Phyllis' Favorites

Happy New Year!
http://wandascountryhome.com/newyear/cheers.html

A One-Step Portal for On-Line Genealogy
http://stevemorse.org/
“Today much of the data useful to genealogists has been put on websites
and can be accessed from the comfort of home.”

teoria Music Theory Web
http://teoria.com/
From the site:
“This web site dedicated to the study of music theory is available to the Internet community free of charge since January 1997. The information is organized in 3 main sections: tutorials, exercises, and reference. You can change to the Spanish version by clicking Versión en castellano.”

Links to Music Resources
http://teoria.com/links/index.htm

Jazz Links
http://teoria.com/links/jazz.htm

Found in:

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PBS Teacher Previews: January 1-7, 2006
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NOVA
"The Mummy Who Would Be King"
TV> PBSOL> MARC> Middle / High School
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
8 - 9:00 pm
It is a tantalizing idea: Could a shriveled mummy that has lain
neglected on a dusty shelf in a museum at Niagara Falls be the
remains of a long-lost Egyptian pharaoh? Join us as we attempt
to solve this bizarre 3,000 year-old mystery with the help of
the latest imaging and DNA techniques. (CC, Stereo, DVI, 1 year)

Listen to our online audio slide show and witness the elaborate
ritual of preparing a body for burial.

http://www.pbs.org/nova/mummy
[NOTE: See guide from NOVA pasted below. – Phyllis ]
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Alan Alda In Scientific American Frontiers "Cybersenses"
TV> PBSOL> MARC>
Elementary / Middle / High School
Friday, January 6, 2006
9 - 9:30 pm
Replacement synthetic senses for people are now a reality.
Children as young as 12 months are already getting artificial
hearing -- while the first trials of electronic retinas for the
blind are just beginning. (CC, Stereo, DVI, 1 year)

What does the world sound like with a cochlear implant? Try one
on for size in our online interactive game.

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1509
[NOTE: Originally broadcast March 2005. – Phyllis ]

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New Hampshire Public Television
"NatureWorks"
Station> Elementary School

This companion Web site to a natural science television series
for students explores North American plants and animals and how
the natural world works.

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks

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SOCIAL STUDIES
Frontline
"Country Boys" PBSOL> Middle / High School
Mark your calendar for this special "Frontline" series
premiering on PBS on Jan. 9-11, 2006. This series tells the
story of Chris and Cody: two boys growing up in a hard land,
determined to beat the odds against them and struggling with
who they are -- and who they can become. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys

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Online NewsHour EXTRA
"Jazz in New Orleans Strikes a Hopeful Note"
PBSOL>
Middle / High School

Musicians are working to revive New Orleans' vibrant music
scene four months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec05/nolamusic_12-19.html

*****
Copyright 2005 PBS Online.

*****
----------Forwarded Message--------
Wed, Dec 28, 2005 at 3:38 PM
To: NOVA Teachers

[J]oin NOVA for its spring season premiere of "The Mummy
Who Would Be King," a program that seeks to reveal the hidden
identity of a mummy that lay neglected for decades in a Niagara
Falls museum. Could it be the remains of a long-lost pharaoh?
Discover how archeologists tried to find out. (Subjects covered:
anthropology/archeology, forensics, world history)

From all of us at NOVA, I wish you a safe and happy new year.

Regards,
Karen Hartley
Teachers Editor
NOVA Web Site
http://www.pbs.org/nova/teachers/
E-mail: NOVA_Teachers@wgbh.org

* * * * * * * *

NOVA Presents "The Mummy Who Would Be King"
Broadcast: January 3, 2006
http://www.pbs.org/nova/mummy/
(Check your local listings as broadcast dates and times may vary.
This program has one-year off-air taping rights.)

Undiscovered Tombs
Find out what the chances are of discovering more tombs in
Egypt's fabled Valley of the Kings. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Who Was Rameses I?
Learn more about the first ruler of one of Egypt's most
illustrious ancient dynasties. (Grades 9-12)

Making Mummies
Discover the techniques for classic mummification in this
six-segment audio slide show narrated by Egyptologist Salima
Ikram. (Note: This feature contains graphic photos of mummies
and information about removal of body parts. Please preview for
its appropriateness for your classroom.) Total running
time: 8 minutes 19 seconds. (Flash plug-in required.)
(Grades 6-8, 9-12)

The Afterlife
Read why ancient Egyptians practiced mummification, what they
thought the afterlife would be like, what can be learned from
mummies, and more in this interview with Egyptologist Salima
Ikram. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Teacher's Guide
In this classroom activity, students determine the culture and
method of mummification of various mummies by using descriptive
clues. (Grades 6-8)

Program Transcript
The site includes a complete narration for this program.

