Research and Education
http://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol/aearhart/
Purdue University contains the largest collection of Amelia Earhart's ephemera, memorabilia, and artifacts, which is in no small part related to Earhart's time spent as a lecturer at the university. Although the entire collection is not available online, more than 3,500 maps, photos, and other documents are, including personal documents, such as her prenuptial agreement, personal correspondence, and marriage license. Visitors can familiarize themselves with Earhart's 40-year life, by clicking on the "Timeline" link on the left side of the page. To view photos of her many medals, visitors should go to the "Medals" link on the left side of the page. Visitors shouldn't miss looking at the interactive map of her last journey, by clicking on the "Map" link on the left side of the page. Using their mouse, visitors can click on the cities Earhart stopped in, read a brief description of the flight, and view photographs and documents related to that stop. Clicking on "Next City" or "Previous City" will take visitors to Earhart's other stops, without going back to the map. Finally, the "Other Sites" link on the left side of the page offers links to dozens of other relevant sites that deal with Amelia Earhart. [KMG]
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/
The Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has a feature on their website on backyard conservation. Conservation practices used on agricultural land throughout the country have been adapted for the smaller scale of backyards. Not only can visitors download and print out a 28-page booklet in English or Spanish, but they can also download and print out eight tip sheets on backyard conversation. Information on how to order the free above-mentioned material, through the mail, is also provided. Using the link in the middle of the page, "See More Tips and Topics on Backyard Conservation", visitors can read over 30 archived tips and topics, including "Invite a Toad to Dinner", "Selecting the Right Tree", and "Dream Yard". For teachers, the link "Backyard Conservation Lesson Plans" in the middle of the page provides a variety of lesson plans. Some of the lessons included are "Team Flight", which is about birds; "Growing Native", which is about native plant communities; and "Backyard Conservation and Local Laws", which is about how community laws may help or hinder backyard conservation efforts. A mock city council hearing is the final activity of the lesson. [KMG]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/class/
This site allows visitors to view the recently broadcast film, A Class Apart, which is part of PBS's American Experiences series. The film tells the story of a murder in 1950s Texas that brought to light the "Jim Crow-style discrimination against Mexican Americans" that existed especially in Texas, but also throughout the U.S. The issue that a group of Mexican American lawyers took to the Supreme Court was that the accused, a Mexican American, would be tried by an all-Anglo jury, rather than a true jury of his peers. They won, and gained 14th amendment protection for Mexican Americans. To learn more about the historical context of the film, visitors can click on "Introduction" under the "About this Film" heading at the bottom of the homepage. Also under the "About this Film" heading, visitors can click on "Photo Gallery", which has photos of the main people in the case, along with captions that summarize how and why they were involved. Under the "Learn and Explore" heading, visitors can click on "Teacher's Resources" to find some great discussion questions, a classroom activities guide, and suggestions for further reading. [KMG]
http://www.ifs.du.edu/index.aspx
International Futures is a computer simulation of global systems for classroom or research use that aids in long-term forecasting and analyzing global trends. The global modeling system shows how subsystems, such as demographics, economics, energy, agricultural, social, and environmental interact in the global system. The model can be used online or via a downloadable version, by clicking on "Use IFs" in the menu on the left side of the page. Also in the menu is "IFs Help", which takes the visitor to the very important help system that is necessary for a model as complicated as this one. Under the "Community" tab, visitors will find that the community is divided up into several categories, including "Users" and "Modelers". At the "Documents" tab visitors can find "Reports" link, which cover IFs Structure, IFs Analysis and Student Papers, and they are all downloadable as pdf files. Also, under the "Documents" tab is a link to "Syllabi", which has a dozen syllabi from universities throughout the U.S. that have used IFs in a course. Visitors interested in submitting their own syllabi are encouraged to do so via e-mail. [KMG]
http://pewresearch.org/interactive/
The Pew Research Center is a reliable and trustworthy source of high-quality reports and research materials, and their new Interactive website raises the bar for other like-minded organizations. Taking data from their research results, the good folks behind the Interactive site have crafted tests, maps, data, and quizzes that allow users to manipulate different variables. It could be said that the site makes the data come alive, and visitors can look at maps that visualize the migration flow patterns within the United States, Latino population dispersion, and even map out opinions related to different countries views on the United States. Visitors can also sign up to receive the RSS feed from this site and also chime in with their own opinions and comments. [KMG]
http://cmip.library.cornell.edu/
In the 1950s, a group of scholars in Cornell University's Southeast Asia Program initiated the Cornell Modern Indonesia Project (CMIP). The intent of the program was to make contemporary analyses of Indonesia available to scholars and students. The titles were digitized by the Cornell University Library, and this marvelous collection represents the fruits of their endeavors and captures "the drama of Indonesia's political and social evolution through the twentieth century." Some of the topics covered include the development of Indonesian civil government, their civil insurgencies, and the Japanese Occupation. Visitors can search the collection, or they can also browse through the offerings here, which are arranged by author name and title. Visitors who are finding themselves a bit lost should also feel free to click on the "Help" section for hints on searching through the site and viewing and navigating these documents. [KMG]
Recently, the U.S. State Department revamped their website to include more video features, and these additions will be a real boon to members of the general public, journalists, and policy analysts. The videos are divided into four primary categories: "Top Stories", "Secretary of State", "Daily Briefing", and "In Other News". As one might imagine, the "Daily Briefing" contains a short briefing from a State department official on the pressing matters of the day. The "Secretary of the State" section features remarks by the Secretary on various diplomatic matters, missions, and other work. Most people will probably want to visit the "Daily Briefing" video area, as it’s a good way to get a sense of the current priorities of the Secretary of State's office. Interested parties can also sign up to receive RSS feeds of these various proceedings. [KMG]
http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/bp/bp010.pdf
The goal of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is to seek "sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty." Their work is supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, which is an alliance of 64 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations. A substantial part of their work involves performing and disseminating research papers and policy briefs for different stakeholders. This 4-page policy brief was published in February 2009, and was written by Joachim von Braun and Maximo Torero. In the brief, the authors look at ways in which various governments and non-governmental organizations might be able to avoid international food price crises in the future. The report looks at recent food price spikes and the role that speculative capital has played in the past, along with advocating the creation of reserves in order to avoid future crises. [KMG]
