The Scout Report -- Volume 15, Number 33

http://www.economicmobility.org/

Working with partners from The American Enterprise Institute and The Urban Institute, the Economic Mobility Project is an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The aim of the Project is to focus public attention on economic mobility through well-thought out scholarly analyses, reports, public events, and discussion. In the "Reports & Research" section, visitors can download papers like "Neighborhoods and the Black-White Mobility Gap" and "Ups and Downs: Does the American Economy Still Promote Upward Mobility?" Visitors can also look over a topical list of their papers as well. Moving on, the "Newsroom" area provides access to the Project's latest press releases and information about their upcoming events. The site is rounded out by a search engine and an area where visitors can sign up to receive the latest news from the Project. [KMG]

http://www.luc.edu/faculty/spavko1/minerals/

Students of chemistry will find much to enjoy at this site created by Professor Steve Pavkovic. The site contains interactive 3D graphics displays of various crystalline minerals. These colorful and inviting displays can be explored fairly easily, and they are designed to give users a "clear understanding of the relationships between the unit cell and its parts." The first section users should visit is the "Unit Cell Structures of Selected Minerals and Elements". Here visitors can make their way through displays of elements like arsenic and boron, along with other groupings, such as oxides & hydroxides and sulfides. The "Unit Cell Basics" area contains some helpful diagrams of cubic unit cells, hexagonal cells, and various platonic solids. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://dww.ed.gov/

Educators across the United States are always looking for compelling new resources to use in the classroom, and this fine website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education delivers high-quality resources for just that purpose. The Doing What Works website contains content based on the Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences' "What Works" clearinghouse. First-time visitors can orient themselves by playing the informational video featured on the homepage. After that, they can click on the "Find What Works!" area to learn about resources in the fields of early childhood education, English, math and science, and the psychology of learning. After making a foray into those areas, visitors can click on the "Featured Content" section, and then maybe take a guided tour of the features on the site. Visitors are also encouraged to sign up for updates and to sign up to access the Digital Teacher Workshop. [KMG]

http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/136GSA/136GSA.htm

Just about every town in the United States has one post office, and a number of them have other federal government buildings. The United States experienced quite a boom in federal building construction during the Great Depression, and many of these structures remain iconic pieces of the built environment. This lesson plan from the Teaching with Historic Places program at the National Park Service looks at the role these structures have played in a variety of communities around the country, including Portland, Oregon, Denver, and Louisville. Like the other lesson plans in this series, this one offers a heady mix of primary documents, key historical questions, and visual evidence for use by students. The lesson is divided into several primary sections, including "Locating the Site: Map", "Determining the Facts", and "Visual Evidence". The lesson plan is rounded out by a series of activities and supplementary resources, and overall, it will be of interest to anyone with a penchant for architecture of United States history. [KMG]

http://www.epa.gov/oppt/rsei/

The Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) is a computer-based screening tool developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that "analyzes risk factors to put Toxics Release Inventory release data into a chronic health context." The tool and this site are used by journalists, industry officials, and government regulators to examine trends, support community-based projects, and also screen potential impacts of emissions. On this site, visitors can use the "Basic Information" area to learn more about how RSEI works and how it can be used. Visitors can also learn about the technical details of RSEI, and of course, they can download the current version of this powerful application. Additionally, the site includes a glossary and documents such as a user's manual and documentation of RSEI's methodology. For people wishing to learn about potential health risks from industrial releases, this site will be of great assistance. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://flowtv.org/