Plus Links and Books.

# posted by Phyllis @ 11:01 PM 0 comments

Battle of the Books
http://www.battleofthebooks.org/index.html

Book List for 4th--6th Grades: Year 2006
http://www.battleofthebooks.org/4-62006.html

Book List for 6th - 8th Grades: Year 2006
http://www.battleofthebooks.org/6-82006.html

Narnia
http://www.narnia.com
Explore Narnia, discover the land, the Narnians and their history.
Includes quizzes, a short biography of C.S. Lewis, illustrations from
the books, and lots more.

--------Forwarded Message--------
Site of the Day for Thursday, December 22, 2005

Jane Austen
http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/austenbio.html

Today's web page, from Brandeis University professor Dr. Andreas Teuber,
offers straightforward and accessible literary criticism and biography,
written by Gary Kelly, of the University of Alberta, on everyone's favorite
nineteenth century British author, Jane Austen. Gentle Subscribers, who
feel Austen's Regency assembly rooms are more in keeping with the Yuletide
spirit than an oftentimes grim Dickensian England, may enjoy a stroll
through this presentation.

"Jane Austen is one of the few novelists in world literature who is
regarded as a "classic" and yet is widely read. As the contemporary
novelist Fay Weldon puts it, for generations of students and the educated
reading public in many countries, Austen's novels represent literature with
a capital "L." On the other hand, Austen is the only novelist before
Charles Dickens who still has a significant popular readership, and her
fictional world -- seen as an idyllic bygone time and place unlike, and
preferable to, the present -- has entered into popular literary culture." -
from the website

The web page presents an encapsulated biography of Jane Austen and
discussions of each of her six major novels. As well the the historical
context of the period in which Austen wrote her novels, the essay covers
the plots and themes of her fiction -- from the frequently filmed "Pride
and Prejudice" to the less well known "Mansfield Park". Visitors can go
directly to topics in the essay which are of particular interest to them
from the uppermost links in the opening. For the serious Austen student, an
extensive bibliography is provided.

Note: the few links interspersed in the text are limited to databases for
"patrons of subscribing institutions".

Amble to the web page for a look at Jane Austen's life and works at:

http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/austenbio.html

A.M. Holm
view the List archives on the web at:
http://www.freelists.org/archives/sotd


****

The Republic of Pemberley
http://www.pemberley.com/

Jane Austen Information Page
http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html

Biography: Life (1775-1817) and Family
http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janelife.html

Jane Austen's Life & Times FAQ
http://www.pemberley.com/pemb/adaptations/regency/ltfaq.html
“Nice site which offers searchable html texts of many of Austen's works, a
biography of the author, criticism, and links to other Austen sites.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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Hampshire's History of Jane Austen 1775 - 1817
http://www.hants.gov.uk/austen/deane.html

Found in:
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Librarians' Index to the Internet
NEW THIS WEEK for September 22, 2005
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Bob Dylan ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Companion to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) American
Masters documentary "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan," which "focuses
on the singer-songwriter's life and music from 1961-66." Features
an interview with director Martin Scorsese, video clips (including
two live performances from 1966), a timeline (1961-1966), and
information about Dylan precursors, influences, and peers (such as
Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie, and Joan Baez).

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/dylan/
http://lii.org?recs=027507
Subjects:
* Dylan, Bob, 1941-
* Singers
* Rock musicians
* Protest songs
* Popular music
* Documentary films
* People
Created by: mcb
[NOTE: Other pages from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/
previously posted. – Phyllis ]
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Nabokov Under Glass: A Centennial Exhibition ------------------------------
"Featuring materials from the Nabokov Archive in the [New York
Public Library, this 1999] online exhibition provides a
chronological look at Vladimir Nabokov's life and literary output,
starting with poems of his teenage years, through his latest
novels and memoirs. The website, produced in celebration of the
100th anniversary of Nabokov's birth, provides insight into his
powers of creation and his development as a writer."

http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/epo/nabokov/
http://lii.org?recs=021219
Subjects:
* Nabokov, Vladimir Vladimirovich, 1899-1977
* Authors, Russian
* Authors, American
* Literature, Modern
* People
* LII classic content
Created by: dlm

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Use of the annotations from this list must be accompanied by:
Copyright 2005 by Librarians' Index to the Internet, LII.
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Thank you for using Librarians' Index to the Internet!

