http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/geotour/Pages/Index.aspx

There are many great ways to learn about the geological history of California, including reading some of the works by noted writer John McPhee. Additionally, the state of California's Department of Conservation has created these very fine online geologic field trip guides. It might be more accurate to say that the site is an interactive index of web pages that contain geologic field guides containing photographs, maps, texts, and directions for local natural features from Humboldt County down to the Inland Empire. The index is organized into geographic regions collectively referred to as the "Geomorphic Provinces of California". Additionally, these geological areas are subdivided into groups like Owens Valley, Lassen Park, and Point Reyes. Overall, it's a great resource, and one that will be appreciated by just about anyone with a penchant for geology or the Golden State. [KMG]

http://public.resource.org/

The tag line of the pro-public domain Public.Resource.Org is "Making Government Information More Accessible." The site has an agency directory that denotes the agency by its web address, which may initially look daunting, with the alphabet soup that make up the names of government agencies. However, Public.Resource.Org gives the visitors clues to the meanings of the potpourri of letters in their agency directory when the web address is rolled over. By rolling over each agency, and the seal above the directory changes from a smiling seal (the aquatic animal) to the logo of the agency. So, visitors will soon learn that bsc.ca.gov is the site for California Building Standards Commission, fjc.gov is the site for the Federal Judicial Center, and so on. Each agency site has "commentary" by Public.Resource.Org that relates their past and present trials and tribulations with getting the documents and work of the agencies into the public domain. To view the latest in government videotapes, visitors can click on the FedFlix link on the bottom far right side of the homepage. Currently, there are over 500 Flix on the Internet archive. [KMG]

http://www.kcnn.org/open_government/

As more and more citizens decide to use both new and traditional media to engage in investigative reporting, they may wonder how they can find out more about governmental activities. The Citizen Journalist's Guide to Open Government, provided by the Knight Citizen News Network, is an excellent place to start. The guide is divided into ten "doors", covering everything from "Access to Courts" to "Following Up on Records Requests". Behind each "door" visitors can take part in interactive learning activities, watch video clips featuring interviews with experts, and just generally learn about how to secure access to crucial documents, meetings, and court reports. Finally, visitors won't want to miss their weblog, which provides users with a place to ask questions about government records, meetings, or courts. [KMG]

http://www.learner.org/resources/series67.html

Teaching creative thinking through American film is a worthy idea, and this educational resource from the Annenberg Media group is quite a find. Produced by the New York Center for Visual History along with KCET/Los Angeles and the BBC, this thirteen-part series contains 10 one-hour and 3 half-hour video programs. Visitors will need to register to watch the programs, but after doing so they can watch all of them in their entirety, and they may also view special extras, like the classroom exercise "Writing a Scene". The programs cover topics like "The Western", "The Studio System", and "The Film School Generation". Along the way, visitors will also hear from a variety of Hollywood insiders, including Steven Spielberg and James L. Brooks. [KMG]

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/structure/teaching_geo_map_interp.html

The Structural Geology Resources Collection at Carleton College presents a wide cornucopia of material, and this latest addition adds another new facet to their collection. These two new resources utilize Google Earth in order to help college students learn about geologic map interpretation, and they were created by Barbara Tewskbury at Hamilton College and Charlie Onasch at Bowling Green State University. After reading the brief introduction to these two instructional resources, visitors can click on each one to learn about their respective goals and methodology. [KMG]

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/carbonsequestration.pdf

The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service produces new and compelling research on the world of sustainable agriculture and organic farming. Recently, specialists Jeff Schahczenski and Holly Hill wrote this 16-page paper on "the relationship between agriculture, climate change and carbon sequestration." Broadly speaking, the paper looks at the science of climate change and also answers questions such as "How does agriculture influence climate change?" and "How does climate change influence agriculture?". Using a range of graphics and charts, the report answers some of these timely questions along with pointing the way forward to how farmers and the government might work on subsidizing positive behavior regarding carbon taxes and other matters. The report is a thoughtful one, and it's something that policy specialists and those with an interest in agriculture will want to pass along to their colleagues. [KMG]

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/ssspot/

In 1948, University of Texas Professor George I. Sanchez was interested in commissioning a set of photographs for his forthcoming "Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas". The study was a socioeconomic work aimed to educated public officials and bureaucrats about the growing Spanish-speaking populace of the Lone Star State. Sanchez was a firm believer in the power of photographs to portray various social milieus, so he contracted with photographer Russell Lee to craft such a collection of images. This site presents over 900 photographs taken by Lee, along with information about Lee and his work. Visitors can read a biography of Lee here, and look at some photo essays organized by city, including Corpus Christi and El Paso. The site also provides a selection of lesson plans for teachers and a finding aid. [KMG]

http://exhibits.slpl.org/steedman/elements.asp

What is the difference between a Doric and a Corinthian column? How have architects used windows to increase the beauty and functionality of buildings? These questions (and many others) are answered by this exemplary website created by the St. Louis Public Library. This online exhibit draws on the George Fox Steedman Architectural Collection, which was donated to the Library in 1928. The Collection contains drawings and renderings from early Frank Lloyd Wright editions and Gustave Eiffel's book on his Tower. Images from these works are used in the four areas of this site, which include "The Dome", "Waterworks", and "Letting in Light". "Letting in Light" is a lovely place to start, as it provides a breezy tour through the use of windows by the Romans all the way up to innovations of more modern times. Within each section, visitors can zoom in on each document and they can also read a bit of background information on each item. [KMG]