Flow is a stylish-looking online television and studies journal started in 2004 at the University of Texas at Austin which "provide[s] a space where researchers, teachers, students, and the public can read about and discuss the changing landscape of contemporary media at the speed that media moves." Their news articles on the homepage range from "Myth, The Numinous, and Cultural Studies", "Television, Participatory Culture and Politics: The Case for Indian Idol", and "A Look Back at Michael Jackson". Visitors interested in seeing how Flow's layout and design has changed since their start should click on the "About Flow" tab at the top of any page, and then go down to the link "Flow: A Visual History". The "Archives" of the journal are complete, and can be accessed on any page, from a drop down box on the left side of the page. Podcasts from the "Flow Conference 2008" are forthcoming, but articles and insights from the 2006 Flow Conference are available in the "Archives", and provide for very interesting reading. [KMG]

http://www.law.georgetown.edu/povertyandinequality/index.htm

The Law Center of Georgetown and the Georgetown Public Policy Institute have teamed up to assist policymakers, lawmakers, researchers, and others to effectively address poverty and inequality as a function of public policy. Their website allows anyone to read publications by the Center's esteemed thinkers. In the "Projects" link on the menu of the left side of any page, visitors can read the center's Youth Policy, Low-Income Tax Policy, and Cross-Cutting Policy Poverty Initiatives. The "People" link, also on the left side menu, leads to the biographies of the three professors at Georgetown who run the Center. The link to "Publications" includes publications written or co-written by the aforementioned professors, and also provides direct links to the articles and chapters. Some of the more notable articles include "From Welfare to Poverty to a Living Income", "Lessons for the United States from Other Advanced economies in Tackling Child Poverty", and "Welfare Reform and Extreme Poverty: What To Do?" [KMG]

http://palaeo-electronica.org/

The contents of the online Palaeontologia Electronica (PE), a journal of paleontology supported by eight paleontological organizations from around the world, can be accessed by clicking anywhere on its colorful "cover". The journal features commentary, articles, technical articles, and reviews of books. The text "(print)" appears next to the articles that can be downloaded or printed in PDF form. Visitors wishing to search back issues of the journal can click on "Back Issues", and see all the appealing covers that have appeared on the journal since its inception in 1998. The tab "Indexes" at the top of the page allows visitors to view the archives of the journal by "Alphabetical list of articles", "Alphabetical list of authors", "Numerical list of articles", or "Keyword terms". Future authors should look at the "Resources" tab at the top of the page to learn about PE's submission guidelines, including their desire for graphical, colorful content in the articles they publish. [KMG]

http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/quartets/

"The string quartet, for two violins...was one of the most widely-cultivated genres of chamber music during the Classical period, with...Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven all contributing substantially to the literature." The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke University Library has made available a lovely online collection of sheet music for the string quartet published between 1770 and 1840. Visitors interested in checking out the crisp PDFs of some very old works, should click on the link "Explore the Collection" on the left hand side of the homepage. The "Composer", "Title", "Publisher" and "Date" can each be viewed in ascending or descending order, and a thumbnail of the top page of the piece of music is also shown. The oldest published piece of music in the collection is from 1770 by Antonin Kammel. [KMG]

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/victims/index.html

The Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN) recently added a section to their site that features an archive related to victims, survivors, and commemoration in post-conflict Northern Ireland. The University of Ulster received funds to tackle the task, and it took them two years to complete it. Visitors interested in an enlightening read about who is considered a victim of 'the Troubles' should read "Paper: McDowell, Who are the Victims?" under the "Introduction" tab at the top of any page. Users can search the Archive via text or keyword, by clicking on "Archive" at the top of any page, and selecting the "Search Archive" link. Under the "Memorials" tab, in the link "Memorials Search Page", visitors can search the 630 memorials contained in the database, some with photos, some without. Lastly, the tab "HumanFace" contains pictures and biographical information about those killed between 1969 and 2001, and can be viewed chronologically or alphabetically. [KMG]

