Phyllis' Favorites

Site found in:

Don's Patch #64
from http://www.don-guitar.com/
February 15, 2007

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Crazy Patents!
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/crazy.html
From the site:
“For the USPTO to issue a patent, the invention must be novel, non-obvious, and "useful." The standard for usefulness is certainly the weakest of the three -- any possible utility, no matter how small, will suffice. And, useful does not necessarily mean commercially viable. In other words, you can get a patent on some crazy things that will never make it to the shelves of your local store.”
[NOTE: Home page http://www.freepatentsonline.com/ previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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Archives for this ezine are available online here:http://www.freelists.org/archives/donspatch/

Sites found in:
Librarians' Internet Index
Websites you can trust!
NEW THIS WEEK, February 15, 2007
Read This Online : http://lii.org/cs/lii/print/news/85
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African American Odyssey
"The exhibition 'The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship,' showcases the incomparable African American collections of the Library of Congress." This online companion features annotated images of books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, photos, artworks, and musical scores. Topics include slavery, the antebellum period, abolition, the Civil War, reconstruction, World Wars I and II, the Depression, and the Civil Rights movement.
URL: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aointro.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23308
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
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Exploring the Japanese American Internment Through Film & the Internet
This website "utilizes a rich collection of video clips as a starting point for examining the many aspects and implications of the Japanese American internment." Essays and video clips explore topics related to World War II and prewar discrimination, experiences in the internment camps, and the postwar period and impact of the internment camps today. Produced by the National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA).
URL: http://www.asianamericanmedia.org/jainternment/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23317

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Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive
This online exhibition includes high resolution scans (some with transcriptions) of Thomas Jefferson's manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence, Farm Book, Garden Book, 1783 Catalog of Books, 1789 Catalog of Books, and Architectural Drawings. From the Coolidge Collection of Thomas Jefferson Manuscripts at the Massachusetts Historical Society.
URL: http://www.thomasjeffersonpapers.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23310

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Investor Protection Trust (IPT)
IPT's primary mission is "to provide independent, objective information needed by consumers to make informed investment decisions." Features booklets on topics such as investing in stocks and bonds, mutual funds, and investing for college and retirement. Also includes "The Basics of Saving and Investing: Investor Education 2020," which was designed as a curriculum resource for high school teachers. The IPT was created as part of a settlement to resolve charges of investment firms' misconduct.
URL: http://www.investorprotection.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23068

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Librarians' Internet Index
Websites You Can Trust!
http://lii.org/
Copyright 2007 by Librarians' Internet Index.

Site found in:
Subject: Weekly Teacher Tips #356- Cinco De Mayo Issue
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:55:52 -0400
TeAchnology.com's- Tips for Teachers Issue #356
=====================================
Weekly Teacher Tip Newsletter

This week's teaching theme is Cinco De Mayo.

To view this week’s newsletter, visit the following web address:
http://www.teachnology.com/newsletters/356.html

Cinco De Mayo Teaching Theme
http://www.teachnology.com/themes/holidays/cincodemayo/
Site includes links to crafts, resources, web quests, lesson plans, recipes, background sites, and worksheets.

Site found in:
Surfing the Net with Kids FREE Newsletter3 May 2006
Cinco de Mayo
http://www.surfnetkids.com/cinco_de_mayo.htm
Site includes 9 links to sites (5 annotated, 4 honorable mentions)

Wounded Knee: The Museum
http://www.woundedkneemuseum.org
“The website Wounded Knee: The
Museum offers insight into the massacre from the
perspective of the Sioux, including an audio
recording of the last survivor of Wounded Knee
detailing the confusion and aftermath of the
conflict. A streaming video provides commentary
and images memorializing the massacre, while one
of the site’s many virtual exhibits provides further
details about the Ghost Dance and how it
was perceived by white Americans.”

The Great Sioux Nation
http://www.history.com/exhibits/sioux
“The History Channel’s website The Great Sioux Nation contains
an image gallery of influential Sioux leaders
and a timeline detailing the relationship
between the U.S. government and Native Americans.”
From the site:
“[T]he Sioux were a proud people with a rich heritage, and more than any other Indians, they embodied the romance of the unspoiled West.”
[NOTE: Other pages from The History Channel previously posted. – Phyllis ]

Sites found in:
INFOMINE Email Alert Service
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007
http://infomine.ucr.edu/

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OER Commons : Open Educational Resources
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URL: http://www.oercommons.org/
Record Id: 657832
Created: 2007-02-08 01:40:42
Categories: arts,bioag,liberal,physci

Database of free online educational resources for all levels. Includes
complete courses, syllabi, demonstrations, tutorials, texts, lesson
plans, lectures, and more. Free registration allows site users to save
entries and add or share their own descriptive tags.


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Walter Reed and Typhoid Fever, 1897-1911 : Illuminating a Different Civil War
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URL: http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/library/historical/medical_history/typhoid
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/2rnr6n
Record Id: 657831
Created: 2007-02-07 14:16:42
Categories: bioag,govpub

Exhibit describing the serious problems caused by typhoid fever during
and after the Spanish-American War; casualties, efforts to contain the
disease, sanitation, and disease transmission within military training
camps and to civilians (a "civil war" being waged by military doctors).
Bibliography is included.

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We Are Still Here : Contemporary Issues in Native America
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URL: http://www.bc.edu/libraries/meta-elements/html/2006fall
Record Id: 657827
Created: 2007-02-07 11:04:42
Categories: culture,liberal

Exhibition and bibliographies on contemporary Native American issues.
Includes:
-- stereotypes
-- leaders
-- government relations
-- gaming

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Welcome to the Skull Module
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URL: http://www.csuchico.edu/anth/Module/skull.html
Record Id: 656322
Created: 2007-02-05 19:56:42
Categories: bioag

This site features a color-coded, basic introduction to the cranium. A
user can click on a bone for a view of it disarticulated and with a
short description.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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The Astronomy Center
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URL: http://www.astronomycenter.org/
Record Id: 656318
Created: 2007-02-05 13:10:42
Categories: physci

Collection of electronic resources for introductory college-level
astronomy.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

---------Forwarded Message--------
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:57:47 EDT
Subject: THE MORMONS on PBS

News from American Experience
http://www.pbs.org/amex

****
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE Join Forces to Present THE MORMONS
Monday, April 30 and Tuesday May 1 on PBS (check local listings)

Watch the trailer:
http://www.pbs.org/mormons

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of
America's fastest growing religions, and its influence circles
the globe. The church has 12 million members today and over half
of them live outside the U.S. Yet the birth of Mormonism and its
history is one of America's great neglected narratives.

This four-hour, two-night event brings together FRONTLINE and
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE in their first co-production, to provide a
searching portrait of this fascinating but often misunderstood
religion.

Produced by award-winning filmmaker Helen Whitney ("Faith and
Doubt at Ground Zero," "John Paul II: The Millennial Pope"), the
film explores the richness, the complexities, and the
controversies of the Mormons' story as told through interviews
with leaders and members of the church, with leading writers and
historians, and with supporters and critics of the Mormon faith.

Visit THE MORMONS Web site now for a film preview.
http://www.pbs.org/mormons

And check back on Monday, April 30 when the full site will launch
with the following:

Frequently asked questions and answers about the intricacies of
the Mormon religion;

An interactive map on the Mormons' westward trek;

Profiles of key people and events in Mormon history;

The extended interviews with leaders and members of the church,
leading writers and historians, and supporters and critics;

Teachers Guides on Mormon history and the issues of religion,
politics and the separation of church and state;

A "Join the Discussion" area for viewers.

