Phyllis' Favorites

Site found in:
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LII: Librarians' Index to the Internet
NEW THIS WEEK for September 2, 2004
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Why Leaves Change Color
This site explains, in simple terms, how summer foliage is
transformed into a vivid autumn palette; how weather conditions
affect colors; and how the "shortening days and the declining
intensity of sunlight" start the color transformation. From the
USDA Forest Service, St. Paul Field Office.

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/misc/leaves/leaves.htm
Subjects:
* Leaves
* Fall foliage
* LII classic content
Created by: jh

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Use of the annotations from this list must be accompanied by:
Copyright 2004 by Librarians' Index to the Internet, LII.
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Karen G. Schneider, kgs@lii.org
LII New This Week Listowner, and Director, Librarians' Index to the Internet
Information You Can Trust!
http://lii.org/

The Miracle of Fall
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/fallcolor/about.html
From the site:
“Fall color starts in September with poison ivy and sumac and ends in November with the larches and weeping willows. Frost and freezing temperatures will stop the coloration process and blacken the leaves.”

Seasons Interactive (128.0K)
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::800::600::/sites/dl/free/0072465700/78778/Seasons_Nav.swf::Seasons%20Interactive
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/682e5j
From the site:
“That our seasons come from the tilt of Earth’s axis relative to its orbit of the Sun is easy to grasp, once you have used this Interactive. It shows the flow of seasons as the planet orbits the Sun, the angle of the Sun’s rays for a given location on Earth, how temperature varies at that location, and how the Sun’s path varies in the sky by season. Choose from 3 planets to see how their seasons reflect their unique tilts, or customize the tilt. What would “winter” be like if Earth had no tilt? This Interactive will show you.”

Retrograde Motion
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::800::600::/sites/dl/free/0072482621/78780/Retro_Nav.swf::Retrograde%20Motion
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/69sotm
From the site:
“This Interactive illustrates how the different planetary orbital velocities lead to “looping” or retrograde motion in the night sky. The Interactive will show the view at successive times from the Earth as well as from a “birds-eye” perspective in space. Users will be able to manipulate the size of planetary orbits, plus be able to view the retrograde motion from different perspectives, like what the retrograde motion of Earth looks like from Mars.”

See Also: http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/applets/Retro/frame.html

eHow: How To Do Just About Everything!
http://www.ehow.com/

From the site:
eHow has a database of over 250,000 articles and videos. It's the world's most popular place to find clear instructions on how to do just about everything.

Subscribe to get Get the eHow of the Day delivered directly to your inbox! Learn something new each and every day with the eHow of the Day. http://www.ehow.com/MailingList.html

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Making Learning Fun (PreK-2)
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/
From the site:
“Welcome to Making Learning Fun: An early childhood education website filled with free printables designed to do just that, make learning fun! Whether you are a parent, teacher, or childcare care provider, you'll love our site filled with educational printables and activities for the children you love. You'll find that pre-kindergarten through second grade students will enjoy our activities most, but you'll find yourself having fun too!”

Encouraging Girls in Math and Science
http://dww.ed.gov/topic/topic_landing.cfm?PA_ID=8&T_ID=18&Tab=2

IES Practice Guide
View, or download and print the full guide as a PDF file (1.13 MB)
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/20072003.pdf

From the site:
“The objective of this guide is to provide teachers with specific recommendations that can be carried out in the classroom without requiring systemic change. Other school personnel having direct contact with students, such as coaches, counselors, and principals, will also find the guide useful.

“This Practice Guide was developed by an expert panel convened by the Institute of Education Sciences. It offers five recommendations to encourage girls in math and science. A summary of the research evidence and a level-of-evidence rating are provided for each recommendation. This Practice Guide is the foundation for all the Doing What Works content on encouraging girls in math and science.
Contents: Essential Concepts. Recommended Practices, Planning Templates

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Other practice guides available:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides/
Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices NEW
Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools NEW
Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning
Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades

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From: Back-to-School Message from the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative
U.S. Department of Education

Sites found in:
******************************************
PBS Teachers Newsletter: August 31 - September 6, 2008
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Nature
Animals Behaving Worse
On-Air & Online
Gr. 6-8 / 9-12
Sunday, August 31, 2008
8 - 9:00 pm
Our natural neighbors can be ingenious, brilliant and scrappy
when sharing our cities and suburbs. We move into their
backyard and they move into ours. It is survival of the
shrewdest and the most tenacious … anyone who has tried to keep
a squirrel out of a birdfeeder knows exactly how true that can
be. This film presents new examples of animal/human conflicts
based on the highly popular "Animals Behaving Badly" format.
(CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/animals-behaving-worse/introduction/907/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/6dblgb

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Media Infusion
August Media Infusion Focuses on Engaging Students in Science with
Active Learning

This month's Media Infusion blogger, Elizabeth Ross Hubbell,
discusses an instructional framework designed to help teachers
alleviate students' misunderstandings about basic science
concepts. Using this framework as the backdrop, Hubbell offers
a variety of resources for teachers to create high-quality
lessons that include: high-quality Content, opportunities for
Understanding, and an Environment conducive to learning for all
students (CUE). PBS Teachers invites educators to visit Media
Infusion in August and ask questions, comment on Hubbell's
suggestions or offer some of their own.

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion/

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Copyright 2008 PBS Online

Fast FAQs About Rocks and Fossils
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/geomysteries/faq3.html
From the site:
“What's a hardness scale?
Some minerals are very hard, others are very soft. We can use the Mohs Hardness Scale to compare the hardness of any mineral. The higher the number on the scale, the harder the mineral is. Each mineral can scratch only those minerals below it on the scale.”

Click on each of the rocks in the diagram to learn more about them.

Weekly Teacher Tip Newsletter
Subject: Teaching About Insects: Teacher Tips #405
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:25:38 -0400

TeAchnology.com's- Tips for Teachers Issue #405
This week's teaching theme is Insects.
http://www.teachnology.com/newsletters/405.html

Insects Teaching Theme
http://www.teachnology.com/themes/science/insects/
Site contains links to Hands On Activities, Teacher Resources, Work Sheets, Lesson Plans, Web Quests, Interactive Sites, Background Information, and more. NOTE: Many are free, access to some requires paid membership.

Insects
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/subject_matter/science/biology/insects/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/rcny6
Annotated links to resources on insects

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

From: The Academy of Natural Sciences
http://www.ansp.org/

Butterflies and 3 gallery pages
http://www.ansp.org/museum/butterflies/species.php

Interactive: Explore Butterflies!
http://www.ansp.org/museum/butterflies/new_interactive/butterflies.html

Life Cycle
http://www.ansp.org/museum/butterflies/life_cycle.php

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Teacher Resources: Online Supplements
http://www.ansp.org/education/resources/supplements.php

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An Educator's Guide to Butterflies!: Lessons and Other Resources for Teachers
(.pdf 1.6MB – 145 pp.)
http://www.ansp.org/education/pdf/Butterflies_Teachers_Guide.pdf
This teacher's guide is designed to complement the Academy's live butterfly exhibit, but a visit to the Academey is not required. Each lesson is classroom-based and are aligned with both Pennsylvania State and Philadelphia District standards. They address multiple curriculum content areas, including Science, Math, Literacy, Geography, Visual Arts, and Technology Education.

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An Educator's Guide to North American Hall (.pdf 1.8MB)
http://www.ansp.org/education/pdf/North_American_Hall_Teachers_Guide.pdf
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5beyon

The Educator's Guide to North American Hall provides teachers with lessons and activities that engage students both in the North American diorama hall at the museum and as pre/post lessons in the classroom. The guide contains 21 lessons; each with associated pre- and post-lesson exercises, designed for students in grades one through four and five through eight. General background information, a glossary of vocabulary terms, and content standards descriptors are also provided. All lessons have multi-disciplinary connections: exercises that target Pennsylvania State Standards and Philadelphia District Standards in areas other than just science. Each lesson is designed as an independent “stand-alone” and does not need to be taught in sequence with the other lessons. Teachers may choose to utilize the entire guide or only those lessons and activities that they consider most applicable to their students’ needs.

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Inspiring Future Scientists: Developing a Science Enrichment Programs for Teens
http://www.ansp.org/education/pdf/Inspiring_Future_Scientist.pdf
This 40 page handbook describes a successful science enrichment program designed for High School students by the Academy of Natural Sciences. It is available for individuals and institutions interested in initiating similar programs.

Download Inspiring Future Scientists (pdf 214KB)

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Water Resources
We All Live Downstream
Living Downstream is an exhibit at the Academy of Natural Science that's discusses the importance of the watershed concept and how human activities on land affect the quality of our water. The following Teachers Guide and Student Workbooks are available for download:

Teacher's Guide (.pdf 1.8MB)
http://www.ansp.org/education/pdf/Living_Downstream_teach_guide.pdf
Student Workbook: Grades 3-5 (.pdf 16.0MB)
http://www.ansp.org/education/pdf/Living_Downstream_wkbk_3-5.pdf
Student Workbook: Grades 6+ (.pdf 6.6MB
http://www.ansp.org/education/pdf/Living_Downstream_wkbk_6.pdf

(More information about this exhibit and related supplemental material can be found at http://www.urbanrivers.org/ (This is an external link).

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PBS: Blythe Bennett's Recommended Site

Digital Collections from the Ewell Sale Stewart Library
The Academy of Natural Sciences
http://www.ansp.org/museum/digital_collections/index.php

Visit digital collections of rare, beautiful, and important books most people will never see in their lifetimes. Exceptional fish, birds, mollusks, botany, herpetology, elephants, and microscopy.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Eureka! Games
http://www.scienceworld.ca/fun_stuff/playstuff/eurekagames.html
From the site:
“Eureka! Games Can you lift a 200kg hippopotamus, or generate enough electricity to illuminate a light bulb with the power of wind? These five Eureka! Games are based on real exhibits at TELUS World of Science.”

dMarie Time Capsule
http://dmarie.com/timecap/
From the site:
“The "dMarie Time Capsule (tm)" is a historical database of facts from the past that you can use to spice up heritage pages for friends or family. Simply type in the date you're interested in (try your birth date!) and click the button -- an instant page all about the year you were born -- what famous people share your birthday, how much a gallon of gas cost that year, etc. Includes data for 1900 through about 1995.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

dMarie Time Capsule
http://dmarie.com/timecap/
From the site:
“The "dMarie Time Capsule (tm)" is a historical database of facts from the past that you can use to spice up heritage pages for friends or family. Simply type in the date you're interested in (try your birth date!) and click the button -- an instant page all about the year you were born -- what famous people share your birthday, how much a gallon of gas cost that year, etc. Includes data for 1900 through about 1995.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

The World War II Poster Collection
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/index.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/44aswe
From the site:
“The 338 items, primarily World War II-era posters, featured in this site's database were collected and preserved by the Northwestern University Government and Geographic Information and Data Services Department. Issued by various U.S. government agencies, these posters represent the government's effort, through art, illustration, and photographs, to pull the American people together in a time of adversity for the country and its population.”

Voices of the Holocaust
http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/voices/holocaust.html
From the site:
“During the 1930s and 40s, the Nazis and their collaborators murdered six million Jews. Hitler's intention was to destroy all Jewish communities, and to build a 'master race' of Aryans. Many other 'non-aryans' were persecuted including Romanies, homosexuals, and the disabled, as well as those who were politically opposed to the Nazis. This terrible moment in history is now known as the Holocaust. It remains one of the most horrific examples in recent European history of indifference, inhumanity, prejudice and genocide.

“Voices of the Holocaust consists of oral history testimonies gathered from Jewish men and women who came to live in Britain during or after WWII. These testimonies are personal, individual, true stories, that describe the hardships of life during Hitler's reign.”

---------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Thursday, April 3, 2008 and time for History at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Teach U.S. History
http://www.teachushistory.org/

Age Range: 11-17 (middle school through high school, approximately)

ClickScholar MaryAnna recommended this website that provides primary source
materials, lesson plans, audio and video presentations, and supplementary
resources such as worksheets and links to other informative websites to help
classroom teachers teach U.S. History. Most of the material can be adjusted
for use in the homeschool environment.

When you get to the site, you'll see a welcome message accompanied by a menu
on the left side of the screen. Click on "How To Use This Site" to read an
outline of what the site provides. Then, simply click on the topics of
interest from the menu that include:

American Revolution
DeTocqueville Visit to the U.S.
Indian Removal
Temperance Reform in the Early 19th Century
The Dred Scott Decision
The Kansas-Nebraska Act and Bleeding Kansas
The Second Great Awakening and the Age of Reform
War of 1812 and the Hartford Convention
Westward Expansion

As you click on each topic a new page opens. There is some inconsistency in
the format that can be a little confusing. Some pages open to a splash page,
others open to a menu of choices, and others open to a page with a brief
overview. On the latter, it may look as though there isn't any information
- but look on the menu on the left side of the screen and you'll see that
under that topic is a highlighted drop-down menu from which you can select
lesson plans and resources.

This site is deceiving. It contains a vast amount of content assembled by
teachers and museum curators as you will discover once you start clicking
through the resource links. Plan to spend some time here to pinpoint the
materials you'll want to use to supplement your study of U.S. history.

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved
http://www.Homefires.com/
http://www.Carschooling.com/
http://www.UniversalPreschool.com/

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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.

Planet eBook
http://www.planetebook.com/
From the site:
“Welcome to Planet eBook, the home of free classic literature. All our novels and books are entirely free for you to download and share with your friends, classmates, students, anyone! Scroll down the page to see the full list of free eBooks.”

Style & Diction
http://www.editcentral.com/.
From the site:
“This is an interactive web page for checking a sample of writing. It is modeled after the ancient Unix utilities style and diction. Enter or copy text into the first box below. The scores to the right give the readability of the text according to various formulas.”

ThinkTank
http://thinktank.4teachers.org/

From the site:
“ThinkTank is designed to help students develop a Research Organizer (a list of topics and subtopics) for reports and projects. Based on the subject assigned, the students can refine it by choosing from a variety of suggestions and by using a random subtopic generator. This helps students learn how to refine a subject so that it is more manageable for Internet research.”

[NOTE: Other pages from http://www.4teachers.org/ previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Sites found in:
Connect-Eng, March 31, 2008
The newsletter of Web English Teacher

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What's new at Web English Teacher?:

David Almond
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/almond.html
Lesson plans for Kit's Wilderness, Heaven Eyes, Skellig

Hans Christian Andersen
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/andersen.html
Lesson ideas and text of stories.

Truman Capote
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/capote.html
Lesson resources for "A Christmas Memory" and In Cold Blood

Robert Hayden
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/hayden.html
Biography, poetry, criticism, and lesson ideas for "Those Winter Sundays,"
more

Robert Herrick
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/herrick.html
Biography, poetry, and criticism.

Gordon Korman
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/korman.html
Lesson plans for No More Dead Dogs, more

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Site to Check Out:

Using Documentary Film as an Introduction to Rhetoric
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/AP_CurricModEnglish.pdf
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/65tea6
This extensive unit plan was prepared by classroom teachers and designed for
AP classes. This 65-page document requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or
compatible application for access.

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Retiring SCORE Language Arts Cyberguides

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cyberguide.html
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

The SCORE Language Arts Cyberguides were early forays into
technology-integrated instruction, and they were awesome resources. Someone
in the San Diego County Office of Education understood the power of the Web
early on. Designed by classroom teachers, the guides contain novel-based
supplementary literacy activities, many of which are still of solid
educational value today. No new guides have been created in the past few
years due to budget cuts.

I discovered this week that several of the guides are being retired, mostly
due to link rot. If you had a favorite guide, you might want to print it out
soon. If you haven't visited the guides, please do. Some of them are still
active, and you might find something either useful or inspirational.