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/richardlong/default.shtm

The artwork of Richard Long is in an exhibit called Heaven and Earth at the Tate Britain. Actually this show is the first one of Long's for almost two decades in London. The Tate Online definitely does his magnificent landscape works justice and the introduction here states that his work "explores relationships between time, distance, geography, measurement and movement." Visitors unfamiliar with Long's work should check out the link "Explore the Exhibition", on the menu on the left hand side of the homepage. The paragraphs here introduce the visitor to his inspiration, walking, and a bit about his history. There are ten online rooms in which his artwork is displayed, and each work can be enlarged. In the link "Works in Focus" small shaded rectangles on different areas of the works provide the visitor with the ability to zoom in on that section. A slideshow option is also available to effortlessly view all of the intimate sections of the "Works in Focus". [KMG]

http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

American filmmaker Ken Burns has brought his unique and distinctive talents to document the history of jazz, baseball, and the Civil War, and now he has offered his own broad look at the National Park System. Narrated by Peter Coyote, this documentary takes a look at the evolution of the National Park idea from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present day. This website was created to complement the film, and the materials here are contained within sections that include "Learn More", "Get Involved", and "Spread the Word". In the "Learn More" area, visitors can watch video clips from the program, and also read an interview with Burns. Moving on, visitors can "Get Involved" by sharing their own National Park stories, contributing to comments on the "Conservation Nation" weblog, and checking out online chat transcripts with Burns and his colleagues. In the "Spread the Word" area, visitors can send virtual postcards, download wallpaper for their computer, and even collect virtual Park badges. Additionally, the site contains an interactive history of the National Parks, along with profiles of people who transformed the Park Service over the years. [KMG]

http://calder.med.miami.edu/Sutherland/index.htm

Born in Kansas in 1915, Earl Wilbur Sutherland, Jr. was a leading American pharmacologist and physiologist who was best known for his discoveries regarding the mechanisms of hormone action. For his work, Sutherland was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1971. Sutherland passed away in 1974 and, after his death, his research notebooks were donated to the Archives of the Louis Calder Memorial Library and the University of Miami. The Library decided to make 79 of Sutherland's research notebooks available to the public and they have presented them here on this site. Visitors to the site will find four sections: "Biography", "Bibliography", "Notebooks", and "Nobel Lecture". The "Biography" area offers a brief overview of Sutherland's life, and as one might imagine, the "Notebooks" area contains the complete contents of the aforementioned 79 research notebooks. Finally, visitors can read the complete text of his Nobel Lecture as well. [KMG]

http://huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary.aspx?id=3970

During his long career, photographer Maynard L. Parker managed to create a fine body of work that included contributions to many home design publications. Parker was born in Vermont in 1901 and he settled in Los Angeles in 1929. Several years later, he established his own photography studio and began to work with a number of prominent architects, designers, and builders. This collection of his work was made possible through the efforts of The Huntington Library and the National Endowment for the Humanities. On the collection's homepage, visitors can start by listening to curator Jennifer A. Watts talk about the use of lighting and furnishing in Parker's photographs. After this, visitors can search the entire database of digitized images and also read an overview statement about the collection. In the "Calisphere" section of the site, visitors can also read excerpts from Parker's journal and learn more about educational resources on the site. [KMG]

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/index.jsp

When thinking about visualizing data, some might think of the ground-breaking work of people like Edward Tufte. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is intimately interested in visualizing science and engineering data, and they have sponsored this annual challenge for other interested parties working in this field. Each year, the NSF and the journal "Science" work together to assemble a panel of judges who review entries in five categories, including "photographs", "illustrations", and "interactive media". On the homepage, visitors can learn about the contest guidelines and view a gallery of images created by past winners. Even a cursory glance at the winners from 2008 is quite remarkable. Some of the winners include Mario De Stefano and his "Glass Forest" images of diatoms taken with a scanning electron microscope. Visitors can look through galleries dating back to 2003, and this might just inspire a few curious parties to send in their own submissions. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/reflect2/index.html

