September 2004 Web Site Reviews

   Reviews:

 
Art
English Language
General
Health & Wellbeing
Info & Com Tech
Languages
Math(s)
Performance Arts
Science
Social Science
Technology
  
Education
WebQuests
Asia & Asian
Aus & Aboriginal
• Christian Education
NZ & Maori
US & African
  
American

Search

Our 23 Quality Criteria

 

 

Art

ICT

Science

English Language

LOTE

Social Science

General  & Teacher sites

Mathematics

Technology

Health & Wellbeing

Performance Arts

 

  

Art

Comments

Beyond Geometry  http://www.lacma.org/beyondgeometry/index2.html

Beyond Geometry is an introduction to the “experimentation in abstraction” during the 1940s and 50’s.  Themes that are developed here include the object and the body, light and movement, repetition and seriality, the object redefined, and the problem of painting. Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRRR

Colour in Motion  http://www.mariaclaudiacortes.com/

In this animated and interactive experience students can investigate how colour communicates information and how it can be used as powerful symbolism in artworks.  Students can enter one of the three doors and discover these issues as well as how they can express emotions through colour. Ideal for year levels 7-10 RRRRR

The Great Buildings Collection  http://www.greatbuildings.com

This is one of the leading architectural reference sites on the Internet.  This gateway to architecture around the world documents 1000 buildings and hundreds of leading architects, with 3D models, photographic images and architectural drawings, commentaries, bibliographies,  web links and more, famous designers and structures of all kinds.  Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRRR

Virtual Arts Online Workshops  http://www.accessart.org.uk/online_workshops.html

Students and teachers will find here a wide range of online tutorials dealing with a range of topics and themes.  Students can investigate sculpture, photography, drawing, construction, colour theory, installation art . . . .  and much more.  You can search the database via theme or age range to find the most appropriate resources to help improve your artistic capability and knowledge.  Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Rainforest Drawing Lessons  http://www.chunkymonkey.com/murals/murallessons.htm

In this set of online drawing tutorials students can learn to draw foliage, primates, insects and flowers.

Ideal for year levels 2-6 RRRRR

Imagination at Work  http://www.imaginationatwork.com/

Here we have an excellent technology application which is very engaging even though the final result that you can  create isn't actually brilliant.  You can use your mouse to manipulate different pens to draw on-screen.  I can imagine that for a reluctant artists this may be an excellent approach for engaging them in artistic pursuits.

Ideal for year levels 0-8 RRRR

Kidz Draw http://www.kidzdraw.com

In this online environment students are able to create their own unique art pieces as well as learn how to draw.  The site is divided into three different age groups with activities, ideas and concepts which are appropriate to each of the levels.  This is a well-designed for students to pursue their independent interest in art.

Ideal for year levels 0-10 RRRR

Kids Paint Online  http://www.worldkids.net/art/artpaint.htm

Using a simple online tool set students can create online works of art using the tools provided here.

 Ideal for year levels 0-7 RRR

Mr Picassohead http://www.mrpicassohead.com

This is brilliant - so simple but so powerful. Students are provided with an abstract Picasso head with a collection of abstract Picasso eyes, noses, lips, eyebrows, hair pieces, and faces which they can combine together in various combinations to build a unique portrait.  There is also an excellent range of tools in which to add colour, scale object up and down, rotate and bring forward or backwards. Ideal for absolutely everyone! RRRRR+

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English Language

Comments

Spelling & Grammar Revision   http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/english/spelling/

Students can find here a collection of activities and tests dealing with spelling and grammar issues of compound and complex sentences, spelling and adjectives and adverbs. Ideal for year levels 1-5 RR

Word count http://www.wordcount.org/

Which are the words that we use most commonly in everyday language?  This wonderfully visual answer presents 86,800 of the most common words we use in everyday language.  The presentation of this information is brilliant and leaves a lasting impression. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Information Literacy Online http://infolit.unitecnology.ac.nz

Information literacy is now a core competency across many curriculum statements and with this comes many different models.  The model presented here – “The Three Doors to Info Literacy" by the author Gwen Gawith presents a three stage information literacy process for teachers and students.  There is also an excellent collection of information literacy readings here as well as an information literacy forum. Ideal for all year levels RRRR

Writing Revision  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/english/writing/

Students can find here a collection of activities and tests dealing with writing.  Students will find activities, worksheets and fact sheets dealing with story planning, beginnings and endings, factual writing, letter writing and leaflet writing. Ideal for year levels 1-5 RRR

Revising Reading  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/english/reading/