Many thanks to the pioneers of the SCORE guides!

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Carla Beard
Web English Teacher
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/

This newsletter is copyright 2008, Web English Teacher.

Documents in the News
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/docnews.html
From the site:
“Documents in the News identifies issues about government making news headlines and web sources with additional information.”
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Sites to See: Labor Day
http://www.educationworld.com/a_sites/sites045.shtml
From the site:
“Labor Day is much more than the end of summer. It is a holiday unlike most others, honoring not public figures or war victories but the everyday worker. To commemorate Labor Day, Education World has found some of the best World Wide Web sites about the history of the holiday -- and labor -- in the United States.”

Facts for Features: Labor Day 2008: Sept. 1
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/012085.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5hrnh9

From the site:
“The first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more than half the states were observing a “Labor Day” on one day or another, and Congress passed a bill to establish a federal holiday in 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward, designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.”

2008 Presidential Nominating Conventions
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/012522.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/6lczto

From the site:
“Political parties in the United States hold nominating conventions every four years to formally select who will be their presidential candidate. This year, the Democratic National Convention will begin Aug. 25 in Denver. The Republican National Convention will begin on Sept. 1 in St. Paul, Minn. The U.S. Census Bureau provides social, economic, demographic and business data for the two host cities, or their surrounding counties.”

Genghis Khan: Treasures of Inner Mongolia
http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/vexhibit/genghis/intro.htm
From the site:
“an exhibition that featured archaeological treasures from one of the greatest empires in history.”

Sites includes:
Picture gallery: a glimpse of some of the stunning artifacts from the exhibit
Who was Genghis Khan?
Inner Mongolia: where is it?
Timeline: historical events
InfoBytes: interesting facts and figures
Follow-up: links for topics in the exhibit

The Innovative Teaching Newsletter
Volume 10, Issue 8 - April 2008

Topic: Presidential Election 08
http://surfaquarium.com/NEWSLETTER/elections2008.htm
List of more than 50 links to resources and sites

Walter McKenzie
The One and Only Surfaquarium
http://surfaquarium.com/
walter@surfaquarium.com

POTUS: Presidents of the United States
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/
“In this resource you will find background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents. Links to biographies, historical documents, audio and video files, and other presidential sites are also included.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. URL updated. - Phyllis ]

Sites found in:
=======
The Scout Report
April 11, 2008
Volume 14, Number 14

Current issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/
This issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080411.php

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Mathematics Awareness Month 2008 [pdf]
http://www.mathaware.org/index.html

Voting is on the minds of many these days, including politicians,
statisticians, policy wonks, and a number of talking heads. With that in
mind, it's not surprising that the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics has
offered up "Math and Voting" for the theme of Mathematics Awareness Month
2008. The site is full of compelling activities, contests, and thoughtful
essays, and even those who feel some resistance to various forms of
mathematics may find themselves completely won over. Visitors should click
on the "Theme Essays" section to read insightful pieces like "Roles for
Statisticians in Elections" by John S. Gardenier, D.B.A, and "Fair Majority
Voting (or How to Eliminate Gerrymandering)" by Michel Balinski. After that,
visitors can click through to the "Activities" area, where they can try
different voting methods and watch and listen to talks on voting paradoxes
and the mathematics of voting. [KMG]

[SEE ALSO: Related Resources on Math and Voting
http://www.mathaware.org/mam/08/related.html - Phyllis ]

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Earth Revealed
http://www.learner.org/resources/series78.html

What goes on during an earthquake? Who came up with the theory of plate
tectonics? What can the fossil record tell us about the evolution of life on
Earth? These are all fine questions, and students and educators with a
thirst for geological knowledge will find the answers to these (and many
more) questions in the "Earth Revealed" television series. Offered as part
of the Annenberg Media website, the 26-part series includes such episodes as
"Geologic Time", "Mountain Building", and "The Birth of a Theory". As with
many of the Annenberg Media offerings, visitors can view entire episodes
here, and they can also take a look at a list of additional resources. [KMG]
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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National Geographic: History [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/

The National Geographic Society takes a broad and inclusive approach to
history in their print magazine, and their website dedicated to the subject
is no different. The site is full of multimedia features, such as video
clips, short interviews, and interactive maps, and it is updated frequently.
On the top of the homepage, new and timely history-related news stories
scroll through, accompanied by arresting visual images. Visitors can click
on the images, or also navigate their way through a list of stories below
the image box. Additionally, the site contains a "History Video" area,
which includes video clips documenting everything from the annual donkey
race in Italy to various archaeological museums. Because the site maintains
the high-quality standards of the print magazine, many visitors may find
themselves acquiring an enduring interest on some of the topics covered
here. [KMG] [NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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Inspiring Impressionism [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://exhibits.denverartmuseum.org/impressionism/

"Daring. Provocative. Revolutionary." This is how the curators for the
"Inspiring Impression" exhibit describe the Impressionists. But, this
exhibit does more than display Impressionist masterpieces, it also shows how
these "painters of modern life were influenced by artists of the past." The
exhibition explores the relationship between the Impressionists and the Old
Masters that inspired them. If you can't make it to Denver to see the show,
then this website provides a worthwhile taste of the exhibition. In the
"Featured Artworks" section, visitors can compare the likes of Hobbema and
Monet, Puget and Cézanne, and others. Here, an inspirational work by an
Old Master is set next to an Impressionist work clearly influenced by its
predecessor. The site also offers a timeline, which allows visitors to
"learn more about Impressionists and their relationships to the Old
Masters." Finally, the "Teaching Resources" section of the site provides a
wealth of information on where to find more on either the Old Masters or the
Impressionists in cyberspace. [CMH]

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>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2008.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

Science Resources A-Z
http://www.juliantrubin.com/sciencegateways.html
Menu includes pages for Science Fair Projects, Science Experiments,
Scientists and Inventors, Science Jokes and a Warning! page with safety links.
Some of these pages were previously posted. Site updated May 2008.

Explorers
http://www.juliantrubin.com/schooldirectory/explorers.html

Strange Science
http://www.strangescience.net/index.htm
From the site:
“The knowledge we take for granted today was slow in coming, and along the way, scientists and scholars had some weird ideas. This Web site shows some of their mistakes, provides a timeline of events, gives biographies of a few of the people who have gotten us where we are today, and lists resources you can use to learn more.”

“What you can see in this site:
Goof Gallery: A collection of mistakes made by early scientists and artists when trying to represent extinct (and sometimes living) organisms
Timeline: A chronology of some important events in the history of paleontology and biology
Biographies: Biographies of some of the people whose work has led to what we know today
Evolution: A brief overview of evolutionary theory
References: Resources you can use to learn more”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

In 1992…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0

Girl Who Silenced the World
http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/856
From the site:
“The title on this Youtube video reads “the girl who silenced the world for 5 minutes”. This is Severin Suzuki, daughter of David Suzuki, speaking to the United Nations at the age of 13 in 1992 on behalf of ECO (Environmental Children’s Organization). This is a wonderful speech, spoken beautifully, emotionally, and truthfully. This is worth the six minutes to watch, and so much more. Pass it on to your colleagues and your students.”

Sites found in:
April 12, 2008 "Earth Science Sites of the Week"

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GROUNDWATER BASICS, US EPA, This 117 page .pdf document contains
activities that explain the management of ground water resources using a
balanced approach, focusing on interdependencies in the environment.
Activities, fact sheets, reference materials, and a glossary of terms are
provided.

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/wsb/pdfs/9124.pdf
[NOTE: Other pages from http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/ previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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THE STORY OF GROUNDWATER, Michelle Manfield et. al, This is for a
primary school audience but anyone will get a kick out of this animation.

http://www.leapingmedia.com/groundwater.html

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WHAT TO EXPECT YOUR FIRST YEAR TEACHING [pdf], Amy Depaul,
(suggested by [KMG] Scout Report), "The Teachers First website has been
offering up high-quality lessons, teaching units, and web resources for
teachers for almost ten years. Along with these resources, they have also
created a number of papers and presentations that are designed to support
the careers of teachers who are just entering the profession. One such
resource is the helpful 48-page manual by Amy DePaul titled "What To Expect
Your First Year of Teaching". The document was prepared under the auspices
of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and
Improvement and it contains a cornucopia of insights and observations from
both veteran and first-year teachers. Visitors can skip around the report at
their leisure and they may also wish to forward it along to other fellow
educators."

http://www.teachersfirst.com/whatexpect.pdf

--------

Science Demonstrations
http://www.csulb.edu/~lhenriqu/300demo.htm

-----

Mark Francek
Professor of Geography
Central Michigan University
http://webs.cmich.edu/resgi/

Sites found in:
Teacher Tips #403L: Encouraging Reading Resources
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008
Weekly Teacher Tip Newsletter
http://www.teachnology.com/newsletters/403.html

Encouraging Reading Theme
http://teachnology.com/themes/lang_arts/reading/
Site contains links to Hands On Activities, Resource Materials, Work Sheets, Lesson Plans, Web Quests, Interactive Sites, Background Information, and more. NOTE: Many are free, access to some may require paid membership.

Reading Background Sites
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/subject_matter/literature/reading/
Page includes 28 annotated links.

[NOVA Teachers] NOVA Offers NOVA scienceNOW for Download
Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 6:32 PM

Hello Educators,

Just in time for the school year, NOVA is making its popular
magazine-style show, NOVA scienceNOW, available for download.

The fast-paced 8- to 15-minute segments are ideal for classroom use.
Each one-hour episode includes science topics in several disciplines
and an inspirational researcher profile. Companion Web sites for
each segment extend the topics presented in each show.

Launched in 2005, NOVA scienceNOW is hosted by astrophysicist Neil
deGrasse Tyson and a team of correspondents who find creative new
ways to engage viewers in the latest discoveries and breakthroughs
from an array of scientific fields--from health and biomedicine to
astronomy and Earth science.

More than 20 segments are currently available for download at
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/download

History of the Death Penalty & Recent Developments
http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/death/history.html
From the site:
“This page focuses on the history of the death penalty in the U.S. beginning in 1930, when death penalty statistics first began to be collected on a regular basis. It provides links to numerous important U.S. Supreme Court decisions on capital punishment, documents on recent developments in the status of the death penalty nationally, and other historical resources on the death penalty in the U.S. and elsewhere.”

Focus on the Death Penalty
http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/death/index.html
Page contains links to resources on the death penalty.
From the site:
“The purpose of this site is to provide…the public with a source of information on the death penalty so that they can make informed decisions on this important issue.”

Sites found in:

******************************************
PBS Teachers Newsletter: August 24-30, 2008
******************************************

NewsHour Extra Offers Educator Tools for Convention Coverage

NewsHour Extra, the NewsHour’s online resource for high school
students and educators, will provide educators tools to
incorporate NewsHour convention coverage (Democratic National
Convention in Denver, Colo.; Aug. 25-28; Republican National
Convention in St. Paul, MN; Sept. 1-4), in their daily civics,
social studies and or current events lesson plans. Each day,
Extra will offer a lesson plan composed of a 5-10 minute video
with suggestions for a warm up activity, select quotes and
discussion questions to spark debate and critical thinking.
Also, student journalists attending the conventions will
interview participants and file reports online and via podcast
about events at the convention.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/blog/

------

Launching a Great New School Year
Though kids are busy stuffing their backpacks with supplies for
the new school year, Reading Rockets has packed a different
sort of back-to-school bag -- a virtual one filled with
resources to help make one of the most important evening events
of the school year really sparkle -- Back-to-School Night. This
opportunity for parents and teachers to meet and connect
deserves special attention and Reading Rockets has gathered
ideas and materials to help plan the evening, ideas to
encourage attendance and participation, resources to share with
parents, as well as materials to help parents make the most of
Back-to-School Night and set the tone for a successful school
year. Reading Rockets also has reading resources for first year
teachers and how to create a welcoming classroom environment
for English language learners.
http://www.readingrockets.org/

-----

South Carolina ETV: Artopia
Media Arts: Be a Media Critic - Photography
Interactive/Online Activity
6-8
Explore the history and evolution of photography by reviewing a
series of stills, from a daguerreotype taken in 1839 to
black-and-white pictures of the Depression to modern digital
images. See how the art of the medium has evolved with the
technology.
http://www.knowitall.org/sites/artopia/media/artcritic/photography/index.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5qm34q
[NOTE: Other pages from http://www.knowitall.org/ previously posted. - Phyllis ]

------

Louisiana Public Broadcasting: The Forest Where We Live
How Big Is That Tree?
Offline Activity/Project
3-5 / 6-8

Use spatial sense and formula calculations to determine the
height of a tree by its shadow.
http://www.lpb.org/programs/forest/talltree.html

[NOTE: Return to the Forest Where We Live
http://www.lpb.org/programs/forest/
From the site:
“Premieres Tuesday, September 23, 2008 @ 8:00 PM CST on LPB and LPB-HD This high-definition Louisiana Public Broadcasting documentary examines how advances in technology and changes in priorities are prompting communities throughout America to reconsider how vital trees really are to the socio-economic well-being of our cities. Drawing upon examples from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, Washington DC, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, this program challenges viewers to re-evaluate the critical importance of investing in healthy urban ecosystems.”


The Resource Guide will be a useful resource without the accompanying
videos, if you can’t receive broadcasts from Louisiana.
The Forest Where We Live: Teacher Resource Guide
http://www.lpb.org/programs/forestseries/LPBForestSeries.pdf
A downloadable 76-page Resource Guide

http://www.lpb.org/programs/forest/about.html

Urban Forestry Timeline
http://www.lpb.org/programs/forest/timeline.html

Original Program Transcript: The Forest Where We Live, copyright 1997
http://www.lpb.org/programs/forest/transcript.html
- Phyllis ]

------

With Eyes Open
Understanding the Cyclical Nature of Life
Lesson Plan
K-2 / 3-5
Understand the cyclical nature of life, and examine the way
things in the natural world live, die or change form. Examine
conceptions of the afterlife in various cultures exploring
myths, stories, poetry and burial customs.
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/after_teachers_k5.html

[NOTE: See Also: Teaching End-of-Life Issues in the Classroom (K-5, 6-12)

Gr. K-5: "Understanding the Cyclical Nature of Life"
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/after_teachers_k5.html

Teachers Guide: Afterlife
Elementary K-5 Lesson
“Understanding the Cyclical Nature of Life”
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/afterk5.PDF

Teachers Guide: Grief
Elementary K-5
“Defining and Discussing Death”
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/griefk5.PDF

Gr.6-12: "Exploring Different Cultural Attitudes Toward Death"
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/after_teachers_612.html

Teachers Guide: Afterlife
Grades 6-12 Lesson
Teaching End-of-Life Issues in the Classroom
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/after612.PDF

Teachers Guide: Grief
Grades 6-12 Lesson
Understanding Different Views on Death”
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/grief612.PDF

Transcripts
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/transcript.html - Phyllis ]


--------

Nature
A Mystery in Alaska
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Sunday, August 24, 2008
8 - 9:00 pm
Many animals in Alaska's complex and spectacular ecosystem
decline dramatically in number with no clear explanations why.
(CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/a-mystery-in-alaska/introduction/888/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/6o6xtl

----------
Copyright 2008 PBS Online

Sites found in:
The April 3, 2008 issue of Classroom Tools & Tips located at:
http://www.eduhound.com/cttarchives/040308ctt.cfm

TOPIC:: Biographies
-----
Biography Maker
The Biography Maker is meant to inspire lively story telling and vivid writing which will make your readers want to know more about your subject.
http://www.bham.wednet.edu/bio/biomaker.htm

Infoplease Biography
Features biographical profiles and special features about newsworthy people around the world. Searchable by subject or category.
http://www.infoplease.com/people.html
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

A&E Classroom Biography
Features classroom manuals, activities, videos, lessons and more to aid in the teaching of biographies.
http://www.aetv.com/class/biography/

Scholastic.com: Writing Biography
Here you can learn how to research and write a biographical sketch -- and along the way, you'll find research and writing strategies from us as well as a warm-up exercise to get you started.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/biograph/

Internet Public Library: Biographies
Offers annotated links to biography web sites around the web.
http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/ref15.00.00/

BioClassroom
Features educational resources, study gudes, projects, websites, and video from A&E, including the History Channel and Biography.com.
http://www.biography.com/classroom/index.jsp
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
-----

Tutorial :: WEBSITE EVALUATION
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources
Learn how to evaluate the validity of websites through step-by-step outlines and checklists.
http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Writer’s Model Bank
http://go.hrw.com/eolang/modbank/
From the site:
“Choose an interactive Writer's Model. Each Writer's Model is a full-length model paper, with interactive notes to help you make your writing stronger. Plus, each one comes with a printable Writer's Guide.

