IPM Super Sleuth
Integrated Pest Management is an agricultural approach which works to minimize the use of pesticides. This interactive, kid-friendly website was created by the IPM Institute of North America to teach students in grades one through seven about Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The site utilizes a combination of word searches, crossword puzzles, matching and concentration games, and quizzes to introduce IPM concepts. The complete 114-page IPM Super Sleuth Document is also available for download. S
NISEE: National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering
The National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering (NISEE) has a huge collection of earthquake data and images for researchers or anyone with a passing interest in these destructive forces. Operated at the University of California, Berkeley, the site has ten "eBooks" that range in topic from introductory earthquake engineering to earthquake risk-reduction measures. A giant database is given on the site with over 100,000 abstracts of research papers and reports. The Structural Engineerin
The Schoolyard Solar System
"The Schoolyard Solar System was developed to demonstrate the solar system to scale; to show the relationship between units of thousands, millions, and billions; and to accomplish these goals with student involvement that will re-enforce the lessons." Students and educators can find images of the Sun and the nine planets in our solar system. The website presents bulk, orbital, and observational parameters as well as additional facts for the objects. By printing out the materials and following th
USC Institute for Creative Technologies: Graphics Lab
The Graphics Lab is part of the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies. The lab performs research on computer graphics and modeling techniques such as image-based lighting, range scanning, and animation. This is all made possible by a U.S. Army contract "to advance the state of immersive training simulation." The Lab's homepage offers many details on the various projects within each research area; there are several publications that can be downloaded to complemen
World Weather Information Service
The World Meteorological Organization Web site offers the World Weather Information Service page. Here, visitors will find official weather forecasts and climatological information for selected cities worldwide. Users choose a particular continent and country, and are then presented with a list of various cities they can get information on. This includes the date and time of the current forecast, minimum and maximum temperatures for that day, a general cloud description, and a monthly review of
Nobel Laureates in Physics
This Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) website presents the winners of Nobel Prizes in physics since 1901. For each winner, individuals can find short summaries of the scientist's research and his or her places of employment and study. The website supplies links to the universities and to outside resources about the prominent scientists. By analyzing the content in the website, users can begin to appreciate the great progress and advancements that have been made in the field of physics d
StarTiger
StarTiger is a project of the European Space Agency that is testing a new framework for research and development, with the goal of dramatically reducing the time needed to achieve a breakthrough. The basic method is to assemble a group of doctorate level researchers and engineers, put them in an environment that is free of distractions, and give them access to state-of-the-art equipment and technology. The first success of StarTiger was realized in October 2002, when, after only four months of w
ExploreMath.com
As part of the ExploreLearning organization, ExploreMath offers an outstanding collection of interactive activities for students in "elementary algebra through pre-calculus." The online multimedia applications are easy to use and demonstrate almost 40 concepts across twelve general categories. One activity, for example, explains some fundamentals of probability by randomly throwing darts and showing how many hit the target. Instructions and topic overviews are given for each activity. Some addit
University of Wisconsin-Fluid and Melt Inclusions
The University of Wisconsin-Madison created this website "for people interested in the properties, behaviors and origins of fluid and melt inclusions in natural and synthetic materials." The website offers downloads of publications in _The Canadian Mineralogist_ journal and other rock and mineral papers. Students and researchers can find out about meetings and work shops. The website fosters discussion of hot topics in the field of fluid inclusion. Users have a chance to join the fluid inclusion
The Meteoritical Society
"The Meteoritical Society is a non-profit scholarly organization founded in 1933 to promote the study of extraterrestrial materials and their history." The website provides the latest Society news and downloads to its annual newsletter and bulletins. Scientists can find out about upcoming meetings and workshops, Society publications, and membership opportunities. Students and educators can locate materials describing meteorites, tektites, dust, and lunar samples as well as links to outside educa
Exploring Biodiversity
