The Oregon Encyclopedia

This website is a collaboration between Portland State University, the Oregon Council of Teachers of English, and the Oregon Historical Society, and is a key project of the Oregon Sesquicentennial Celebration. Beyond its basic function as a reference tool, The Oregon Encyclopedia provides lesson plans for teachers—primarily for grades 4–12. The site is divided into 17 categories, each one with several subcategories such as "biography," "event," "group," or "place." Entries include a brief history, or synopsis, of the topic with any accompanying media objects and suggested reading. Entries are arranged alphabetically or by topic with a search engine that allows searches based on category, theme, sub-theme, county, era, or region. Each week new entries are added to the hundreds currently online.

In the For Teachers section, users will find several sections. "History Minutes" contains facts about important topics related to the state. The "Oregon IQ Test" offers a short list of Oregon trivia questions. The "Permissions" and "How to Cite" pages outline the educational and fair use policies to help students navigate copyright policies. Under "Research Tools," users will find a list of annotated bibliographies, as well as the ability to conduct a live chat with an online librarian any time of day—even during the weekends.

Oregon and U.S. history teachers and students will find The Oregon Encyclopedia a useful resource for learning more about the nation's 33rd state and its role in U.S. history.