NSDL Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology
The eleventh issue of the first volume of the MET Report is available. Its Topic in Depth section offers Web sites and comments about cryptography.
[Back to Contents]
Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084342/html/
The National Academy Press (NAP) has provided the Internet community access to a prepublication copy of the book Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America. Recent research has shown that between one and two million Americans age 65 or older have been abused and mistreated by someone (either a relative or caregiver) responsible for their care and/or protection. Although a frequent occurrence, little research has been conducted to examine the causes and effective means of preventing mistreatment of the elderly. By highlighting some of its causes and consequences, this report intends to bring forth a better understanding of the nature and scope of elderly mistreatment in the hopes that the information will prompt "the development of informed policies and programs" to help combat this problem. This document is viewable in HTML format and consists of nine chapters and four appendixes. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
Targeted Outreach: Boys and Girls Clubs of America's Approach to Gang Prevention and Intervention
http://www.ppv.org/content/reports/gang_report.html
Commissioned by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and underwritten by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Pinkerton Foundation, the scholarly study offers readers an inside look at two approaches to reducing youth involvement in gangs -- a clear catalyst of violent crime among teens. Focusing on Gang Prevention Through Targeted Outreach (GPTTO) and Gang Intervention Through Targeted Outreach (GITTO), the report clearly illustrates the need for and benefits of proactive, community-based programs for at-risk populations. Arguing that both intervention and prevention programs are essential, the authors of the report examine the success of such approaches in a broad cross section of metropolitan settings. Far from controversial, the report concludes that youth can escape the gang-related cycles of violence and criminality if alternatives exist and other people are there for them. [WH]
[Back to Contents]
The History of Jim Crow
http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/home.htm
This new educator's site takes users on a journey through American history by highlighting the era of Jim Crowism, lynching, and the disfranchisement of African Americans from the 1870s through the 1950s. Designed and created by educators from all across the country, this site is equipped with historical essays, lesson plans, and other resources designed to assist history and literature teachers with the development of an educational curriculum concerning Jim Crowism. Beyond the above, the site also contains an image gallery consisting of historical photographs from archives across America that offer visual perspectives of the Jim Crow years; an American literature book list for middle school, high school, and college-level students; and an interactive encyclopedia that offers users access to terms, people, and events relating to the history of Jim Crow. Additionally, the site has a geography section featuring maps that give "a multi-layered look at the impact of Jim Crow on the social and political landscape of the nation," and contains first hand narratives from people who actually lived and experienced life under Jim Crow. Although designed by and for teachers, this site is valuable for anyone interested in African American history and literature. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
The First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/icuhtml/fawhome.html
Recipients of the 1999 LC/Ameritech Award, University of Chicago Library and Filson Historical Society of Louisville (KY) contributed this collection to American Memory in 2002. It consists of 15,000 pages of original historical material that documents European exploration and settlement of the Ohio River Valley. The majority of the collection is textual (i.e., choosing resource type "text" retrieves 637 documents while image only gets 94), such as a bill to incorporate Louisville, the Journal of the Kentucky Constitutional Convention, and many types of documents that range from political broadsides and letters to advertising circulars and affidavits. The 317-page monograph The history of Kentucky : from its earliest settlement to the present time is available in its entirety at the site, with a frontispiece portrait of Daniel Boone. Boone aficionados can also read the 30-page document A collection of some of the most interesting narratives of Indian warfare in the West: containing an account of the adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone, one of the first settlers of Kentucky.... For those who want to enjoy color images, there are excerpts from Audubon's Birds of America and drawings by other naturalists, featuring Ohio River Valley birds such as turkeys, robins, cardinals, and passenger pigeons. [DS]
[Back to Contents]
OAIster Search Interface
http://oaister.umdl.umich.edu/index.html
OAIster, a Mellon-funded project of the University of Michigan Digital Library Production Services (last reviewed in the March 15, 2002 Scout Report), is now up and running. The OAIster search interface allows users the opportunity to freely access and search a wide variety of digital resources from various institutions. The database currently contains 274,062 records from 56 institutions, with each record leading to an actual digital collection hosted at an institution. Users can view each collection separately or search the database by keyword, author, title, or subject. This user-friendly interface is valuable to students, teachers, researchers, and other information professionals needing simultaneous access to a variety of digital resources. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
