The Scout Report -- Volume 16, Number 42

http://www4.uwm.edu/libraries/digilib/march/index.cfm

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries has a digital collection of primary source material that documents Milwaukee's civil rights history. This website contains audio, video, photographs, and documents, and can be searched by those formats or by collection. Visitors unfamiliar with the Milwaukee area, as well as those interested in a timeline of the civil rights struggle there, should click on the links "Map" and "Timeline". The map traces the route of an open housing march that took place in August of 1967, in addition to showing where most African-Americans lived at the time, the North Side. The timeline begins in 1954, when Brown v. Board of Education was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, and ends in 1976 when a federal judge ordered the Milwaukee public schools to be desegregated. Visitors shouldn't miss listening to one or two of the "More Than One Struggle Oral History Project" entries, which has MP3s of audiocassette recordings of Milwaukee residents who were involved in the civil rights movement. [KMG]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/

If you take a look at this website during legislative hours in Britain, you will see a bustling set of eight small screens with activity in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, the House of Commons, and so on. This is the BBC's "Democracy Live" website and it features gavel-to-gavel coverage of these proceedings. Visitors can use the "Featured business" link to watch some of the most current coverage, or take a look through the "Watch again" features to look over materials titled "School spending 'will increase'" and "PM confirms defence spending cuts". Further along, the site also contains a listing of all previous hearings, links to topical blogs, some historic moments in Parliament's history, and the ability to follow a representative's appearances on the BBC. [KMG]

http://www.masshist.org/photographs/blake.cfm

Born in 1850 in Needham, Massachusetts, Francis Blake spent his formative years as a scientist on the United States Coast Survey and Darien Exploring Expedition from 1866 to 1874. After this valuable experience, Blake began to experiment with early telephone technology, heating systems, and perhaps most telling, photography. He purchased his first camera in 1884, and soon after that he began to take a wide range of stop-action images of trains, pigeons, horses, and other subjects. Blake spent the next three decades taking thousands of photographs in this vein, and he was primarily concerned with the technical and scientific challenges of photography, rather than any artistic elements. On this website, the Massachusetts Historical Society offers up a nice selection of some of his work, including a host of portraits, high-speed photographs of horses, and shots of his estate, Keewaydin. It's a nice collection, and it's one that will intrigue persons with an interest in the history of art and the scientific uses of photography. [KMG]

http://www.chipublib.org/images/krueger/index.php

Fans of all things Chicago will definitely enjoy the Chicago Public Library's digital collection of photographs from the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s by local photographer Robert W. Krueger. As the website states, the Public Library started working with Krueger in 1984 to document Chicago's North Side. The photographs in the collection include street scenes, parks, businesses, houses, schools, cemeteries, community events, and people. The "Images by Subject" menu on the left hand side offers more than a dozen subjects for visitors to peruse, including "transportation", "special events" and "residences". The images can also be viewed by decade. The "street scenes" subject area is great place to start and it will give visitors an idea of what it's like to walk around one of the many pleasant vintage neighborhoods on the North Side of Chicago. [KMG]

http://www.stlcourtrecords.wustl.edu/

The diversity of court cases and proceedings within the St. Louis Circuit Court are quite mind-boggling, as is this impressive digitization project designed to provide the public with access to these proceedings. The project started in September 1999, and the bulk of these records "document the case history of civil suits brought by ordinary men and women pursuing justice in disputes over debts, damages and broken promises." Of course, there are a few rather notable names here as well, including Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Moses and Stephen F. Austin. First-time visitors to the site will want to look at the "Special Features" area. Here they will find thematic profiles of key court cases and issues, including those dealing with suits filed against Lewis & Clark, and those involving the fur trade and Native Americans. Visitors are encouraged to search the archives as they see fit, look over the "Questions" area for a bit of guidance, and also create their own court case portfolio via the "myResearch" link. [KMG]

http://www.hps.org/

Formed in 1956, the Health Physics Society (HPS) is a scientific organization of professionals dedicated to radiation safety. For persons looking to go into this field, their website is chock full of relevant materials. On their homepage, visitors can use one of ten sections (including "Teachers" and "Students") to locate high-quality information on the world of radiation and radiation safety. Many visitors will find the "Fact Sheets" area to be quite useful, and it contains publications like "Environmental Radiation", "Food Irradiation", and "Radiation Exposure and Pregnancy". Students of this field will want to click on over to the "College Students" area. Here they will find information about fellowship and other study opportunities. Also, visitors can learn about the HPS's professional meetings and outreach activities via the "Public and Media" area. [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://beyondthetaj.library.cornell.edu/about.php