Students can find here a collection of activities, tests and worksheets dealing with aspects of reading such as deduction, poetry and non-fiction. Ideal for year levels 2-6 RRR

LuLu: Publish Your Own Work for Free  http://www.lulu.com/

If you have always wanted to publish your own work but could not find or could not afford a publisher then Lulu is the solution for you!  This web site provides you with all the tools you need to publish and retail your finished work to the rest of the world.  The world of the Internet allows you to do this simply and easily without any upfront costs.  Students can publish their work here and then sit back and see who is interested in reading their material. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

F. Scott Fitzgerald http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/index.html

1996 was the Centenary celebration for F. Scott Fitzgerald and this site is attributed to this well-known author. The web site presents a chronology of his works, the Fitzgerald collection, a brief biography, articles of essays, facts about Fitzgerald, quotations writings by Fitzgerald as well as voice and film clips. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRR

The Shakespeare Resource Centre  http://www.bardweb.net/

This encyclopaedic site deals with the man himself as well as his works and also includes plot summaries from all 38 works in the cannon.  The site also includes Shakespeare's will, debates over authorship, the history of the Globe Theatre, background information on Elizabethan England as well as a very interesting section entitled "a guide to the Bard's English". Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRRR

Antagonyms  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cellis/antagonym.html

You may well ask what an Antagonym is and you may be pleased to know that they are made up words to describe a word that has meanings that contradict each other.  For example the word apparent can mean not clear all certain "he is the apparent winner of the contest” as well as meaning obvious "the solution to the problem was apparent to all". Ideal for year levels 4-9 RRRR

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General & Professional Development

Comments

Interactive Guide to 21st-Century Learning  http://www.21stcenturyskills.Org/Route21/default.asp

The skills required to be a successful 21st-century learner or teacher are radically different to those that we applied in the 20th century.  The migration from one paradigm to another will be slower than we would like as it will involve a change in teaching and learning culture.  If you are looking for an effective guide to this process then this online resource will provide your staff with an excellent insight to the new skills, competentcies and and knowledge bases that  both teachers and students will require in this century in order be successful community members.  Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

Free Bibliography Creator  http://www.sourceaid.com/

Teachers and students can download from here a free bibliography creator and set of citation tools to help you cite sources with speed, accuracy and understanding.  With plagiarism becoming a major issue now this process needs to be part of basic ICT training.  This is an excellent, free tool for students to make use of.

Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

The Centre on Reinventing Public Education  http://www.crpe.org

The Centre on Reinventing Public Education studies major issues in education reform in order to improve policy and decision-making  in K-12 education.  Many schools are focusing on reinventing themselves to better meet 21st-century demands.  Research and working papers are available from this site will provide excellent background reading and assist in this process considerably. Ideal for teachers RRRRR

Citation Machine  http://www.landmark-project.com/citation_machine/

This is a free service.  Students are simply click on the resources that they wish to cite, complete the web form which prepares and then generates an automatic citation for students to include within their work. 

Ideal for all year levels RRRR

15,000 How-To Solutions  http://www.ehow.com/

Ever wondered how to . . . . . . You don't need to wonder any more. At this site there are 15,000 step-by-step how-tos covering every possible situation you could imagine, and probably some that you can't.

 Ideal for all year levels RR

Akiyoshi’s Illusion Pages  http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/index-e.html

These illusions are extremely clever and may have an almost hypnotic effect.  I am not sure what topic you could introduce them under, but they show how our eyes can be tricked into believing things that cannot possibly be happening.  Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRRR

The National College for School Leadership  http://www.ncsl.org.uk

The United Kingdom has done some tremendous work over the past ten years in coming to understand the nature of school leadership.  Much of this work is presented here online, at no cost for all school leaders to learn from and experiment with. There is information here on managing your school, leadership development, research and development, the knowledge pool as well as excellent interactive discussions. Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

Fun & Games for Thinking Students http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/emerson/Staffpgs/AlixPeshette/fun.htm

Students and teachers can find here a collection of links to web sites that encourage students to engage extrinsic thinking processes. Ideal for year levels 3-10 RR

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Health & Wellbeing

Comments

Marijuana: Special Report  http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/marijuana/marijuana.jsp

Only one thing is certain about the great marijuana debate: whether you are a prohibition focussed politician, or an ex-stoned hippie from the 70’s wanting to give out the drug for free, you are likely to have a lot more opinion on board than fact.  The focus of this web site is to introduce quantifiable data into the debate.  There are numerous reports quoted here that can contribute considerably to the debate. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRR

McGruff Child Safety Centre  http://www.mcgruff.org/

Teachers will find here an excellent collection of child safety resources will dealing everything from web safety, fire safety and personal safety.  The material is presented in an animated and very child friendly environment and contains a wide range of resources. Ideal for year levels 0-6 RRRRR

Cricket 365 News, Fun, Scorecards & Coverage http://www.cricket365.com

If you are looking for information on any aspect of cricket, on any cricketing nation then you will find plenty of information here as well as background information on major tournaments and cricket paraphernalia.