Recently closed at the museum but still available online, this National Portrait Gallery exhibition examines self-portraits in the 20th century. The web exhibition is divided into thematic sections, each exemplified by the work of particular artists. "The Mirrored Reflection" includes self-portraits in which the mirror used by the artist to see themselves is both explicit - as in George Bellows; and implicit, as in Elaine de Kooning. "Unmasking Identities" includes self-portraits by David Hockney and Kiki Smith that investigate artists' inspiration by other artists, civil rights, and feminism. Hockney depicts himself with Picasso in homage to the older artist, and Smith portrays herself in the nude, but in fetal position, thus removing the sexual connotations of the female nude body. Andy Warhol once said, "Repetition adds up to reputation", thus a self-portrait by Warhol naturally starts off the section titled "Repetition as Reputation", which looks at mass-produced images in the late twentieth century. [DS]

http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

Safari has been around for sometime, and it's nice to learn that this latest iteration of the popular web-browser offers a few compelling new features. One of these features is the "Top Sites" option, which displays users' most frequently visited websites in a grid format. This version also includes useful features from previous versions of Safari, including the "Snapback" option, which makes it altogether quite easy to return to one's original site after a bit of browsing. This version is compatible with computers running Max OS X 10.5 and newer. [KMG]

http://www.shapecollage.com/

If you have ever wanted to make a collage out of your digital images, Shape Collage 2.5 is a good place to start. Essentially, users place their shots online via the Shape Collage program, and they choose a rough shape for the collage and also select how tightly the photos should be located together. Overall, it's easy to use and visitors will have fun determining if they should make their collage into any number of countless shapes, objects, or even animal outlines. This version is compatible with computers running Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux. [KMG]

Greying flower children make pilgrimage to Woodstock 40 years on
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/festivals/article6798424.ece

Woodstock wasn't everybody's summer of '69
http://www.lohud.com/article/20090818/COLUMNIST/908180339/-1/SPORTS

Why is this Woodstock anniversary so different?
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/opinion-why-is-this-woodstock-anniversary-so-different-1.1371065

Woodstock Flashback: Remembrance of Things Past
http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/woodstock-flashback-remembrance-of-things-past/

Back to the Garden, Without the Shock, or All That Mud [Free registration may be required]
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/arts/music/17heroes.html

CBS News: Woodstock 40 Years Later
http://www.cbsnews.com/2718-207_162-207.html

The Woodstock Festivals and All Live Music
http://www.woodstock.com/

From August 15 to 18, 1969, some 400,000 people came to a farm in Bethel, New York for "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". Most people know this seminal moment in music history as "Woodstock". This past week, people gathered to hear the sounds and spirit of that original concert at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which is located on the grounds of that beloved original festival. Many others took the opportunity on this 40th anniversary to talk about how Woodstock changed (or did not change) their lives. In his review of the show, Jon Pareles of the New York Times noted that things were a bit different at this particular concert: "There was no gate crashing, no mud, no shortage of food The sold-out crowd of 15,000 was less than 5 percent of Woodstocks estimated attendance. " In an article for Newsday, noted New York radio personality Pete Fornatale commented, "I and members of my generation will always celebrate the messages of hope, peace, love and music that were etched into the heart and soul of Woodstock Nation. But it's mortality, more than anything else, that is compelling us this year to get ourselves back to the garden." [KMG]

The first link will take users to a piece from the Times which talks about the return of Woodstock veterans to upstate New York for the 40th anniversary. The second link leads to a thoughtful piece from Phil Reisman writing in the Lower Hudson Journal News. In this piece, he recounts the divide between the "straights" and the "cools" back in the summer of 1969. The third link leads visitors to Pete Fornatale's recollections of what has changed since that fateful couple of days in 196. Moving on, the fourth link leads to Ken Gross's thoughts on his own experience making it up to Woodstock from the West Village as a reporter with a group of four "cool" types. The fifth link whisks users away to the review of the 40th anniversary Woodstock concert by New York Times critic Jon Pareles. The sixth link leads to a special site created by CBS News to commemorate the anniversary via video clips, interviews, and slideshows. Finally, the last link leads to the Woodstock site, which contains clips from the original festival, along with concerts of the present day. [KMG]