Research and Education
http://kanjialive.lib.uchicago.edu/
A number of educational websites dedicated to helping students learning various East Asian languages have found a home on the Web, and Kanji Alive is one that interested parties will find rather compelling. Created at the University of Chicago, Kanji Alive is a searchable Web-based tool that is designed to help beginning and intermediate-level Japanese language learners read and write kanji. The tool consists of two interactive windows, one of which allows users to search for and select kanji, while the other one contains information on the selected kanji. The site also contains several supplementary materials, including a document that covers the history of kanji, stroke order basics, and radicals. The site also contains an important section specifically for instructors and a troubleshooting area. [KMG]
http://www.servicelearning.org/
The service-learning movement, which combines classroom learning with pragmatic “hands-on” work in the community, continues to grow in importance throughout the world of education. One of the primary groups that serves as a fine source of material on service-learning is the National Service Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC), located in Scotts Valley, Calif.. The homepage provides visitors with a good overview of the group's work, as it features new funding opportunities, a “hot topics” area, and pertinent information about upcoming conferences, such as the annual national conference. A good way to get a handle on the wide world of service learning is by looking through the fact sheets area, which is topically divided and contains information on the areas of partnerships, character education, and risk management. Even better is the resources and tools area, as it includes samples of syllabi and lesson plans that incorporate the principles of service-learning. [KMG]
Opening up this website, visitors will find themselves whirling around an antiquated map of South America as it scrolls through the various countries of South America, then finally landing on the area known as Patagonia. Created by persons at The University of North Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communication and Universidad de Los Andes, this website profiles the day-to-day existence of the people in this removed corner of the world. Appropriately enough, the site is divided into three primary sections: The Land, The Sea, and The People. Each site contains a number of thematic stories which address (through audio interviews and entrancing photographs) such topics as the life of ranching families in Patagonia, the craft of shipbuilding, and of course, the dramatic landscapes of the region. Another feature of note is the interactive timeline of Patagonia available here, which stretches from 9000 B.C. to the present. It is worth noting that visitors may elect to view the site in Spanish if they so desire. [KMG]
http://www.exploratorium.edu/saturn/
The Exploratorium offers a unique portrayal of the Cassini-Huygens mission's discoveries of Saturn. Individuals can discover the details about Titan, the only known moon in the solar system with a substantial atmosphere. The Macromedia Flash Player enhanced tutorial about the rings and moons of Saturn is a fantastic addition to the website. Everyone can enjoy the web casts explaining the significances of the newest findings. Frequent visitors should visit the Updates link to receive the latest Cassini-Huygens news. [RME] This site is also reviewed in the January 21, 2005_NSDL Physical Sciences Report_.
http://libtext.library.wisc.edu/IcelOnline/
Working in partnership with the University of Iceland and a number of other sponsors (including The Andrew Mellon Foundation) the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections group has created the Icelandic Online Dictionary and Readings website. This website also complements the University of Iceland’s Internet course, “Icelandic Online”. Persons interested in learning a bit about Icelandic will appreciate the fact that they have access to the aforementioned course, complete with interactive lessons and exercises. Additionally, the site contains the unabridged content of the 1989 Concise Icelandic-English dictionary and a set of readings in modern Icelandic life, literature and culture. As an extra treat, visitors also have access to a collection of works by the famous Icelandic poet, Jonas Hallgrimsson. Visitors will want to make sure and read some of his well-known poems, including “The Vastness of the Universe” and “The Style of the Times”. [KMG]
Created by the University of California Museum of Paleontology, with assistance from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and the United States Geological Survey, the Paleontology Portal is a nice resource for anyone who may be interested in the field of paleontology. The site is divided into a number of separate areas, and visitors would do well to begin by taking a look through the Exploring Time & Space feature. Clicking on this feature will bring users to a map of the United States that is overlaid with the complete array of geological time periods, such as the Quaternary, Permian, and the Triassic, to name but a few. Along with this helpful resource, the fossil gallery is a real treat, as visitors can view fossilized remains by geologic time period or by taxonomic group. Finally, the Famous Flora and Fauna area allows visitors the opportunity to view such notable finds as the Burgess Shale, the Petrified Forest, and of course, the La Brea Tar Pits. [KMG]
Founded in 1979 by a group of environmental archaeologists at the University of London, the Association for Environmental Archaeology (AEA) was established to provide a way for the diverse set of persons working across the discipline to communicate research findings and to develop a broad range of networks. Interested visitors to the site will want to learn about the AEA’s mission, their leadership committee, and their constitution by visiting the general information area. One nice area for the general public is the online image gallery, which is divided into sections such as fieldwork, animals, and plants. All three of these sections allow the general public a sense of the work that environmental archaeologists engage in. Persons working in this field will want to take a look at the publications section where they will find the AEA newsletter and the table of contents for the journal Environmental Archaeology. For persons whose interest is piqued by the site, there is also a nice selection of environmental archaeology weblinks organized thematically. [KMG]
http://www.science.edu.sg/ssc/scinet_browse.jsp?type=6&root=0&parent=0&cat=4
Students, teachers, and parents will find great value in ScienceNet, an interactive information service from the Singapore Science Centre. Supported by Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore, ScienceNet is a place for people to get answers to their questions in a wide range of scientific fields. In addition to allowing visitors to pose questions, the website offers access to a database of previous answers to questions such as: What do water fleas feed on? Why is there a limit to the maximum size a cell can grow? How do dolphins and killer whales sleepand how do they obtain fresh water for drinking? What is the largest dragonfly in the world? When do the facial bones complete ossification? and many more. The Life Sciences section of ScienceNet offers expertise in such fields as Botany, Human Anatomy, Microbiology, Zoology, Neuroscience, Marine Biology, and more. Queries are invited for many other scientific areas as well including Earth Science, Computer Science, Physical Sciences, Astronomy, and Engineering. [NL] This site is also reviewed in the January 21, 2005_NSDL Life Sciences Report_.