“Interactive models require Macromedia Shockwave and Flash Players. Printable models require Adobe Acrobat Reader.”

How to Write Poetry
http://www.surfnetkids.com/how_to_write_poetry.htm
From the site:
“Want to write a poem, but don't think you know how? Staring at a blank page (or computer screen) may not be the best way to get your creative poetry writing juices flowing. Experienced teachers and famous poets offer poem writing advice, lessons and tips at the following sites.”

Page includes links to 9 sites, (5 annotated and 4 honorable mentions).

[SEE ALSO: http://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/cyberseminar/index.html
From the site:
“CyberSeminar is here to enhance your classroom activities. You will find a variety of lessons that can be used in Language Arts/Social Studies classrooms. Just click on the CyberSeminar lesson you wish to visit!” - Phyllis ]


---------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Wednesday, April 9, 2008 and time for Language Arts at
ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
CyberSeminar: How To Write A Basic Sentence and Paragraph
http://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/cyberseminar/paragraph.htm

Age Range: 7-11 (approximately)

Today's website recommendation was inspired by ClickSchooling subscriber
Emma who requested a website to help her teach writing sentences and
paragraphs to her 8-year-old daughter.

When you get to the site, just scroll down the page and follow the very easy
step-by-step instructions on how to write a basic sentence and how to write
a basic paragraph. Or print it out and use it offline at home.

Emma also wanted information on how to teach summarizing skills, putting
ideas on paper in a coherent sequence of sentences, staying on the subject,
understanding the structure of a paragraph, etc.

I found the BusyTeacherCafe website (see links below) with more in-depth
lessons, activities, and resources for teaching students how to write
sentences and paragraphs as follows:

BusyTeacherCafe - Sentences
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/teacher_resources/literacy_pages/sentences.htm
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/6dboq6

BusyTeacherCafe - Paragraphs
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/teacher_resources/literacy_pages/paragraph.htm
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5cw92q

Have fun learning to write sentences and paragraphs!

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2008, All Rights Reserved
http://www.homefires.com/free.asp

DID YOU MISPLACE A ClickSchooling Review? Do you need to find an educational website - fast! Visit the ClickSchooling archives at:
http://www.homefires.com/clickschool/archive.asp

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.

Ask A Philosopher!
http://www.philosophypathways.com/questions/
From the site:
“This service is offered courtesy of Pathways to Philosophy, the independent distance learning project run by the International Society for Philosophers.

“* If you are having difficulty with an essay or course work, try to put the question in your own words rather than simply writing down the question you have been set.

“* Tell us if you have any ideas about how your question might be tackled. We like to see that you have made some effort in thinking the question through for yourself before coming for help!”

Illicit: The Dark Trade
http://www.pbs.org/illicit/
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]
From the site:
“Based on the best-seller Illicit by Moises Naim, this film tracks the manufacture and sale of goods ranging from fake purses and DVDs to counterfeit pharmaceuticals that can have a devastating impact on human beings, showing how the even most innocuous trades are connected in a global epidemic generating $3 trillion per year and unimagined human suffering.”

Illicit: The Dark Trade was produced by National Geographic Television. Visit the National Geographic site to watch a preview clip from the program and download educational materials.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/illicittrade/
For Educators
Note: All PDF files require free Adobe Reader.
Lesson Grades 6-8: World Trade (PDF)

Lesson Grades 6-8: The Economics of Ideas (PDF)

Lesson Grades 9-12: From Inception to Consumption (PDF)

Activity Guide + News Story (PDF)

Sites to See: Sports and Fitness
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/sites/sites005.shtml
From the site:
“Sports and Fitness sites provide resources for coaches and physical education teachers, as well as for students, parents, and other adults. The sites include lesson plans, information on health and fitness, tips for playing sports safely, and answers to student questions about health and fitness. Included: Five great resources for anyone interested in physical fitness and sports.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. Links last updated 03/26/2008 - Phyllis ]

Mindset List for the Class of 2012 [Beloit College]
http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2012.php
From the site:
“Each August for the past 11 years, Beloit College in Beloit, Wis., has released the Beloit College Mindset List. It provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college. It is the creation of Beloit’s Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride and Public Affairs Director Ron Nief. The List is shared with faculty and with thousands who request it each year as the school year begins, as a reminder of the rapidly changing frame of reference for this new generation.

“The class of 2012 has grown up in an era where computers and rapid communication are the norm, and colleges no longer trumpet the fact that residence halls are “wired” and equipped with the latest hardware. These students will hardly recognize the availability of telephones in their rooms since they have seldom utilized landlines during their adolescence. They will continue to live on their cell phones and communicate via texting. Roommates, few of whom have ever shared a bedroom, have already checked out each other on Facebook where they have shared their most personal thoughts with the whole world.

“However, the mindset of this new generation of college students is quite different from that of the faculty about to prepare them to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

For this year’s complete list - http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2012.php

***

Weekly Teacher Tip Newsletter
Teaching About Arbor Day: Teacher Tips #404
http://www.teachnology.com/newsletters/404.html

Arbor Day Teaching Theme
http://www.teachnology.com/themes/science/arborday/
Site contains links to Hands On Activities, Teacher Resources, Work Sheets, Lesson Plans, Web Quests, Interactive Sites, Background Information, and more. NOTE: Many are free, access to some requires paid membership.

Botany
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/subject_matter/science/biology/botany/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5kyrmb
Page includes 15 annotated links to botany resources

Sites found in:
=======
The Scout Report
April 4, 2008
Volume 14, Number 13
-----

The Scout Report on the Web:
Current issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/
This issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080404.php

-------

Neurons: Animated Cellular and Molecular Concepts [Macromedia Flash
Player]
http://icarus.med.utoronto.ca/neurons/index.swf

Most people might know that neurons are electrically excitable cells in the
nervous system that process and transit information. But after that, many
more might ask: "How do they work?" or "What kind of actions can they
perform?" This website, created by researchers at the University of Toronto,
steps in to help answer such difficult questions through interactive
presentations and animations. Visitors will find twelve different topical
sections here, including "Anatomy of a Neuron", "Axonal Transport", and
"Neurotransmitter Release". Each of these sections includes dynamic
visualizations, coupled with textual explanations that help users understand
what's going on. And for visitors who find themselves having difficulty
navigating the site, there is also a "How to Use the Program" primer that's
quite nice. Additionally, teachers and others can download selected
animations from the site for use in non-commercial purposes. [KMG]

------

Global Canopy Programme [pdf]
http://www.globalcanopy.org/

Working high above the ground below, researchers who study forest canopies
work together on a number of unique scientific endeavors, including tracking
the flora and fauna of these unique ecosystems. The Global Canopy Programme
is an alliance of 29 scientific institutions interested in exploring "the
range and economic value of forest ecosystem services and to share [their]
findings with decision-makers in government and finance." Visitors can get
acquainted with the Programme's work by watching a short introductory video,
read a few journal entries, and look at their latest press releases. The
"Forest Ecosystems" area provides a brief overview of the benefits that
forest ecosystems provide, such as soil stabilization, climate buffering,
and rainfall generation. From there, visitors can look at their
"Publications" area, which features factsheets and full-length reports,
including "Ecosystem Services of the Congo Basin Forests". [KMG]

------

Two on John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck: The California Novels
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Steinbeck/
The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies
http://www.steinbeck.sjsu.edu/home/index.jsp

John Steinbeck was known for many things, including his love for much of
California, his desire to portray working people in a positive light, and
his passion for travel. Since his death in 1968, scholars and members of the
public have pored over his writings, which include everything from tales of
migrant workers to his well-documented trip across the United States with
his French standard poodle, Charley. The first link offered here is to a
site created by Professor Ed Stephan of Western Washington University.
Essentially, the site offers guided tours of Steinbeck's novels which are
set in California. Visitors can learn about the places profiled in "The Red
Pony", "Tortilla Flat", "Cannery Row", and other works. For each work,
Stephan offers a brief chapter summary and a small map which details the
location of various events and activities discussed in the book. The second
site featured here is the homepage of The Martha Heasley Cox Center for
Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University. This site offers a detailed
biography of Steinbeck, a detailed listing of his works, and a searchable
online bibliography of secondary materials on Steinbeck. This bibliography
contains over 6800 records, including magazine pieces, newspaper articles,
journal articles, and full-length critical appraisals of his work. [KMG]

------

Winslow Homer: Behind the Scenes
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/homer

The lines are often exceedingly long for the Art Institute of Chicago's
(AIC) Winslow Homer exhibition, so it is a good thing that the AIC is
providing this online, behind-the-scenes, look at the exhibit. Based on
studies of Homer's works conducted by curators, researchers, and
conservators at the AIC between 2005 and 2007, the online exhibition reveals
another side of the artist. Homer has always been admired for painting
quickly and spontaneously; the study shows that while his "watercolors look
effortless, they are often the result of complex and deliberate artistic
planning." Browse selected works to learn how Homer handled his paints,
including full physical descriptions of each work; charts of his pigments;
photomicrographs; and digital simulations that restore faded colors. For
example, The Watcher, Tynemouth, 1882, employs rewetting, blotting,
and scraping, and it is possible to view video demonstrations of all of
these techniques, and more. Be sure to check the detail of Prout's Neck
Breaking Wave, 1887, to see Homer’s fingerprint. [DS]

[NOTE: Other pages from http://www.artic.edu/aic/ previously posted.
Index of Online Resources
http://www.artic.edu/aic/education/onlinelearning/index.html
- Phyllis ]

----

>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2008.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

Tinfoil.com
http://www.tinfoil.com/
From the site:
“Dedicated to the preservation of early recorded sounds —
“Explore early sound recording methods, two-minute wax cylinder records and antique phonographs; see plenty of rare vintage photos; and enjoy listening to early recorded sounds taken directly from the original wax cylinders.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Sites found in:
Librarians' Internet Index
Websites you can trust!
NEW THIS WEEK, April 3, 2008
Read This Online : http://lii.org/cs/lii/print/news/143
----------------------------------------------------------------

The Ancient Americas
This exhibition "takes you on a journey through 13,000 years of human ingenuity and achievement in the western hemisphere, where hundreds of diverse societies thrived long before the arrival of Europeans." Features an exhibition overview, a FAQ about culture and the Americas, essays (about topics such as the Ice Age), interactive features, links to related collections, educational resources (including a glossary and reading materials), and more. From the Field Museum, Chicago.
URL: http://www.fieldmuseum.org/ancientamericas/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25639

----------------------------------------------------------------

First Sounds
Listen to sound files of "the world's earliest sound recordings. These files are not excerpts; they are the full tracks as processed so far." Includes scratchy yet audible clips of a French folk song recorded in 1860 (17 years before the phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison), a phonoautogram recording of the New York City Metropolitan Elevated Railroad from 1878, and others. From a collaborative of audio historians, recording engineers, sound archivists, and scientists.
URL: http://www.firstsounds.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25791

----------------------------------------------------------------

Quick Information For Your Health
"The following titles represent easy-to-read health information available in both English and Spanish. Some titles are available as printable PDFs and as printed brochures for ordering." Brochure topics include diabetes, arthritis treatments, giving medicine to children, volunteering for clinical trials and medical treatments, and using medicine safely. From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
URL: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/englow.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25713

----------------------------------------------------------------

Forest Protection Portal
Forests.org "works to end deforestation, preserve primary and old-growth forests, conserve and sustainably manage other forests, and to commence the age of ecological restoration." The site has news, a large collection of links arranged by topic, action alerts, a blog, and other features about forest conservation around the world.
URL: http://forests.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/11427

----------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for using Librarians' Internet Index.

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

Copyright 2007 by Librarians' Internet Index.

Student Financial Aid
http://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Student/aid.htm

Site provides access to information on colleges and universities throughout the United States, free college scholarship and financial aid searches, SAT and ACT test preparation tips. Also provides graduate school preparation with tips for GRE, GMAT, MBA programs, and more at 101 Top College, University and Scholarship Pages.
[NOTE: Home page: Best Information on the Net
(http://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Default.htm ) previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Source: Refdesk [site-of-the-day]: http://www.refdesk.com
Archives: http://www.refdesk.com/sotd-arch.html

Site found in:
INTERNET InSITE: Take virtual college tours online
http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S374305.shtml?cat=10728

eCampusTours
https://www.ecampustours.com/
Sections: College Planning, Campus Life, Career Exploration, Paying for College, For Parents, For Educators
From the site:
“eCampusTours makes college a virtual reality at one convenient online location. A unique college planning website, eCampusTours.com offers virtual college tours with 360-degree x 360-degree views of hundreds of different schools all in one eye-popping website!”

Sites found in:
March 15, 2008 "Earth Science Sites of the Week"

LARGE FLOODS IN THE UNITED STATES: WHERE THEY HAPPEN AND WHY, (suggested by Liz Colvard, Science Information and Education, USGS), How can the U.S. experience both droughts and floods at the same time? This 13-page online publication explains where and why large floods are likely to occur.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2003/circ1245

------

Match College.com, Match College, (suggested by Koko Mouchmouchian), the site features 6,000+ public and private colleges/universities, providing detailed information regarding admissions, financial aid & tuition, employment, housing, athletics and much more.

http://www.matchcollege.com/

-----

Mark Francek
Professor of Geography
Central Michigan University
http://webs.cmich.edu/resgi/

Facts for Features: Back to School: 2008-2009
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/012084.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5lajsf
From the site:
“Summertime winding down and summer vacations coming to an end signal that back-to-school time is near. It’s a time that many children eagerly anticipate — catching up with old friends, making new ones and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children alike scan the newspapers and Web sites looking for sales to shop for a multitude of school supplies and the latest clothing fads and essentials. This edition of Facts for Features highlights the many statistics associated with the return to classrooms by our nation’s students and teachers.”

---------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Wednesday, April 2, 2008 and time for Language Arts at
ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Spelling City
http://www.spellingcity.com/

Age Range: 5-13 (Designed for grades K-8)

ClickSchooler Dee Fleming suggested this terrific website that helps
children improve their spelling skills for free. The website description
explains that the site:

-Contains over 25,000 words, including plurals, contractions, future and
past tenses.

-Uses a REAL human voice that says both the word and the word in a sentence.

-Has a "Teach Me" function that spells out the word using both visual and
auditory input to improve retention.

-Allows teachers and parents to enter and save their own spelling lists for
their students/children.

-Students can play games with their spelling words that are automatically
generated by a program at the website.

When you get to the site you will see some featured items and a welcome
message on the right side of your screen. There you will see a link to the
site's FAQs that I found helpful in understanding how the site works, and
the many features it offers.

If you want to get started right away - just enter your spelling words in
the form on the left side of your screen and click on the "Test Me," "Teach
Me," or "Play A Game" button to begin.

