The Scout Report -- Volume 16, Number 27

http://www.architectureweek.com/today.html

Based in Eugene, Oregon, Architecture Week is a magazine that is intended for design and building professionals, and their work includes profiles of new building techniques, historic preservation issues, and architectural practice. Visitors can view the current issues online here, and they will also want to look through their "And More" area. Here they will find sections like "Blog Center", "New Products", "Jobs" and "Conferences". Also, visitors can subscribe to their "ArchitectureWeek Notes", which is a weekly email newsletter. Recent articles on the site have included a piece on historic sites in the United States that are at risk of being demolished and another piece on the importance of listening to clients before starting a major architectural project. [KMG]

http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/

The Smart Growth America organization is a "coalition of national, state and local organizations working to improve the ways we plan and build the towns, cities and metro areas we call home." To work on these issues, they offer interested parties a wide range of helpful resources about their work, which includes planning for public transportation, sensible development plans, and maintaining open space. Visitors may want to start by checking out their web-exclusive video series titled "American Makeover". The program looks into issues like sprawl, sustainable development and so on by profiling different communities around the United States. Moving on, visitors can use the "Resources" area to look over recent policy documents created by the organization, including "Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change". Also, their blog is both insightful and frequently updated, and it provides commentary on infrastructure improvements and economic development programs. [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.frac.org/index.html

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), based in Washington DC, is "working to improve public policies and public-private partnerships to eradicate hunger and under-nutrition in the US...[as it] works with hundreds of national, state and local nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and corporations to address hunger and its root cause, poverty." Visitors to the FRAC website will find that the "Hunger in the U.S." link located in the middle green box on the homepage has a lot of good information on hunger that many people may be unfamiliar with, including a definition of "Hunger and Food Insecurity" and how it is typically measured. The link to the 2010 Anti-Hunger Policy Conference Presentations at the bottom left of the homepage allows visitors to view PowerPoint presentations on such topics as "Running on Empty: Nutritional Access for Children in Cook County, IL", "Making the Case for Anti-Hunger Priorities in Tight State Budgets", and "Obesity, Poverty and Hunger". The Disaster Food Resources link informs visitors of the extra food stamps made available to food stamp recipients in a disaster situation, as well as the disaster food stamps that are made available to those who do not normally receive food stamps. [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.eso.org/public/

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is an intergovernmental organization comprised of 14 member countries. Its headquarters are in Germany, but they have three observatories in Chile as well. Their website is loaded with information and visitors shouldn't miss going on the "Virtual Tours", on the far right side of the homepage. The tours are of the three observatories in Chile, and offer almost 360 degree views of beautiful, yet sparse landscapes. The tour of La Silla has two particularly beautiful views, "La Silla Moonlight" and "La Silla Sunset". Visitors interested in seeing a panning of an artist's 3D rendering of the Orion Nebula must go to the "Video" link on the left hand menu on the homepage. There are over 1400 videos to choose from, so for those not into the Orion Nebula, never fear, there are plenty of other video choices. Finally, visitors must go to the "Top 100 Images" link on the right side of the homepage to see amazing and gorgeous images taken from the ESO's various observatories. [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://aplaceofourown.org/index.php

The multiple award-winning PBS television series, website and outreach program, A Place of Our Own, and the Spanish language version, Los Nios en su Casa is aimed at child caregivers including parents, grandparents, daycare workers, and nannies. The goal is to give child caregivers a supportive and informative place to turn for help with the important task of caring for children of their own or someone else's. Visitors to the website will find that topics for the week, Monday-Friday, can be viewed and selected on the homepage. Each day there is a new topic covered, such as getting kids to share. The topic begins as question sent in from a child caregiver, and then answered by the show's host, someone in the medical community such as a pediatrician or a therapist, parents, or other caregivers. For more responses, visitors can join the discussion by going to the "Message Board". Visitors will find a helpful "featured activity" that relates to the topic, such as making box structures to encourage sharing among children. Sometimes a topic even has a "featured video", such as the video offered on separation anxiety. [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://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cdm4/index_iwu_argus.php?CISOROOT=/iwu_argus