This new educational resource has been developed by the London's Natural History Museum to help students learn about biodiversity concepts and measures. Teacher resources include a glossary of terms and lesson plans with ideas for working through the online and field sampling activities with students. This is a valuable Web site that promotes an active approach to learning through concept and data investigation. Although the maps and data are specific to the UK, the concepts and lessons are appl
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Computational Astrophysics: Digital Demo Room
This University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign website features four computer simulations to increase the understanding of astrophysics: Disk Galaxy Dynamics, One Dimensional Hydrodynamics, Stellar Structure and Evolution, and Two Dimensional Hydrodynamics. Each simulation offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced modes. At the Stellar Structure and Evolution Simulator link, individuals can find a tutorial describing the basic physics concepts related to the topic along with the interactive m
History and Evolution of Physics
This Topic in Depth explores the history and evolution of the field of physics. The first website, created by the Institute of Physics, offers an interactive timetable of the development of physics from the ancient philosophers during the Bronze Age to the present research in quantum mechanics and relativity (1). The website illustrates the links between scientists and eras. Second, the US Department of Energy provides a synopsis of the work of the nuclear physics research program and the high-e
Curriculum Guide for the Climate Impacts Map
This Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) guide was produced by the Union of Concerned Scientists to accompany the Global Warming: Early Warning Signs Web site (last mentioned in the March 14, 2001 Scout Report for Science & Engineering). The activities are designed to involve 9-12 grade students in learning about real world issues using recent data. The activities focus on the following four topics: analyzing climate data from a selected city, collecting and comparing data on perceptions of climate with histor
AP Biology: Glenbrook South High School
This Web site is one of a number of online resources created for AP Biology students at Glenbrook South High School in Illinois. Fortunately, this comprehensive collection of classroom lectures based on Neil Campbell's Biology (5th edition) is accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. Students enrolled in AP Biology or introductory college-level biology courses may find these PowerPoint lecture slides particularly useful, especially as Campbell's Biology is a commonly used textbook. The
The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight
Visitors can learn astonishing facts in historical astronomy, astrobiology, astrophysics, space missions, and many more space science topics at this comprehensive website. David Darling, a British astronomer and science writer, provides straightforward explanations of seemingly difficult concepts. In addition to an easily navigable alphabetical list and a keyword search, the encyclopedia is interlinked so that users can easily progress through the materials. The website also features the latest
Bio.com
Self-described as "the most reliable and up-to-date information resource for those working in the life sciences and associated industries," Bio.com brings together in one Web site daily news, information, and research tools geared mostly toward biotechnology. The Web site provides "live panel discussions and one-on-one interviews with leading scientists representing the diversity of research in biology and biotechnology, topical reviews and articles on cutting-edge topics in the life sciences, t
Partnerships to Advance Learning in Science: Java Simulations
Provided by Iowa State University, the Partnerships to Advance Learning in Science: Java Simulations Web site contains several interactive science simulations. Visitors can explore advection, the energy budget, adiabatic processes, and radiation. For example, the mountain simulation teaches about adiabatic processes by allowing users to adjust various parameters such as temperature, dew point, mountain slope, and cloud base altitude. The simulation then blows a leaf over the mountain and moves i
Consensus CoDing Sequence Database
The Consensus CoDing Sequence (CCDS) Database "project is a collaborative effort to identify a core set of human protein-coding regions that are consistently annotated and of high quality. The long-term goal is to support convergence toward a standard set of gene annotations on the human genome." CCDS project collaborators include the National Center for Biotechnology (NCBI), European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), and University of California, Santa Cruz
Gflow 2000
Gflow 2000, which was developed by Haitjema Software, is described as a highly efficient stepwise groundwater flow modeling system. It is based on the analytic element method and models steady state flow in a single heterogeneous aquifer using the Dupuit-Forchheimer assumption, and is particularly suitable for modeling regional horizontal flow. The free educational version of the software is available for download from the site, as well as descriptions of the analytic method, stepwise modeling,
