Research and Education
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err26/err26.pdf
The Economic Research Service division of the United States Department of Agriculture has published a number of insightful and thoughtful studies in its long history, and this study by Dean Jolliffe lives up to those exacting standards. Released in September 2006, the paper takes a critical look at the location of poverty across urban and rural areas in the United States. Drawing on a variety of data sources, the report finds that federal funds for social programs for the needy and community development have favored non-metropolitan areas. The report also notes that cost-of-living differences play a significant difference in this phenomenon. Visitors can read the entire 26-page report, or they may also wish to take a look at the 2-page summary document. [KMG]
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/domesday.asp
William the Conqueror had a considerable interest in the property holdings of his subjects, and around Christmas 1085 he decided to commission a great survey to discover just what resources were out among the boroughs and manors of England. The massive document that came out of this lengthy process was the Domesday Book. It has fascinated historians for centuries, and recently The UK National Archives created this online guide to the work. Visitors can take a look through the book via interactive features such as “Discovery Domesday”, which provides a bit of background on the work, complete with images from its pages. Additionally, the “World of Domesday” feature provides some contextual background for understanding what life was like for the people of 11th century England. Visitors can search across the Domesday Book in its entirety by place name, person, or other keyword. [KMG]
Started in 1991, Join Together is a program that operates under the direction of Boston University’s School of Public Health. Working with financial support provided by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the program was designed to provide information on community-based efforts “to advance effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention, and treatment.” The site contains numerous resources aimed at a number of different audiences, so it is perhaps best to start at the “What Can I Do?” tab, which features a drop-down menu that will help guide family members, health care professionals and others to the most pertinent and appropriate materials. The “Key Issues” area is another good way to learn about the group’s work, as it contains information on treatment medications and intervention techniques that they promote. Finally, the “Resources” area is definitely worth a look, as it features working papers and books that deal with the subjects of alcohol and tobacco addiction. [KMG]
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLACOFFICEOFCE/Resources/ClosetoHome.pdf
For many immigrant families, sending money back to relatives and friends in their country or region of origin is an important part of ensuring their success, along with increasing the possibility that they may be able to bring over family members in the future. Examining these payments, sometimes referred to as remittances, is of interest to a number of international organizations and think-tanks. Recently, the World Bank published a long report which looks at the practice of sending remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean from migrant workers living abroad. The report notes that in 2005 migrant workers from these two regions sent a total of $48.3 billion back to their home countries, but they also observed that their impact on the region has, in some cases, been overestimated. The report also notes that some positive effects of remittances include “higher savings, better access to health and education…and reductions in poverty and social inequality.” [KMG]
http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1384_leonardo/
Upon the most casual glance through this lovely and visually stimulating online exhibit, one might think that an equally appropriate title for such a venture might well be “da Vinci Comes Alive!” Designed to accompany an in situ exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, this multimedia tribute to da Vinci’s work includes a section where visitors can look over the Forster Codices in all of their exquisite detail. All told, they contain five notebooks filled with drawings and illustrations, all of which were eventually bequeathed to the Museum by John Forster in the late 19th century. Another feature on the site is the “Canal Challenge”, which lets users attempt to design a canal inspired by the work of da Vinci, and most importantly, to see if it works properly. The site is rounded out by a selection of electronic cards, the opportunity to win a trip to Italy, and a timeline of his life. [KMG]
Produced and maintained by the Election Reform Information Project, the Electiononline website details the latest news surrounding various issues surrounding election reform, whether its "absentee ballots or touchscreen machines, legislation or commission reports.” While most visitors may not be surprised that their headquarters are in Washington, DC, they will certainly be pleasantly surprised to find full-length reports in their “Publications” section on election reform (in all its many forms) and their “Resource Library”, which includes links to materials on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the election reform legislation database. Finally, as with most such civic-minded organizations, they also have a weekly electronic newsletter, which users can sign up to receive or they can just browse away through their archives. [KMG]
Getting students interested in applied and practical uses of math and science can be easier than having students just learn basic principles, although those remain very important to be sure. Almost ten years ago, NASA began their own online journal of just such examples for students, and titled it “Practical Uses of Math and Science”, or PUMAS. The project continues to be going strong, and educators and other members of the general public will appreciate looking over their archive of 64 examples currently available. On the site’s homepage, visitors can click on the “PUMAS Examples” area to read (and hopefully use) these pedagogical materials, which include such titles as “Coastal Threat: A Story in Unit Conversions” and “How Now, Pythagoras?”. [KMG]
The fields of gerontology and aging studies continue to grow quickly, and educators working in these fields will appreciate this particular set of instructional resources. Developed and maintained by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the American Society on Aging (ASA), these modules deal with trends in health care utilization, health-related behaviors, and health care expenditures of the United States population. Each module has been tested by a variety of professional educators, and currently there are eight modules available on the site. Based on data from the NCHS Data Warehouse on Trends in Health and Aging, the titles include “Life Expectancy and Mortality”, “Trends in Chronic Diseases among Aged Population”, and “Disability Trends Among the U.S. Aged Population.” [KMG]