DARPA Fact File: A Compendium of DARPA Programs [.pdf]
http://www.darpa.mil/body/NewsItems/pdf/DARPAfactfile.pdf
In April 2002, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) released this overview of its current work. The report summarizes many of the organization's main programs, which are grouped into three broad areas. The first area details the efforts being made to minimize threats and ensure national security. Development of new technologies and advanced systems is highlighted in the second section, and the third looks at investigations into "high-risk, high-payoff technologies." There are numerous references to the war on terrorism that describe DARPA's involvement and specific projects to defend against terrorist acts. This site is also reviewed in the July 5, 2002 NSDL MET Report. [CL]
[Back to Contents]
Best of History Websites
http://www.besthistorysites.net/
An anthology of online history resources, this site was crafted and designed for history students, teachers, and enthusiasts. Established by Thomas Daccord, history teacher and instructional technology consultant at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts, this site not only provides links to online resources, but also rates them on a one to five star scale. The site features ten different historical categories -- Prehistory, Ancient/ Biblical, Medieval, US History, Early Modern European, 20th Century, World War II, Art History, General Resources, and Maps -- and contains links to over 700 history-related Web sites that have been reviewed for "quality, accuracy, and usefulness." [MG]
[Back to Contents]
Bush Tax Cuts After 2002: CTJ Analysis
http://www.ctj.org/html/gwb0602.htm
Recently released by the Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ) and the Children's Defense Fund, this study examines those who are most likely to benefit from the 2001-enacted Bush tax cuts in each year from 2001 through 2010. According to the report, by 2010, (if Bush's tax reductions are still in effect) 52% of the total tax cuts will go to the richest one percent of the American population. In other words, of the estimated $234 billion in tax cuts scheduled for the year 2010, $121 billion will go to those individuals with an income of $1.5 million and above. In contrast, the vast majority of American taxpayers have already received most of their tax cuts from the 2001 legislation. "As a result, freezing the Bush tax cuts at their 2002 levels would have little or no effect on 99 percent of the taxpayers, whose tax cuts are already mostly or completely 'frozen.'" Viewable in HTML or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, this report is concise, easily readable, and requires no more than fifteen minutes of reading time. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
The Endometriosis Association
http://www.endometriosisassn.org/
Endometriosis is a chronic disease that affects "5 1/2 million women and girls in the USA and Canada, and millions more worldwide." The Endometriosis Association (EA), a non-profit, self-help organization, is dedicated to "providing information and support to women and girls with endometriosis, educating the public as well as the medical community about the disease, and conducting and promoting research related to endometriosis." The EA Web site contains background information on the disease, its causes, symptoms, and treatment options. In addition, the site provides access to available resources such as books, CD's and tapes, videos, newsletters, support groups, and family programs. For anyone with endometriosis or affiliated with a relative or friend who has this painful disease, the EA site is an excellent place to go to find helpful information that can assists with one's recovery. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
Anthropology Collection Database
http://www.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/collections/collintro.htm
Published and produced by the Department of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences, this rich collection contains approximately 17,000 objects consisting of ethnographic and archaeological materials of indigenous cultures of western North America (exclusive of Mexico), the Pacific Rim (including all Pacific islands and East Asia), the US Southwest and the Pacific Islands, East Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Central and South America. Although a work-in-progress, the database also includes 7,000 digital images, and is searchable by category, object name, materials, maker's name, collection, culture, global region, country, state, or county. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
Nine Months in York Town
http://www.yorkheritage.org/articles/html/home.html
As America recognizes its 226th year of independence, the citizens of York, Pennsylvania are busy preparing a celebration of the creation and signing of the Articles of Confederation. The first step that bound the original thirteen colonies to one another and paved the way toward the drafting of the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation were signed into law 225 years ago in the York(town) County Courthouse. To note that event, and inform others of its significance, York, Pennsylvania will host a nine month celebration of the Articles of Confederation. Corresponding to the length of the Continental Congress's stay in York Town, the celebration will call attention to many historic events along the way, the most important being the signing of the Articles on November 15th, 1777. Creative, informative, and fun, the site offers visitors ample opportunity to study the history behind the Articles and the setting in which they were produced. With many links and download opportunities, the site is a great place for students, educators, and the public to learn more about a key moment and its critical contribution to America's democratic history. [WH]
