Geology.com

News and information about geology and earth science. Published by Hobart King .... he is "a licensed professional geologist in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has published Geology.com since 2005"

http://geology.com/

Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature

"The Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature project aims to help resolve criticisms of the temperature record and lower the barriers to entry into climate science"... " Berkeley Earth has just released analysis of land-surface temperature records going back 250 years, about 100 years further than previous studies..."

http://berkeleyearth.org/

Teaching Advanced Physics

 Maintained by staff members at the Institute of Physics, the Teaching Advanced Physics (TAP) website provides a wealth of resources designed to help teach physics to advanced high school and college students. The materials here are divided into seven sections, including Electricity, Mechanics, Vibrations and waves, and Energy. Within each of these sections, visitors will find smaller "episodes" which represent a coherent section of teaching that can be covered in one or two lessons. Each episode includes illustrations accompanied by explanatory text that can be used to complement an existing lesson plan. The extensive site covers over 30 topics, including circular motion, Newton's law, drag forces, and kinematics.
http://tap.iop.org/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. 

https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

National Nuclear Data Centre

The National Nuclear Data Centre (NNDC) is a comprehensive, web-based nuclear data resource. It collects, evaluates and disseminates nuclear physics data for basic nuclear research and for applied nuclear technologies. The information available to the users of NNDC services is the product of the combined efforts of the NNDC and cooperating data centers and other interested groups in the United States and worldwide.

The NNDC specializes in nuclear structure and low-energy nuclear reactions, nuclear databases and information technology and nuclear data compilation and evaluation. 

http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/

Futurity

The Futurity website features "the latest discoveries by scientists at top research universities in the US, UK, Canada and Australia." Currently, some of the participating universities include Boston University, Duke University, McGill University, and the University of Sheffield. Visitors to the homepage will note that there are four areas on the site: Earth & Environment, Health & Medicine, Science & Technology, and Society & Culture. Recently profiled news items include a compelling new discovery from New York University about the reality of a tractor beam that can pull microscopic particles. The Society & Culture section is a real find, as it contains engaging pieces like "Is zero tolerance too hard on students?" and "Big banks loom over finance 'ecosystem'." Also, visitors can browse news items by school or by topic area. Finally, the Week's Most Discussed area is a great way to learn about compelling new stories from around the globe.

http://www.futurity.org/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012.  https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Learn Chemistry: Chemistry Resources for Teachers

The Royal Society of Chemistry has created this most useful website to help teachers and students of chemistry learn about the field via interactive experiments, diagrams, animations, and so on. The site includes over 3,300 resources for school and higher education classes. Visitors can get started by using the Resource Type tab. Here they can browse through ten different headings, including Worksheet, Quiz, Tutorial, and Podcast. The Experiments area is quite wonderful, as it includes over 340 different experiments that can be conducted in the classroom.

http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resource/listing?searchtext=&fcategory=all&filter=all&Audience=AUD00000001&displayname=teachers

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

BBC Science in Action: Podcasts & Downloads

The BBC has gone above and beyond the call of duty with these wonderful podcasts that deal with various new developments in science from around the world. The series is called "Science in Action" and a new podcast is added every week. Recent episodes have dealt with theories of supersymmetry, climate records, Mayan civilization, and how different meteorological events have influenced the course of history. Each podcast is a neat and tidy eighteen minutes long, and the online archive contains episodes from the past month. Also, visitors can view a set of related links, which include the complete listing of podcasts from the BBC World Service and a link to the Science in Action homepage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/scia

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Zooniverse

Are you bored over the holiday season and needing your science fix?  Do you want to help with research and have fun?  How about scratching that itch to sort things?

The Zooniverse is home to the internet's largest, most popular and most successful citizen science projects.  Current projects include helping to find planets around stars, classifying tropical cyclone data, sorting whale sounds, and more. If you're new to the Zooniverse, pick a project and dive in.  Some projects do require you to sign up for free, but the same account will get you into all of the projects, and you can keep track of what you've contributed by watching 'My Zooniverse'.
 https://www.zooniverse.org/

e! Science News

There is no human editor behind e! Science News; it is powered by the e! news engine, a fully automated artificial intelligence. e! Science News constantly surfs the web to gather, regroup, categorize, tag and rank science news from all major science news sources.
It computes relationships between science articles and news found on the web using a vector space model and hierarchical clustering. It then automatically determines in which category each news item belongs using a Naive Bayes classifier. Finally, it examines multiple parameters (such as timeliness, rate of appearance on the web, number of sources reporting the news, etc) for each news group. The result is an e! score which represents the relative importance of a news item.
http://esciencenews.com

Probability Resources

This collection from the MAA Mathematical Sciences Digital Library brings together probability resources from a wide range of sources. First-time visitors can look through topics such as basic probability, games of chance, various discrete and continuous distributions, and more. As they browse around, visitors will notice that each resource has a title, a format, a rating, and a link to more information. The formats are quite diverse, and include interactive graphics, instructional fact sheets, and so on. All told, there are several hundred resources here that could be used in high school and college mathematics classrooms. Perhaps the most interesting sections here are the Famous Problems, which include the celebrated Monty Hall problem and the "birds on a wire."