[NOTE: Posted last week. – Phyllis ]

---------Forwarded Message--------
From: Mercedes McKay Mercedes.McKay@STEVENS.EDU
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:36:02 -0400
To: CIESE@LISTSERV.CIESE.ORG
Subject: [CIESE_LIST] FW: EngineerGirl Essay Contest - Deadline approaching
_____

From: Engineer Girl [mailto:EngineerGirl@nae.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 10:48 PM
Subject: EngineerGirl Essay Contest - Deadline approaching

The deadline for this year's EngineerGirl Essay Contest: Engineering's
Grand Challenges is fast approaching. The contest (for cash prizes) is for
students in grades 6-12, and it ends on May 15th, 2007.

Please pass this information to students, parents, or teachers who may be
interested. More information can be found on the Engineergirl website.
http://www.engineergirl.org/?id=5285

Thank you for your help. We look forward to some great essays this year.

-Simil Roupe

EngineerGirl!
http://www.engineergirl.org/

Who Killed King Tut?
http://dsc.discovery.com/anthology/unsolvedhistory/kingtut/kingtut.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/y7o277

Interactive: The Assassination of King Tut
http://dsc.discovery.com/anthology/unsolvedhistory/kingtut/interactive/interactive.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/exagd
From the site:
“A young king of Egypt is murdered. Even though the crime occurred over 3,000 years ago, evidence still remains. Examine the clues and see if you can name the prime suspect.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Daily Celebrations
http://www.dailycelebrations.com/
Find “Today in History” at bottom of column on left

Quotations Directory
http://www.dailycelebrations.com/quotes.htm

Celebrations, By Themes
http://www.dailycelebrations.com/more.htm
Includes pages on short biographies.

Sites found in:
NEAT NEW STUFF, FEBRUARY 16, 2007

Exploring Data
http://exploringdata.cqu.edu.au/
"provides curriculum support materials for teachers of introductory
statistics." For instance, you can learn about scatterplots by using them
to find a friend, boxplots by examining the 1970 draft lottery,
assessment measures by exploring the age of female Oscar winners or the
pricing of diamond rings. Also check out the nice collection of datasets.


Primary Documents Resources: a Compilation from PubLib
http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/2006-December/102628.html
When you ask for good resources on PubLib, prepare to be inundated with
links to great resources. This librarian returned the favor by compiling
in one place all the links she'd been given.

Sayings and Phrases - Meanings and Origins
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/index.html
Browsable and searchable explanations and bulletin board entries on the
origins and meaning of phrases from literature, folk usage, popular
culture, etc. [NOTE: Home page http://www.phrases.org.uk/ previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Neat New Stuff I Found This Week
http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html
Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2007.

Student Aid on the Web
http://studentaid.ed.gov/
From the site:
“Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, plays a central and essential role in America's postsecondary education community.

Federal Student Aid's core mission is to ensure that all eligible individuals benefit from federal financial assistance—grants, loans and work-study programs—for education beyond high school. The programs we administer comprise the nation's largest source of student aid: during the 2005-06 school year alone, we provided approximately $78 billion in new aid to nearly 10 million postsecondary students and their families.”
[NOTE: Previously posted. Site updated. - Phyllis ]

Planet Earth
http://www.planet-earth.com
“Welcome to the jungle, one of 10 ecosystems highlighted on
Discovery Channel’s Planet Earth website. Students
can travel the globe on the site’s interactive
rotating Earth to learn interesting details
about numerous animals, including their unique
behaviors and conservation status. The site’s
Animals Close Up: Animal Guide feature provides
a more extensive collection of animal profiles. Visual
learners can follow the site’s Photo Journey, a collection
of stunning images from a variety of ecosystems,
and they can watch previews of the website’s
corresponding Discovery Channel miniseries in streaming video. Students
can click on the Guide to the Planet tab to learn
more about the plants and animals of each habitat,
threats to their well-being, and conservation
resources and current efforts to help make
a difference.” Habitats covered include: Mountains, Deep Oceans,
Deserts, Ice World, Shallow Seas, Great Plains, Jungle, Fresh Water,
Forests and Caves.