As a tool to help kids practice spelling, this site is well conceived. It's
user friendly, but I did encounter a bug. The site offers "Sample Lists" of
spelling words for grade K-8, as well as Dolch words, etc. However, when you
click on the "Sample Lists" button on the menu - it works sporadically.
Sometimes the page opens right up - and other times there's an error
message. Don't let it deter you from using other features at the site.

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2008, 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.

--------Forwarded Message--------
Site of the Day, for Thursday, April 3, 2008

WordCount
http://www.wordcount.org/about.html
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Today's site, from artist and designer Jonathan Harris, offers a unique
presentation about the English language and a visual representation of how
it is used. Gentle Subscribers will discover a compelling exhibit which
invites them to explore this interesting approach to the language.

"WordCount is an artistic experiment in the way we use language. It
presents the 86,800 most frequently used English words, ranked in order of
commonness. Each word is scaled to reflect its frequency relative to the
words that precede and follow it, giving a visual barometer of relevance.
The larger the word, the more we use it. The smaller the word, the more
uncommon it is." - from the website

Billing itself as an intuitive design, the exhibit encourages the user to
delve into English through searches available by name or rank.
Additionally, clicking on any point along the grey colored graph will cause
the appropriate word to be displayed, along with those words nearby. Some
of the results may be dismaying, such as the word "love" (384) which is
outranked by the word "war" (304) but both are swept aside by "time" (66).
Proper nouns are also included in the data base, so visitors can check to
see if their own names are available for frequency of use ranking. Focusing
on what words are in proximity may reveal some interesting aspects of
English-speaking culture.

Sidle over to the site to look at the frequency of word usage at:

http://www.wordcount.org/about.html

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

transL8it!
http://www.transl8it.com/cgi-win/index.pl
From the site:
“transl8it! (trans-late-it) is simple to use. Just type in your SMS, text, emoticon, smiley, slang or chat room lingo and let transL8it! convert it to plain English -- OR -- type in your phrase in English and convert it to SMS TXT lingo slang!”

DictSearch
http://www.foreignword.com/Tools/dictsrch.htm
From the site:
“Use this global dictionary to search in 275 dictionaries on the Internet. Translate from 69 source languages into 73 target languages - 400 language combinations.”


YourDictionary http://www.yourdictionary.com/
From the site:
YourDictionary is a free online dictionary and much more. The free dictionary search gives you definitions, thesaurus entries, spelling, pronunciation, and etymology results for your word. Alternatively, you can browse the English dictionary alphabetically or by related terms to find meanings and synonyms. In addition, YourDictionary provides resources to help you find the best dictionary and translation sites for French, Spanish, Italian, German and hundreds of other languages.

Need a specialized dictionary, thesaurus or glossary? YourDictionary can help you find the best customized resources including a pharmaceutical and medical dictionary list, computer and science glossaries and a wide collection of industry specific terms. These extensive references are useful for students trying to further their education and learn the vocabulary of a field of study as well as for seasoned professionals.

Looking for the Webster's Dictionary? YourDictionary has an exclusive license for the Webster's New World College Dictionary and provides it for your free dictionary search.”
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Green Dreams (Biofeuls)
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/biofuels/biofuels-text
From the site:
“Making fuel from crops could be good for the
planet—after a breakthrough or two”

Interactive: Compare Biofuels
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/biofuels/biofuels-interactive
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5kdqrv
“Growth Industry: See how emerging biofuels compare and hear about the benefits and potential costs of alternative fuels.”

--------Forwarded Message--------
Site of the Day for Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Plug Me In! -- Futuristic Hybrid Cars
http://whyfiles.org/005electcar/

Today's ebullient site, from those enthusiastic folks at the Why Files,
offers an exhibit exploring everyone's favorite new automotive technology
-- hybrid cars. Gentle Subscribers will discover a presentation which
explores the upside of these new vehicles, while noting any of their
drawbacks.

"Between the near-record price of crude oil and the warnings about the end
of the petroleum age, it's a great time to be hawking hybrid cars. ...
Today's hybrid cars are real gas sippers. But plug-in hybrids will have
much longer all-electric range, use much less energy, and open the door to
greater use of solar and wind power!" - from the website

The exhibit's introductory section highlights the main difference between
today's hybrid cars and what is expected to be the defining aspect of
future hybrids. Explaining the capabilities of battery driven vehicles, the
article focuses on the striking fact that electric motors are more
efficient than gasoline engines, thus reducing operating costs. A helpful
array of clarifying diagrams and tables displays the nuts and bolts of
hybrid plug-ins. Revealing how auto manufacturers have done an about-face
on electric cars, some of the challenges of their manufacturing process are
briefly explored. A concluding section speculates on some of the
advantageous spin-offs which may arise from a widespread use of plug-in
hybrids.

Wheel over to the site for a noteworthy exhibit on what may become the car
of the future at:

http://whyfiles.org/005electcar/

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

Sites found in:

CPL INTERNET GAZETTE
Volume 10, Issue 4
April, 2008
******************************

Office of Defects Investigation (ODI),
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsearch.cfm
If you're thinking of buying a used car, you might want to check out the
Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), a division of the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On this site, you can file a
complaint, search complaints, search defect investigations and safety
recalls, read service bulletins and more. To search a recall, just enter the
year make and model of your car. [NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Kelly Tires
http://www.kellytires.com/auto/tire_school/index.html
Kelly Tires offers a
"closer look at how tires function, so you can be confident in your tire
purchase." The lesson is presented in four categories -- terminology, basic
training, safe passage and staying in shape. Basic Training teaches you to
"read your tire," which means find all the important information contained
on the side (sidewall) of your tire. This includes tire type, width,
construction, wheel diameter, load index, speed rating and more. Click on
"Safe Passage" and you can download the entire Kelly's Complete Tire Safety
Guide. "Staying in Shape" describes what you should do and what your auto
professional should do to keep your tires in the best working order.


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Provided by Hara Cohen from the Commack Public Library.

Sites found in:
ResourceShelf
http://www.resourceshelf.com/
Mar. 27-Apr. 3, 2008

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Free -- Adobe opens shop on Web-based Photoshop Express

Adobe Systems opened up Photoshop Express on Thursday, its long-anticipated Web-based image editor aimed at the millions of consumers that want a simple way to touch up, share, and store photos.

Photoshop Express, available for free with 2 gigabytes of storage at http://www.photoshop.com/express, is a significant departure from Adobe’s desktop software business and a big bet that it can make money offering Web services directly to consumers.

The application, which needs Flash Player 9 to run, pushes the limits of browser-based applications and will likely ratchet up the competition on the dozens of free and online photo-editing products available now (see our full review of Photoshop Express
[ http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9904311-2.html?hhTest=1%20 ] and gallery of screen shots [ http://news.cnet.com/2300-1046_3-6235716-1.html?hhTest=1&tag=ne.gall.pg%20 ] of the application).

Source: CNET News.com
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9790168-7.html?hhTest=1

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Rocketinfo Launches New Version of News Search Engine
A online news search pioneer releases some new technology.
http://www.rocketnews.com/

From the announcement:
Rocketnews.com goes further, working with news seekers to bring them what they are looking for by creating easy to configure, user-defined feeds from a database of over 60,000 sources, and growing…Rocketnews.com introduces the Topic Discovery Engine, which expands a contextual search to include blog posts, photos, video clips and research data, besides an abundance of updated and historical news. The Topic Discovery Engine examines all 60,000 news sources; it collects, analyzes and categorizes news stories; and then updates category pages, topic pages and related RSS feeds. Topic pages, a new feature at Rocketnews.com, highlight popular news topics by displaying related news stories, blog posts, photos and noteworthy quotes.

Source: News Release

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Lists & Rankings: Brands With the Biggest Impact (2008)
http://brandchannel.com/start1.asp?fa_id=415

What brands do people select as having the biggest impact in various situations?

Apple and Google top several of the lists.

All of the rankings can be accessed here.
http://www.brandchannel.com/brandjunkie.asp
http://www.brandchannel.com/brandjunkie_results.asp

Source: BrandChannel.com
[NOTE: Earlier ranking previously posted. - Phyllis ]

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FROM: Docuticker
Student Speech Rights in the Digital Age
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=20020
Source: Boston College Law School Faculty Papers
http://lsr.nellco.org/bc/bclsfp/papers/215/

The dramatic increase in the number of student speech cases involving the digital media begs for a closer examination of the scope of school officials’ authority to censor the expression of minors as well as the scope of juvenile speech rights generally. Permitting schools to restrict student speech in the digital media would necessarily interfere with the free speech rights juveniles enjoy when they are outside the schoolhouse gates. Those scholars who support censorship to protect children do not contend that children fall entirely outside of the First Amendment, but they have argued that they are entitled to lesser or reduced rights. Some point to the line of Court decisions upholding efforts to protect minors from sexually explicit expression as evidence that minors have limited speech rights. Others contend that the theoretical justifications for the First Amendment — the promotion of self-government, the search for truth in the marketplace of ideas, and the fostering of autonomy and self-fulfillment — apply with limited force to minors and warrant reduced protection. Various members of the Court have suggested that the need to defer to school officials outweighs student speech rights due to the need to support parental decision-making, the in loco parentis doctrine, the inherent differences between children and adults, and the so-called special characteristics of the school environment.

This Article takes a close look at all of the various justifications for limiting juvenile speech rights and concludes that none of them supports granting schools broad authority to limiting student speech in the digital media, even with respect to violent or harassing expression. Furthermore, this Article argues the tests that most courts and commentators have applied to determine whether student speech falls within a school’s authority to act grant schools far too much authority to restrict juvenile speech rights in general. Even the application of Tinker’s material disruption test is troubling because that standard was never designed to deal with digital expression. The Article concludes the primary approach that schools should take to most digital speech is not to punish or restrict such expression, but instead to educate their students about how to use digital media responsibly.

+ Full Paper (PDF; 420 KB)
http://lsr.nellco.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1217&context=bc/bclsfp

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NOAA Debuts “Nautical Charts” As New Elementary Multimedia Educational Tool
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080328_charts.html

NOAA's National Ocean Service
is launching today a new multimedia elementary educational program, Nautical Charts, at the annual meeting of the National Science Teachers Association in Boston.

Designed in cooperation with NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey for students at the third through fifth grade level, the media rich activity teaches young people about charting and navigation. Nautical Charts is available online at http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/nautical_charts/.

The activity uses animation to teach chart symbols, safe boating, and why nautical charts are important. Students have access to movies, sounds, pictures, and links to other resources. This activity uses the same characters and methodology employed in a similar multimedia tool, Sea Floor Mapping, launched last year online at http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education_new/seafloor-mapping/welcome.html.

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

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Say Hello to Green File, Free from EBSCO;
http://www.greeninfoonline.com/

From the web site:

GreenFILE, a freely accessible research database focusing on the relationship between human beings and the environment, with well-researched but accessible information on topics ranging from global warming to recycling to alternate fuel sources and beyond. Comprised of scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports, GreenFILE offers a unique perspective on the positive and negative ways humans affect the ecology. Drawing on the connection between the environment and disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology, GreenFILE will serve as an informative resource for anyone concerned about the issues facing our planet. GreenFILE’s initial release will include A&I for more than 600 titles, including comprehensive coverage “from to volume 1, issue 1 to present” for Bioscience (back to 1964), Conservation Biology (back to 1987), Journal of Ecology (back to 1913) and Journal of Environmental Planning & Management (back to 1948). The total number of records is approximately 295,000, and full text is provided for more than 4,600 records from open access titles.
Note: Be sure to set a bookmark for http://www.greeninfoonline.com/. This link takes you directly to the GreenFILE

Source: EBSCO (via Suber’s OA News)

See Also: More Free Databases from EBSCO
http://www.ebscohost.com/thisTopic.php?topicID=205&marketID=20

(LISTA) Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts
http://www.libraryresearch.com/
EBSCO Publishing is proud to provide the Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) database as a free resource to anyone interested in libraries and information management. This world-class bibliographic database provides coverage on subjects such as librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more. Delivered via the EBSCOhost platform, LISTA indexes nearly 600 periodicals plus books, research reports, and proceedings. With coverage dating back to the mid-1960s, it is the oldest continuously produced database covering the field of information science.


(TRC)Teacher Reference Center
http://www.TeacherReference.com/
Teacher Reference Center (TRC)
This index of over 260 titles from the most popular teacher and administrator trade journals, periodicals, and books is now also offered free via the EBSCOhost platform. This database provides coverage on key education topics such as Assessment, Continuing Education, Current Pedagogical Research, Curriculum Development, Instructional Media, Language Arts, Literacy Standards, Science & Mathematics, and more for K-12 Teachers & Librarians.

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AOL Autos Launches Largest Site for U.S. Used Car Listings
From the announcement:

AOL Autos, http://autos.aol.com/, today announced an open marketplace for used cars, providing car buyers with access to more than 2.5 million vehicles for sale in the United States and a new set of search and filter tools to more easily find a car that fits their needs.

The AOL Autos used car marketplace features a new intuitive search function that enables users to search for used, certified pre-owned, and private-seller listed cars using natural language queries (e.g., black Honda Civic). Users can filter results based on make, model, price, body style and more, resulting in more relevant listings.

In the coming months, additional enhancements to the site will include Spanish language listings, video listings and more posting services for sellers.

Source: News Release

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Editor, ResourceShelf
gary@resourceshelf.com
The ResourceShelf & DocuTicker Team
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Post via ResourceShelf"
for even more resources visit
http://www.resourceshelf.com/
http://www.docuticker.com/

---------Forwarded Message--------

[URLwire] Cornell Undergrad Launches Stevesie.com - Intelligent News Search Engine
Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 3:21 PM
To: "URLwire - News of Useful, Unique and Educational Web Content"

Cornell Undergrad Launches Stevesie.com - Intelligent News Search
Engine
URL: http://www.stevesie.com/

Tired of drudging through headline after headline to stay informed?
Stevesie News makes it easy to stay up-to-date with the world.
Created by Cornell Undergraduate student Steve Spagnola, Stevesie
finds live news from hundreds of sources across the web. Next, an
artificial brain comprehends the most recent headlines to decide
what's important and how different news stories relate to one
another.

Stevesie's artificial brain mimics how our brains store and retrieve
memories, constructing an associative network of news and keyword
relations. The result of all this complicated-sounding work is a great
way to experience the news.

How Stevesie Works
Stevesie effectively presents the news through buzzwords, pictures,
and related topics, not just the headlines. Command your news
experience with the instant search feature; just start typing to see
what's going on in the world. Surf through the news by related topics
to see the trends unfold.

Stevesie also presents a superior variety of headlines for each topic
by not just concentrating on breaking stories.

Said Spagnola, "Stevesie News is based on a new form of artificial
intelligence that models biological behavior in our brains. I
personally wrote everything during my spare time at an internship in
Silicon Valley this summer. I hope folks enjoy Stevesie and look
forward to feedback for how to improve it.

Permanent URL: http://www.urlwire.com/news/080608.html

# posted by Phyllis @ 11:37 PM 0 comments

Education Podcast Network
http://www.epnweb.org/
From the site:
“The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

--------Forwarded Message--------
Site of the Day for Friday, March 28, 2008

Science Cartoons
http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/gallery.htm

Today's site features the whimsical world of science cartoonist Sidney
Harris. Gentle Subscribers, even without a science degree, may find his
piquant sense of humor entertaining and amusing.

"For years, the cartoons of S. Harris have added humor to innumerable
magazines, books, newsletters, ads and web sites." - from the website

This collection includes cartoons in more than twenty-five categories, from
astronomy to sociology. No scientific discipline is immune to Harris's keen
wit as he pokes fun at the search for extraterrestrial life in deep space
and the chemical wizards busy turning petroleum into food products and vice
versa. Science, however, is not the only target of Harris's barbs. The
arts, too, come in for some subtle prodding, as Harris throws darts at
literature, law and government.