http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/61/?pa=newCollection&sa=viewCoursePage&courseId=9

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Berkeley Lab: Center for Science and Engineering Education

At the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the staff members are always looking for ways to create valuable, high-quality educational products for educators. This website provides interested parties with materials created by the lab's Center for Science and Engineering Education (CSEE). On the website, visitors can find sections that include High School Students, Teachers, and Undergraduates & Graduate Students/Faculty. In this last section, visitors can learn about undergraduate laboratory internships and researcher programs offered by the CSEE. The Programs link will take visitors to a listing of offerings by name (such as Science Bowl) and type. Visitors should't miss the Educational Resources area, which includes links to helpful handouts and activities, such as "Energized Learning" and "Hands-On Universe."

http://csee.lbl.gov/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Computer Science Unplugged

If you've ever dreamed of seeing computer science in an informal and "unplugged" setting, this website is for you. Computer Science Unplugged (CS Unplugged) is "a project that provides free games and activities to communicate Computer Science concepts to students of all ages." The site contains 50 different videos in a range of languages and topics like cryptography, binary numbers, and computer programming. Visitors can also look through the Featured Playlists area, which contains a variety of the CS Unplugged staff's favorite videos. One of the cool things about the site is how interactive the videos are, featuring young people learning about computer science through group activities, games, and treasure hunts.

http://www.youtube.com/csunplugged

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

American Society for Engineering Education: Blogs & Newsletters

The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) has an ambitious and dedicated public outreach program to extend their mission to both their members and those who might wish to learn more about their work. Here, interested parties can read a variety of publications, including the "ASEE Connections Newsletter," "First Bell Newsletter," "Capitol Shorts Newsletter," and "The Accelerator Newsletter." The "First Bell Newsletter" is a good place to start, as it contains news prepared "exclusively for the engineering and technology education community." Moving on, "The Accelerator" is a fine monthly e-newsletter that keeps "engineering students informed and helps them connect and succeed." It's full of the latest news affecting student life, engineering, and higher education, along with details on scholarships and tips on career planning. Finally, the "Capitol Shorts" contains information intended to keep deans and department chairs abreast of important developments in Congress and federal agencies affecting engineering education and research.

http://www.asee.org/papers-and-publications/blogs-and-newsletters

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Transition Mathematics Project

The Transition Mathematics Project (TMP) was created in 2004 "to help students successfully progress from high school math to college-level math." Since its inception, TMP has worked with a range of partners including high school and college math educators. First-time visitors should check out the 'Curriculum and Instructional Materials' section and the Resources area, which includes a number of useful tools such as "Agile Mind" (a web-based platform for educators to develop contextually rich math curricula and instructional materials). The Communication area features a semi-annual newsletter and a compilation of current "Math in the News" articles and publications related to TMP.

http://www.transitionmathproject.org/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

MIT OpenCourseWare: Introduction to Electric Power Systems

This fine course is offered as a welcome addition to MIT's OpenCourseWare initiative. The materials from this version of "Introduction to Electric Power Systems" are from the iteration taught by Professor James Kirtley in Spring 2011. On the site, visitors can look over the syllabus, the course calendar, readings, assignments, and quizzes. The topics covered here include load flow, power electric motor drives, and polyphase networks. The site also includes a number of problem sets, along with their accompanying solutions. Visitors can look over the readings and provide feedback on the course to the site administrators.

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-061-introduction-to-electric-power-systems-spring-2011/ 

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Shortest Paths, Soap Films, and Minimal Surfaces.

You know you're in for a real treat when a lecture starts off with "I just happen to have with me today this bucket filled with soap solution, water, and some glycerin." That happens to be the opening line from a talk given by Professor Michael Dorff at the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). Dorff's talk was quite hands-on and it included a number of skeletal Zometool creations and deconstructed Slinkies, among other items. The title of the talk was "Shortest Paths, Soap Films, and Minimal Surfaces" and it is available here in its entirety. In the lecture, Dorff talks (and demonstrates) the shortest distance between four points, neighborhood accessibility, and a number of fascinating topics.

http://www.maa.org/news/2012ch-dorff.html

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu

Green Chemistry Teaching Resources

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has created these excellent resources via the Green Chemistry Institute and the ACS Education Division. The goal of these materials is "to increase awareness and understanding of Green Chemistry principles, alternatives, practices, and benefits within traditional educational institutions and among practicing scientists." In the Online Resources section, visitors will find downloadable pocket guides to basic green chemistry principles, "Greener Education Materials for Chemists" from the University of Oregon, and more. Perhaps the best section of the site is Activities and Experiments, where visitors can look over activities like "Gassing Up Without Air Pollution" and "Cleaning Up With Atom Economy."

http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=1444&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=f757ebdd-69fa-4e3c-9d4a-0eb6bcda7234