Ideal for year levels 4-12 RRRRR

Cyber Safe Schools http://www.netalert.net.au/01375-Cybersafe-Schools.asp

This Internet safety program is designed to help teachers and students with the safe use of the Internet.  It provides a range of teaching materials to assist in educating students effectively. Ideal for teachers RRRR

The Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/programsandtools/index.cfm

The Mayo Clinic provides an excellent set of resources here on a wide range of diseases and conditions as well as resources for healthy living and a wide range of health related tools.  You can also find here a wide range of calculators on everything from heart disease, skin type, calorie calculator etc. Ideal for year levels 8-12 RRRR

Tobacco.ORG   http://www.tobacco.org/

This organisation is dedicated to making sure that the general population understands the long-term effects of the choice to smoke, as well as pursuing the tobacco companies to ensure that those who purchase their product are fully informed of the potential dangers as well as holding them to account in the courts.  There are plenty of headlines as well as background information on smoking and the effects on health.
Ideal for year levels 8-12
RRR

Sun & Skin  http://www.biorap.org/tg/tgsuncontents.html

Rising skin cancer rates have triggered a more recent boom in skin research and related fields of science and medicine. This web site investigates what contributes to help the scheme, the effects of UV radiation and the depletion of the ozone layer, research from the lab and in the fourth lesson the reality of skin cancer.  This is an excellent collection of lessons/resources on this topic. Ideal for year levels 5-10 RRRRR

The Muscular System  http://webschoolsolutions.com/patts/systems/muscles.htm

This excellent and highly graphical site deals with muscle cell types, the musculoskeletal system-tissues, how we move, muscles by name, muscles by function, motor developmental milestones as well as extension activities.

Ideal for year levels 5-10 RRRR

Real News About Drugs & Your Body  http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/headsup/

In this drug education series the site introduces the brain, drug facts, personal stories, as well as activities and contests.  There is also an excellent collection of lesson plans and teacher support material and teaching strategies are also provided. Ideal for year levels 7-10  RRRRR

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Information & Communication Technology

Comments

Anim8or  http://www.anim8or.com/

Anim8or is a 3D modelling and character animation program that has been written, not as a commercial endeavour, but rather to provide a free software environment for people to explore the process of animation.  With over 120,000 downloads of this excellent software no doubt there are lots of new animation companies being established! - without doubt, many of these will be run by children who are still at school!  Students and teachers can download this excellent software from here no charge  Ideal for all year levels RRRR

Open Source Blogging Software  http://www.opensourceblog.com

Blogging has become  phenomenally popular in a very short space of time. Blogging has allowed an individual to launch their own web site to the rest of the world without necessarily understanding any of the underlying technology.  You can make your views known to the rest of the world, share your insights on almost any topic and comment on other people's insights simply and easily.  From this site you can download free software to run this service for your students. Ideal for all year levels RRRR

DeskPort   http://www.deskport.biz/

This free downloadable software provides you “browser-less" access to a wide range of resources such as maps and directories, search engines, travel, movies, television schedules.  Nice idea and excellent for United States users. Ideal for all year levels RRR

The Centre For Digital Education: Converge  http://www.centerdigitaled.com/converge/

This digital online magazine features articles and news about aspects of Digital Education.  It is in the form of an online blog and presents up-to-date information on evolving applications of Digital resources to the education market. Ideal for teachers  RR

SiteSucker  http://www.sitesucker.us/

With this Macintosh application you can automatically download and save web sites from the Internet onto your hard drive.  It does this by copying the site web pages, images colour backgrounds and other files to your local hard drive.  Simply enter a URL, click a button and the software will download the entire site for free. Make sure that you have permission of the site's author before doing this.  Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Ambleweb School Web Site  http://ambleweb.digitalbrain.com/ambleweb/ambleweb/index.htm

If you are looking for motivation and ideas for your school web site then this one will provide you with plenty!  With over 1000 pages on the School web site there is plenty here to keep everybody interested.
Ideal for year levels 0-7
RRRR

A Guide to 21st-Century Skills http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/Route21/GuideTOC.asp

Here is an excellent interactive online guide presenting a vision for the 21st-century school as well as background information on ICT literacy, professional development, the role of technology, 21st-century assessment and self assessment, capacity building etc Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

