Further to our Web 2.0 chat today

Interestingly, Wikipedia has developed a free resource--known as Wikipedia Selection-- specifically for schools to use. It is fully downloadable, which means once it's downloaded, you can use it without having to access the internet.

accoridng to the blurb, Wikipedia Selection

has about 5500 articles (as much as can be fitted on a DVD with good size images) and is about the size of a twenty volume encyclopaedia (34,000 images and 20 million words).

and

Wikipedia is not necessarily a childsafe environment, has "adult" content. This selection of topics have been carefully chosen, tidied up, and checked for vandalism and suitability (by SOS Children volunteers, whom we gratefully acknowledge).