[Back to Contents]
The Booklist Center
http://home.attbi.com/~dwtaylor1/index.htm
Invented and maintained by Dr. David Wilson Taylor, the Booklist Center is an extensive collection of booklists that contains "award-winning books complete from the first year of the award to the present." The collection, which is updated often, currently has 253 books in 62 categories. A few of the booklists are the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award for Fiction, 1994-2002; the All-Time Children's Best-Selling Books in the U.S. as of January 1, 1996; and the Pulitzer Prize for Biography/ Autobiography, 1917-2002. On the whole, this is an excellent resource site for literary scholars, researchers, and avid book readers. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
The History of Eating Utensils
http://www.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/utensil/
Presented by the California Academy of Sciences, this online history of eating utensils is both stimulating and educational, with brief presentations on individual utensils and their evolution, as well as images of specimens from various cultures and periods. Learn, among other things, what Louis the XIV had to fear from the knife and what he did about it, and how it changed the shape of that instrument forever. Equally worth considering, chopsticks have also evolved over the course of five millennia. Called "kuai-zi" in Chinese, for quick little fellows, chopsticks were first joined together and only gradually came to be separated and made of less and less precious materials. Learn all about them and the rest of the instruments used by humans to eat gracefully in this brief online history. Better yet, if you are fortunate enough to be in the Bay area, visit the exhibit in person at the California Academy of Sciences. [WH]
[Back to Contents]
CleverKeys
http://www.cleverkeys.com/ck.html?p=home&os=
A production of Lexico Publishing Group, CleverKeys provides instant access to dictionary.com for word definitions, thesaurus.com for synonyms and antonyms, and online engines for Web searches. This freely downloadable software is compatible with Windows and Mac OS programs, including Microsoft Word and most e-mail programs and browsers. Merely highlight the word, and CleverKeys will allow you the option of using the dictionary, thesaurus, or searching the Web right from your Web browser. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
The Verbioso Verb Reference System
http://www.verbioso.com/erVerbs.html
Produced by native Russian and English speakers, the Verbioso English-Russian Verb Reference System is a useful tool for students and professionals studying the Russian language. Designed specifically for Mac OS, the current version contains 1,462 English verbs; 1,706 Russian verbs; and 40,944 conjugations in the past, present, future, and imperative forms. Users may download the demo for free, or pay a small fee to purchase the full version. Please note that the demo is fully functioning and only differs from the full version by the number of verbs. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
Racial Tensions Arise From Rodeo-Chediski Fire
Arizona Fire Threat Eases, but Passions Soar
http://asia.cnn.com/2002/US/07/02/western.wildfires/
Arrest in Arizona's Wildfire Sparks Racial Discord
http://tampatrib.com/News/MGA6WU3L93D.html
Arizona's Biggest Fire 80 Percent Contained; Local Tensions after Apache Indian Accused
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/national/ap_ariz07032002.htm
Apaches Angry over Being Fingered for Arizona Fire
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/world/story/0,1870,130107,00.html?
Cibecue, Arizona Resource Guide
http://www.pe.net/~rksnow/azcountycibecue.htm
Apache Indian Photo Gallery
http://www.impurplehawk.com/apgallery.html
Leonard Gregg, a 29-year old Apache contract firefighter, was arrested Sunday, June 30th, and charged with intentionally starting a fire that, after merging with a smaller one, grew into the largest wildfire in Arizona history. This fire, named the Rodeo-Chediski fire, has burned approximately 469,320 acres of pine forest in Arizona's White Mountains, scorched more than 420 homes in the Show Low and nearby communities, and demolished pine forests that supported a timber industry employing hundreds of Apache tribe members. Although Gregg pleaded not guilty, court documents allege that he told an investigator that he started the fire to acquire work on a fire crew.
Since Gregg's arrest, many Apaches sense hatred and retribution from surrounding white communities and have heard rumors that they are not welcomed in white neighborhoods. Equally important, for many Apaches, the feelings of fear and anger have been exacerbated by a sense of judicial betrayal. Authorities are currently investigating Valinda Jo Elliott, a 31-year old white woman who became lost while hiking and is believed to have set the smaller blaze by lighting underbrush to gain the attention of a passing helicopter. Many Apaches are questioning why only one individual has been arrested when the Rodeo fire was clearly the result of fires set by two different people. For more information regarding this story, users may access the first four links above. Interested users may access link five for information on Cibecue, Arizona and link six to view an online Apache Indian photo gallery. [MG]
[Back to Contents]
Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The Scout Report.
The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2002. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format:
Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2002. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, or the National Science Foundation.
The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout
For information on additional contributors, see the Internet Scout Project staff page:
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/about/team.html