In the early years of this millennium, a decision was made to digitize Illinois Wesleyan University's newspaper, The Argus. With funds from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, a team of dedicated archivists worked to digitize those issues published between 1894 and 2003. Archivists hoped that this repository would serve as a place for interested parties to learn about this unique campus, its student life, and its place in the world of American higher education and the state of Illinois. Visitors to the site can choose a decade to browse, or they can also pick out at a specific year. First-time visitors might wish to choose an issue from early January 1980, as it talks about the transformation of the school's drama program and the change in the drinking age in Illinois. [KMG]

http://content.lib.washington.edu/kiehlweb/index.html

From 1890 to 1917, H. Ambrose Kiehl took hundreds of photographs of his family as they moved around from Port Townsend to Seattle. During his life, Kiehl worked as an engineer on a number of projects, and this collection documents interesting parts of Washington, including Fort Lawton, which later became Discovery Park in Seattle. The collection of images went largely unappreciated until it found its way to the University of Washington in the 1980s. On this page, visitors can read about the Kiehl collection and its provenance. The site allows visitors to browse around the collection as they see fit, and they can also browse the materials by a list of Library of Congress headings. Along with the pictures documenting Fort Lawton, there are many lovely photos of the Kiehl family and their various homesteads. [KMG]

http://www.methresources.gov/Index.html

The use of meth and related substances is of increasing concern to various government agencies across the United States, and this website is a timely one. Created by a set of different government agencies (including the Department of Justice), the website contains an interactive map of meth resources across the country, a set of public service announcements, and information about their recent anti-meth campaign on Native American reservations. The primary sections of the site include "Overview", "Prevention", "Enforcement", and "Community Resources". The "Prevention" area contains resources for policy makers and health care professionals, along with a link to a discussion board. The "Policy & Legislation" area features a MethResources database that allows users to learn about federal legislative actions regarding meth. Finally, the "Community Resources" area features lists of upcoming conferences, grants for meth awareness projects, and a listing of additional related websites. [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.ee.ryerson.ca/~elf/abacus/index.html

The abacus has been around for several thousand years, and it is an efficient and interesting counting machine. The standard abacus can be used to perform addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication, along with its use in extracting square roots and cubic roots. This site was created by Luis Fernandes, and it explores the wide world of the abacus through illustrations, thoughtful essays, and other items. On the site's homepage visitors can read a detailed introduction to the abacus, look over an interactive abacus tutorial, and learn about the history of the device. In the "Articles, Excerpts and Analysis" area visitors can read about an early encounter between the abacus and an electric calculator in 1946 and a hilarious encounter between famed physicist Richard Feynman and the abacus. The site is rounded out by the "All Things Abacus" area, which includes resources for teachers and photos of Fernandes' impressive abacus collection. [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.craftrevival.org/Index.htm

Started in 1999, the Craft Revival website contains an encyclopedia of information on the "makers, the techniques, processes and vocabulary of the intangible cultural heritage of South Asia." The site also includes a quarterly journal that brings together thoughtful commentary and research into this world, and recently featured articles include "The Potential of Eco-Friendly Floral Dyes in the Handmade Paper Industry" and "What is the Sari?". Visitors can also take advantage of sections like "Crafts" and "Artisans" to learn about craft traditions from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and the Maldives. Moving along, the "Resources" area includes a visual directory of the crafts of India and a "Learning & Activity Center". Here visitors can learn about how to make paper by hand, explore the world of enameling, and learn about natural dyeing. [KMG]

http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/news.html

The Center for Nursing Advocacy works to increase the general public's understanding of nursing, and part of this work includes the News on Nursing in the Media section of their website. On the site, visitors will find media resources that discuss the portrayal of nurses in the media, along with offering their own responses to the depiction of nurses in film and television programs. Visitors are encouraged to sign up to learn about one or more of their advocacy campaigns, and they can also check out their news alerts area. Additionally, visitors can search their archives, which date back to 2003. [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://myloc.gov/exhibitions/hopeforamerica/Pages/default.aspx

The intersection between popular performers and politics is a curious one at times, and this online exhibition explores the "history of the involvement of entertainers in politics." Created by the Library of Congress to complement an in-situ exhibition, this exhibit was made possible by a contribution from the family of Bob and Dolores Hope. The exhibition is divided into three main sections: "Political Humor", "Causes and Controversies", and "Blurring of the Lines". Each section brings together primary documents (such as letters and photographs) that detail everything from what material could be performed in front of the US military to the relationship between television programs and political culture. Not surprisingly, each section has a bit about Bob Hope and his many experiences with the world of politics and performing during his seven decade career. [KMG]

http://www.weavingartmuseum.org/main.html

The goal of the Weaving Art Museum is "to promote increased appreciation for the historic weaving art of indigenous weaving cultures located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the adjacent areas known as the Caucasus Mountains and Southwestern Turkmenistan." On the site's homepage, visitors can make their way through online exhibits that explore ancient carpet fragments, the use of animals in medieval rugs, and the "unknown shawls of Egypt." Each small exhibit contains information about the weaving patterns and the materials used in each item. Visitors won't want to miss the "Turkmen Trappings" exhibit, as it contains a detailed discussion of these unusual items, along with a number of detailed examples from the world of the knotted pile. All told, there are ten different exhibits, and anyone with an interest in this type of material culture will want to make several visits to this site. [KMG]

http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/mountainwatch/index.cfm