Slip over to the site for a diverting browse through the witty world of
Sidney Harris at:

http://www.sciencecartoonsplus.com/gallery.htm

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

Sites found in:
******************************************
PBS Teachers Newsletter: August 17-23, 2008
******************************************
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Nature: Wisdom of the Wild
On-Air & Online Sunday , August 17, 2008, 8 - 9:00 pm
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

This episode illustrates some of the surprising ways in which animals help teach, heal and strengthen people in body, mind and spirit. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/wisdom-of-the-wild/introduction/856/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5wry6f
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NOVA ScienceNOW
On-Air & Online Wednesday , August 20, 2008, 8 - 9:00 pm
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson investigates whether a "doomsday asteroid" the size of the Rose Bowl will hit the earth in 2036, and explores what the consequences could be -- and what steps NASA could take to avoid this catastrophe. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/
[NOTE: See guide pasted below – Phyllis ]

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NOVA ScienceNOW
On-Air & Online Wednesday , August 20, 2008, 9 - 10:00 pm
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12

Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts segments about epigenetics; a story about a sculpture on the CIA campus; a discovery about T-Rex by housewife-turned-scientist Mary Schweitzer; and a profile of Arlie Petters, who holds a joint appointment in math and physics at Duke University. (CC, Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/
[NOTE: See guide pasted below. – Phyllis ]

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Illicit: The Dark Trade
On-Air & Online Thursday , August 21, 2008, 10 - 11:00 pm
Grade Range: 9-12

Based on the best-seller Illicit by Moises Naim, this film tracks the manufacture and sale of goods ranging from fake purses and DVDs to counterfeit pharmaceuticals that can have a devastating impact on human beings, showing how the even most innocuous trades are connected in a global epidemic generating $3 trillion per year and unimagined human suffering. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/illicit/

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Copyright 2008 PBS Online.

******

[NOTE: These NOVA scienceNOW shows are rebroadcasts. Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

NOVA Presents NOVA scienceNOW
Rebroadcast: Wednesday, August 20, 2008
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow
(NOVA scienceNOW airs on PBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local
listings as broadcast dates and times may vary. This program can be
used up to one year after it is recorded off the air.)

On Wednesday, tune-in at 8 p.m. for two repeat episodes of NOVA
scienceNOW.

The first hour considers the threat of an asteroid named Apophis
hitting Earth, reports on scientists' efforts to add to the Periodic
Table of the Elements, explores the biology of obesity, and takes a
look at one innovative engineer who is a roboticist by day and
fiction writer by night. (Subjects covered: chemistry, health
science, space science)

The second hour, starting at 9 p.m., takes a look at epigenetics,
examines preserved soft tissue in dinosaur fossils, explores the
coded structure, Kryptos, and interviews a world-class mathematician
and cosmologist from a rural village in Belize. (Subjects covered:
life science, mathematics, paleontology, physics,
technology/engineering)



Asteroid
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3313/01.html

The Asteroid That Hit L.A.
Try out three "what if" scenarios with our catastrophe
calculator and discover the likelihood and potential effects of
any of three sizes of asteroids impacting Earth. (Flash plug-in
required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Hunting Meteorites
Join Neil deGrasse Tyson on a trip to the Mojave Desert as he
talks with meteorite hunter Rob Matson to learn all about
meteorites. Running time: 3 minutes 42 seconds. (QuickTime,
RealVideo, or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 3-5, 6-8,
9-12)

Ask the Expert
NASA's Don Yeomans answers viewer questions about Apophis and
the asteroid threat in general. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Island of Stability
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3313/02.html

An Elemental Quiz
Test your knowledge of some chemistry basics in this
eight-question quiz. (Flash plug-in required; printable version
available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Heavy-element guru Ken Moody answers viewer questions about the
search for new elements to add to the periodic table. (Grades
9-12)

Obesity
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3313/03.html

Keeping the Weight Off
Learn about the role of genetics in obesity, why it is harder to
keep weight off than to lose it, the role the hormone leptin may
play in keeping lost weight off, and more in this interview with
Dr. Michael Rosenbaum of Columbia University. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Researcher Jeffrey Friedman answers viewer questions about
leptin, obesity, and weight-loss research. (Grades 9-12)

Profile: Karl Iagnemma
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3313/04.html

On the Nature of Being Karl Iagnemma
Read about what draws this young MIT researcher to both
engineering and fiction writing, and find out how he balances
his life among science, writing, and family. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Karl Iagnemma answers viewer questions about his life and work.
(Grades 6-8, 9-12).

Also Teacher's Guides, Links and Books, program transcripts, and more.

* * * * * * * *

NOVA Presents "NOVA scienceNOW"
Rebroadcast: Wednesday, August 20, 2008
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow
(NOVA scienceNOW airs on PBS at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local
listings as broadcast dates and times may vary. This program can be
used up to one year after it is recorded off the air.)

T. Rex Blood?
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3411/01.html

Inside the Bones
See in this slide show what Mary Schweitzer's team found within
the primordial remains of everything from a mammoth to a
Triceratops. (Flash plug-in required; printable version
available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Paleontologist Mary Schweitzer answers viewer questions about
the preservation of soft tissues in ancient fossils and its
implications for researchers. (Grades 9-12)

Epigenetics
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3411/02.html

A Tale of Two Mice
Hear in this audo slide show how the epigenome can make
identical-twin mice appear so different.
(Flash plug-in required; printable version available.) (Grades
6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Randy Jirtle, a geneticist in the Department of Radiation
Oncology at Duke, answers viewer questions about epigenetics and
how our lifestyles might affect the health of our children and
even grandchildren. (Grades 9-12)

Kryptos
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3411/03.html

Cryptography 101
Learn different ways to make a message secret. (Flash Plug-in
required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Send a Secret Message
Use the NOVA encoder to send a secret message to a friend.
(Flash Plug-in required.) (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Artist James Sanborn, the mastermind behind the
still-partly-unsolved Kryptos puzzle, answers questions about
making--and breaking--codes. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Profile: Arlie Petters
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3411/04.html

Seeing the Big Picture
Learn more about Arlie Petters' personal journey and how it has
given him perspective on both the deep cosmos and the divide
between rich and poor countries. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Arlie Petters answers viewer questions about his life and work.
(Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Also Teacher's Guides, Links and Books, program transcripts, and more.

101 Best Genealogy Web Sites for 2008
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/101sites/2008/
[NOTE: The 2007 list was previously posted. - Phyllis ]

EduHound Site Sets
http://www.eduhoundsitesets.com/

From the site:
“EduHound Site Sets are collections of topic-based online education resources.”

Best Information on the Net
http://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Default.htm

Links to:
Resources by Major
Hot Paper Topics
Alphabetical Index
Student Resources
Faculty Resources
Online Reference Resources
Current Events
Resources for Librarians

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Sites found in:
Larry Ferlazzo's Website Update -- April, 2008
http://larryferlazzo.com/Topten.html

From the newsletter:
“The Best Websites For Students Exploring Jobs and Careers”
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/02/28/the-best-websites-for-students-exploring-jobs-careers/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5hv6du


“The Best Websites For Learning & Teaching Geography”
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/03/07/the-best-websites-for-learning-teaching-geography/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/6cy7ln

The Biology Project
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/
From the site:
“Welcome to The Biology Project, an interactive online resource for learning biology developed at The University of Arizona. The Biology Project is fun, richly illustrated, and tested on 1000s of students.”

Lesson Plans and Activities by Middle & High School Teachers in our General Biology Program for Science Teachers
http://biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/lessons2/lessons.html

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Site found in:
Tuesday, May 11, 2004 8:55 PM
Subject: ed.tech newsletter #64

The Biology Place
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/
“From Pearson Prentice Hall educational publishers, this new web portal
gives high school and college students free access to a multitude of
biology resources and tutorials that work with all textbooks. There are
three interactive sections: BioCoach, LabBench and Glossary. The
BioCoach allows students to "visualize and apply their understanding of
biological concepts. During these practice activities, students
manipulate graphs, complete biological puzzles, and answer questions."
The LabBench provides students with pre- and post-lab reviews.
Animations and interactive questions connect laboratory procedures to
biological principles. Designed for advanced students, these activities
correspond to the AP Lab Manual and include sections on key concepts,
experiment design, analysis of results, as well as a lab quiz. The
Glossary is a comprehensive, online, easily accessible listing of
definitions of the key biological concepts and terms introductory
students are likely to encounter.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/posttraumaticstressdisorder.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/578f3x
>From the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, this site provides resources for dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Events that might cause PTSD include rape, physical abuse, an airplane or car crash, war or others. For most people, PTSD starts about three months after the event. However, sometimes signs of PTSD show up years later. PTSD can happen to anyone, even children.

-----
Source: Refdesk [site-of-the-day]: http://www.refdesk.com
Archives: http://www.refdesk.com/sotd-arch.html

The Charlie Rose Science Series
http://www.pfizer.com/think/episodeslist.jsp
Watch all hour-long episodes on streaming video
From the site:
“The Charlie Rose Science Series is an exploration of the advances being made in scientific research, their contribution to our understanding of the world around us, and how these breakthroughs may be applied to improving human health.

“Over the course of the series, twelve episodes aired on Charlie Rose featuring distinguished scientists and guests. Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate and President of Rockefeller University, joined Charlie Rose as co-host of the series.

“As the world leader in biomedical research and development, we are committed to increasing public understanding of science and science education.

“Pfizer is proud to sponsor The Charlie Rose Science Series.”

Episodes:
The Brain
The Human Genome
Longevity
Cancer
Stem Cells
Obesity
HIV/AIDS
Pandemics
Heart Disease
Global Health
Human Sexuality
Disease of the Brain
The Promise of Science

NOVA: What's up with the Weather?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/warming/
From the site:
“The overwhelming majority of scientists agree: earth's temperature has risen during the past century. But is it due to man's use of fossil fuel energy? And if so, how can we prevent the catastrophic results that some scientists predict if global warming continues?” [NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Global Warming: Early Warning Signs
http://www.climatehotmap.org/index.html
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Global Warming: Causes and Effects
http://chronicle.augusta.com/images/headlines/080402/Global_Warming.jpg

The EPA Climate Change Kids Page
(Climate Change & Earth Process Animations)
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/version2.html

Global Warming Movie
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/global_warming_version2.html

History of Global Warming
http://www.pbs.org/now/science/climatechange.html

From: Hot World, Cold Comfort – The Politics of Climate Change
http://www.pbs.org/now/thisweek/index_042205.html

Contents:
Climate Change — International Perspectives
The Climate Change Debate
History of Global Warming
The Clear Skies Initiative
Environmental Resource Map
Climate Change FAQs and Resources
Environment and Community
California's Emissions Law
Auto Emissions and the Environment

Link to Watch the Streaming Video (22:26)

Complete Transcript
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcriptNOW116_full.html

JetStream
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/

From the site:
“Welcome to JetStream, the National Weather Service Online Weather School. This site is designed to help educators, emergency managers, or anyone interested in learning about weather and weather safety.

“The information contained in JetStream is arranged by subject; beginning with global and large scale weather patterns followed by lessons on air masses, wind patterns, cloud formations, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging winds, tornados, tropical storms, cyclones and flooding. Interspersed in JetStream are "Learning Lessons" which can be used to enhance the educational experience.”

Unit Converter
http://www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter/
Convert almost any unit of measurement to another.

MathMovesU
http://www.mathmovesu.com/
From the site:
“Raytheon's MathMovesU is an innovative program designed to engage middle school students with math at an age when their interest in the subject typically declines. Raytheon believes that tomorrow's engineers and technologists need to be excited by and interested in math today.

At MathMovesU.com, middle school students can enter a "virtual world" of math and engage with games, polls, flash cards, word problems, and factoids all centered on their passions: music, sports, and fashion… The MathMovesUniversity section of the site features a glossary of math terms and a large number of hands-on worksheets for students looking for additional help and support.”

May have to register. Then select a character, grade level, and indicate girl or boy. Click save

[NOTE: See Also: Kids’ Pages, Minerals Management Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
http://www.mms.gov/mmskids/ - previously posted. - Phyllis ]

---------Forwarded Message--------
Hi! It's Monday, March 31, 2008 and time for Math at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
MMS Pacific OCS Region: Tidepool Math
http://www.mms.gov/omm/pacific/kids/Tidepool_Math/tidepool.htm

Age Range: 5-17

ClickSchooler MaryAnna discovered this website that offers FREE math lessons
and activities for grades K-12 that are themed around ocean tidepools.

When you get to the website you can choose between a Tidepool Math
Curriculum for Grades K-8 or High School.

K-8 - This curriculum provides lessons and exercises to help students become
familiar with tidepool habitats. Students use math skills such as counting,
estimation, and determining the mean, to learn how the intertidal
environment constantly changes both physically and biologically.

High School - This curriculum is divided into three parts with lessons and
exercises that use science and math to provide the student with increased
awareness of the diversity of animals and plants in intertidal habitats. It
helps students understand the differences between random, systematic and
targeted sampling approaches as well as comparing estimates, counts, and
means. Through the activities, students gain understanding of how to use
simple statistical concepts and tools to analyze and study environmental
data.

Both of the curriculums are offered through downloadable PDFs. The exercises
refer to photos of tidepools and marine animals and plants that are provided
for free on the website as well.

You can also download and print out colorful flash cards of marine animals
and plants. Each card has a terrific illustration on the front, with
scientific information and cool facts on the back - similar to what you'd
find in a field guide.

While this curriculum is interesting and engaging all on its own - a trip to
the beach or an aquarium with a tidepool exhibit would be a great way to
enhance the learning.

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2008, 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:
Don's Patch #91, April 1, 2008 from http://www.don-guitar.com/

----

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/index.php
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

------

Bibliomania: Short Stories
http://www.bibliomania.com/0/5/frameset.html
[NOTE: Study Guides previously posted.
http://www.bibliomania.com/1/frameset.html - Phyllis ]

-------

Dave's Short Course in Trigonometry
http://www.clarku.edu/~djoyce/trig/
[NOTE: Previously posted.
See Also: Home Page http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/
Scroll down to: Mathematics web pages

Some of the web pages:

History of Mathematics
http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/mathhist/mathhist.html

Chronological List of Mathematicians
http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/mathhist/chronology.html

Dave's Humor in Mathematics
http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/humor.html
- Phyllis ]

-------

Latitude: The Art and Science of Fifteenth-Century Navigation
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~feegi/
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

------

An interesting clock
http://www.yugop.com/ver3/stuff/03/fla.html

-----

Insects
http://www.bugbios.com/index.html
http://www.insects.org/
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

-------

The American Orphan Trains.
http://orphantrains.notlong.com

------

World English
English languages activities, exercises and tests.
http://www.world-english.org/
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

------

The Illuminated Middle Ages
http://www.moyenageenlumiere.com/themes/index.cfm?sw=EN
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

-----

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

Sites found in:
InfoBytes Rubrics for Research Projects and What's New for Summer
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/news.shtml

March 25, 2008 Evaluating the Research Process

Rubrics to Evaluate Student Research Process Tasks

Research Process Rubric – Elementary
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics/elemresearchrubric.html
Research Process Rubric – Middle School
http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics/middlelschresearchrubric.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5dx7kp
UW-Stout online instructor Karen Franker has developed two ready-to-use rubrics for students and their instructors to effectively assess the major steps of the research process --planning, gathering, organizing, citing and presenting information.

Research Process Rubric - High School and Community College
http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/resrub.html
Joyce Valenza's research process rubric assesses 6 performance areas.

21st Century Literacies
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/21stcent/information.html
AT&T and UCLA have developed a Website with individual lessons focusing on aspects of essential research skills including questioning, identifying/collecting, evaluating, sensemaking, reflecting/refining, using information and assessing the final product.