HTTrack Web Site Copier   http://www.httrack.com

You can download from here a free offline browser utility that allows you to download Internet web sites to your local directory.  Once you have downloaded the site you can use the site without being online.  Make sure that you have permission of the site's author before doing this.  This software can also resume interrupted downloads, is fully configurable and has integrated help system. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

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Foreign Languages (LOTE)

Comments

Foreign-Language Rubrics  http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/lang/rubrics/rubricindex.htm

Teachers will find here a set of of rubrics for scoring and evaluating student work.  By providing students with the rubrics before they prepare for a task, teachers communicate what  good performance looks like before the students are actually evaluated.  The rubrics provided here are based around issues such as interpersonal communication, culture,  presentation, written communication, constructive response as well as a rubric for the three P’s; Products, Practices, & Perspectives. Ideal for teachers  RRRR

Si Spain  http://www.sispain.org//

This interactive service promotes a free exchange of information on Spanish current affairs and its historical, linguistic and cultural development. The site presents a wide range of information in both English and Spanish dealing with geography, colour???, population, history, language, culture, colour politics, foreign affairs, economy, health, education, the media, travel . . .  Ideal for year levels 5-11 RRRR

Der Tagesspiegel Online   http://www.tagesspiegel-berlin.de

Providing language students with highly contextual translation exercises is important in order for them to understand the nuance and "common language" used in everyday life.  The use of online newspapers provides an excellent resource for doing such work.  This online German newspaper is very useful as it is very visual in nature with plenty of good photographs to accompany each story.  Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRRR

Learning Chinese Online  http://www.csulb.edu/~txie/online1.htm

Teachers and learners of the Chinese language will find a wide range of resources here.  This site deals with both  spoken and written forms of the language as well as providing some good exercises, grammar and listening exercises, pronunciation and links to online schools. Ideal for year levels 8-11 RRR

Numbers in Chinese  http://www.ocrat.com/ocrat/chargif/numbfram.html

Using animated Chinese characters this web site introduces students to counting in Chinese.  Whether or not the students are studying the Chinese language, this is a fantastic web site to introduce them to the complexities of Chinese symbolism in a fun and easy to relate to environment. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRRR

The Chinese Language  http://www.afe.easia.columbia.edu/china/language/teach.htm

The goal of this unit is not to teach Chinese per se, but to create appreciation for one of the world's oldest surviving languages and to encourage students to see a connection between language and culture.  Students are introduced to the language through transliterations as well as lessons on pronunciation and writing guides.  This is a very well structured web site and excellent introduction to the Chinese language and culture.
Ideal for year levels 6-10 RRRRR

Ressources de la Civilisation Francaise  http://www.urich.edu/~jpaulsen/civfrw3.html

Teachers of the French language will find an excellent collection of resources here dealing with everything from ancient French history, the Renaissance the French Revolution as well as contemporary France.  The site is in French  Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRR

The Japanese Page  http://www.thejapanesepage.com

There are thousands of pages here dealing with everything from interesting and strange Japanese words, grammar, Kanji, culture, electronic dictionaries, textbooks, magazines . . .  An excellent resource for the serious Japanese student as well as those wanting sufficient experience for them to be able to travel.
Ideal for year levels 4-12 RRRR

Kanji Alive  http://kanjialive.lib.uchicago.edu/

This is a searchable, Web based tool to help beginning and intermediate level students read and write Japanese kanji.  It is free, cross platform and does not require Japanese fonts.  This is an excellent piece of software which will greatly improve the student capability in learning Japanese.  Highly recommended.
Ideal for all year levels
RRRRR

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 Mathematics

Comments

The Statistical Maths Race  http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/mathsfile/shockwave/games/train.html

In this interactive game, students can see implications and applications of the concepts of mean, median and range.  By helping Pythagoras and Hypatia make their trains connect and arrive at their destination at the right time, students begin to develop conceptual understandings of these important concepts.
Ideal for year levels 5-9
RRRR

Revising Number  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/maths/number/

Students will find here an excellent collection of revision activities, fact sheets, tests and worksheets dealing with the number system, fractions, percentages, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, using a calculator, problem solving and number patterns. Ideal for year levels 3-8 RRRR

SuperMath Man  http://www.supermathman.com/

Here is an excellent collection of mathematical games which focus on building up mathematical principles of having a heck of a lot of fun at the same time. Bridge-It is a game which involves building the strongest possible bridge given a range of shapes and pillars.  Golf encourages students to estimate angles and distances in order to get their own hole-in-one.  The “Fraction Junction” builds up understanding and applications of  fractions while “The Decimal Detectives” go looking for a place to hide. Ideal for year levels 3-7 RRRRR

