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Everyone who reads my blogs with any regularity knows how much I really like Dorling Kindersley books. The reference books are always so well researched and beautifully photographed. The instructional books (such as Crafts & Baking) are clearly set out and simply, yet intelligently written.  Now DK has taken that style & quality and created a safe and useful online learning environment – DK Findout.

Catering to visual learners of all ages, this fantastic free website allows you to create your own journey of discovery learning remarkable facts along the way.
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From “animals & nature” and “The Human Body” to “English” & “Math” there are a wide variety of subjects from which to choose. We decided to use “animals & nature” to discover more about Lions. We discovered:
  • Lions are the only cats to live in groups
  • The males pace around their territory to protect it from other males
  • They also spray urine to warn off other lions
  • Lionesses do all the hunting
  • They also tend to give birth at around the same time, so they can produce milk and feed each other’s cubs
  • The lion’s mane protects his throat from the teeth and claws of other lions

There is a fast facts section about habitat, food, size, etc. and there’s also a sound file so you can listen to the lions while you read about them. As well as the subject themed sections, there are quizzes, picture galleries, videos and fun facts. There is also a “My Stuff” section on the way where you will be able to store all the the exciting things you discover.

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If you sign-up as a teacher (still free!) you can go through the subjects and create your own lesson plans using the DK resources. As a home school mum I found this especially useful and when Evey asked me about earthquakes I was able to go to the site and quickly put together a lesson with high-quality visuals – it was great!

At the moment DK Findout is in its beta stage so it is not as comprehensive as it could be, but with the volume of excellent resources that DK have produced, it s bound to take a while to get them on here.
DK FindOut is accessible on all devices, iPad, phone, laptop and computer – and best of all – it’s free.

1 COMMENT

  1. I love DK! I’ve been managing bookstores for fifteen years now, and no one can really touch DK. The second best is National Georgraphic, but I feel like DK has an overall better variety on catalog. Great books for kids, and even for adults.

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