21st Century Information Fluency
http://21cif.imsa.edu/rkit/newRkit/gettingstarted.html
The staff members at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, including UW-Stout online instructor Dennis O’Connor, have developed free tools, games, and tutorials to help students effectively locate, use and evaluate digital information. Try the excellent “Getting Started” page for “mini lessons” on such topics as “Thinking Outside the Search Box.”

The Credibles
http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/00446/
From Thinkquest:
“Information on the internet is of varying quality, ranging from the trustworthy to the outright false. Our site guides readers in assessing the credibility of information they encounter on the internet. Issues such as the legitimacy of online information, censorship, and the use of the internet to spread sensational stories, are explored.”
“can we trust what we read on the net?”

Source: Thinkquest 2007
2nd Place - age 19 and Under

Sites to See: Online Literacy (Hoax Sites)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/sites/sites027.shtml
From the site:
“More than three dozen pseudo-sites to use for media literacy lessons throughout the year.

According to a 1997 statistical summary of public Web usage, in 1993, the approximately 1.3 million computer users with an Internet connection could visit a grand total of 130 Web sites. Most of those sites were developed and maintained by universities and government agencies.

Slightly more than ten years later, online visitors can choose from hundreds of millions of Web pages -- at sites created by experts, pseudo-experts, enthusiasts, fanatics, and the just plain ignorant. Today's Web surfers are presented with choices that early denizens of the Internet barely dreamed of.

For many educators, however, that dream has become a nightmare. With so many exemplary resources -- and so much artfully packaged trash…” <<>>

[NOTE: Previously posted. Sites updated 03/23/2007 - Phyllis ]

# posted by Phyllis @ 10:44 PM 0 comments

Sites found in:
NEAT NEW STUFF, March 21, 2008

-----

The Best Tools for Visualization - ReadWriteWeb
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_best_tools_for_visualization.php
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/39ojkc
I believe that the future for reference services is not so much finding information for people but helping them understand it, and visualization is one of the best ways of making complex information intelligible. There's a nice set of tools to try out here.

-----

ilike2learn
http://www.ilike2learn.com/
So, how much do you know about geography? Try to locate some of these countries and states on the maps and find out.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

----

Read The Words
http://readthewords.com/
a free online service that will allow you to upload English, French or Spanish text, in Word or PDF or HTML, and have it read aloud to you, or made available as a download for your MP3 player.
[NOTE: Free registration is required. – Phyllis ]

-----

Neat New Stuff I Found This Week
http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html
Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2008.

KNOW YOUR MONEY
http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/know_your_money.shtml

Table of Contents:

History of United States Currency
Characteristics of United States Paper Currency
Design Features Which Vary On Genuine Currency
Positions of Important Features
Portraits and Back Designs on Other Paper Currency
Design Features For Series 1990-1995 Issued Currency
Design Features For Series 1996-2003A Issued Currency
Design Features For Series 2004-2004A Issued Currency
When Money Is Damaged or Wears Out
Advanced Technologies in Counterfeiting
How to Detect Counterfeit Money
Raised Notes
Counterfeit Coins
Illustration of Currency, Checks or Other Obligations
Security Features of U.S. Treasury Checks
Altered Government Checks
If you Suspect a Note is Counterfeit
It's The Law
Counterfeit Note Report Download (self-executable form)
Know Your Money Poster (March 2006)

--------Forwarded Message--------

Subject: [site-of-the-day] FBI: Most Wanted
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008

FBI: Most Wanted
http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant.htm

Each year millions of Americans are victimized by the scams and schemes perpetrated by white collar crime predators. Corporate fraud, health care fraud, telemarketing fraud, and bank fraud are just a few of the criminals' weapons of choice. Billions of dollars are estimated to be lost annually as a result of these fraudulent activities which are carried out by individuals, companies, or groups of individuals. You can help protect American citizens from these criminals who often target the elderly. Related site: Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/fugitives.htm

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Source: Refdesk [site-of-the-day]: http://www.refdesk.com/
Archives: http://www.refdesk.com/sotd-arch.html

--------Forwarded Message--------
AASC Feature of the Month: August 2008

August 2008 Feature of the Month
The March on Washington

This month, the editors of the Oxford African American Studies Center highlight the 1963 March on Washington to help celebrate the 45th anniversary of this ground-breaking event, which happened on August 28 and delivered a profound message of will and strength to the nation thanks to the congregation of more than 200,000 people and anew generation of leaders who spoke on their behalf. Learn more about this historic moment and some of the key people involved by following the links below.

VIEW FEATURE:
http://www.elabs3.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=ef6,xt0o,5j,nb5,gjf4,eh6y,gfib

FRONT OF THE LINE
Included in the update is a featured photo essay that captures with striking images the fighting spirit of the Civil Rights heroes that attended the march, including Whitney Young, Roy Wilkins, James Farmer, and Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the rally.

VIEW PHOTO ESSAY:
http://www.elabs3.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=ef6,xt0o,5j,k0qt,la4r,eh6y,gfib

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
This month’s Feature also includes free articles, including a look at the Civil Rights Movement and an analysis of Dr. King’s speech, taken directly from the Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature, one of the most substantial guides available on African American lit.

Also included is primary source material like the full text of King’s “I Have a Dream” and President Kennedy’s "Statement on the March in Washington," as well as all of this month’s free biographies – for people like Bayard Rustin, James Baldwin, Ralph Bunche, Gordon Parks, and Lena Horne.

VIEW ARTICLES:
http://www.elabs3.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=ef6,xt0o,5j,nb5,gjf4,eh6y,gfib

[NOTE: This feature was previously posted in 2007. - Phyllis ]

Sites found in:

ResourceShelf
http://www.resourceshelf.com
Mar. 21-27, 2008

------

Resource of the Week: Subject Guides from the UC-Boulder Government Publications Library
http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/us/federal.htm
By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor

If you’re one of our regular readers, you already know how fond we are of government documents. So you can imagine how our virtual pulse quickened when we encountered this large and beautiful collection of government-oriented subject guides covering everything from Acronyms to Worldwide Demographic Information.

Mixed in with the actual guides are links to such key resources as The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and earthquake/seismic info from the U.S. Geological Survey. But sometimes, when you expect a direct link to a resource, you get a nice surprise. For example, click on the link for the Government Accountability Office, and you are taken to a page that explains what it is, what it does, and how to use it, including integration with the local OPAC.

The subject guides themselves comprise collections of links to agencies, databases, reports and other items, with brief annotations. There are some unusual collections here, including:
+ Ask an Expert!, including links to “Ask an Expert” pages at many different agencies, including the Census Bureau, the National Park Service, and NASA. This unusual aggregation is a clever idea.
+ Kids Pages from various agencies (including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Who knew?)
+ Declassified Documents, from the U.S. and other countries.
+ Statistical Information by State
+ Technical Reports: a nice compendium, which also includes links to subscription databases accessible to the university community.

Just cruising through some of these guides, we reacquainted ourselves with valuable resources that we haven’t visited for awhile. For example, in the Charities guide, we found a link to the Urban Institute’s National Center for Charitable Statistics, which we’d quite forgotten about. And the Religion Statistics guide is an excellent compendium of sites we know about and use regularly (e.g., Adherents.com) and The Pluralism Project at Harvard University, which we think is new to us. (Look at this collection of “in-depth profiles of individual religious centers,” which can be sorted by state or by religious tradition.)

Be aware that not every link in every subject guide is to an official government agency. But research institutions, think tanks, etc., also provide valuable information, and we’re glad to see that they were included as well.

And don’t leave this site without checking out the enormous database of library-created research and subject guides and tutorials. Says here that the three “most request guides” are:
+ History Course Web Pages
+ Aerial Photography and Satellite Imagery
+ Religious Studies Subject Guide
----

Slavery Resource Guide
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/slavery/

The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material related to slavery, including photographs, documents, and sound recordings. This guide compiles links to slavery resources throughout the Library of Congress Web site. In addition, it provides links to external Web sites focusing on slavery and a bibliography containing selections for both general and younger readers.

-----

George Washington: A Resource Guide
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/presidents/washington/

The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material associated with George Washington, including the complete George Washington Papers from the Manuscript Division, which consists of approximately 65,000 documents and is the largest collection of original Washington documents in the world. Document types in the collection as a whole include correspondence, letterbooks, commonplace books, diaries, journals, financial account books, military records, reports, and notes accumulated by Washington from 1741 through 1799. This resource guide compiles links to digital materials related to Washington such as letters, broadsides, government documents, books, and images that are available throughout the Library of Congress Web site. In addition, it provides links to external Web sites focusing on Washington and a bibliography containing selected works for both general and younger readers.

-----

Historical Baseball Resources
http://www.loc.gov/topics/baseball/

----
Gary Price
Editor, ResourceShelf
gary@resourceshelf.com
The ResourceShelf & DocuTicker Team
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Post via ResourceShelf"
for even more resources visit
http://www.resourceshelf.com
http://www.docuticker.com

American Experience: “The Crash of 1929"
http://www.pbs.org/amex/crash
From the site:
“The Crash of 1929 offers insights into topics in American history including market mechanics, the history of Wall Street, economic forecasting, the zeitgeist of the 1920s, morality and the market, the effect of economic cycles on political trends, the lifestyles of the American elite, and more.”

In 1929, while the stock market was rising, there were few
critics. It was a "New Era" when everyone could get rich. But
it was a small group of bankers, brokers and speculators who by
manipulating the stock market grew fabulously wealthy. The film
captures the unbounded optimism of the age and the shocking
consequences when reality finally hit on October 29th.
Copyright 2004 PBS Online.

Timeline
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/crash/timeline/index.html

1929 Headlines
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/crash/sfeature/sf_headlines.html


[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Sites found in:

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE e-newsletter
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2008

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE takes a spin on the Cyclone
Take a spin on the Cyclone at CONEY ISLAND
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/

The summer months are the perfect time to catch up on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE episodes you may have missed. Check your local TV listings to find out what's on in your area, or watch full episodes online. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/watch.html

It's a summer season that almost didn't happen: In 2007, developers announced they were closing Astroland, the heart of New York's Coney Island amusement center. This summer dealt the park a startling reprieve, but its future still remains uncertain. Will this be the last year for the famous landmark, the birthplace of such quintessential American favorites as hot dogs and roller coasters?

Visit AMERICAN EXPERIENCE's online companion to CONEY ISLAND, a lively and absorbing portrait of the extraordinary amusement empire that astonished, delighted and shocked the nation -- and took Americans from the Victorian age into the modern world. From a tiny spit of land at the foot of Brooklyn, to the turn of the century's most extravagant playground, Coney Island's scale, variety, and sheer inventiveness was unlike anything anyone had ever seen.

A Century of Screams: Explore the history of the roller coaster.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/sfeature/history.html

Watch vintage film clips from Coney Island's heyday.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/sfeature/videos.html

Feeling nostalgic? Send an e-postcard!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/sfeature/postcards.html

See Also:
Timeline
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/timeline/index.html

People & Events
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/peopleevents/index.html

Teacher’s Guide
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/tguide/index.html

The Egyptians
http://www.historyonthenet.com/Egyptians/egyptiansmain.htm
From the site:
“This page contains a comprehensive listing of all pages in this category”
Search by education level or subject.

--------Forwarded Message--------
[NOVA Teachers] NOVA scienceNOW airs Aug. 13, 2008

[NOTE: Previously posted. Repeat airing. - Phyllis ]

NOVA Presents "NOVA scienceNOW"
Broadcast: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow
(NOVA scienceNOW airs on PBS at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local
listings as broadcast dates and times may vary. This program can be
used up to one year after it is recorded off the air.)

Mass Extinction
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3318/01.html

Prime Suspects
Sample leading hypotheses about what caused the Permian
extinction and cast your vote for your favorite. (Flash plug-in
required; printable version available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
The Smithsonian's Doug Erwin answers viewer questions about the
Permian and other mass extinctions. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

1918 Flu
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3318/02.html

Reviving the Virus
The 1918 flu virus genome was published and researchers who used
the genome to recreate the virus also published their results.
Were these moves justified? Explore arguments for and against
these actions, then vote online. (Flash plug-in required;
printable version available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Microbiologist Terrence Tumpey, whose team revived the virus,
answers viewer questions about the 1918 flu, its recreation, and
more. (Grades 6-8, 9-12).

Profile: Cynthia Breazeal
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3318/03.html

Friendly Robots
Listen to and view this five-segment audio slide show that talks
about the development of social robots. Total running time: 8
minutes. (Flash plug-in required.) (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Read answers to questions sent in about Cynthia Breazeal's life,
her robots, and the future of robotics in society. (Grades 6-8,
9-12)

Papyrus
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/3318/04.html

Ancient Fragments
Learn what papyrus writings have revealed about the ancient
Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus in this slide show that includes a
selection of the writings. (Flash plug-in required; printable
version available.) (Grades 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Papyrologist Roger Macfarlane answers viewer questions about
ancient papyri, the multispectral imaging used to decipher them,
and more. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Explore Teacher's Guides
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/educators/guides.html
Find classroom materials to bring NOVA scienceNOW's cutting-edge
science topics to life for your students. Search Teacher's Guides by
subject, segment title, or date for current and past materials.

Podcasting and RSS
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/rss
Find out how you can sign up for the NOVA scienceNOW podcast and RSS
feed that will enable you to learn about features and dispatches as
they are posted to the NOVA scienceNOW Web site. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Dispatches
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/dispatches
Read, see, and listen to what the NOVA scienceNOW producers, editors,
and correspondents are thinking about in these multimedia dispatches.
(Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Get Involved
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/involved
Read science news headlines, join a research project, find teaching
aids for NOVA scienceNOW, learn how to host a science cafe, pitch a
show idea, and more. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Science News
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/involved/news.html
Keep current with the most important stories by reading the top
science news articles from the mainstream media. Check back daily for
the top stories. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

* * * * * * * *

The U.S. Economy at a Glance
http://www.bls.gov./eag/eag.us.htm

This Department of Labor site presents key economic statistics including: Unemployment Rate, Average Hourly Earnings, Consumer Price Index and much more. Links to take you to the same stats for regions and states.

From the site:
“The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) produces Economy at a Glance pages at the national, regional, state, and metropolitan area levels. The data displayed in these pages are assembled from different surveys and programs conducted by BLS. The Economy at a Glance pages are refreshed with current data every time any of the source programs releases new statistics. This typically occurs 7-9 times per month.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Patent Medicine Collection
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/biolib/hc/nostrums/index.html

Sections:
The Great American Fraud
The Name that Launched a Million Bottles
Advertising Cards

Dr. Jonas Salk
http://www.surfnetkids.com/jonas_salk.htm
From the site:
“Dr. Jonas Salk (October 28, 1914 - June 23, 1995) was an American research biologist who studied immunity, influenza, AIDS and polio. He is best known, however, for the development of the polio vaccine that has nearly eradicated the threat of polio in the world today.”

