Thursday, October 11, 2007

New Links on our web for the week of October 11, 2007 Black History and African American Resources International Slavery Museum "Website for this British museum in Liverpool that opened in 2007, the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in Britain. The museum "explores both the historical and contemporary aspects of slavery." The site provides images of highlights from the collection, a history of the transatlantic slave trade, and an interactive feature that follows four Africans on a sinking slave ship." (LII) Homework Spanish Professor "Spanish Professor is an educational Web site created to help people learn Spanish. A lot of people make language acquisition harder than it really is. Spanish Professor is here to make it easier. Everybody learns a new language in a different way, and we hope to make learning Spanish as easy as possible by guiding you to online language learning programs, or to where you can buy Spanish learning CDs. We also provide lessons for students of Spanish to learn how to speak the words, and understand the basic grammar of Spanish." Leisure Autotropolis "dedicated to consumers who are researching and buying new or used vehicles. The site provides interactive tools for car shoppers to complete their research." Teacher Resources ASPIRE (University of Utah) "Description: Interactive lessons on the galaxy, Force and Motion, relating volume, temperature, and pressure, cosmic rays, Kinetic Energy, Lunar Phases (also in Spanish), Machines, Momentum, the atmosphere, refraction, scientific method, scientific notation, seasons, seismic waves, stars, tides, and waves. Teachers can register (free) and receive email notification of new activities, free utilities like the Quiz Manager and technical support." (BWN) Historical Activities for the Calculus Classroom "Calculus may seem to be quite dismal to some, but it comes alive through the fine work of Gabriela R. Sanchis. Sanchis wrote this excellent piece on teaching calculus by drawing on the historical evolution of some of its key concepts. With support from the National Science Foundation, she also made sure to include several interactive Java applets which educators can use in the classroom. This piece is part of the Convergence math collection, offered by the Mathematical Association of America. These materials can be used in conjunction with other activities, and visitors may also use an embedded link to send the piece to a colleague." (SR) Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science "The National Academy Press has crafted hundreds of resources for science educators, and this online book will be most helpful for those seeking to incorporate discussions of evolution into their classroom. The book contains seven complete chapters and five appendices. The chapter titles include "Why Teach Evolution?", "Evolution and the Nature of Science", and "Major Themes in Evolution". Chapter Six is definitely worth a look as it includes eight separate activities designed to be used in the classroom. They include investigations into natural selection, looking at explanations of fossil footprints, and examining connections between population growth and biological evolution. (SR) Little Shop of Physics: Online Experiments "Not to be confused with a certain Roger Corman movie that has a rather similar title, this site presents a wide range of very nice physics experiments, all of which can be done online. Dedicated staff members of the physics department at Colorado State University created the Little Shop of Physics site. The site includes the "Amazing Physics" area, which features experiments that will require common household items. There are a number of rather fun experiments offered up, and they include the "Two Ball Bounce", "Straw Flute", and "Vanishing Rods". Moving right along, "Computer Stuff" offers users a clutch of engaging and potentially mind-blowing experiments that require only a computer and just a touch of interest in physics. Teachers can convert physics neophytes with this site, and students who might be suspect of physics may become passionate converts after just a few visits." (SR) Whatcom Online Math Center "Located in lovely Bellingham, Washington, Whatcom Community College serves a diverse population from all across the state and beyond. Their math center has developed this rather nice collection of math links that include helpful test-taking hints, online exercises, and resources for teachers looking to find new ways of exploring everything from geometry to measurement. While the site doesn't have a search engine, visitors can browse through the links at their leisure. Some of the topics covered within this site include fractals, developmental math skills, pre-algebra, and applied math. After looking over these sites, visitors can also go to the "Teaching Math" section, which is designed specifically for teachers." (SR) 10:33:37 AM

© Copyright 2008 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 11/18/2008; 2:38:30 PM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien