Research and Education
http://www.compadre.org/astronomy/
The wonder and mystery associated with distant objects in space has fascinated humans for millennia, and young people today remain eager to learn about the world of astronomy. Introducing the various concepts and processes associated with this branch of science in the classroom can be daunting, so educators and the curious public will be glad to learn of the existence of The Astronomy Center website. Sponsored by the American Astronomical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the National Science Digital Library, the site is a clearinghouse of digital resources that can serve as teaching aids, or as just a way to learn more about the world of astronomy. The site’s homepage includes an "Astronomy News" area, complete with links to relevant news stories (such as discoveries of newly discovered space objects) and a feature that allows users to browse resources by type (such as labs or simulations) or topic. [KMG]
Back in 1968, Professor Joe Konhauser at Macalester College started a tradition by creating a math problem for his students every week. Since that time, this long-standing tradition has migrated to the web, and along with the current problem of the week, visitors can also view previous editions dating back to the fall of 1995. Currently, the problem of the week is overseen by Professor Stan Wagon, and visitors can browse through these problems as they see fit. The problems are meant to be accessible to first-year college students, so they can be used in a host of instructional settings, or potentially (one might imagine) as extra-credit. Visitors can sign up to receive the problem each week via email, and it is worth noting that the solution to each problem will be posted the following week. [KMG]
http://www.bostonafricanamericana.org/
Several years ago, the Boston Athenaeum received a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to create an online digital archive of materials related to the lives of African Americans in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Drawing on their own holdings, along with those of The Massachusetts Historical Society and The Bostonian Society, they proved up to the task, and this lovely website is proof of their substantial labors. First-time visitors will want to look at the project overview description to get a sense of the materials that are available here, and after that, they should dive right into the "Collection at a Glance" area. Here they can look over abolition-era broadsheets, political cartoons, illustrations, and some rather evocative portraits of urban life. [KMG]
Located in Athens, Georgia, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency's Ecosystems Research Division performs research on "approaches to multimedia modeling for landscape, nutrient and chemical stressors of ecosystems." While all of this may sound tremendously complicated, their site does a great job of explaining their work in jargon-free language, along with providing access to their scholarly and research-minded endeavors. On their homepage, visitors can view their latest press releases, take a look at some general EPA resources (such as a chemical contamination calculator), and information about their public seminars. Their "Highlighted Research" area is the one that will be of most interest to the general public, as it contains information on their latest work on such matters as oil spills, gasoline consumption, and brownfields reclamation efforts around the country. [KMG]
A number of scholars and educators have banded together to form online repositories of teaching materials in recent years, and one of the best available resources is certainly The Electronic Hallway. Created as part of the outreach efforts of the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington, the site contains quality teaching cases and other curriculum materials for faculty who teach public administration, public policy, and related subjects. Cases are available in a wide range of topics and policy areas, including education, human services, international affairs, and urban issues. It should be noted that all of these materials are provided at no cost, but users will need to sign up to access all of the materials in the repository. The site's homepage provides some additional information about the scope of the repository, and visitors can also navigate through the sections here to search for case materials and manage their own profile. [KMG]
The journalism school at Columbia University is held in high-regard by many for their commitment to training journalists that will hold a high standard of quality investigative reporting that will inspire future generations of like-minded individuals. As with many journalism schools, they have made great headway into offering both critique and comment on the changing world of journalism, and the Columbia Journalism Review Daily is a fine example of such efforts. The Daily was born in 2004 with a mandate to monitor coverage of the presidential election campaign, and has continued over the past several years by offering daily (and, at times, hourly) critiques of political journalism and analyses of the broader forces affecting press performance. Visitors to the homepage can read their commentaries and analyses, and also search the entire contents of the Daily via a handy search feature. Additionally, visitors can make their way through the Daily's archives, if they so wish. [KMG]
In 2002, the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Virtual Library project received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to digitize around 1,000 books about Kentucky history and literature. Since that time, the project has been expanded several times, and all of those books, along with a cornucopia of oral histories, photographs, and maps can be found at this site. Given the amount of material here, visitors may want to start by looking over some of the category headings on the homepage, which include images, newspapers, and maps. One real gem that should not be overlooked is the collection of photographs from the Lexington Herald-Leader, which documents life in and around the town all the way back to 1895. Visitors should also not miss taking a look through their extensive oral history collection, which includes interviews with individuals involved with the integration of major league baseball and interviews conducted by Kentucky native and author Robert Penn Warren for his book, "Who Speaks for the Negro?" [KMG]
Created at the Dolan DNA Learning Center of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Inside Cancer site is a rather remarkable exploration of the nature of cancer in the human body. Utilizing graphics and interactive animations that serve to explain this complex condition, the site is divided into sections that deal with the causes and prevention of cancer, its diagnosis and treatment, and how the disease manifests itself. Each section combines well-drawn animations with video clips of scientists narrating brief passages that illuminate the accompanying descriptions and captions. Along the way, visitors will learn about current ways that cancer can be treated, and future directions for cancer research. Overall, the site should be praised for its ease of use, and its applications could include use in classrooms with a wide range of age levels and abilities. [KMG]