The Matrix Market: Algorithms for Linear Algebra http://math.nist.gov/MatrixMarket/

The Matrix Market is a visual repository of test data for use in comparative studies of algorithms for numerical linear algebra, featuring nearly 500 sparse matrices from a variety of applications, as well as matrix generation tools and services.  (No mention of the film of the same name; what were they thinking??).
Ideal for year level 12
RRRR

Revising Data Handling  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/maths/data/

Students will find here an excellent collection of revision activities, fact sheets, worksheets and tests dealing with interpreting data as well as the concepts of mode, median and mean. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRR

The Function Machine  http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/fm/

In this online activity students are required to try and work out the relationship between two different variables.  The function can be set by the teacher and then the students can enter values and try and evaluate what the function is that has created this set of values. Ideal for year levels 8-10 RRR

Online Solver Graphs  http://www.math.com/students/solvers/graphs/graphs.htm

The graph section allows students to plot equations on an x, y axis.  Both the qualities can be drawn.  You can also plot almost any function or relationship using the online mathematics tool as well as plotting inequalities.
Ideal for year levels 7-10
RRR

Revising Shape, Space & Measure http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/maths/shape/

Students will find here an excellent collection of revision activities, fact sheets, tests and worksheets dealing with the topics of measurements, shapes and angles.  Ideal for year levels 4-9 RRR

Understanding Algebra http://www.jamesbrennan.org/algebra/

The complete contents of this online algebra textbook are available from here.  This textbook is suitable for high school algebra or as a refresher course for students preparing for university or senior high school mathematics courses.  The full range of algebra topics are dealt with in this excellent text. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRR

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Music & Performance Arts

Comments

The Time Capsule: On This Day in History  http://www.dmarie.com/timecap/

You can select a day in history and this web site will present to you specific headlines, birthdays, songs, TV shows, toys and books that featured in the news on that selected date.  You can select from the year's 1800 to 2002. Ideal for all year levels RRR

Pianopedia http://www.pianopedia.com/

This search engine is designed for piano teachers and students, as well as performing pianists.  It can be used to explore the repertoire insurgent WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? for new work and to learn and perform.  It also serves as a detailed reference source for the classical piano repertoire.  With over 861 composers, 49 countries represented, 5200 works and over 14,000 movements or excerpts available on the database it is an impressive encyclopaedia.  Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRR

Music Theory Online  http://www.societymusictheory.org/mto/

This is a journal of criticism, commentary, research and scholarship associated with music theory. The site is fully searchable and also contains book reviews articles and commentaries. Ideal for year levels 8-12 RRRR

Theatre Through the Ages  http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Balcony/7634/index.htm

Theatre is an eclectic art form, employing music and dance in the production as well as the talents of the leading artists from outside the theatre.  With this in mind this web site investigates the origins of theatre, the architecture and staging, the centrepiece of the dramatic performance, as well as mime and pantomime, the impact of medieval drama and the Elizabethan Playhouse as well as humanism, music halls and vaudeville. 
Ideal for year levels 8-12
RRRRR

The Improv Encyclopaedia  http://www.humanpingpongball.com  

Here you will find tonnes of “stuff” related to improvisation theatre.  Look for improv games, handles, concentration exercises, drama techniques, character exercises, warm-ups, long form improv formats, improvised show formats, tips for improv workshops and much more.  Ideal for year levels 6-12 RRRRR

The Stage Crew: A Technical Theatre Web Project http://www.thestagecrew.com

If you are putting on your own theatrical production you'll be able to find here excellent background information on lighting, scenery and safety.  As well as basic information there are also sections dealing with lighting control, basic electronics, colour theory, building scenery and which materials to use to greatest effect.
Ideal for year levels 10-12
RRR

The MIT Theatre Arts: Stage Management Manual  http://web.mit.edu/mta/www/theater/Manuals/StageManagement/

This online manual contains the full text of the MIT Theatre Arts Stage Management manual, as well as a few extras.  The manual is divided into three sections.  The first section looks at pre-production, rehearsals, performances and postproduction and dance productions.  The second section looks at the psychology of stage management and the third section looks at safety regulations, templated forms and a bibliography.
Ideal for teachers and years 10-12 
RRRRR

Backstage: An Actors Resource  http://www.backstage.com

An excellent collection of resources for both producers and actors. Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRR

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Science

Comments

Solar System Exploration  http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=SolarSys&Display=Overview

