·http://www.asceville.org/resources.html

Do you want to help train the next generation of civil engineers? This website provides a plethora of high-quality, hands-on activities for just that purpose. The site has resources for educators, parents, and engineers. The Educators section contains classroom resources that include ZOOM into Engineering and West Point Bridge Contest. The real interactive gems are in the Digital Media area. Visitors can take advantage of playful experiences like It's Cool to Be A Civil Engineer and Designing a Roller Coaster. The Parents area includes some very fun activities parents can do with their children. All told, there are seven such low-cost activities with instructions, including Paper Bridge and Newspaper Tower All in all, it's a lovely site and one that will inspire future engineers and create new connections between educators and their students. [KMG]

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·http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/

This website was created by Professor Jon Mueller of North Central College in order to help fellow professors teach a range of social psychology topics to their students. The resources here are divided into 10 areas, including Online Lectures, Examples of Concepts, and Class Assignments. The site is updated frequently, and visitors can click through each of these sections to get a sense of the offerings. The Topics Resources area contains helpful links and activities related to conformity, aggression, and group influence. Moving on, the site also includes links to other teaching psychology sites, including Science of Relationships and the GoCognitive project, which offers an online center for teaching in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. [KMG]

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·http://www.anatomyarcade.com/

Anatomy truly gets interactive via these collection of fun and engaging games, videos, and other multimedia excursions. The site was created by Ben Crossett, a science teacher in Australia. Several years ago, he decided to craft some new resources like "Poke a Muscle" and "Whack-A-Bone" that would be both entertaining and educational. Visitors can look at the Games By Body System to get started, or they can also look over the Games By Type area. The types of games here include jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, word searches, and the nice catch all Just For Fun. The activities are also made interesting by the mere fact that they contain catchy visuals and jaunty tunes. The site also includes a place where teachers can offer feedback and an area just for students. [KMG]

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·http://www.aaes.org/

In 1980, the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) convened for the first time, hoping to become the voice of the engineering profession in the United States. Today, the primary goal of AAES is to advance the knowledge, understanding, and practice of engineering. On the website, visitors can make their way through six primary sections, including News, Meetings/Events, Publications, and Resources. This last area is a great place to start, as it contains instructional and professional videos from different related groups, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineering. The Working Groups/Committees area includes information on how different affinity groups (such as the K-12 Working Group) are assisting in advancing the cause of the engineering disciplines. The site is rounded out by the News area, which includes updates about the Association's latest partnerships and outreach efforts. [KMG]

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·http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-chemistry

Young people and others should know about the foundations of modern chemistry and this novel site from the Nuffield Foundation provides a nice mixture of resources to accomplish this goal. The Foundation partnered with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) to create this trove, which visitors will find easy to use and navigate. As the authors describe it, these practical activities are designed to "enable students to apply and extend their knowledge and understanding of chemistry in novel investigative situations." It's important to browse the Topics area, as this contains sections like States of Matter, Bonding, structure, properties, Analysis, Energy and entropy, and The Earth and atmosphere. The great thing about these activities is that they are self-contained, and they require only a modest investment in actual materials and educational background. Finally, the Standard Techniques area will help visitors learn some lab basics, including the heating of various substances, using thermometers properly, and the correct use of a Bunsen burner. [KMG]

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·http://libguides.northwestern.edu/Assessment

How does one conduct a collection assessment? It's a very timely question and one that is answered most thoroughly via this guide from the Northwestern University Library. Clicking on the What is in this Guide? link will help interested parties navigate the swath of material available here on topics like interdisciplinary analysis, qualitative methods, and how to interpret library data. As the materials are designed for library professionals and others in the information sciences, they may require a certain level of technical background in these areas. The materials are divided into eight sections, including Interdisciplinary Analysis, Comparative Analysis, and Cost Projections & Publishing Market. The guides within each area are spot-on and provide the necessary armature for those working in these fields. [KMG]

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·http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/micounty/

How does one tell the story of a county? It's a tough task, but the staff members at the University of Michigan's Library system worked with a range of partners (including the Michigan Council of Library Directors) to make these county histories widely accessible. On this site, visitors can look over 428 digitized titles that tell the history of the Wolverine State. Interested parties can perform keyword searches across all of these volumes or just browse around at their leisure. First-time visitors might do well to look at the "Account of Kalamazoo County" from 1928 and the 1900 tome "An account of Southwest Michigan and Calhoun County." Additionally, the site contains business directories for a number of communities across the state. These documents are a great way to learn about the retail and other commercial activities going on from the 19th to the early 20th centuries. [KMG]