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/ 

Physical Review Special Topics: Physics Education Research

How do people learn about physics? It's an important topic, especially as many countries seek to train a new generation of physicists. The Physical Review Special Topics: Physics Education Research (PRST-PER) journal is committed to providing high quality research on the teaching and learning of physics. Visitors can scan through the journal's newer articles via Recent Papers, where they will find works like "Development and implications of technology in reform-based physics laboratories" and "What do students do when asked to diagnose their mistakes? Does it help them?"
There are several hundred articles which visitors can scan through at their leisure or search by keyword. Finally, users can take a tour through the News, Announcements, and Editorials section of the site to learn about new site features and updates from the American Physics Society.

http://prst-per.aps.org/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Macs in Chemistry

The Macs in Chemistry site was created to provide a resource for chemists using Apple Macintosh computers. It contain dozens of applications that will help users learn about chemistry (and more) through interactive activities, quizzes, and so on. In the At a Glance area, visitors can learn about the tutorials archived here, data analysis tools, and mobile science apps. This last section is a real gem, as it contains dozens of applications including everything from 29 interactive maps of the brain to chemistry formula exercises to a working seismograph. The rest of the applications are divided into alphabetical sections. Visitors should click on the Software Reviews area for timely and detailed reviews of each application's strengths and weaknesses. The site is rounded out by a contact form and a set of useful links. 

http://www.macinchem.org/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/ 

American Geosciences Institute: Curriculum Materials and Archives

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) has produced high-quality educational materials for decades, and its website is a great resource for educators working in the physical sciences. On the site, visitors can take advantage of collections created to support thematic textbooks or peruse online programs such as EarthInquiry. This particular resource contains a series of web-based and print investigations that allow students "to explore geoscience phenomena using global, national, and local data." The site also contains a physical geology lab manual designed for use in college classrooms and materials for high school students, including an Earth science curriculum complete with classroom activities and quizzes. The site is rounded out by a set of links to content created by other organizations.

http://www.agiweb.org/education/curriculum

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/ 

Map of Life

This demo release "allows you to map and produce list of species anywhere for ~ 25,000 species (including all described birds, mammals and amphibians...)"

Future releases "plan to greatly increase and enhance data coverage and functionality. We will soon add more datasets for vertebrates and extend coverage to plants and invertebrates. You will be able to:

1. Filter data based on characteristics such as seasonality, or date of observation
2. Flag and edit distribution data and provide feedback about those edits"

 http://www.mappinglife.org/

Encyclopedia of Mathematics

"The Encyclopedia of Mathematics wiki is an open access resource designed specifically for the mathematics community. The original articles are from the online Encyclopaedia of Mathematics, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2002. With more than 8,000 entries, illuminating nearly 50,000 notions in mathematics, the Encyclopaedia of Mathematics was the most up-to-date graduate-level reference work in the field of mathematics.
Springer, in cooperation with the European Mathematical Society, has made the content of this Encyclopedia freely open to the public. It is hoped that the mathematics community will find it useful and will be motivated to update those topics that fall within their own expertise or add new topics enabling the wiki to become yet again the most comprehensive and up-to-date online mathematics reference work"
http://www.encyclopediaofmath.org/index.php/Main_Page

MIT OpenCourseWare: Principles of the Global Positioning System

This course, taught by Professor Thomas Herring in spring semester of 2012, allows interested individuals the opportunity to learn about the principles of the global positioning system. The materials here include the syllabus, lecture notes, and assignments. The lecture notes constitute the heart of the offerings and are divided into 23 sections. These include "Coordinate and Time Systems," "GPS satellite orbits," and "Basic antenna operation." Visitors can elect to download all of the course materials at once, or they can select certain items of interest individually. Finally, visitors are encouraged to send feedback on the course and sign up for the OCW newsletter. 

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-540-principles-of-the-global-positioning-system-spring-2012/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Einstein Archives Online

"The Einstein Archives Online Website provides the first online access to Albert Einstein’s scientific and non-scientific manuscripts held by the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, constituting the material record of one of the most influential intellects in the modern era. It also enables access to the Einstein Archive Database, a comprehensive source of information on all items in the Albert Einstein Archives."

 http://www.alberteinstein.info/

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

"Named for American rocketry pioneer Dr. Robert H. Goddard, the center was established in 1959 as NASA's first space flight complex. Goddard and its several facilities are critical in carrying out NASA's missions of space exploration and scientific discovery"

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html

Center for Ocean Solutions

The Center for Ocean Solutions (COS) "works to solve the major problems facing the ocean." COS was founded by three partners with similar commitments: the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University. On the homepage, visitors can browse through a Featured News area and also look over video clips which explore topics like "Can Coral Reefs Survive the 21st Century?" Moving on, the materials on the site are divided into six sections, including Research Libraries, Publications, and Videos & Podcasts. Scholars and marine scientists should look over the Publications area to see a list of recent publications by COS researchers and affiliates arranged by topic. Finally, the podcasts are quite good, and they include discussions of dropping ocean oxygen levels and climate change adaptation.
http://centerforoceansolutions.org/
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Edgar: Climate Change Impact on the Distribution of Australian Bird Species

