http://anacostia.si.edu/

Located in a historically African-American community in the southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C., the Anacostia Museum & Center for African American History and Culture's primary goal is to "explore American history, society, and creative expression from an African American perspective.". Visitors may want to begin by looking through the general information section, especially if they are planning a visit in the near future. There is also a special section dedicated to providing information on current and upcoming exhibits, along with several online exhibits, including one on the contemporary spiritual traditions within the African-American community. Perhaps one of the more interesting parts of the site is the area dedicated to providing history about the actual community of Anacostia where the museum is physically located. In this section, visitors can learn about the various transformations that have affected the community over its long history, and even view educational exercises for use at home or in the classroom. [KMG]

http://poetrymagazine.org/

Founded in 1912 by Harriet Monroe, Poetry has been responsible for publishing the works of a number of important poets, including such personages as Ezra Pound, Amy Lowell, Carl Sandburg, and T.S. Eliot. In fact, it is also the oldest monthly devoted to verse in the English-speaking world. The journal has persevered and flourished for more than 90 years, and this site offers a variety of selections that have been published most recently in various issues. On the site, visitors can learn about the eight annual prizes awarded to work that appears in the magazine and read the magazine's submission guidelines as well. Also, visitors can read the works of a featured poet and peruse short reviews of other literary works. Visitors are also free to browse the archives of the magazine (which do not contain the complete text of each issue) back to the May 1998 issue. [KMG]

http://www.archinform.net

Drawing on the contributions from persons across much of Europe, the International Architecture Database website has served as a valuable clearinghouse for thousands of architectural projects (both built and unrealized) since 1996. Currently, the database contains information on more than 13,000 projects, most from the 20th and 21st centuries. Visitors can begin by browsing the database by name, location, or keyword. Looking at a single record, visitors will be presented with a host of information, such as building type, primary architect, location, years of construction, and in certain cases with external links, photographs, and plans. Looking through the lists of keywords can actually be quite useful, as each keyword is linked to examples that are demonstrative of the idea suggested by the keyword, such as early Gothic or elementary school. Overall, this is a fine resource for those persons who wish to learn a bit more about architecture or for those looking for information on different architectural projects. [KMG]

http://www.hti.umich.edu/d/did/

Widely considered to be one of the crowning achievements of the Enlightenment, the Encyclopedia edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert in the 18th century has proved to be fertile ground for those who have sought to classify and chronicle the various branches of knowledge. This highly ambitious project was published during the period 1751 to 1777, and included 32 volumes amply illustrated with engraved plates. Close to 150 years later, a group of talented individuals sought to create an online version of the Encyclopedia translated into English, with links to the original French versions. The project is based at the University of Michigan Library, although contributors to the project are scattered across the world. Visitors to the site can search the currently available articles or browse by title, French title, or subject. Finally, visitors will want to take a look at the famous "Map of the System of Human Knowledge" that is immediately identified with this most celebrated human endeavor. [KMG]

http://www.nasulgc.org/

Founded in 1887, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) is the nation's oldest higher education association. It is an association of 215 institutions, including a host of public universities, land-grant institutions, and a number of complete public university systems. Under the direction of current president C. Peter Magrath, NASULGC serves as a unified voice for its various members on Capitol Hill and also performs research on various timely issues related to higher education more generally. In the "What's New" area of the site, visitors can learn about legislative policy issues in the news and also read the current and archived editions of the organization's in-house newsletter, Newsline. The publication section is quite strong, and visitors with an interest in higher education policy will want to definitely take a look at the report offered here titled, " Shaping the Future: The Economic Impact of Public Universities".

http://sln.fi.edu/flip/index.html

The Franklin Institute, which seeks "to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning" is based in Philadelphia, Pa. (See also Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology, February 21, 2003). In honor of Benjamin Franklin, who coined the phrase "a penny saved is a penny earned," the Franklin Institute is gearing up for an online coin-flipping event to commemorate Franklin's 300th birthday on Jan. 16, 2006. That same day "students around the world collectively engage in a common scientific experiment to determine, once and for all, if "heads" or "tails" occurs more frequently in coin flips." Students are asked to use the worksheet posted on this website to record and submit their coin flips. The results from the coin flips will then be posted online. Results from coin flips conducted by students who came to The Franklin Institute to celebrate Ben Franklin's 298th birthday and students from a school in Liverpool, U.K., are posted already. Also available here are links to related educational resources that offer ideas for learning more about coins and probability. This site is also reviewed in the February 25, 2005_NSDL MET Report. [VF]

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/

The USDA Rural Development agency is committed "to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America". Its various financial programs and loans support the development and realization of such public facilities as water and sewer systems and also aid in various economic development initiatives aimed at improving conditions in rural settings across the country. On the site visitors can view the latest news from the agency along with reading about various grant and loan programs, such as water and waste disposal improvement programs. Thematically, the site is divided into areas such as community development, cooperatives, and utilities. Rural officials and policy specialists will find much to look over in the publications section, such as rural development factsheets, and equally importantly, the archives of the Rural Cooperatives Magazine, which is published six times a year. [KMG]

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/

For the past thirty years, NASA has sponsored numerous highly ambitious space exploration missions that have dramatically expanded the existing knowledge base about various planetary bodies throughout our universe. The agency's New Horizons project intends to begin a mission to explore Pluto and Charon sometime in the near future, and the hope is that the project would also explore a variety of objects in the Kuiper Belt Region beyond Neptune. The project's site contains a number of well-organized sections, and most visitors will want to start by looking at the Science section. Here they can learn what is currently known about Pluto, Charon, and the Kuiper Belt, along with browsing a glossary of terms. For up to date information about the status of the mission, visitors will want to take a look at the mission statement and the team responsible for making sure everything goes smoothly. Rounding out the site is the Gallery area, which contains artist renderings and educational posters that may be downloaded and printed out for any number of uses. [KMG]