Cornell University has a tremendous holding of photographs that document the canonical works or "major moments" in the study of South Asian architectural traditions. Over 6,600 images from this truly unique collection have been placed online here, and persons with a penchant for South Asian culture will want to make return visits here. One particularly noteworthy section of this collection is the collection of images of 89 temples in Tamil Nadu, which are part of an unfinished study of a folk tradition by Professor Robert MacDougall. The entire collection is the result of a long-term collaboration between Professor Bonnie G. MacDougall and Margaret N. Webster, the director of the George W. & Adelaide Knight Visual Resources Facility on Cornell's campus. Visitors can use the "View Collection" to wander through the many items here, and they may also wish to use the search engine to focus in on certain items of interest. [KMG]

http://www.asiasociety.org/files/pdf/as_making_difference_report.pdf

The Asia Society released this report in August 2010, and it was part of a broader effort "to stimulate new thinking and to identify extant resources than can enhance connectivity between the United States and Muslim communities in Asia." The report takes a close look at the "diverse ways in which stakeholders in cultural development and exchange initiatives in and with Asian Muslim communities have built successful projects by drawing on culturally grounded knowledge and strategies." Throughout its 95-pages the report offers reports from successful initiatives across the globe, and it also spells out six core principles and strategies based on the empirical case studies from this work. For anyone interested in this type of cultural policy work, this piece will be most helpful. [KMG]

http://culture.wnyc.org/

WNYC, an NPR affiliate in New York, presents this website especially for those folks hungry for a bite of the Big Apple. Visitors will find all kinds of information on New York City nightlife and culture, such as the featured video, "Life Is Indeed a Journey: WNYC's Soterios Johnson Remembers His Favorite Beatle". This video is a three and a half minute mini-tour of John Lennon's New York, lead by Susan Ryan of Fab 4 NYC Tours, which begins at West Side Pharmacy on Columbus Ave. and ends at Madison Square Garden, the site of Lennon's last public appearance in November of 1974. The site also provides a topics section, with sections that include: Books & Ideas, Fashion, Film, Food, and Music. In the Food section, visitors can read blog posts while listening to audio clips, such as "Don't Fear the Okra" - an entry in the "Last Chance Foods" section which highlights local produce that's about to go out of season. [DS]

http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/

The Digital Atlas of Idaho was created in order to convey the "integration of data on geology, hydrology, biology, climatology, and anthropology onto a common digital map base", and is the result of collaboration between Idaho State University, Boise State University, and the Idaho Museum of Natural History. Visitors to the site can view the areas of study on the home page, which include "Geology", "Biology", and "Geography". By scrolling over each area they can see the topics these areas cover. For example scrolling over "Geology" will show a number of topics including "Rocks of Idaho", "Snake River Plain", "Fossils", "Geology Basics", and "Geology of SE Idaho". Users interested in teaching about some of the topics covered by the Digital Atlas should check out the "Teaching Resources" link for lesson plans available for grades K-12. There are also "Digital Exercises", "Charts", "Images", and "Glossaries" to further inform the lessons. Visitors can find such digital exercises as "Butterfly Identification Exercise", "Name That Cloud", and "Geographic Processes and the Visible Landscape". [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://digital.udayton.edu/cdm-archives/

The University of Dayton has a wonderful digital collection of photographs of the university. Visitors can search by "popular subject terms" which, perhaps not surprisingly, include the typical college terms of "football", "sports", and "athletes". However, there are also more unconventional terms available including "ghetto", which yields photos of the South Student Neighborhood, popularly known as the "Ghetto". Visitors to the collection will also find fraternity, sorority, and large imposing houses featured in the photographs of the "Ghetto". Visitors shouldn't miss browsing the many aerial views of campus and surrounding neighborhoods from the 1920s. Simply click on "campus", and enjoy the many views. Fans of the actor Tyrone Power should check out the picture of him with the University of Dayton football team in Hollywood in 1939 at Twentieth Century-Fox Studios. Visitors can also browse the collection or use the advanced search option. [KMG]

http://iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/NutritionSymbols.aspx