Page includes 9 links to related sites (5 annotated, 4 honorable mentions)

Sites found in:

The Scout Report
March 28, 2008
Volume 14, Number 12
-----
The Scout Report on the Web:
Current issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/
This issue: http://www.scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080328.php

------

Cholera Online: A Modern Pandemic in Texts and Images [pdf]
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/cholera/index.html

Cholera is a disease which can spread quickly and it has certainly presented some tremendous challenges for public health officials and experts in recent times. This fascinating online collection brings together 221 English language monographs dating from 1817 to 1900 which deal with the cholera epidemics of that period. This project was undertaken by the National Library of Medicine, and the selection of documents was informed and inspired by the 315-page "Bibliography of Cholera" compiled by John Shaw Billings in 1875. First-time visitors would do well to start by reading the "Introduction" section before jumping in to the remainder of the site. After that, visitors can click on the "Read the Books" section to peruse the offerings by author, subject, date, and even location. The "Images" area is even better, as visitors can take in images organized by such thoughtful themes as "Social Commentary", Patients and Victims", and "Urban Outbreaks and Hygiene". [KMG]

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Stem Cells at the National Academies [pdf]
http://dels.nas.edu/bls/stemcells/

Stem cells continue to make news headlines on a daily basis, and for research scientists, journalists, and members of the general public, it's important to have access about developments in the field. One particularly fine resource is available on this site provided by the National Academies. Educators and the generally curious may wish to start exploring the site by clicking on the "Stem Cell Basics" area. Here they can download the booklet "Understanding Stem Cells", or just peruse the interactive online version. Moving on, visitors can then look at the amended document titled "Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research", which was first published in 2005, and then amended in 2007. Interested parties can also submit their own comments on these guidelines directly via an email link on the site. Finally, visitors can also sign up for email updates and look at the "Reports" area, which includes six substantive reports dating back to 2002. [KMG]

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Memory Maps [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/adult_resources/memory_maps/index.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/69zhc8

The relationship between people and the places they inhabit has always been intriguing. While exploring this relationship, many have also considered the various objects associated with particular geographic areas, such as prints and paintings. This rather engaging project from the Victoria and Albert Museum serves as a way to explore some of these questions. Designed as a collaboration between Professor Marina Warner of the University of Essex and the Museum, the work here currently focuses on an exploration into the city of Essex. Visitors can begin by reading an essay titled "What are Memory Maps?" by Professor Warner and then proceed to read a series of pieces by contemporary writers on Essex. After that, visitors should move on to look over the selected paintings and drawings which depict the city through watercolors, sculpture, and other forms of artistic expression. The site is rounded out by a selection of weblogs created by artists and writers working on this project. [KMG]

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Economic (In)Security: The Experience of the African-American and Latino Middle Classes [pdf] http://www.demos.org/pubs/byathread_AA&Latino.pdf

As more policy analysts and academics express concerns about the faltering economy, a number of think tanks and like-minded organizations are offering up research reports on how these changes are affecting various segments of American society. This recent 24-page report released in February 2008 looks at the economic problems faced by African-Americans and Latinos. The report was created by the Demos organization and researchers at Brandeis University, and it finds that one in four African-American and fewer than one in five Latino middle-class families in America are financially secure. The team of researchers came to this finding by measuring the financial security of the middle class by looking at five core economic factors, including housing costs, budget, and health care. Along with describing this situation, the report also offers some significant policy recommendations, which include expanding access to higher education and helping to stop discriminatory lending practices. [KMG]

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Kosovo: Guardian Special Report [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/kosovo

Kosovo has certainly been in the news quite a bit as of late, as it declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008. Many people may be craving more information and thoughtful commentary on this new country, and they would do well to turn to this helpful site. Created by staff members at the Guardian, the site contains up-to-date news pieces on the country, along with long-form investigative pieces on the country's political climate. Visitors can also view short videos on the site, participate in online forums, and also look through a "Q&A" section. One can imagine that this site would be a fine resource for a political science or world geography class, and it may spark a new interest for some in the affairs of southeastern Europe. [KMG]

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Europa: Environment and Waste [pdf]
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/index.htm

Over the past several decades, the European Union has grown increasingly concerned about their ever-growing amounts of trash and other assorted rubbish. Ever year, the European Union throws away approximately 1.3 billion metric tons of waste, along with approximately 700 million metric tons of agricultural waste. With that in mind, they established a unified approach to waste management and disposal. This site provides information both on this approach and details about related matters, including the dismantling of ships, sewage treatment, and the incineration of waste. After reading the brief introduction to this topic provided on the homepage, visitors can look over the thematic list of topics along the left-hand side of this page. In each area, visitors can read about various activities, including proposed legislation, working papers, and scientific reports. Two sections which should not be overlooked include the "Sustainable Use of Natural Resources" and the "Integrated Product Policy" area. [KMG]

--------

OperaGlass
http://opera.stanford.edu/

If you can't remember a particular aria from Gounod's "Faust" or a certain detail from the song contest at Wartburg, this site dedicated to opera may be just the ticket. Created and maintained by Rick Bogart, a research scientist at Stanford, the site provides access to libretti, source texts, performance histories, synopses, discographies, and so on. The site also contains an opera information directory, which features an opera composer index containing 4800 entries. Moving on, those who might be new to the wonders of opera will appreciate the "Opera For Everyone" CD's, which are offered here at no charge. Visitors can use the music here to learn about four classic operas, including "La Traviata" and "Madame Butterfly". The site is rounded out by a list of operas requiring six or fewer singers and a calendar of operatic commemorations. [KMG]
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

---------

Citizen Milton
http://www.cems.ox.ac.uk/citizenmilton/

The influence of John Milton's writing remains quite powerful, and his ideas about citizenship remain quite relevant. While many may be only vaguely familiar with "Paradise Lost", certainly they have read snippets of the work paraphrased in other places, such as "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven". To celebrate the 400th anniversary of his birth, the Bodleian Library at Oxford University created this digital exhibition to complement their in situ exhibition. Curated by Sharon Achinstein, the site takes users on a tour of Milton's life through well-written narrative passages that are interspersed with digitized documents taken from the Bodleian's prodigious holdings. All told, there are fourteen different sections covering the "pastoral" Milton, freedom of the press, and Milton's relationship with the Bodleian Library. Overall, it's a splendid site and one that might make some visitors pick up a copy of "Paradise Lost" for the second (or first) time. [KMG]

------

physiologyINFO.org [pdf]
http://www.physiologyinfo.org/

What is physiology exactly? It's a good question, and one that is answered quite thoroughly on this website provided by The American Physiology Society (APS). The homepage starts things off with a basic introduction to physiology, complete with a pronunciation guide for the actual word. Moving on, the site contains four primary sections: "What is Physiology?", "Current Research", "Milestones in Physiology" and "Research Issues". The first section expands on the site's introduction by offering information on the questions physiologist ask, along with links to some online experiments culled from physiologists around the world. The "Current Research" section offers white papers from the APS, links to relevant journals, and abstracts from recently published physiology papers. Visitors will also want to look over the "Milestones in Physiology" area, as they can browse the timeline of physiology and also read 46 classic research articles taken from the American Journal of Physiology archives. [KMG]

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USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center [pdf]
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=1
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5b96ep

Nutrition is very important, and coming across high-quality websites on the subject is a real treat. The United States Department of Agriculture created the Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) in 1971, and their work is designed to provide a broad range of resources of nutrition for health professionals, educators, government personnel, and consumers. As with many of the USDA's sites, visitors can perform a full search using the embedded search engine, or use the "I Want To..." area to look up calories or nutrients in a food or ask a question of their resource specialists. First-time visitors should also look at their "Spotlights" section, which includes a special food pyramid for pregnant and nursing moms, the "Healthy Meals" resource system for child nutrition professionals, and food safety information. For those who know more or less what they are looking for, they can take advantage of the subject headings on the left-hand side of the homepage. Here they will find resources on weight and obesity, dietary supplements, dietary guidance, and food labeling. [KMG]

-------

Ibiblio
http://www.ibiblio.org/

Operating under the motto of "Trust Us", ibiblio is a collaboration of the School of Information and Library Science and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Ibiblio is billed as one of the largest "collections of collections" on the Internet, as it contains links to sites that deal with arts and recreation, geography, history, natural science, and philosophy, along with other subjects. First-time visitors can look over their FAQ section, read their collection policy, and then take a look at their "Recent Additions" area. Moving on, visitors can also look at their collection criteria, and even submit a collection for their consideration. Along with their very impressive collections, they also have a wide range of RSS feeds which users can sign up for. [KMG]
[NOTE: Several pages from ibiblio.org previously posted. - Phyllis ]

-------

>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2008.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

Johnnie’s Story Page
http://jstorypage.com/
From the site:
“This page provides links to interactive stories and books for children. Most of these stories are animated and have accompanying sound. These stories are great for children in schools as well as homeschool children. For beginning readers there are stories focused on letter and sound combinations. The Animal Stories section has fun and lively stories about animals of all sorts. The Classic Stories section contains myths and legends as well as folktales. The Cuentos section is a collection of stories in Spanish mostly for beginning readers. For older readers there are spooky stories as well as stories of adventure. Enjoy!”

[SEE ALSO: Johnnie’s Math Page http://jmathpage.com/ - previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Sites found in:
The Cool Tricks and Trinkets Newsletter #500 Final Edition 3/27/08

This is the final edition of The Cool Tricks and Trinkets Newsletter.

-----

Water: H2O = Life
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/water/

Water is essential to life as we know it, however every day approximately
one billion people on this planet do not have regular access to clean
water. "Water: H20 = Life" is a powerful new exhibit at the American
Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City.

For those who can't make it to the Big Apple to see the exhibition in
person, the AMNH companion website is surely the next best thing. From the
driest deserts to largest cities, visitors will learn about how water
impacts nearly every aspect of human life. Check out some of the
fascinating sections of the site including "Water Revered", "Nor Any Drop
to Drink", and "Healthy Water, Healthy Lives".

------

Science Fiction's Best
http://listverse.com/literature/top-15-science-fiction-book-series/

Sci-Fi buffs will enjoy (or vehemently dispute!) this bold attempt to list
the "Top 15 Science Fiction Book Series" of all-time. While we won't
reveal the winner, notable entries include Larry Niven's "Ringworld",
Arthur C. Clarke's "Rama" series, and the lesser-known "Vorkosigan Saga".

Sites found in:
NEAT NEW STUFF, March 21, 2008

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Gallery of Graphic Design
http://graphic-design.tjs-labs.com/index.php
Images of ads from 13 magazines published between 1930 and 1969. Search, or browse by magazine, product, advertiser, or year. It's fascinating to see how the advertising of a product or service, like air travel, changed over time.

-----

Final Thoughts from Sir Arthur C. Clarke - IEEE Spectrum
http://spectrum.ieee.org/mar08/6075
The last interview with the great science fiction writer who came up with the idea of communication satellites. See also this video of Sir Arthur's reflections on his 90th birthday, http://infoblog.infopeople.org/2008/03/arthur_c_clarkes_farewell_mess.php.

-----

Neat New Stuff I Found This Week
http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html
Copyright, Marylaine Block, 1999-2008.

Sites found in:
Librarians' Internet Index
Websites you can trust!
NEW THIS WEEK, March 27, 2008
Read This Online : http://lii.org/cs/lii/print/news/142

------

Tip of the Week
Baseball opening day approaches and we have scads of sites, including one about hundreds of other songs of baseball.
http://search.lii.org/index.jsp?sm=fr10%3BSubTopic1143%3B00http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lii.org%2Fia%2Fdata%2Fdemo1%2Ftopic%23138%3BBaseball&moreres=SubTopic11
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/64w7ab

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Online Tours: Chinese Jade
"This tour illustrates examples showing the development of Chinese jade from around 5000 BC to the modern period." It notes that "[j]ade has always been the material most highly prized by the Chinese, above silver and gold." Features images and descriptions of carved jade artifacts from various Chinese dynasties, and brief information about jade (which "refers only to nephrite and jadeite"), and where it was found in early Chinese history. From the British Museum.
URL: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/asia/chinese_jade/chinese_jade.aspx
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/6zmzcx
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25730
[NOTE: Other Online Tours
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours.aspx previously posted. - Phyllis ]

-----

Arthur C. Clarke: The Science and the Fiction
An article and interview with science fiction author, futurist, and rocket enthusiast Arthur C. Clarke commemorating his 1945 predictions in his article "Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give World Wide Radio Coverage?" The article, published in the magazine Wireless World in 2005, describes how Clarke's "prediction of satellite communications has come true in ways." From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/arthurcclarke.shtml
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25749

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Brilliant Careers: Arthur C. Clarke
This 2000 article discusses the career of Arthur C. Clarke and considers how "for decades, the author of the science-fiction classics '2001: A Space Odyssey' and 'Childhood's End' has exhibited an uncanny ability to see the future." For example, the article notes that "in 1945 ... 12 years before Sputnik, Clarke predicted a global relay system of radio and television signals using geosynchronous satellites." From Salon.com.
URL: http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/03/07/clarke/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25750

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"Take Me Out" Turns 100
This article describes how Major League Baseball (MLB) will commemorate during opening week 2008 the 100th anniversary of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," the unofficial anthem of baseball, which is typically sung by the audience during the seventh-inning stretch. Includes the lyrics as written by Jack Norworth in 1908. From MLB.com.
URL:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article_entertainment.jsp?ymd=20071113&content_id=2299367&vkey=entertainment&fext=.jsp
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/248t7d
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25111

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International Campaign for Tibet (ICT)
Website for this organization that believes that "there must be a political solution [about Tibet] based on direct dialogue between the Dalai Lama and his representatives and the People's Republic of China." Features material about campaigns (such as "Beijing 2008: Race for Tibet," related to the 2008 Olympics in China), news, background about Tibet and the Dalai Lama, and details about advocacy efforts (including information about U.S. policy and Tibet). Available in several languages.
URL: http://www.savetibet.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25732

-----

Trouble in Tibet
March 2008 analysis about the conflict between Chinese authorities and Tibetan protesters in which Chinese troops "moved to seal off the Tibetan capital of Lhasa." Features links to news stories and related commentary, such as about reform pressures on China related to Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympics. From the Council on Foreign Relations.
URL: http://www.cfr.org/publication/15738/trouble_in_tibet.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25731

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Mammoth Mystery
This 2006 article considers whether "climate change wipe[d] out North America's giant mammals, or did our Stone Age ancestors hunt them to extinction?" The article notes that while "conventional wisdom once held that rising temperatures at the end of the Ice Age caused the mass extinction," a "paleoecologist at Fordham University, is finding evidence that the first humans in North America killed off an array of spectacular mammals." From the Natural Resources Defense Council.
URL: http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/06win/mammoth1.asp
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25729

------

The Mammoth Site
Website for this museum and excavation site in Hot Springs, South Dakota, that is "the world's largest Columbian mammoth exhibit, and a world-renown research center for Pleistocene studies." The site provides paleontology background about mammoths and mammoth fossils, lists of vertebrate and invertebrate fossils recovered from the excavation, and a description of the geology that lead to the creation of the site's Karst Sinkhole.
URL: http://www.mammothsite.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25724

------

Ology: Jade
This presentation features fun facts and background about jade, which is the common name for nephrite and jadeite rock. It explores how jade was historically used in areas around the world (such as China, New Zealand, and Mesoamerica), geology of jade, jade hunting in Myanmar (Burma) and Guatemala, and jade today. From OLogy, the American Museum of Natural History's "site for kids ages seven through twelve."
URL: http://www.amnh.org/ology/index.php?channel=earth
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25746
[NOTE: Ology home page (http://www.amnh.org/ology/ )
previously posted. URL updated. – Phyllis ]

--------

Librarians' Internet Index
Websites You Can Trust!
http://lii.org/
Copyright 2008 by Librarians' Internet Index..


*******

Kansas City (Mo.) Library Parking Garage

Local residents were asked to nominate influential books that represent Kansas City, humungous versions of the winning nominations were then used as the exterior of the library car-park.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Library_Garage_photomerge.jpg
Click on photo to enlarge
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/Library_Garage_photomerge.jpg
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5ra88w

The Literacy Web
http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/index.htm
From the site:
“The Literacy Web is designed to promote the use of the Internet as a tool to assist classroom teachers in their search for best practices in literacy instruction, including the new literacies of Internet technologies. We have made every attempt to link teachers with current research and theory that supports traditional and new literacy practices as well as to guide teachers towards particular classroom resources that can enhance literacy development for students at all grade levels. We've included sections for professional development in the areas of literacy and technology integration to encourage teachers to use this website during their own inservice trainings and we've provided links to recommended websites for students as well.”

