Jen the RD and Hunter for your feedback. Very useful information. I'll follow up with my libraries and see if I can find a used set.

 

Helena

[Colleen in NS]

If you really want "books", you might check your local library. I know Colleen in NS let her library know that she would like a discarded set when they received their new ones and they called her and sold them for a rediculously low price.

 

Yep, I recently acquired a set of 2006 World Books for $1 from my library!!!

 

So far, my 13yos has preferred using World Book over Britannica (which I have also acquired for free - a 1985 set - from an online site called Kijiji - I think it's like Craigslist). I'm thinking in high school he might start using Britannica. It has more complicated language and ideas in it.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Colleen in NS

[PollyOR]

Yep, I recently acquired a set of 2006 World Books for $1 from my library!!!

 

 

Wow!!! :blink:What a steal. And I thought paying $100 for my set was good.

[Hedgehog]

I've just bought the Encyclopedia Britannica 2011 on CD-ROM with all the bells and whistles, so I really hope it's good for my 7th and 5th graders and not too complicated. It does say on the back that it has Student's and Children's Encyclopedia Articles, along with a whole raft of stuff under the general heading of "Essential Tools for School". So we'll see. I thought I'd done quite well, seeing as it was only £12.99 and the book version (new) was around the £2,200 mark!

[amyco]

We got an Encyclopedia Britannica set (1986, in excellent condition) from Craigslist for $60. Our plan was to supplement with a current CD of World Book, but we haven't done that yet. So far, the kids have been reluctant to use the encyclopedia. I need to require it more. They do know how to look things up. I think I probably should have gotten the World Book set instead. I would do that if I had to do it again, but I have no more space now!