Karen G. Schneider, kgs@lii.org
New This Week Listowner, and Director, Librarians' Index to the Internet
Websites you can trust! http://lii.org/

--------Forwarded Message--------
Site of the Day for Wednesday, September 21, 2005

The Discovery of the Electron
http://www.aip.org/history/electron/
[NOTE: Other pages from http://www.aip.org/history/ previously posted. – Phyllis ]

Today's site, from the American Institute of Physics, offers a brief
history of the breakthrough leading to the discovery of the electron just
over 100 years ago. Gentle Subscribers will find a presentation geared to
the general public, putting into perspective the obstacles which had to be
overcome.

"[H]ow can you discover a particle so small that nobody has ever seen one?
Experiments by J.J. Thomson in 1897 led to the discovery of a fundamental
building block of matter." - from the website

The site provides the historical circumstances surrounding the discovery of
the electron, a look at the scientific puzzlement of the period as well as
the series of experiments which lead to the breakthrough. Annotated
illustrations and brief biographies of the various scientists who
contributed to the discovery are also included. In addition there is a 1934
recording made by J.J. Thomson, from the soundtrack of the film, "Atomic
Physics" discussing his discovery, as well as an overview of how the
discovery of the electron continues to influence the development of many
items today.

Travel to the website for an interesting exhibit on the discovery of the
electron at:

http://www.aip.org/history/electron/

A.M. Holm
view the List archives on the web at:
http://www.freelists.org/archives/sotd

Hunkin's Experiments
http://www.hunkinsexperiments.com/
Hunkin's Experiments features “around 200 fun and informative experiments with
food, light, sound, maths, science, and lot's more.”

The Secret Life Of Machines
http://www.secretlifeofmachines.com/
“Just how does a video recorder work? And how about fax machines, cars,
washing machines, electric light, telephones, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators?
You'll find the answers here.”

The Rudiments Of Wisdom encyclopaedia
http://www.rudimentsofwisdom.com/
“The Rudiments Of Wisdom encyclopaedia by Tim Hunkin. Thousands of
cartoons covering almost everything there is to know!”

Time-Warp: Archive of Vintage Technology Through the Decades
http://www.time-warp.org/
From the site: “The 20th century is marked by dramatic technology innovation. The time-warp project is an attempt to archive the rapid advance in technology through the decades.” Use arrows to select decade from 1900 to 1990, press GO! and mouse over photos for details. Click on “Research” tab for links to related web sites.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

---------Forwarded Message--------
Site of the Day for Monday, December 19, 2005

An American Christmas: Decade by Decade
http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/AmChristmas/

Today's site, from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Museum,
subtitled "How We Came to Celebrate Christmas as a National Holiday",
offers a new exhibit on one of the focal points of holiday festivities --
the Christmas tree. Gentle Subscribers will find a delightful selection of
Christmas remembrances.

"We Americans take our holidays for granted. We celebrate President's Day,
Independence Day and a handful of other days each year, but we give little
thought to the origin and history of these celebrations. ... Of special
importance is our celebration of Christmas - a day that has become
preeminent on our yearly calendars. How did our celebration come about?
[This site] tells the story in this online exhibit…just as the United States
expanded and changed in the 19th century, so also did the nation's
celebration of Christmas.” - from the website

The exhibition describes American Christmas celebrations from 1840 to 2000,
primarily by highlighting the role and decoration of the traditional
Christmas tree. Each decade features a photo of a tree decorated to conform
to the spirit of the period and is accompanied by a short essay discussing
the conventions, constraints and traditions which prevailed. Offering an
endearing selection of Christmas trivia, from how metal shortages and
anti-German feeling affected tree trimming during the war years to how
early 20th century postal breakages resulted in a different style of tree
ornaments, the site brims with a warm historical glow.