--------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Saturday, February 10, 2007, and time for Music at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Mama Lisa's World
http://www.mamalisa.com/world/
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
Age Range: All! :)

This website features the largest collection of lyrics to children's songs,
nursery rhymes, and poems popular in countries all around the world. The
songs are in a variety of languages, with English and French translations.
Many songs include MP3, Real Audio, or Midi files for your listening
enjoyment. Make sure your speakers are on. :)

When you get to the site you will see a menu at the top of the screen that
you can use to navigate the site. Below it, are pictures of continents that
you can also use to find songs of interest. Click on any continent, and a
new page opens with a list of countries located on that continent. Click on
a country to find a menu of songs and poems. Click on a song. A new page
opens with the lyrics to that song, and a link to an audio file. Hint:
Right-click on the audio file (MP3) link and select "open in new window"
from the drop-down list -- that way, you can continue to see the lyrics
while you listen to the tune. Be sure to close the audio file window when
you are ready to listen to another song!

About 95 countries are represented here. To see the complete list of
countries in alphabetical order, just click the U.N. logo in the upper right
corner or select "Countries A to Z" at the bottom of the page.

Can you think of a country not represented? Do you know a traditional song
or poem from that country (or any other) that isn't on this site? You are
welcome to send it in; as Mamalisa says, you don't have to be a good singer
to get your contribution included!

There is also a blog that mainly focuses on various world languages and
cultures, a section on reviews of recommended children's literature, and a
list of great links for further exploration.

Bookmark this site, you'll want to return often. :)


MaryAnna Cashmore
Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved
http://www.Homefires.com/
http://www.Carschooling.com/
http://www.UniversalPreschool.com/

Note: We make every effort to recommend websites that have content that is appropriate for general audiences. Parents should ALWAYS preview the sites for suitable content.

Click Schooling (Clickschooling) is a Federally Registered Trademark.

Sites found in:
The Scout Report
February 9, 2007
Volume 13, Number 5
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The Scout Report on the Web:
Current issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/
This issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2007/scout-070209.php


General Chemistry I Digital Lecture Material [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://docott.com/files.141/screencasts/

Dr. Mark Ott, a professor at Jackson Community College in Wyoming, has
created a set of compelling screencasts and accompanying audio tracks that
are designed to complement his general chemistry lectures. Visitors can look
over these materials at their leisure, and they will find very well-thought
out lessons that cover such topics as unit conversion, molecular formulae,
balancing chemical equations, and ionic and covalent bonding. All of these
materials are lucid and might be used both by students who are becoming more
acquainted with the world of chemistry, or by educators who might be seeking
to assist their students in the learning process. These learning modules are
available here in either the Flash format or via Google video. [KMG]

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Math Review: Basic Mathematics [ppt, pdf]
http://www.accd.edu/sac/slac/ppointshows/math_0300/math_0300_review.htm
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/2386m3

A number of community colleges across the United States have been actively
working on creating helpful online tutorials and educational guides to a
variety of subjects. Created by the staff at the Student Learning Assistance
Center at San Antonio College, this site offers a set of online
presentations and exercises that review topics such as whole numbers,
integers, fractions, decimals, and statistical measurement. For each of
these topics, users will find a slideshow overview and a set of short
exercises designed to make sure that students understand the material.
Additionally, visitors can click on the “Mathematics handouts” section to
examine worksheets that cover the concepts of beginning algebra, exponents,
and other more advanced mathematical subjects. [KMG]
[NOTE: See Also: Select a Course drop-down menu or
http://www.accd.edu/sac/slac/ppointshows/math_review.htm
for links to other math review courses. – Phyllis ]

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Songwriters Hall of Fame Virtual Museum [Real Player]
http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/homepage.asp

Paul Anka and Francis Scott Key don’t usually come up in the same sentence
(or paragraph, most likely), but here in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Virtual Museum both men are part of the heady mix that visitors will find on
this interesting and entertaining website. This Hall of Fame has a
distinguished pedigree as its first president in 1969 was Tin Pan Alley icon
Johnny Mercer, who himself was followed by another tunesmith of note, Sammy
Cahn. Visitors to the site can browse through the “Inductee Exhibits” area,
which includes information about all the inductees over the past four
decades, organized into three broad thematic categories. Along with a brief
biographical sketch, visitors can look over a discography for many of the
songwriters. For a special treat, visitors can also listen to clips of some
of these ditties, including Nat King Cole’s rendition of “Almost Like Being
in Love” (penned by Alan Jay Lerner) and Bobby Darin’s very own, “Splish
Splash”. [KMG]