If you've ever wanted to turn your hiking skills into helpful information, the Mountain Watch section of the Appalachian Mountain Club website may be of great interest. The site is designed to turn hikers into "citizen scientists" who can "aid in the collection of data that measures the ecological health of our mountains." The site contains four areas (including "Mountain Plants" and "Mountain Weather") where visitors can submit their own recent findings and observations. First-time visitors will need to fill out the volunteer data section, and this takes just a few minutes. After this, visitors will receive a password which will allow them to report on alpine flowers, air quality, and related subjects. Visitors can also read the observations of others, and read up on their "Naturalist Blog". [KMG]

http://www.uslhs.org/index.php

Twenty-five years strong, and with an interest in lighthouses throughout the world, the United States Lighthouse Society (USLHS) has a website that informs the public about restoration projects, tours of lighthouses, and the complete subject index to the Society's magazine, the Keeper's Log. The USHLS is a "non-profit historical and educational organization incorporated to educate, inform, and entertain those who are interested in lighthouses, past and present." The "Projects" section of the website is a must-see for visitors, as it contains the history, old and new photos, and restorative needs of each lighthouse, or lightship, as the case may be. The project "LV605" is the restoration effort for one of the few remaining lightships, which were floating lighthouses in waters where a lighthouse was impractical, because of depth, cost, or currents. There are many pictures of these lightships, and a history of these unique vessels is also included. [KMG]

http://www.teamviewer.com

Trying to get a group of people together can be a challenge, even in our age of connectivity. It is nice to know that there's a program like TeamViewer which can be of great assistance. The application is designed to allow screen-sharing and file-transfers between business partners and others. Visitors can share their access code with others to let them remotely access a computer or share screens. This version is compatible with computers running Windows 98 and newer, Max OS X 10.4 and newer, and Linux. [KMG]

http://www.avg.com/

With this version of its popular product, AVG Anti-Virus is offering a few new notable highlights. For one, visitors can use the full-featured scheduling utility for automating tasks and checking for new definitions. This version of Anti-Virus also includes new anti-phishing detection techniques and an up-to-date link scanner. Users running Windows 2000 and newer as well as Linux will be able to use this application. [KMG]

Extra half-hour in bed 'helps children concentrate'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7872758/Extra-half-hour-in-bed-helps-children-concentrate.html

Small delay in school start times=big benefits
http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/05/small-delay-in-school-start-timesbig-benefits/

At St. George's, more sleep equals better performance
http://www.projo.com/education/content/SCHOOL_START_TIME_SLEEP_07-06-10_BTJ3V3C_v18.1687c8e.html

National Sleep Foundation
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/

Sleep Disorders: Medline Plus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sleepdisorders.html

Eric Peterson is the head of the St. George's School, a private boarding school in Rhode Island, who had an idea to improve student performance. He thought that it might be useful to have students a bit better rested before they reported for class each morning, so he decided to start the school day at 8:30AM, rather than at 8. The effects were quite dramatic, and a sleep researcher studied his efforts. The researcher in question was Dr. Judith A. Owens, whose daughter was a senior at the school. Over time, Dr. Owens noticed that fewer students were late for class and that overall students felt more motivated and less depressed. Recently, Dr. Owens published her findings in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine journal, and other scholars are taking note. Owens' work seems to mirror other findings. Later school start times have had positive effects in places like Kentucky and Minnesota. In the study Owens found that sleep deprivation is quite harmful to the parts of the brain that need to develop in adolescence and noted, "We have no idea what the long-term consequence is." [KMG]

The first link will take users to a news article from this Monday's Telegraph which reports on both the US sleep study and a similar one from the UK. The second link leads to a post from The Chart blog from CNN, which talks about the study findings. Moving on, the third link leads to an article by The Providence Journal's Felice J. Freyer about Eric Peterson's experience with the modified start time. The fourth link leads to the homepage of the National Sleep Foundation, which has some excellent resources on how to get a good night's sleep. The fifth link will whisk users away to information on sleep disorders, provided courtesy of Medline Plus and other quality partners, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.