Our understanding of the solar system has improved by leaps and bounds over the past 10 years with a variety of probes calling in on all the major planets, discovering new moons and extending our understanding considerably.  The Hubble space telescope, despite the information it has provided to us about the universe outside our solar system has reported back very little on our solar system in comparison as the planets reflect back such little light. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Revising Materials http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/science/materials/

Students will find here an excellent collection of revision activities, fact sheets, worksheets and tests dealing with grouping and classifying materials, thermal conductors, electrical conductors, solids, liquids and gases, changing materials, and separating materials. Ideal for year levels  RRRRR

Scripps Institute of Oceanography  http://scripps.ucsd.edu/

This is one of best-known oceanographic institutes in the world and this web site provides an overview of their research, an archive of the news that they have released, an excellent photographic library and a wide range of resources including topics such as "endangered oceans" and "organic origins".
Ideal for year levels 7-12
RRRRR

Birds, Birds, Birds  http://birds.fws.gov/

The United States fish and wildlife service presents an excellent resource here for anyone looking at the conservation, migration, hunting, photography associated with birdlife in United States.
Ideal for year levels 3-10
RRRRR

Frogs: A Chorus of Colours  http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/frogs/?src=e_ce

The range of colours amongst the frog population is absolutely stunning.  Frogs do not just come in "Kermit" green but rather a wide range of luminescent and vibrant colours.  The site features some of these unusual frog species as well as an excellent section dealing with their metamorphosis, how they may assist us in managing our ecosystems, as well as frog research.  Of interest to younger viewers will be the "frog cam" as well as the sounds that frogs make and frog fun facts. Ideal for year levels 0-8 RRRRR

Origins  http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/index.html

Explore the extraordinary places, people, tools and ideas behind the search for the origins of matter, the universe, and life itself.  This excellent web site features some incredible tools that man has built in order to discover his origins.  Whether it be super colliders that accelerate tiny particles almost the speed of light or the Hubble telescope or the largest radio telescope in the world, each of these tools has one simple objective: to try and understand where we are in the universe, who we are in the universe and what we are in the universe.
Ideal for year levels 5-12
RRRRR

Revising Living Things  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/science/living/

Students will find here an excellent collection of revision activities, fact sheets and resources dealing with life processes, food chains and classification, animals (teeth and nutrition), animals (bones and organs) as well as the section dealing with plants. Ideal for year levels 2-7 RRRRR

The Owl Pages  http://www.owlpages.com/

Owls have fascinated man from time immemorial: to some cultures they are symbols of wisdom, while to others they are harbingers of doom and death.  As well as mythology and culture, students will find here information detailing their physiology, nesting and lifestyle as well as an excellent collection of photographs and detailing the wide range of form that owls come in.  Ideal for all year levels RRRR

Strange Matter  http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/

As well as being an exhibit in the real world this web site presents an excellent collection of resources as a virtual annex.  Students can experience the structure of materials, examine the properties in the various materials, enjoy processing materials to create something new and explore the performance of various materials. 
Ideal for year levels 4-9 
RRRR

Dolphins Explored   http://animal.discovery.com/features/dolphins/dolphins.html

Dolphins are one of the most loved creatures in the world but what makes them appear so smart and what makes them different from us (in term of being bright)?  There are also plenty of dolphin facts available from here as well as a section on how they communicate.  Ideal for year levels 0-6 RRR

Revising Physical Processes  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/science/physical/

Students will find here an excellent collection of revision activities, fact sheets, tests and worksheets dealing with electricity, magnetic forces, gravitational and frictional forces, springs and directional forces, light, sound as well as earth in space. Ideal for year levels 5-10 RRRR

Dig Nubia: Exploring The Science of Archaeology http://www.dignubia.org/parentsteachers/mission.php

Through the use of ancient Nubia as a context for informal education activities, DigNubia serves to provide opportunities for audiences to make connections between the sciences in the humanities to explore the impact of scientific analysis on the interpretation of history and culture.  As well as being a real archeological dig and as well as being a physical exhibition, this online exhibition provides a wide range of resources on the science of archaeology. Ideal for year levels 5-10 RRRRR

Genetics Web Lab Directory http://www2.edc.org/weblabs/WebLabDirectory1.html

As a resource for students studying genetics this is a very powerful repository.  The level is introductory initially and then develops into more complex theory and applications.  Topics include Mendels peas, Dragon Meiosis, sex determination and linkage, incomplete dominance and co-dominance, punnett squares, DNA fingerprinting and acquired characteristics as well as much more.  Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRR

Australian Wildlife Cam http://www.gould.edu.au/wildlifecams/

Infrared cameras installed around the Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary provide an unprecedented view into the private lives of Australian animals.  The animals are wild and are free to come and gain as they choose so they may not always been animal in every nest box but this plenty of interesting things happening.  Animals include a bat, kookaburra, sugar glider, ants . . .  Ideal for year levels 0-9 RRRRR

The NASA Centre for Distance Learning  http://dlcenter.larc.nasa.gov/

NASA has several free online distance education programs that schools can opt into.  The focus here is on collaborative work for year levels 6-8, encouraging students to share insights and data that they collect with each other.  There is also the Learning interchange which provides an excellent set of tools and resources for teachers in the classroom to collaborate with each other. Ideal for year levels 6-8 RRRRR

AfriCAM   http://www.africam.com

Essentially you have here the world's first virtual game reserve with a wide range of low resolution cameras relaying video material from game parks for students to watch.  Some excellent scientific investigations can be done using this web site as a resource. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

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Social Sciences

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Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire  http://www.pbs.org/empires/japan/

At this site you can discover the ancient Japanese Empire where a country full of  warriors, scientists, artists and tradesmen lived in splendid isolation from the rest of the world for hundreds of years, creating a truly unique culture which would eventually contribute to almost all facets of global life today.  Excellent and informative web site with a great timeline to put everything into perspective. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRRRR

The Nature of Human Nature   http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/humannature/

It is all too human to ask what it means to be human and the focus of this group of articles looks at some of the science behind human nature.  Articles deal with the brain, our ancestors, gender and the mind.
Ideal for year levels 10-12
RRR

The Mongols in World History  http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/

The Mongol civilisation had a huge impact on global history and it began with a series of conquest's and then spread to cover almost a quarter of the world.  The Mongols didn't just have influence on the Chinese but also throughout the entire Asian continent.  This web site deals with the place of the Mongols in history, their conquest's,community key figures and their pastoral lifestyle. Ideal for year levels 5-12 RRRRR

Nostalgia Central  http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/

It can be is quite scary to visit the web site that talks about nostalgia and then realise you recognise almost everything the site is talking about!  If you want to see how social attitudes have changed to the 60’s, 70s, 80’s and 90s then you'll find an excellent collection of resources here which showed just how quickly we have changed and are still changing. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRRR

Climate Change http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/climate/

Burning fossil fuels via cars and for power production is so easy and it has turned out to be a recipe for ecological disaster.  The air is warming and the pace of the warming is quickening.  Where will it end?  Tune in here to find out the science and behind the concerns and to see whether or not we are really having an effect on the climate of the scale the tabloid newspapers would have us believe. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRRR

European News  http://www.euronews.net/

All too often our perspective of the world is skewed by America's dominance of global news networks.  This web site provides a more European view of the world with a focus on European issues, news and events.
Ideal for year levels 7-12
RRRR

Castles of France  http://www.a-castle-for-rent.com/castles/

At this site you'll find over 200 photographs of castles, and the cities where you can find them in France.  The beauty and the romance we associate with castles can really only be appreciated in the European summer as in the winter they acted as massive refrigerators!  A great site that maintains the romanticism associated with these impressive structures. Ideal for year levels 2-8 RRRR

Armenian House  http://armenianhouse.org

This is an electronic library featuring a seat collection of documents on Armenian literature, history, religion and anything else Armenian related. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRR

The Grand Canyon: Hidden Secrets  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/grandcanyon/

The Grand Canyon is an awesome spectacle and it is a tribute to the power of erosion that can create beauty with spectacular results.  This web site deals with some of the hidden secrets of the Grand Canyon which provides us with insights into the geological history of both this area and our world in general.
Ideal for year levels 4-10
RRRR

Canadian History  http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/

The McCord museum web site offers numerous resources for exploring Canadian history, including "keys to history", a database of 90,000 images (2000 of which are fully documented), as well as virtual exhibitions.  The site contains excellent background information for teachers including a pedagogical guide.  You also find here an excellent range of interactive games that stimulate curiosity and questioning as well as activities that include observation and manipulation of information. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRRR

Legends of Tuskegee  http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/tuskegee/

Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver and the Tuskagee airmen all had one thing in common; they were all involved at the heart of the Tuskegee Normal School for Coloured Teachers.  Booker T. Washington established the school and bought the best and brightest African-Americans to work with them to fulfil his mission of educating African-Americans self-sufficiency.  It is not surprising that the Institute, with its respected aeronautical engineering program became the flying school for one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II, the Tuskegee airmen. A fascinating and inspirational story.  Ideal for year levels 8-12 RRRRR

The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection  http://www.davidrumsey.com/cartographica.html

Old maps and new technology combine to provide an extraordinary view of American history.  This web site, based on the book Cartographica Extraordinaire presents a wonderful collection of historical maps that are used as time machines, transporting you back hundreds of years into the past showing extraordinary views of history through the eyes of the map makers of the time.  Ideal for year levels 8-12 RRRRR

The Siege & Commune of Paris 1817-1871 http://www.library.northwestern.edu/spec/siege/

This site contains links to over 1200 digitised photographs and images recorded during the siege in commune of Paris.  The resource is fully searchable under the headings of portraits, landscape/architecture, political caricatures and documentation. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RR

The Battle of Britain History Site  http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/bobhome.html

These pages are a catalogue of the official reports of the most important event in the British Royal Air Force history - the battle fought over Britain between the 10th of July and the 31st of October 1940.  For the first time, the complete fighter command operational diaries for the period had been published in full, day by day over the whole period of the battle. Excellent background information on this time in history and presented in a very powerful format. Ideal for year levels 6-10 RRRRR

Weather Watch: An Interactive Weather Project  http://www.cyberbee.com/weatherwatch/

Understanding global whether is quite a challenge!  We tend to understand the world's weather based on our own experiences.  Many students believe that if it is a sunny day where they are, then it must be sunny everywhere throughout the world.  In this online environment, students can exchange weather information across climate zones in this international collaborative project.  This allows them to predict, track and research global whether by asking questions gathering, comparing and collected data. Ideal for year levels 3-9 RRRRR

Ancient Greece  http://www.ancientgreece.com

Students and teachers will find here an excellent set of resources dealing with Greek art and architecture, geography, mythology, people, wars, history and the Olympic Games.  Ideal for year levels 3-12 RRRRR

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Technology Education

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Cloning & Stem Cell Research  http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/cloning/

Nearly every month, there is news of a cloning technology that is poised to change our lives.  From agriculture to medicine, from psychology to law, there seems to be an impact for almost everybody on these two high-profile technologies.  The ethics of cloning and stem cell research has only been debated at a very shallow level to date and the debate needs to be better informed both scientifically and philosophically.  An excellent set of articles here will provide students with good background information. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRRR

Battle of the x-planes  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/xplanes/

When the United States decided that it was time to purchase the next generation fighter jet, the two aviation giants, Lockheed Martin and Boeing started a development and bidding war which would result in in only one winner.  This web site describes that process and in particular looks at issues such as "stealth", wing design and pilot safety.  Excellent background information and resources. Ideal for year levels 8-10 RRR

Emerging Technologies  http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/tech/

It is said that technology is the engine of modern economies.  But how do you track its progress?  How does anyone keep up with the never-ending emergence of new technologies?  This web site is dedicated to keeping people up to speed with emerging technologies in the fields of nanotechnology, security and defence, medical, biotechnology, transport and energy, aviation and aerospace, competing???, communications, as well as the plethora of new gadgets and inventions. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRRR

The Internet Museum of Safety Razors  http://www.creekstone.net/razors/main.htm

This web site just goes to show the iterative path that any product takes during its journey of constant improvement.  The safety razor is a classic example of a very simple product with one fixed objective but somehow there seems to have been thousands of improvements over a couple of hundred years.
Ideal for year levels 7-10
RRR

The Design Addict Homepage  http://www.designaddict.com

If you are looking to encourage students to reflect on design in almost any context then you will find this web site an excellent resource.  There are links here to famous designers, objects that have been noted for their intrinsic design properties, exhibitions, forums for discussion as well as links to a wide range of design web sites.
Ideal for year levels 7-12
RRRRR

Motoring Technology http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/cars/

The technology that is displayed on the Formula One racing circuit is having an effect across the entire automobile industry.  At this web site, topics discussed and researched include designing for safety, alternative fuels and green machines (not just the colour).  Fascinating background information here in on the developments that are beginning to appear in the local car lot. Ideal for year levels 4-11 RRRRR

Transportation Futuristics http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/news_events/exhibits/futuristics/overview/

The problem that many of us face each day is how to get from point A to point B the in the least amount of time and with the least amount of trouble.  This simple requirement has inspired many to dream of marvellous ways in which to solve this problem.  This online exhibit examines some of the efforts to address transportation needs in ways that didn't quite get off the ground literally or figuratively.  At this site you can look at advanced monorails, maritime solutions, helicopters and travelling machines which simply do not fit into any particular category at all.  Great motivator and discussion starter. Ideal for year levels 3-12 RRRRR

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