Developed by a team at JCU's eResearch Centre, Edgar is a website where visitors can explore the future impact of climate change on Australian birds. Edgar shows locations where a bird species has been observed and uses this information to calculate and display how well the climate across Australia suits that species. Edgar can also show an animation of how the suitable climate for a species may change into the future. 
Birdwatchers and other experts can improve the accuracy of Edgar's projections by classifying observations. 
http://spatialecology.jcu.edu.au/Edgar/

Earth Science World Image Bank

Provided by the American Geological Institute (AGI), the Earth Science World Image bank website contains over 6,000 images related to the geophysical sciences for use by educators, the public, and the geoscience community. The photos are contained within a few dozen categories, which include coal, weather, volcanoes and paleontology. Visitors can also use the Browse Images link to move around the collection. Each image includes a brief description, along with related information, such as the photographer. Users will find that the archive is updated frequently and return visits will be obligatory.

http://www.earthscienceworld.org/imagebank/index.html

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Google Sky

Google  has teamed up with astronomers at some of the largest observatories in the world to bring you a new view of the sky. Using Google Maps this tool provides an exciting way to browse and explore the universe. You can find the positions of the planets and constellations on the sky and even watch the birth of distant galaxies as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. The imagery for Google Sky comes from some of the largest ground and space-based astronomical surveys.

The visible data comes from a combination of surveys: the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Digital Sky Survey Consortium,  NASA and ESA's Hubble Space Telescope. Details about these observatories can be found on the Partners page. 

If you are interested in what's happening on the sky tonight or over the next few months then check out the podcasts from Earth and Sky or search for the position of your favorite planet. 

http://www.google.com/sky/

MIT Center for Materials Science and Engineering

The MIT Center for Materials Science and Engineering "is devoted to the design, creation, and fundamental understanding of materials that are capable of enhancing the human experience." Visitors to this site can peruse the eight primary sections here, which include Facilities, Research, Highlights, and Connecting to Industry. In the Research area, visitors can learn about the Center's ongoing research projects, including work on the design of nanomaterials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Journalists and others may find the Highlights area quite useful, as it contains updates on the Center's research accomplishments, such as the development of fibers that can detect and produce sound. The site is rounded out by a collection of related links which lead to other relevant research centers at MIT and the Lincoln Laboratory.

http://mit.edu/cmse/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Practical Physics

This website, created by the Nuffield Foundation, contains practical activities designed for use in the classroom with students in high school and college. The activities here are arranged into a dozen topics, including Astronomy, Atoms and nuclei, and Physics applications. The activities here include "Hearing a laser beam," "What's the frequency?," and 75 others that use video clips, interactive graphics, and other visual materials to make these concepts and principles come alive. The Forces and Motion area is one of the best, as it is host to activities that really delve into the concepts of speed, velocity, and acceleration. Visitors can also use the search engine to look for specific items of interest.

http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/practical-physics

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012.http://scout.wisc.edu/

Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology

Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology (TIEE) is a peer-reviewed web-based collection of ecological educational materials. It is "a resource for busy ecology faculty who are looking for new ways to reach their students, or who perhaps want to learn more about teaching and learning." Each of the volumes here contains Experiments, Issues, and Teaching. In the Experiments area, visitors can find resources for laboratory settings, while the Issues section features classroom exercises and web-based materials. On the site's homepage, visitors will find the All Volumes link, which will allow them to look over all the resources dating back to 2004. The field experiments area includes resources such as "Using Steam Leaf Packs to Explore Community Assembly" and "Biodiversity Responses Across a Gradient of Human Influence."

http://tiee.esa.org/index.html

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on plants and animals that have been globally evaluated using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. This system is designed to determine the relative risk of extinction, and the main purpose of the IUCN Red List is to catalogue and highlight those plants and animals that are facing a higher risk of global extinction. The IUCN Red List also includes information on plants and animals that are categorized as Extinct or Extinct in the Wild; on taxa that cannot be evaluated because of insufficient information; and on plants and animals that are either close to meeting the threatened thresholds or that would be threatened were it not for an ongoing taxon-specific conservation programme. 

http://www.iucnredlist.org/

NOAA Habitat Conservation

"The NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation protects, restores, and promotes stewardship of coastal and marine habitat to support our nation's fisheries for future generations.

Our vision is healthy and sustainable habitat that provides a range of benefits for abundant fish and wildlife, commercial and recreational opportunities, and resilient coastal communities that can withstand hurricanes, flooding, and other threats"

http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/

ITIS: Integrated Taxonomic Information System

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System provides "authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world"
 
http://www.itis.gov/

Digital Teaching Resources Laboratory

Based at the University of Alberta, the Digital Teaching Resources Laboratory (DiTRL) is a computer lab for students and faculty designed to help undergraduates learn about biology. DiTRL's site contains instructional multimedia resources that will be useful to a wide range of people, as well as a database of lesson plans and such. Visitors can click on the Instructional Multimedia area to look through multimedia clips on a range of topics, including botany, ecology, and entomology. The Cell Biology section is quite well-developed, and includes interactive activities like "Animal cell mix and match" and "Nerve Action Potential." The Database link leads to an online collection that includes animations, video clips, and text excerpts. Currently, the entire database contains over 8,900 items, and visitors can browse around at their leisure or perform a full-text search. Finally, the site is rounded out by the option for visitors to provide their own feedback. 

http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/ditrl/?Page=4431

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Zachry Department of Civil Engineering Ethics Site

The Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University has created this most useful website for undergraduates enrolled in engineering ethics courses. Working with funds provided by the National Science Foundation, the department has created reports, essays, teaching materials, and case studies to help educators and students alike. The materials here are divided into nine sections, which include Collected Case Studies, Collected Essays, and Collected Links. The Collected Case Studies area is a good place to start, as it features important overviews of well-known (and some not-so-well-known) cases, such as "TV Antenna Collapse" and the tragic explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Moving on, the Collected Essays area features brief and thoughtful pieces on the basic concepts and methods in engineering ethics, along with pieces on professional rights and responsibilities. The site is rounded out by the Guest Contributions area. Here users will find guest pieces vetted by the site's administrators which provide additional perspective on everything from the advertisements in Consumer Reports to problems with military aircraft.

http://ethics.tamu.edu/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Spatial Thinking in the Geosciences

Spatial thinking is critical to the analytical work of the geosciences. Navigating unfamiliar landscapes requires a keen understanding of the lay of the land, as does constructing a cross-section through deformed rocks. This set of thematic resources from the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College provides teaching activities, visualizations, and print and online references for educators who wish to incorporate these ways of thinking into their classrooms. In the Teaching Activities area, visitors will find 33 different activities, including "Northwest Passage," which is an investigation of changes in polar regions using Google Earth. Visitors can also look through these activities by type, such as Field Activity or Writing Assignment. The Visualizations area includes data related to earthquakes, seafloor topography, and satellite images. Finally, visitors can subscribe to the spatial thinking email list, or browse through the list's archives. 

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/spatial/index.html 

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Physics World

Created by the Institute of Physics, Physics World brings together "news, views and information for the global physics community." First-time users may wish to wander through the site's blog, which contains compelling entries on how athletes could benefit from an understanding of the physics of their sports. The site is also a fast-moving place to get news from the field, via the Headlines area. Scholars and others should scroll down to the White Papers area, which features compelling new works from a range of institutes and professional organisations. The Multimedia section is quite a pip, as it contains reports on the hunt for the elusive Higgs boson and a report on how plasma applications are shaping the modern world. Finally, the In depth area collects reports from the world's leading physicists and professional science writers on topics from radioactive contamination to modelling the entire universe. Interested visitors can sign up for the Physics World RSS feeds on the site.

http://physicsworld.com/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering was created "to develop biologically inspired materials and devices that will solve critical medical and environmental problems and to translate these transformative technologies into products that have an impact on society and the world." The Institute's team of specialists includes technology development fellows, professors, postdocs, and a range of other partners. On the homepage, visitors can browse areas that include Innovation, Translation, and Collaboration. Each area includes multimedia clips, press releases, and interviews with Wyss researchers. Some compelling discoveries include human organs made on a small chip and a novel coating that repels almost every type of liquid and solid. Additionally, the Library section contains interactive features, along with speeches and essays from the Wyss faculty. Visitors are encouraged to sign up for the Wyss Twitter and RSS feeds. 

http://wyss.harvard.edu/ 

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Molecular Workbench

Created by the Concord Consortium, the Molecular Workbench is "a modeling tool for designing and conducting computational experiments across science." First-time visitors can check out one of the Featured Simulations to get started. The homepage contains a number of curriculum modules which deal with chemical bonding, semiconductors, and diffusion. Visitors can learn how to create their own simulations via the online manual, which is available here as well. The Articles area is quite helpful, as it contains full-text pieces on nanoscience education, quantum chemistry, and a primer on how transistors work. A good way to look over all of the offerings here is to click on the Showcase area. Here visitors can view the Featured simulations, or look through one of five topical sections, which include Biotech and Nanotechnology. Visitors will need to install the free Molecular Workbench software, which is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.

http://mw.concord.org/modeler/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

The Higher Education Academy: Engineering

Based in Britain, the Higher Education Academy (HEA) "supports a large network of learning and teaching practitioners involved in engineering and materials.” This particular section of their impressive website brings together learning resources, best practices materials, and pedagogical studies designed to help persons who teach engineering. On the left-hand side of the page, visitors will find seven sections, including "Engineering Teaching Guides," "Engineering Events," and their "STEM Blog.” In the "Engineering Teaching Guides" area, visitors will find several valuable guides, including "Approaches to the Teaching of Design,” "Assessing Creativity in Design,” and "Introduction to Learning and Teaching.” The "STEM Blog" is a real gem because a variety of commentators give their opinions about new online interactive tools and teaching techniques related to the STEM fields. The site is rounded out by a link to the UK Centre for Materials Education and archived material from the main site.

http://84.22.166.132/guides.html

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012.http://scout.wisc.edu/

 

Earth Exploration Toolbook

The Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) was created "to support access to and effective use of scientific datasets and analysis tools by the educational community." The chapters of the Toolbook provide educators step-by-step instructions for using Earth system science datasets and scientific analysis tools. Visitors may wish to begin by exploring the "How can I use the EET?" section. After this, they can click on the "Chapters in the EET" area and start using one of the resource’s 43 chapters. Chapters include "Analyzing the Antarctic Ozone Hole," "Climate History from Deep Sea Sediments," and "Evidence for Plate Tectonics." Also, it is worth noting that the "Tools" area on the right-hand side of the page allows users to look for specific tools, such as online mapping, image analysis, and data portals.

http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/more.html

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

The Reptile Database

"This database provides a catalogue of all living reptile species and their classification. The database covers all living snakes, lizards, turtles, amphisbaenians, tuataras, and crocodiles. Currently there are about 9,500 species including another 2,800 subspecies ....The database focuses on taxonomic data, i.e. names and synonyms, distribution and type data and literature references. There is little other information in the database, such as ecological or behavioural information"

http://www.reptile-database.org/

Catalogue of Life

" The Catalogue of Life is a quality-assured checklist of more than 1.3 million species of plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms, about 70% of all those known to science. An uncomplicated structure, and both minimal and standardised dataset provide a sound baseline of species information for all biologists. The Catalogue of Life is unique in its breadth of coverage of organisms, the degree of validation in the knowledge set, and its wide global take-up"

http://www.catalogueoflife.org/prototype/

The Astronomy Center

This rather fine website is a must-visit for anyone involved in teaching college-level astronomy. The Astronomy Center is sponsored by the American Astronomical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the National Science Foundation, among other distinguished organizations. Visitors can get started by looking over the Recent Additions area, which in the past has included features on the phases of the moon, interactive activities related to fossil stars, and a telescope primer for educators. Moving on, visitors can use the Browse By Topic area to find specific materials on 13 subjects, including galaxies, the solar system, and the Milky Way. Also, visitors can browse by document type, where the headings include Simulations, Projects, and Labs. The Cosmic Time and Distance area is a real delight, as it includes activities that will challenge students to explore the concepts of parallax and aberration of light as they apply to astronomy.

http://www.astronomycenter.org/index.cfm

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

The Scientist: Magazine of the Life Sciences.

The Scientist is a magazine for life science professionals—a print and digital publication dedicated to covering a wide range of topics central to the study of cell and molecular biology, genetics, and other life-science fields. Through innovative print articles, online stories, and multimedia features, the magazine explores the latest scientific discoveries, trends in research, innovative techniques, new technology, business, and careers. Written by prominent scientists and professional journalists, articles in The Scientist are concise, accurate, accessible, and entertaining.

http://the-scientist.com/

National Oceanographic Data Center

The National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) is an "organization that provides scientific and public stewardship for national and international marine environmental and ecosystem data and information." Their website contains helpful data related to physical, biological and chemical measurements derived from in situ oceanographic observations, satellite remote sensing of the oceans, and ocean model simulations. On the homepage, visitors can use the Access Data area to look for detailed profiles of the world's oceans, along with information on finding archived data sets. One recent feature added to the site is the "Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas." Visitors can use this atlas to toggle various data sets, such as soundings, place names, and so on for a detailed and nuanced understanding of this body of water. Moving on, the Publications area contains links to the NODC's Ocean Climate Laboratory, posters, and the NOAA Photo Library.

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students

Students in the engineering and science fields need to communicate a broad set of often highly technical materials to lay audiences. This process can be challenging, and this nice set of materials from Pennsylvania State University will be a boon to students in these fields. The site has five main sections: Introduction, Presentations, Correspondence, Formal Reports, and Other Documents. The Introduction area contains three helpful documents that provide insights on crafting the style of any given document and assessing the audience. Moving along, the Formal Reports area gives helpful suggestions on composing laboratory reports, theses, and dissertations. The site is rounded out by a glossary of writing and composition terms and additional references and resources.

http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Introduction to Computer Science and Programming

For those individuals who have yet to experience one of MIT's OpenCourseWare offerings, this is a great place to start. This site provides access to the spring 2011 version of Professor John Guttag's popular "Introduction to Computer Science and Programming." This course is aimed at students with "little or no programming experience," and its goal is to help students feel "justifiably confident of their ability to write small programs that allow them to accomplish useful goals." The materials here include a complete set of lecture videos, resources for each video (such as handouts and slides), recitation videos by the course teaching assistants, and homework problems with sample student solutions. The site also includes self-assessment tools and a Further Study area, which includes a collection of links to supplement the course materials.

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-00sc-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-spring-2011/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Teaching Petrology Using the Primary Scientific Literature

Designed as part of the Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty series at Carleton College, this particular set of resources is designed for those teaching students about petrology. For those who might be unfamiliar with this discipline, petrology is the branch of geology that studies the origin, composition, distribution, and structure of rocks. The materials on this site are divided into two primary sections: Teaching Strategies and Recommended Readings. In the first section, visitors can view a range of materials, including exercises to teach scientific reading comprehension and mineralogic concepts as well as a nice piece on how to review a journal article. Further along, visitors can take in several of the recommended readings. Some of the readings are available in their entirety, although others are only cited and may require an academic library to access. 

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology/literature.html 

The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

North Carolina State Physics Demonstrations

The Lecture Demonstrations Facility is part of the physics department at North Carolina State University, and is tasked with supporting the teaching activities of the department's faculty and graduate students. This website features a number of online demonstrations that can be used by outside parties, who can click on the Visitor Access area to view some of these great videos. The demonstrations are divided into nine areas, including Optics, Modern Physics, and Waves and Oscillations. Each of these areas contains subtopics that will help users identify the specific subject of the demonstration, such as heat transfer applications or phase changes. Moving on, the Other Resources area includes online demonstration manuals from dozens of other schools, including Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon, and Macalester College.

http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/demoroom/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Space Time Travel: Relativity Visualized

This site was created by two German physicists and it offers a "visual and intuitive approach to the theory of relativity." The site does not offer the basics dealing with the theory of relativity, but rather a novel approach to understanding what an object might look like while moving near the speed of light or what it might be like to "travel to the vicinity of a black hole and take a look-around." As the site notes, "Part of the difficulties in understanding relativity are due to the fact that relativistic effects contradict everyday experience." On the homepage, visitors can learn more in the Content area. Here they can watch remarkable visualizations such as Rolling Wheels, Sights that Einstein Could Not Yet See, and Accelerated Motion. The site also offers brief explanations of each visualization, along with links to additional resources. Finally, the site also includes a gallery of images and an FAQ area.

http://www.spacetimetravel.org/

MicrobeWorld

MicrobeWorld is an interactive multimedia educational outreach initiative from the American Society for Microbiology that promotes awareness and understanding of key microbiological issues to adult and youth audiences, and showcases the significance of microbes in our lives. One of the first MicrobeWorld Radio podcasts explained how microbes enter the initially sterile bodies of infants just hours after birth, establishing the microbial communities that stay with them for life. Other topics have included why the overuse of antibiotics is a growing problem, how microbes are key in the making of chocolate, and how microbiologists are on the front line in the war against infectious diseases that threaten human and animal health.

http://www.microbeworld.org/

Gateway to U.S. Department of Energy Biological and Environmental Research Image Galleries

The United States Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research has compiled this prodigious image gallery from a wide range of scientific research projects. The materials here come from the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, the Human Genome Project, and the Microbial Genomics initiative. Visitors can make their way through galleries that include Genomic Science Image Gallery, Climate Science Image Gallery, and Human Genome Project (1990-2003) Gallery. 

https://public.ornl.gov/site/gallery/default.cfm

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

webGURU: Guide for Undergraduate Research

Created via a partnership between the National Science Foundation and Northeastern University, the Web Guide to Research for Undergraduates (WebGURU) is an "interactive web-based tool intended to assist undergraduates navigate the hurdles of an undergraduate research experience." The site offers great primers for undergraduates seeking such an experience, and sections of note here include Professionalism, In the Lab, Communicating Science, and Mentoring Issues. Undergraduates new to the world of lab research should start by looking over the Getting Started section. Here they will find important articles on topics such as Questions To Ask, Negotiating Your Salary, and Getting Selected.

http://www.webguru.neu.edu/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

BioQuest

The original idea for BioQUEST came from Professor John R. Jungck, who taught at Beloit College in southern Wisconsin. Soon after its creation, the organization found willing partners in the guise of the Annenberg/CPB
Project and other parties, including the National Science Foundation and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The goal of BioQUEST is to support "undergraduate biology education through collaborative development of open
curricula in which students pose problems, solve problems, and engage in peer review." The site features information about BioQUEST's upcoming teacher education events and conferences, along with a section of Open Resources, located on the left side in the center of the page. These are publicly-accessible resources for teachers, and first-time visitors should start by looking over the Problem Spaces. The problem spaces offer "a way of organizing diverse kinds of resources to support student inquiry." Undergraduate biology teachers can take advantage of these clusters of resources organized around topics that include West Nile virus, chimpanzee conservation, and other topics. Moving along, visitors can also take advantage of the Investigative Cases, which are learning modules designed to help students in a range of fields like chemistry and health science explore different scientific scenarios. The site is rounded out by information about ongoing projects and a place where visitors can sign up for the RSS feed.

http://bioquest.org/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

The Nature of Science and the Scientific Method

For those who haven't been in science class for some time, the scientific method may be a bit of a hazy memory. Those people (educators and others included) who need a bit of a refresher, along with a nice guide to talking about the scientific method, will find this resource from The Geological Society of America most efficacious. Authored by scientist Christine V. McLelland, this 9-page document "promotes understanding of the nature of science and how the scientific method is used to advance science, focusing in particular on the Earth sciences." The document covers topics like "What is Science?" and breaks the scientific method down into its five primary parts. It also offers some brief talking points about the nature of science, and a nice bibliography.

http://www.geosociety.org/educate/NatureOfScience.htm

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Interactive Physics Simulations

At the top of this site's homepage, visitors will see a banner that proclaims "Over 70 million simulations delivered." Needless to say, the Interactive Physics Simulations site is quite popular, and the offerings here can be used in the classroom or by persons with a general curiosity about static electricity, alpha decay, and other related topics. The site is sponsored by a range of institutions, including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the National Science Foundation. The site includes three dozen different simulations, many of which are available in over a dozen languages, including French, Russian, Chinese, Italian, and Vietnamese. First-time visitors might want to start with the "Build an Atom" which affords visitors the opportunity to build an atom out of protons, neutrons, and electrons and then play a fun game after they're done. Also, users can look at the simulations by topical headings, which include "Sound & Waves", "Heat & Thermo", and "Light & Radition"

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/physics

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

The Science of Speed

A unique partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASCAR is the basis for this fun and informative website. The site features twelve episodes created as part of "The Science of Speed," hosted by Diandra
Leslie-Pelecky. Each episode features a NASCAR car in a variety of racing and testing situations, and some special guests turn up, such as Jeff Gordon and Michael McDowell. The topics covered here include car safety, drag &
drafting, grip, sound, and friction. Each clip is accompanied by racing footage and expert commentary that makes each encounter lively and compelling. This is a great way to pique the interest of those persons who might find certain aspects of physics and related fields a bit inaccessible. Visitors shouldn't miss the "Firesuits" episode as it explores the world of
these very important safety devices.
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/sos/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research

The Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research is committed to a number of research goals, one of which is "to determine whether and how a detailed understanding of molecular mechanisms defined in model plant species can be used to rationally manipulate selected traits in crop plants." The Institute was founded in 1928 as part of the Kaiser-Willhelm-Gesellschaft and the first director, Edwin Baur, was interested in creating breeding programs with fruits and berries, though the Institute's scope has expanded since then. Visitors to the homepage should start by clicking on the News section. Here they can peruse recent releases from the Institute on how plants use mobile proteins to defend themselves against bacteria and the evolutionary "dead end" of powdery mildew. Scholars and others will want to click on the Reports and Publications area to look at some recent scholarly works and annual reports from 2009, 2006, and 2003. 

http://www.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/2169/en

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Lecture Archives - Environmental Science Institute

The Environmental Science Institute (ESI) at the University of Texas at Austin is dedicated to "fostering environmental research, education, and outreach across disciplines." To this end, the ESI has developed a set of resources for educators, including a nice series of lectures dating back to 1999. This section of the site provides interested parties with access to 77 of these talks, which address topics like fracking, dark energy, the evolution of human vision, and autonomous robots. Visitors can browse through the lectures at their leisure, and will find supplementary materials accompanying most of the talks. Users are encouraged to use these lectures in a variety of ways, and it is easy to imagine that the talks could be used in the classroom or in other informal settings.

http://www.esi.utexas.edu/hot-science-cool-talks/lecture-archives

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Sloan Digital Sky Survey

"The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is one of the most ambitious and influential surveys in the history of astronomy .... SDSS data have been released to the scientific community and the general public in annual increments, with the final public data release from SDSS-II occurring in October 2008 .... Meanwhile, SDSS is continuing with the Third Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-III)..... SDSS-III will continue operating and releasing data through 2014"

http://www.sdss.org/

NASA's Space Biology Outreach Program - Web of Life

Describing and discussing NASA's space missions and research is the goal of the Space Biology Outreach Program Web of Life. Questions covered range from those about the effect of weightlessness on the health of the astronauts to the significance of finding life on Mars to the definition of gravity. The Flight Experiments link on the same menu relates almost a dozen experiments that have been performed on space flights. Visitors can read about arterial remodeling and functional adaptations in the space experiment that used rats to model the human arterial system. Additionally, they can learn about how the blood vessels of the rats were examined to detect changes in a gravity-free environment. Finally, teachers should be sure to explore the Learning Resources section, which includes activities, resources, and links for teaching students of all ages.

http://weboflife.nasa.gov/

From the Scout Report. Copyright Internet Scout, 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu

ECOS: Science for Sustainability

"Since 1974, ECOS has reported on sustainability issues from a scientific perspective for Australia’s national scientific research agency, CSIRO. ECOS is published by CSIRO Publishing.

Through well-researched features and news updates on current issues and relevant research, ECOS serves as a forum for:

• invigorating discussion on the environment and sustainability
• raising awareness of ecological principles, and
• explaining the benefits of sustainability developments.

ECOS is widely read in the workplace, government departments, universities, schools, libraries and environment centres around Australia."

 http://www.ecosmagazine.com/ 


This journal can also be found by searching ejournals by title at the JCU library website.