Explore by Grade Level, keep up-to-date with monthly articles and special features in What’s New, locate Literacy Topics for integrating literacy strategies into your classroom, and access current Research and professional development resources.

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

The Teacher's Corner - Teacher Resources and Lesson Plans
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Resources for the Summer Olympics
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/thematicunits/current.htm

Archive of Thematic Units
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/thematicunits/index.htm
You will find various Web Sites on the top portion of the page for each unit.
Further down, you will find Lesson Plans.
At the bottom of the page, you will find Books.

Sites to See:
Online Treasures: Web Sites Worth Their Weight in Gold
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech145.shtml

From the site:
“When you spend as much time online as I do, you frequently stumble across online treasures -- Web-based resources that, buried among millions of other sites, don’t always get the attention they deserve. Some are comprehensive resources created by experts in a particular field; others contain a single unique resource representing one Webmaster’s personal passion. The sites include commercial sites, government sites, organizational sites, school sites, and sites created by individuals who simply want to share the resources that are valuable to them.

The sites below represent a dozen of the most valuable -- or most interesting -- treasures that I’ve unearthed in the past few months. They include audio files of science songs for primary students, a free professional career interest inventory, a language construction kit, and the best district Web site I’ve ever seen! Take a look, bookmark the sites you can use -- and then share the wealth.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. Links Updated 06/16/2008 - Phyllis ]

From: Education World: http://www.educationworld.com/

Institute for Historical Dance Practice
http://www.historicaldance.com/
Select language choice: Nederlands or English

From the site:
“Its main objective is to research, preserve and perform social and theatrical dances of Western Europe between 1450 and 1920.”

--------Forwarded Message--------

Hi! It's Wednesday, July 30, 2008 and time for Language Arts at
ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
Shakespeare Online
http://www.shakespeare-online.com
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Age Range: 12 and up (middle school level and beyond)

ClickScholar Nancy Hogan recommended this website that offers all of
Shakespeare's works online along with articles and analysis of his life and
works - and much more!

The site is produced by Amanda Mabillard who holds a Bachelor of Arts in
English from the University of Alberta in Canada and focused on Shakespeare
and Renaissance political philosophy in both undergraduate and graduate
school. She also happens to be the Shakespeare Guide on About.com, so some
of her articles link to material posted there.

When you get to the site you'll see the featured content in the center of
the screen including a link to a detailed biography of Shakespeare. Below
that are links to featured articles on Shakespeare's characters (including a
Shakespearean Character Quiz), his plays, his birth, his death and will, and
unusual Shakespeare facts.

Use the menu on the left side of the screen to access all of his plays and
poems along with analysis, essays, plots, a biography of Shakespeare
scholars, and a fun selection of Shakespeare quizzes. (You'll also find
recommended books and videos for sale.)

Use the menu on the right side of the screen to see the latest scholarly
articles added to the site this week, get the answer to the question of the
day, and access a Shakespeare glossary, an explanation of Hamlet's and
MacBeth's soliloquies, a Shakespeare timeline, Shakespeare quotations, and
even instruction in how to study Shakespeare.

The content here is comprehensive and terrific resource for homeschool
families. As Nancy wrote when she recommended the site, "I read 'Othello'
yesterday and really enjoyed the online experience... I also love the cost
effectiveness of reading online since Shakespeare books are not inexpensive
or always available." Bookmark this one so you can return often. :)

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
Copyright 2008, 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.

Shakespeare & the Renaissance:
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/shakespeare/index1.html
From the site:
“Who was William Shakespeare and why do we still study his works?”
Scroll down for a list of Online Resources.

SEE ALSO: Related Resources
From PBS Online and Recommended Web Sites
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/shakespeare/index3.html

Shakespeare in the Classroom
http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/
From the site:
“William Shakespeare's influence exceeds that of many historical figures. Four hundred years after his death, contemporary writers, actors and filmmakers continue to find inspiration in his work. Yet, for many educators, motivating student interest in Shakespeare remains a challenge. The education materials provided here will make teaching Shakespeare an engaging and exciting learning adventure.”

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

History of Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada
http://www.lasvegassun.com/history/
From the site:
“The Las Vegas Sun’s History Project is a massive undertaking whose mission is to offer an all-encompassing look at the colorful history of Las Vegas through various multimedia elements. To show the amazing transformation of the city from its humble birth as a railroad way-station to its present day status as the “Entertainment Capital of the World.”
Site includes an interactive map, a clickable drop-down timeline, an 11-part documentary, photos, and much more.

Petra: Lost City of Stone
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/petra/

“Once a flourishing city in the heart of the ancient Near East... then forgotten by the outside world for centuries. Now Petra reveals some of its long-lost secrets.

“Deep within the deserts of Jordan lies the ancient city of Petra. Through a narrow gorge it emerges into view, revealing awe-inspiring monuments cut into the surrounding cliffs. What is this astonishing city? Who built it, and why?” <<>>

[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

# posted by Phyllis @ 11:45 PM 0 comments

Sites found in:
Subject: [donspatch] 2008-03-15
Don's Patch #90, March 15, 2008

Current Issue Online version: http://www.don-guitar.com/currentissue.html
Archives: http://www.freelists.org/archives/donspatch/

On This Day In History sites.
http://www.brainyhistory.com/
http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day
http://today.answers.com/
http://www.scopesys.com/anyday/
http://www.scopesys.com/today/
http://www.nationalpastime.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/default.stm
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/todayinhistory2.shtml
http://www.boston.com/news/history/
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/tih/tih_e.html
http://www.canoe.ca/CanoeClassic/home.html
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/TodayInHistory/
http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/history/
http://www.historychannel.com/today/
http://www.historyorb.com/today/index.php
http://www.iisg.nl/today/en/
http://www.imdb.com/OnThisDay
http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/today.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/archive.html
http://datadragon.com/day/
http://www.cwu.edu/~warren/today.html
http://snipurl.com/lkyw
http://www.rotten.com/today/
http://www.todayinsci.com/
http://search.teach-nology.com/today/today2.pl
http://www.historynet.com/today_in_history
http://www.on-this-day.com/
http://www.440.com/twtd/today.html
http://www.todayinhistory.com/
http://www.tnl.net/when/today
http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/history/EventCalendar.html
http://www.weatherforyou.com/history/

[NOTE: I have not checked these sites. Some have been previously posted. - Phyllis ]

---------Forwarded Message--------

Site of the Day, for Thursday, March 27, 2008

British Civil Wars, Commonwealth and Protectorate 1638-60
http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/

Today's site, by British history buff David Plant, offers a wide-ranging
survey of the tumultuous civil war era in England. Gentle Subscribers will
discover a noteworthy and well-presented resource on one of the most
turbulent periods in British history.

"The British Civil Wars & Commonwealth website is a perpetual
work-in-progress. The site is non-commercial and is not affiliated to any
organisation or institution. It developed out of my personal interest in
the Cromwellian era. Every effort is made to ensure that the information
presented is accurate and objective. ...The "English Civil War" of the
mid-17th Century was part of a wider conflict ... the British Civil Wars
and Commonwealth period laid the foundations of the modern British
constitution." - from the website

Covering the period between 1638 - 1660, the site provides extensive
material on the war, which saw the execution of a king and the rise of
Oliver Cromwell. Although its focus is generally a military one, with
detailed information on battles and sieges during the course of the
conflict, the presentation also includes over a hundred biographies. The
excellent timeline features overviews of the Civil War, the Commonwealth,
the Protectorate and the Restoration of the monarchy. A linked glossary
helpfully explains terms which may be unfamiliar to the non-specialist,
while bibliography and additional web resources are also available.

Canter to the site for a look at Roundheads, Cavaliers and the upheaval of
civil war at:

http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/

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

Ed Pubs
http://edpubs.ed.gov
Order free U.S. Department of Education Publications
Search by education level or subject.

--------Forwarded Message--------
From: U.S. Department of Education--ED Pubs
EdPublications@EDPubs.org
Subject: Free U.S. Department of Education Publications

In an effort to serve you better, the U.S. Department of Education's ED Pubs (Education Publications) web site has undergone an extensive redesign.

New features include:
1. News—this section highlights one or two "newsworthy" items, such as information about new pub releases, announcements by Secretary Spellings, etc. The items will have relevancy to publications and the ability to quickly find all publications related to a "news" item. Check back often because the information will be updated regularly.
2. Featured Items—this section highlights 3-6 publications that are orderable directly from the home page. Each item displays a thumbnail image and title. By clicking the title you can view the publication’s detailed information page. Featured items will be updated every 1-2 weeks.
3. Hot Topics—this section lists items in response to current events, key ED initiatives, and other timely information. By clicking on a hot topic the system will run a search and find all publications that relate to the topic.
4. Find Publications By—the links to audience, education level, language, publication type, and subject allow you to quickly find publications related to the groupings. For example, a principal could click on audience and then select "principals" to find all publications that are intended for him/her; a teacher searching for posters could click on publication type and then select "posters" from the list of terms.
5. Students/Parents/Teachers/Administrators—these menu items listed near the top of the page allow you to quickly find publications that are intended for you. In order to make the search results more manageable you can further refine your group by education level (e.g., elementary, middle, high, college/university, etc.) and subject (e.g., English, math, science, and social studies).
6. Español—this section links to publications that are written in Spanish and a Spanish version of the FAQs.
7. Breadcrumbs—this tool aids you in navigating the site. It is listed below the header and before the main content. You can click on any item in the breadcrumb trail and return to that page.
8. Zoom—this allows you to quickly view a larger publication cover image.
9. Quantity—the ability to add the desired number of copies from any page. The system will validate the quantity entered and let you know if the number is above the maximum that is allowed.
Over the next several months, we will continue to fine tune the site and we encourage you to check back frequently to see our progress, check out the latest news items, and browse the new arrivals.
Of course, if you have any problems or questions please feel free to call us at 1-877-4ED-PUBS (433-7827). Our professional, knowledgeable Customer Service Representatives are available to assist you Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 6:00pm EST. If you aren’t able to call during this time, please feel free to leave us a voicemail or simply send an email to edpubs@edpubs.ed.gov. You can expect a response within 1 business day.

Have a great day!

U.S. Department of Education

Gateway to the Summer Games
http://www.edgate.com/summergames/
From the site:
“Educators! Keep the spirit of the Games alive in your classroom with cross-curricular Olympic-themed lesson plans.”
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Site found in:

TeachersFirst Resources for the Olympics
http://www.teachersfirst.com/olympics.cfm
From the site:
“Winter or summer, the Olympics provide teaching opportunities across the curriculum for students of all ages. Browse these options for curriculum connections to light the Olympic flame in your classroom.”

Alzheimer's Disease
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alzheimersdisease.html
From the site:
“Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities.”

Sites found in:
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PBS Teachers Newsletter: August 3-16, 2008
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The Forgetting: A Portrait Of Alzheimer's
On-Air & Online
Gr. 6-8 / 9-12
Sunday, August 3, 2008
9 - 11:00 pm
This Emmy Award-winning documentary, originally broadcast in
2004, returns to PBS in an encore presentation. Since 2004,
there have been significant advances in Alzheimer's research,
but more than two million more Americans have been diagnosed
with the disease. Actor David Hyde Pierce returns to host "The
Future of Alzheimer's," a new half-hour panel discussion that
follows. (CC, Stereo)
http://www.pbs.org/theforgetting/

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Nature
Horse and Rider
On-Air & Online
Gr.6-8 / 9-12
Sunday, August 3, 2008
8 - 9:00 pm
Every relationship between horse and rider rests on a few
fundamental principles -- understanding the animal, building
trust, communication and working in unison. (CC, Stereo, HD, 1
year)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/horse-and-rider/introduction/834/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5wkudm

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NOVA ScienceNOW
On-Air & Online
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
9 - 10:00 pm
Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts this science
newsmagazine, which includes segments about a pill that could
extend the human lifespan; space elevators; satellite imaging
of Maya ruins; and a profile of "The Bacteria Whisperer." (CC,
Stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/

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Nature
The Dolphin Defender
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Sunday, August 10, 2008
8 - 9:00 pm
More than 25 years ago, filmmaker Hardy Jones set out to learn
everything he could about dolphins. At the time, no one had
conducted studies in the wild of these enigmatic creatures, and
many thought it couldn't be done. Since then, Jones has spent
more time with dolphins than other humans, developing unique
insights into what goes on in their sophisticated societies.
(CC, stereo, 1 year)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/the-dolphin-defender/introduction/805/
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/6b2dm4

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NOVA ScienceNOW
On-Air & Online
6-8 / 9-12
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
9 - 10:00 pm
This installment explores investigators trying to resurrect a
90-year-old virus to unlocking the secrets of ancient papyrus
scrolls -- and also profiles an innovative young roboticist,
Cynthia Breazeal. Neil deGrasse Tyson also meets up with
scientists trying to solve a 250-million-year-old murder
mystery.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/

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Copyright 2008 PBS Online

WordReference Dictionaries
http://www.wordreference.com/
From the site:
“The WordReference Dictionaries are free online translation dictionaries. The most popular dictionaries are the Spanish Dictionary, French Dictionary and the Italian Dictionary. Search with the form below or the box above.”
Also: German and Russian.
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Sites found in:
The March 20, 2008 issue of Classroom Tools & Tips:
http://www.1105newsletters.com/t.do?id=994650:298987
http://www.eduhound.com/cttarchives/032008ctt.cfm

Topic :: PERSUASIVE WRITING

In persuasive writing, a writer takes a position FOR or AGAINST an issue and writes to convince the reader to believe or do something.

Argument & Persuasive Writing @ Web English Teacher
Includes lesson plans and activities for teaching argument and persuasive writing -- helps develop Web research and persuasive writing skills as they create original works.
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/argument.html

Unit Plan Persuasive Writing: Grades 6-12
Students will interpret their thoughts about various pictures, symbols, and slogans; create a visual representation of various feelings and emotions to infer what the advertiser could be selling the consumer; and create an advertisement using the various learned techniques.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/unit_persuasivewriting_lesson1.htm
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5spgb5

ReadWriteThink Lesson Plan: Can You Convince Me?
Through a classroom game and handouts, students are introduced to the concepts of lobbying for something important to them (or that they want) and making persuasive arguments.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=56

McREL Standards Activity: Persuade Me
As a result of this activity, students in grades 6-8 will be able to recognize and use persuasive techniques.
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/activityDetail.asp?activityID=87

The Basic Principles of Persuasive Writing
This page features an article that outlines the basic principles of persuasive writing, including appealing to the reader's sense of reason, emotion, and good character.
http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/workshop/tools/argument.htm

Writing Opinion Pieces About Meaningful Issues to Kids
In this lesson, students identify controversial topics on which they have strong opinions. After examining a controversial issue, students then model their own persuasive opinion pieces after the featured article.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000414friday.html

[NOTE: Some of these sites were previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Repeat After Us
http://www.repeatafterus.com
From the site:
“Created by a high school student, RepeatAfterUs is an award-winning online library with the best collection of copyright-free English texts and scripted recordings. Our free audio clips provide an excellent resource for students and literature lovers of all ages…8895 texts · 2350 recordings · 954 authors · 194 readers”
[NOTE: Previously posted. - Phyllis ]

Vincent van Gogh

A Draftsman's Fist, slideshow narrated by Michael Kimmelman
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/arts/20051014_VANGOGH_AUDIOSS/blocker.html
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5c5sgo

The Evolution of a Master Who Dreamed on Paper
By Michael Kimmelman
Published: October 14, 2005, New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/14/arts/design/14kimm.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Shortened URL: http://tinyurl.com/5n7jgk

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