http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/hierakonpolis/index.html

During the past few years, Archaeology Magazine has seen fit to document a number of very worthwhile archaeological digs from across the globe. In recent years, the magazine has been out looking for shipwrecks off the Crimea Peninsula and searching for evidence of George Washington’s career as a whiskey distiller at Mount Vernon. Its most recent online feature will take visitors to Hierakonpolis, which is a crucial site for understanding the foundations of Egyptian civilization. The site is located approximately 400 miles south of Cairo, and happens to be the largest site of its kind from the Pre- and Protodynastic period, which lasted from 3800 to 3100 B.C. In the From the Field section, visitors can view essays that detail the various finds and discoveries of the past three years, complemented with some illustrative photographs and diagrams. Visitors who would like to know more about the participants on this dig should check out the staff profiles area and continue on to learn about some of the special meals that they experienced while they were in the field. [KMG]

http://cml.upenn.edu/index.html

While many schools no longer have academic departments devoted specifically to the discipline of geography, the almost innate human interest in mapping and analyzing various types of spatial data continues unabated. The Cartographic Modeling Lab at the University of Pennsylvania is an outstanding example of this trend, and their website contains a great deal of information on their work and their applied projects in and around the city of Philadelphia. The Lab is a joint venture of the School of Design and the School of Social Work at the University and many of their research projects reflect a rather novel and creative dedication to interdisciplinary approaches to various policy questions. Visitors will want to take a look at some of the group's recent projects, including a historical study of the trend of “redlining” in Philadelphia and an interactive database of murals throughout the city. [KMG]

http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/ceru.htm

The Arizona State University’s College of Education has a distinguished record of conducting important research through its numerous research centers and institutes. One of these groups is the Commercialism in Education Research Unit (CERU), which was formerly located at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The CERU conducts research about commercial activities in schools, and its staff members are “guided by the belief that mixing commercial activities with public education raises fundamental issues of public policy, curriculum content, the proper relationship of educators to the students entrusted to them, and the values that the schools embody.” The CERU is directed by Professor Alex Molnar, and visitors to the site will want to look through the various sections dedicated to their publications and annual reports. Educational administrators and policy-makers will want to hone in on the resources area, which provides access to helpful information on current guidelines for commercial activities in schools and news about pending litigation in this arena. [KMG]

http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/index.htm

At this website, EdHeads, a nonprofit, offers five interactive, animated modules to educate second- through sixth-graders about simple machines. By identifying the many machines located throughout a house, students can learn about fulcrums, wheel and axles, levers, pulleys, inclined planes, and much more. The website is equipped with simple animations to help children understand how the machines work. After students have a handle on simple machines, they can begin to see how they work together to create compound machines. The website also provides a brief glossary summarizing nine types of simple machines. This site is also reviewed in the February 18, 2005_NSDL Physical Sciences Report_. [RME]

http://dl.lib.brown.edu/temperance/

That legendary man of letters, Samuel Johnson, once opined that “Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult”. Over the centuries, many have shared at least part of Johnson’s sentiment as regards the temptations offered by spirits, and just as many have concerned themselves with the cause of cautioning others about alcohol and its potentially pernicious effects. The good people at Brown University have created this digital collection which includes a host of primary documents from the past several centuries, including broadsides, sheet music, and government publications. These items will be of great interest to anyone interested in the history of alcoholism, and how various forms of media were used to disseminate ideas and information about this phenomenon and the prohibition movement. Visitors can browse the collection by document creator, publisher, and general title. Another item of note here is the online essay “Temperance and Prohibition Era Propaganda: A Study in Rhetoric” by Leah Rae Berk. [KMG]

http://www.nef1.org/

The National Energy Foundation (NEF) is a nonprofit educational organization that provides a host of educational materials and programs primarily related to discussing natural resources, technology, conservation, and the environment. The NEF also provides a number of teacher training and student programs that complement their existing work. Young people visiting the site will want to look over the student section which provides four purpose-built sites that provide information on earth sciences activities, environmental stewardship, and several other topical areas. Educators will want to take a look at the section provided for them, as it contains links to the NEF’s educational catalog and information about upcoming workshops of interest. The site is rounded out by a links page that offers a host of topical links to other relevant science education sites, such as one on alternate fuel vehicles and the Captain Planet Foundation. [KMG]

http://goodspeed.lib.uchicago.edu/

Collections of ancient Christian manuscripts and texts have always been the province of bibliophiles, scholars, and erudite members of the clergy. One particular person who was quite interested in such manuscripts was the late Edgar J. Goodspeed. Born in tiny Quincy, Ill., Goodspeed went to study at the University of Chicago, and after completing his studies he spent a significant amount of time traveling abroad on the Continent. After this, he joined the University’s faculty and became quite passionate about collecting New Testament manuscripts for the school. One of his stellar finds was of what became known as the Rockefeller McCormick New Testament, which was a complete Byzantine New Testament written in a fine cursive hand. Fortunately, the University of Chicago Library’s Digital Collections Project has digitized this entire manuscript (along with one other work in the collection), and has also planned to create a collection of high-quality digital images from the other 63 manuscripts. The site will definitely warrant several return visits, and visitors may also want to read the particulars detailing the creation of the project. [KMG]

http://www.nanfa.org/

The North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA) works "to increase and disseminate knowledge about North America's native fishes and their habitats among aquarium hobbyists, biologists, fish and wildlife officials, anglers, educators, students, and others, through publications, electronic media, regional and national meetings, and other means." The NANFA website features a Checklist of Freshwater Fishes Native to North America and a Fish in Focus section with beautiful images and brief descriptions of such fish as the Hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus), Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum), and Southern Redbelly Dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster). The site also contains information about an award program for breeders, grant programs, annual meetings, membership, and the NANFA quarterly magazine, American Currents. NANFA offers a solid collection of related links, and an electronic mailing list as well. The website is under construction and promises future sections relating to natural history, captive care, conservation, and collecting. This site is also reviewed in the February 18, 2005_NSDL Life Sciences Report_. [NL]