Drift over to the site for a delightful remembrance of Christmas past at:

http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/AmChristmas/

A.M. Holm
view the List archives on the web at:
http://www.freelists.org/archives/sotd

----------Forwarded Message--------
Date Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 2:46 AM
Subject: [Refdesk site-of-the-day] The Merck Manuals

The Merck Manuals
http://www.merck.com/pubs/

This Web index provides links to all of the online versions of the famous Merck Manuals, including: The Merck Manual Home Edition, The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy and The Merck Manual of Health & Aging. Also included is The Merck Veterinary Manual for those with pets.
[NOTE: Some of the Merck Manuals previously posted. – Phyllis ]

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Refdesk Home Page: http://www.refdesk.com

---------Forwarded Message--------
Site of the Day for Monday, September 12, 2005

Herbal Supplements: What to Know Before You Buy
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=SA00044

Today's web page, from the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Center of
the Mayo Clinic website, offers cautionary advice for those considering
adding a herbal supplement to their regimes. Gentle Subscribers will find
this well-respected medical organization provides helpful information for
the consumer of such products.

"Herbal products have active ingredients that can affect how your body
functions, in the same way that over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription
drugs can. If you're considering taking herbal supplements, determine
whether they're for you, and educate yourself about any products you intend
to use." - from the website

The web page begins with guidelines on situations when the use of herbal
supplements would be inappropriate and continues with an annotated list of
the signs to look for or be wary of, when reading the labels of these
herbal preparations. In addition, how to proceed in case of serious side
effects, as well as suggestions about how herbal remedies may be used to
supplement conventional treatments are presented. Each section features
links to respected sources for further information on topics such as drug
interactions with herbal preparations and the implications of some surgical
procedures with herbal use.

Slip over to the site for an authoritative general resource for herbal
supplement information at:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=SA00044
[NOTE: Other pages from http://www.mayoclinic.com/ previously posted. – Phyllis ]


A.M. Holm
view the List archives on the web at:
http://www.freelists.org/archives/sotd

Found in:

Poynteronline Web Tips
Posted, Aug. 9, 2005
Updated, Aug. 9, 2005

Kids Data Online
http://www.kidscount.org
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
By Jonathan Dube (http://www.poynter.org/profile/profile.asp?user=1718)

For 16 years, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has published an annual KIDS
COUNT Data Book that uses data to measure child well-being in America. Now
the foundation has published the entire contents of the book online.

The site is packed with lots of data about children…It makes it easy to find
national statistics about children and compare states and counties to one another.

Among the things you can do with the online version: create custom graphs,
maps, ranked lists, and profiles for a specific state by looking at
measures related to education, employment and income, health, population
and family characteristics, poverty and youth risk factors. The site
includes data from all 50 states, as well as D.C., Puerto Rico, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Casey Foundation also offers county-level data via its CLIKS
(Community-Level Information on Kids) site, at
http://www.aecf.org/cgi-bin/cliks.cgi

Kids Count is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of
children in the United States. When using the data, keep in mind that the
project has an agenda -- albeit a noble one, helping kids -- so some of
the data may have been chosen toward that end.

The online data book allows you to check a box to show the sources for all
of the statistics, so that you can verify the information and find more
detailed data when you need to. I recommend using this feature (found in
the left column of the data pages) and, when appropriate, tracking down
the original sources so you can learn more about the specific studies
(such as how many people may have been included in the study, etc.).

Copyright © 1995-2005 The Poynter Institute

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FedStats
http://www.fedstats.gov/
The gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies including:
Topic links - A to Z - Direct access to statistical data on topics of your choice.
MapStats - Statistical profiles of States, counties, cities, Congressional Districts,
and Federal judicial districts.
Statistical reference shelf - Published collections of statistics available online
including the Statistical Abstract of the United States.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Just Think Twice
http://www.justthinktwice.com/
By The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – portrays the real dangers of drugs to our kids and to American society at large. From the site: “There is a lot of information on the use of drugs in popular culture, on the Internet, and in daily conversation with friends and peers. Some of the information is accurate, but much of it is not. Find out as much as you can about illegal, legal, prescription drugs, and even over-the-counter drugs, and their effects on your body and your brain.”

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Monitoring the Future
http://monitoringthefuture.org/
From the site:
“Monitoring the Future is an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of
American secondary school students, college students, and young adults…Teen drug use down but progress halts among youngest teens…Decline in teen smoking appears to be nearing its end.” (Press Release, 12/19/05)

[NOTE: Previously posted. – Updated study results released 12/19/05. – Phyllis ]

Related Sites
http://monitoringthefuture.org/links.html

Readers,

I'll be taking a short break for the next few days. Happy holidays!
- Phyllis

Phyllis Anker
anker@hslc.org