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Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms [Macromedia Flash Player,
QuickTime, Real Player]
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/

Starting with its rather lyrical title, visitors to this particular National
Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary website will be taken on a
breezy and visually stimulating tour of some of the sites that document
America’s aviation history. All told, the site provides information about
over 100 sites, including airfields, research and testing facilities, and
launch and control facilities. From the homepage, visitors can peruse a list
of the sites, look for sites using an interactive map, and read essays on
air power, modern aviation, and, not surprisingly, the Wright Brothers.
While the sites are spread across 35 states and several US territories,
creative voyagers could easily create a number of interesting journeys.
Additionally, the site offers a fine set of external links under the “Learn
More” tab. [KMG] [NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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Pregnancy Center
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy/PR99999

The Mayo Clinic is responsible for this very nice site dedicated to
providing the web-browsing public with comprehensive and highly readable
information about pregnancy. Visitors to the site will find information on
planning a pregnancy, understanding pregnancy tests, and managing pregnancy
symptoms. Within each of these sections, visitors will find brief articles
on specific topics that include weight gain during pregnancy, sings of
labor, and coping with pregnancy loss. Additionally, many of these sections
also have additional multimedia features, including videos of a fetal
ultrasound and a slide show of labor positions. For visitors who don’t find
their specific question about pregnancy addressed here, there’s also an area
where they can submit their query to a Mayo Clinic specialist. [KMG]

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Reports from a Warming Planet [Real Player]
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/earlysigns/index.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/2fvl25
Never afraid to take on controversial topics, American RadioWorks has
recently released this special report on the early signs of climate change.
For this particular report, they brought together a team of eleven young
reporters who were led by noted environmental journalist Sandy Tolan. Their
assignment was to identify different places around the world where global
warming was making changes to both “life and landscape”. Visitors to the
site can listen to the entire radio documentary, or they can also read about
some of the individual locations profiled in this presentation. Some of
these areas include the fabled snows of Kilimanjaro, the island of Tuvalu in
the Pacific Ocean, and the town of Churchill in Upper Manitoba, which has
been known as “The Polar Bear Capital of the World” for decades. [KMG]
[NOTE: Other pages from American RadioWorks
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/ previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2007.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

Metaphors
http://knowgramming.com/metaphors/
From the site:
“Teacher and student resources to aid in learning, understanding and effective use of metaphor. For use in independent studies, among classmates or for sheer entertainment!...This free site is supported entirely by advertising!”

Write-out-loud.com
http://www.write-out-loud.com/
From the site:
“Write-out-loud.com offers tips and advice covering every thing you need to know to successfully write and/or deliver either a formal or informal speech.”

Kids On the Net.com
http://www.kidsonthenet.com
From the site:
“Kids on the Net was one of the first websites on the internet to invite children to submit their writing…We want children all over the world to send us your writing - poems, stories, articles and reports, opinions, writing about yourselves - whether you write it at school, at home, in a library or club, or anywhere else…Kids on the Net is based in Nottingham, UK and operates throughout the UK and all over the world.
Last revised 14-Apr-2007

Get the Message
http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00451/
From the site:
“Did you know that more changes in communication have happened in the past 100 years than in all history before that? Cave drawings, telegraphs, cell phones, email -- each technique has its place in the history of communication. Our goal is to help you learn about these communication breakthroughs.”

ThinkQuest Competition, Oct. 2004
Best of Category : Communication
Second Place: 12 and Under

ThinkQuest Library
http://thinkquest.org/
[NOTE: Other ThinkQuest entries previously posted. - Phyllis ]