The National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., advises the nation on science, engineering, and medicine, and their website allows the general public to be privy to their findings. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has released on their website a Phase I report of their recent study on "Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols". Visitors can find the full Report on the right side of the page, and can be read online or downloaded as a PDF, both for free. A paperback version of the report can also be ordered for a charge. Visitors interested in a "Report Brief" or "Press Release" can view one in PDF or HTML. One of the most important things the report concludes is that due to the epidemic of obese Americans, "it would be useful to display calorie and serving size information prominently in front-of-package symbols." This would show the importance of calories in weight control. Visitors interested in receiving regular e-mails about the Institute of Medicine's work can sign up under the heading "Stay up to date!" on the right-hand menu. [KMG]

http://www.msichicago.org/fileadmin/Activities/Games/simple_machines/

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has recently expanded their online opportunities and interactive features. One of their latest additions is the "Simple Machines" feature, and here visitors will get to meet the curious robot "Twitch". The premise behind this game is that Twitch must complete a series of tasks to finish an important project. Using fun tools, keyboard motions, and careful object selection, visitors will have a bit of fun, and learn about the principles of force, the world of inclined planes, and other related topics. All of this fun is accompanied by a jaunty soundtrack that is part electronica, part lounge music. The graphics are superb, and the entire experience is quite user-friendly. [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.currier.org/

Named after Moody Currier, a 19th century governor of New Hampshire, the Currier Museum of Art was established by Currier's estate in 1915 and is located in Manchester, New Hampshire. Today, the Museum is a bedrock institution within the Manchester cultural milieu, and their website has materials that will engage both young and old. At the "Exhibitions" area, visitors can read up on their current and past exhibitions, and also catch sample images from each one. Moving on, the "Collections" area allows visitors to view almost 13,000 items from their permanent collection. Visitors can browse the collections by theme (such as "Modern Art" and "Decorative Art") or they can perform a detailed search. Also, their "Secret Life of ART" blog provides a bit of "behind-the-scene" fun as visitors can learn about the curator's favorite pieces and also about what goes on as a new exhibit is going up. [KMG]

http://www.wolframalpha.com/

What is a "computational knowledge engine"? Simply put, it can help you figure out just about any question or calculation. The goal of this project is "to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone." First-time visitors can get started by entering a date, typing in two stocks, a simple (or complex) math formula, and examining the results. The engine uses its computational power and ever growing collection of knowledge to computer the answer. Visitors to the site can also view the "What's New" area, check out examples listed by topic, and peruse their visual gallery. This version is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]

http://www.dipity.com/

If you're looking to create a visually compelling and interactive timeline with little fuss, Dipity might be worth a look. With Dipity, visitors can create their own timeline, and populate it with photos, video clips, text, and other items. The mission of Dipity is "to organize the web's content by date and time", and it is well suited for use by journalists, government organizations, teachers, and museums, among others. Visitors will need to create an account to get started, but the basic version remains free. Dipity is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]

Poverty in the suburbs: Mortgage or food
http://www.economist.com/node/17257857?story_id=17257857&fsrc=rss

How Important Is Economic Diversity in Schools?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130647610

Poorest school districts get least-qualified teachers; affluent districts get the best, survey finds
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/10/18/2556603/poorest-school-districts-get-least.html

A Culture of Poverty
http://www.theatlantic.com/personal/archive/2010/10/a-culture-of-poverty/64854/

Reconsidering the 'Culture of Poverty'
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130701401

The Great Recession and Poverty in Metropolitan America
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2010/1007_suburban_poverty_acs_kneebone.aspx

For much of America's history, urban areas contained the lion's share of the country's poor, an image reinforced by popular media depictions in film, television, and evening news reports. Recent news reports from the New York Times and The Economist would seem to indicate that suburban areas have larger numbers of poor people, and many are finding it hard to locate adequate social services, food banks, and other resources. This news drew on two new reports from the Brookings Institution, which found that the number of poor people in the suburbs has increased 37.4% over the past decade. Also, these findings come on the heels of a renewed discussion regarding the so-called "culture of poverty". When it was on the front page of policy discussions forty years ago, many politicians (including the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan) argued that there was in fact a unique set of cultural values and practices held by the poor that made it difficult, if not impossible, to make the transition out of poverty. As policy-makers continue to confront the shifting geography of poverty, all of these issues will require sustained conversation and significant soul-searching. [KMG]

The first link will take users to a news article from last Thursday's Economist which reports on growing suburban poverty trends, with particular attention to the city of Freeport on Long Island. The second link leads to a related piece from National Public Radio which talks about the performance of low-income students in schools with greater economic diversity. The third link leads to a timely story from this Monday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram which talks about a study that shows that less affluent areas (and as a result, school districts) often have the least-qualified teachers. Moving on, visitors will find a thoughtful piece by Ta-Nehisi Coates of The Atlantic where he ruminates on his own experiences with the culture of poverty and related matters. The fifth link leads to an excellent discussion on the culture of poverty with Patricia Cohen of the New York Times and Professor Sudhir Venkatesh of Columbia University. The final link leads to the two aforementioned reports from the Brookings Institution, and visitors with an interest in this type of social transformation will want to give both of them a closer look.