As an MS 51 student, you have access to many databases for research directly and with your MyLibraryNYC card from Brooklyn Public Library. Here are some great places to start your research before you Google widely!
Remember as you do research to collect your sources and cite them properly! MyBib.com is a great tool for making citations and a works cited page for a research project in ANY subject. You can make a free account with your k051.org Gmail account and save your citations directly to Google Drive and share them with your classmates for group projects. If you'd like a thorough video tutorial to get you started, you can watch this presentation from Ms. Laverde at Townsend Harris High School... replace "Townsend Harris High School account" with "k051.org accounts" and "New York Public Library" with "Brooklyn Public Library" and everything will work the same for you!
Try these sites & tools to get a fresh perspective on your online search.
Google Tips:
Need a specific word or phrase to come up in your search? Put it "in quotes."
Want to look only within a particular site? Google "site:" and then the URL for the site you want to search. (Ex: site:ms51.org)
Want a specific file type? A JPG, a GIF, a PDF? Include file:filetype (ex. file:jpg) and your search terms.
Need something very recent? Use the "tools" dropdown menu to select a time range for your results.
Use Control+F to find specific words or phrases within your results document.
Most databases have tools within them to help you organize your research. Look for these common features to get you started: