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/