Insects

Arctiid Moth

Anyone interested in entomology will find the images, descriptions, and activities here to be most edifying. Visitors can click on Class: Insecta for classroom activities that profile butterfly and moth wing patterns, and a delightful collection of insects as they appear on stamps from countries all over the world. The Entophiles area features over 150 images of insect macrophotography combined with detailed descriptions. The Ants, Bees & Wasps area is remarkable; visitors shouldn't miss the thread-waisted wasp or the formicid ants. The site also contains select issues of the Cultural Entomology digest, which includes articles like "The Insects of M.C. Escher" and "Butterflies of Ancient Mexico."

http://www.insects.org/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2013. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

15 Evolutionary Gems

Teachers and members of the general public will find this resource from Nature magazine quite wonderful. Crafted by Henry Gee, Rory Howlett, and Philip Campbell, this collection of 15 evolutionary gems brings together items "for those wishing to spread awareness of evidence for evolution by natural selection." The 16-page document explains key scientific discoveries under headings like "A case of co-evolution," "The origin of feathers," and "Darwin's Galapagos finches." Each of these sections features a narrative essay, along with references and links to additional resources for further exploration.

http://www.nature.com/nature/newspdf/evolutiongems.pdf

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2013. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Wallace Online

A searchable collection of the writings of British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace which provides access to a collection of primary documents that will help raise awareness of Wallace's contributions to science, particularly in the fields of evolutionary biology and biogeography. Featuring scanned images of Wallace's 22 books/book chapters and more than 900 articles, the website allows researchers to view all of Wallace's original published works as well as transcripts of the texts.Images and specimens are also included.

http://wallace-online.org/

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: Video Lab Manual

This website from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) brings together almost three dozen helpful instructional laboratory videos. The videos are contained in three sections, including Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each video has been recorded in a high-quality digital format and a number of them are available in Spanish as well. Some of the offerings here include "Preparation of Cholesterol Ester Liquid Crystals," "Synthesis of Nickel Nanowires: Beaker," and "Synthesis of a Superconductor." It should be noted that there is an important disclaimer at the bottom of the homepage that is worth reading before attempting any of these activities.

http://education.mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/nanolab/http://education.mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/nanolab/ 

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2013. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Chemical Education Digital Library

Benzene rings and other aspects of chemistry come alive with these "living textbooks." This collection of key chemistry documents and primers is made possible via the Chemical Education Digital Library (ChemEd DL) and its contains eight separate items. They are called "living" because they are updated by their owners and those responsible for their continued success. Users will find "Practice in Thinking: A Laboratory Course in Introductory Chemistry," "Chemistry Leaflets," and "Wiki: Quantum States of Atoms and Molecules" here for their consideration. The Chemistry Leaflets provide an interesting wrinkle as they were originally published between 1927 and the mid-1940s. Visitors shouldn't miss "Chemical Principles through Integrated Multiple Exemplars (ChemPRIME)" as it is designed so that general chemistry concepts can be presented in an order that reflects the conceptual structure of the discipline.

 http://www.chemeddl.org/collections/LivTexts/

 From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2013. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Microbe Library: Visual Media Briefs Collection

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has a vast online Microbe Library that provides access to educational resources and activities for educators seeking to edify their students about everything from the germ theory of disease to laboratory techniques. This particular corner of the Library site features a host of visual media briefs. These briefs feature slides accompanied by brief introductory essays, descriptions of methodology, and discussions of the various conditions and procedures associated with each exploration. All told, there are over 40 visual media briefs here, including "Cultivation Media for Bacteria," Metagenomic Soil DNA Analysis," and "Soil Fungi."

http://www.microbelibrary.org/about/52

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2013. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/

Evolutionary Biology Digital Dissection Collections

This remarkable collection was created to serve the illustrative and narrative needs of the students in the University of Buffalo Evolutionary Biology course. It is designed to "offer opportunities for unlimited interactive engagement with the laboratory content." Visitors can browse through the collection at their leisure, and may use the drop-down menu to look at the various species covered here. Some of the animals include mice, grasshoppers, sand dollars, snails, and earthworms. Each profile includes clear anatomical labels, a variety of cut-away shots, and additional details. First-time visitors shouldn't miss the crayfish, as it is well-photographed and exquisitely documented.

http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/BIO001 

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2013.  https://www.scout.wisc.edu/