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·http://www.getbodysmart.com/

The Get Body Smart site was created in 2000 by Scott Sheffield. He's been teaching human anatomy and physiology for over 20 years and the site is an important source of high-quality information on both fields. As it is an online textbook, the subject areas here on the homepage include Skeletal System, Nervous System, and Histology. Each of these areas includes an introductory tutorial, along with short quizzes designed to test the visitors on each topic. The site also includes a specific area dedicated just to quizzes, and it's quite useful for teachers seeking a way to keep students up-to-date. The site is rounded out by a social media section, along with a short selection of Related Links. [KMG]

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·http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out

Inside/Out is a collection of MoMA blog threads, where anyone willing to engage in polite conversation can get involved. A disclaimer on the website says, "INSIDE/OUT is a forum for informal conversations involving MoMA and MoMA PS1 staff, artists, invited guests, and visitors." Posts are organized into a number of different categories such as Artists, Behind the Scenes, or Collection & Exhibitions. It's also pleasant to simply browse and enlarge the current posts, each presented in snippet view with an image. One intriguing recent post is "Letter From Perth," notes from assistant curator Samantha Friedman, who just returned from installing the exhibition "Van Gogh, Dal?, and Beyond: The World Reimagined" at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Other posts of interest include "Billy Wilder's The Apartment," posted by Charles Silver, Curator, Department of Film, after screenings of Wilder's film at MoMA; and a report by artist Caroline Woolard about a new program at MoMA called Exchange Cafe.
[DS]

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·http://news.nnyln.net/

If you have ever dreamed of having access to over 2.3 million newspaper pages from 65 newspapers in northern New York, this website will make that dream a reality. Created and maintained by the Northern New York Library Network, the online collection contains historical newspapers from counties that include Clinton, Essex, Oswego, and St. Lawrence. The dailies here include the Clarkson Integrator, the Essex County Republican, and the Plattsburgh Daily Press. Visitors should not miss the How To Search area to get acquainted with the best way to access particular subjects of interest. Additionally, the FAQ area contains helpful links for those seeking to support the initiative through donations and other forms of aid. [KMG]

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·http://nutrias.org/photos/wpa/wpaphotos.htm

Over the course of the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) life, this government agency put thousands of artisans to work creating sculptures, writing travel books, and taking photographs. In Louisiana, the state headquarters of the WPA was located in New Orleans. During its existence, the headquarters sent out photographers to document all sorts of activity in the Crescent City. This collection brings together hundreds of the photographs crafted by these individuals in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The materials here are divided into over 40 different categories, including Airports, Bridges, Lakefront, Mattresses, and Levees. In each section, visitors can look through photograph descriptions, photograph date, available negatives, and other germane details. The site also contains a Parishes Outside Orleans area, which features about a dozen miscellaneous photographs. [KMG]

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·http://cdm16039.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p266101coll7

The state of Arkansas publishes hundreds of official newsletters, technical reports, and advisory documents each year. This archive contains over 6,100 of these documents, including the "2005 Arkansas Youth Tobacco Survey" and the "Spring 2001 Arkansas Wild Turkey Harvest Report." First-time visitors can look over the scrolling list of available documents here to get a feel for these materials. The site offers a great trove for those with an interest in public policy matters throughout the state and for students of state governance it is truly invaluable. [KMG]

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·http://floridamemory.com/collections/churchrecords/

Churches and other religious institutions are the lifeblood of any community in terms of the services and support they provide to their members. This rather remarkable collection features the Works Progress Administration from the State Library of Florida's collections. During the 1930s and 1940s, each state created a list of known churches and synagogues to be surveyed and organized by county. Based on these lists, survey workers ventured out into the field to document church histories and record holdings by interviewing clergy and congregation members. All told, there are over 5,500 separate records contained here, chronicling everything from tiny Baptist churches to prominent south Florida synagogues.

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·http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cookbooks/

The collection of cookbooks and other materials related to the culinary arts collected by Chef Louis Szathmary is quite a wonder. All told, the collection totals over 20,000 items and it is held by the University of Iowa Special Collections. This particular slice of these manuscripts includes over 100 items, including an English cookbook from 1650, an "American cookbook" from 1759, and a cookbook from a Illinois homemaker named Lydia Bauer. Visitors can browse the collection by century or by ethnic tradition, including Irish and English. Visitors are also encouraged to help out with access to these fine documents by offering to help transcribe these unique handwritten culinary chronicles. [KMG]

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·http://www.masshist.org/features/mourning-jewelry

