The BioEd Online site, created by the dedicated staff at the Baylor College of Medicine, is a veritable cornucopia of material for science educators. The lesson plans are all classroom tested and high-quality. This particular corner of the site focuses on the world of microorganisms. The site includes lessons, complete with video clips, slideshows, and .pdf files. The offerings here include...

The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, has recently released this curriculum supplement as part of a series designed to "deepen students' awareness of the importance of basic research to advances in medicine and health," as well as foster critical thinking and an understanding of how scientific discoveries affect their own lives. The Web site offers five...

This lovely offering from the MIT OpenCourseWare project takes interested parties through the world of biology via course readings, discussion questions, assignments, and exams. The topics cover genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, and evolution. The Study Terms section is quite useful, as it covers a host of useful terms from cell signaling, immunology, cancer...

This Web site from the American Museum of Natural History (last mentioned in the October 4, 2002 NSDL Life Sciences Report) provides an introduction to microbes, covering the three major types -- bacteria, viruses, and protists (protozoa). The site contains very brief but colorful and effective descriptions of each type of microbe. The use of animation in the Size-O-Meter feature help relate the...

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has worked to create this excellent series of articles that help explain "how basic biomedical research - from the history of a field to the people doing cutting-edge work today - lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention." First-time visitors might want to check out articles like "What Students Want to Know...

This National Institutes of Health website focuses on rare diseases, which are also called orphan diseases. The FAQs section in the About ORDR link states that a rare disease is a "disease or condition affecting fewer than 200,000 persons in the United States. An estimated 25 to 30 million people in the United States have a rare disease." Visitors will find that the information on this website is...

The NOVA Teachers site brings high-quality educational resources to teachers around the world. It's a great way for educators to find supplemental activities based on various NOVA programs. This section of the site focuses on activities related to the health sciences, which are divided into six areas, including Public Health and Disease. Each area contains six to 24 resources and a brief...

The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science has served as the repository of many a fine case study, and this recent addition to their site takes on the world of tropical disease. Created by Cathy Santanello and Jennifer Rehg of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, this study is set in Costa Rica and its narrative introduction will help draw students into the exploration of this...

The Harvard School of Public Health is renowned for its fine outreach programs, and in recent years has also initiated a strong online presence. That presence includes this well-designed site (created by the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention) which allows users to determine their potential risks for various diseases, including diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and strokes. By answering a few...