Today the tradition of mourning jewelry may be a foreign concept to many. Centuries ago, it was more commonplace to wear rings, brooches, pendants, and other jewels in memory of family and friends. This fine digital exhibit from the Massachusetts Historical Society provides a nice introduction to this practice via dozens of items collected as part of the Society's work. The materials here are divided into four parts, including Colonial America & the Revolution, The New Republic, Jewelry Containing Hair, and National Mourning. Starting with the first section, interested parties will learn about the memento mori tradition, which is a Latin phrase meaning "Remember you must die." Visitors can also find much to be intrigued by in the National Mourning area. Here they can read about death bed memorial handkerchiefs created in the wake of George Washington's death and a locket containing the hair of Abraham Lincoln. [KMG]

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·http://www.chrysler.org/

The Chrysler Museum of Art is based in Norfolk, Virginia and its mission was greatly enhanced by a major gift from Walter Chrysler, Jr. many decades ago. Today, the museum holds one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of glass in the world, as well as galleries of ancient art, American painting and sculpture, and more. Visitors to the marvelous website can learn more about the museum and the nearby historic homes it operates. The sections of the site include Exhibitions, Our Collection, and Learning and Programs. This last area contains links to great activities such as Understanding Civics Through Art, Science of Glass, and A Growing Nation: 1789-1862. Visitors can also use the Search the Collection to look through over 90 percent of the museum's collection of decorative arts, paintings, and other items. [KMG]

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·http://criticmarkup.com/

Everyone's a critic, but some of those critics use Markdown, Sublime Text, or other text editors instead of word. The CriticMarkup tool allows authors and editors to track changes to documents in plain text, which is most useful. Visitors can use the program to highlight insertions, deletions, substitutions, and comments. To see a full list of tools that Critic Markup is integrated with, visit the website. [KMG]

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·http://www.photoblab.com/

Have you ever wanted to add audio to your photos? This is now very possible via the magic of PhotoBlab. This application allows users to add, edit, and share audio and photos with their followers via Twitter and other social media outlets. This version is compatible with devices running iOS 3.2 and newer. [KMG]

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In Brazil, Politics, Protests, and Uncertain Urban Features
http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/90767/in-brazil-politics-protests-and-uncertain-urban-futures/#.UcxqWpW_PCc

Middle class Brazil family explains why joined mass anti-government protests
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57591266/middle-class-brazil-family-explains-why-they-joined-mass-anti-government-protests/

Brazil?s President Dilma Rousseff promises major reforms
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23041235

FIFA says no alternative to World Cup in Brazil as protests continue
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-25/fifa-says-no-alternative-to-brazil-world-cup/4777546

Political economy and the Olympic Games
http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/political-economy-and-the-olympic-games

Cleaning up Brazil?s most dangerous favelas
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2342458/Cleaning-Brazils-dangerous-favelas-How-armed-police-waging-war-vicious-drug-cartels-rule-slums-Rio-fight-make-city-safe-eyes-world-turn-2016-Olympic-Games.html

Protests that began in S?o Paulo last week regarding rising public transportation costs have escalated into national demonstrations over more general issues, such as urban renewal and corruption. One of the main frustrations is that future international events set in Brazil are taking financial priority, despite the need for the funding of national healthcare and education. The hosting of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics serve as an international debut for Brazil as one of the world's future economic and political powers. This means increased spending and development to make Brazil's larger cities more accessible and attractive to the expected tourism boom next year. Protesters fear these urban renewal plans will lead to gentrification of poorer communities because previous hosting cities have realized similar effects after the games were over. Disruption of Brazil's favelas and slums could have long-term implications for residents displaced by rapid urban expansion. The government denies the allegations that the money funding the games would be better used to improve public services because the Olympics and World Cup are an investment in Brazil's future. However, the expected progress of these huge infrastructure projects may well be hindered by the games themselves as they can bring challenging costs to a host country. Still, plans for urban development offer numerous opportunities for architects and urban planners to change the dynamic of Brazil's major cities in revolutionary ways that will enhance, not destroy, the long standing culture that exists in Brazil. [AR]

The first link will take visitors to an interesting article about the recent protests and how these international events could affect Brazil's cities. The next link will take interested parties to an inside look at a middle class Brazilian family and their struggle to deal with the ever-rising cost of living. The third link is a piece about Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's promise for political reform in response to the protests. The next link will take users to an article about FIFA's reaction to the recent protests and how there is no alternative to Brazil hosting the World Cup. The fourth link is an excerpt from Sport and Public Policy about the impact of the Olympic games on a host city. The last link will take users to a piece about the crackdown on the drug cartels that rule Rio de Janeiro's slums in order to clean up the city before the Olympics.