International Soil Reference and Information Centre [.pdf]
http://www.isric.nl/
The International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), which is associated with the Centre for Development and Environment, University of Berne, Switzerland, aims to "provide a better understanding of soils and to promote sustainable use of the land." The ISRIC Web site gives visitors several areas to explore, but of special note are the reports and publications link within the publications page, which contains downloadable annual and biannual reports, conference proceedings, soil briefs, technical papers, and more. These publications have been authored or co-authored by staff members, and guest researchers of ISRIC or the former International Soil Museum. [JAB]
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The National Stormwater Best Management Practices Database [.pdf]
http://www.bmpdatabase.org/
From the Urban Water Resources Research Council of the American Society of Civil Engineers (under a cooperative agreement with the US Environmental Protection Agency) comes the National Stormwater Best Management Practices Database. Information provided comes from over 190 Best Management Practice (BMP) studies conducted over the past fifteen years and, once accessed, can be viewed, printed, or exported as needed. Searches can be done using five parameters including state or country, type of BMP, water-quality issue, watershed size, and average storm volume. Although several of the attempted searches resulted in a brief overview of the entry and a statement of "BMP Summary Unavailable," the continually expanding database does give those interested a good resource for locating stormwater management practice information. [JAB]
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National Renewable Energy Laboratory: New Pubs [.pdf]
http://www.nrel.gov/publications/newpubs.html
The US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory offers a New Publications page that contains five recently published reports freely available to view or download. The documents include: NREL Institutional Plan, 2001-2005; Photovoltaic Energy Program Overview, Fiscal Year 2000; Scenarios for a Clean Energy Future: Interlaboratory Working Group on Energy-Efficient and Clean-Energy Technologies; Renewable Energy for Rural Schools; and Alternative Fuel Transit Buses: DART's (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) LNG Bus Fleet Final Results. The main page contains descriptions of each publication and the link to view each complete Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file. [JAB]
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Soil Texture Triangle: Hydraulic Properties Calculator
http://www.bsyse.wsu.edu/saxton/soilwater/
Dr. Keith E. Saxton from Washington State Universities Department of Biological Systems Engineering offers the Soil Texture Triangle-Hydraulic Properties Calculator Web site. By simply entering its percent sand and clay, this online calculator allows users to find the wilting point, field capacity, bulk density, saturation, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and available water of particular soils. A great resource for researchers and professionals, the utility can even be downloaded free of charge to use on your own computer as a MS-DOS program. This site is also reviewed in the April 19, 2002 Scout Report. [JAB]
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Scientist and Engineer Statistics Data System [.pdf]
http://srsstats.sbe.nsf.gov/
Created by the National Science Foundation, Scientist and Engineer Statistics Data System (SESTAT) is a system of information about the employment, educational, and demographic characteristics of scientists and engineers in the United States. The presented data contains information from surveys conducted in 1993, 1995, and 1997 -- covering those with a bachelor's degree (or higher) who either work in or are educated in science or engineering. After the free registration, users can view various prepared tables of information (e.g., median annual salaries of US scientists and engineers by field and level of highest degree attained). The Create Your Own Tables link was a bit cumbersome on a Mac browser; users with PC systems may have better luck with the site's new Java-based system. Nevertheless, most information can be easily viewed and downloaded as Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files. [JAB]
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OMNIWeb
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/omniweb/ow.html
Containing "near-Earth" solar wind magnetic field and plasma data, energetic proton fluxes, and geomagnetic and solar activity indices, OMNIWWeb gives researchers a useful tool for gathering and comparing data. Maintained by NASA's National Space Science Data Center, the database offers several categories to view. [JAB]
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The Surfactants Virtual Library
http://surfactants.net/
Maintained by Dr. Paul Huibers, this metadata site contains links to over 1000 surfactant-related sites, including topics like manufacturers, research centers, and researchers; phenomena such as foaming, detergency, micelles, surface tension, emulsions, and microemulsions; and applications such as cleaning, cosmetics, and environmental remediation. Easily navigated and unflashy, the pages contain simple lists of sites in the various categories, making locating particular information simple and quick. Users should note, though, that a few of the links were dead. [JAB]
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Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: Acronyms of High-Energy Physics
http://www.fnal.gov/pub/ferminews/ahep.html
From the Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Web site, (last mentioned in the August 2, 2000 Scout Report) comes the handy Acronyms of High-Energy Physics Web site. Organized into four categories including laboratories, accelerators, detectors and experiments, and other institutions, each acronym is followed by a brief description and a link to the site or further information. [JAB]
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Confronting Climate Change in the Gulf Coast Region
http://www.ucsusa.org/environment/gcteachers.html
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is an independent nonprofit alliance of 50,000 concerned citizens and scientists across the country who "augment rigorous scientific analysis with innovative thinking and committed citizen advocacy to build a cleaner, healthier environment and a safer world." The Confronting Climate Change in the Gulf Coast Region curriculum guide contains ten activities related to the report of the same name, all of which can be viewed and downloaded from the site after registering for free. Geared to students in the 9-12 grade in all areas of the country, the authors write that the materials are easily adaptable for college and middle school students and are particularly suited for students living in the affected states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Even though the UCS's environmental rhetoric reveals certain biases, all educators should find the activities and information available on their site worth looking at and sharing with their students. [JAB]
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Environment Agency: Kids [Flash]
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/kids/
The Environment Agency of England and Wales (last mentioned in the November 24, 1999 Scout Report) Kids Web site contains several interactive environment-related activities for kids. The site has games, cartoons, and animations that help teach how we as humans affect the quality of our environment. Of special interest is the Pressure Point, Bullet Point animated activity that allows kids to read facts about the environment, energy, climate, waste, and more. A non-animated version is also available, but the fun sounds and interactivity of the animated version will definitely help keep the interest of kids, as well as inform them about these topics. [JAB]
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The Space Place: Let's Go to Mars [Flash]
http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/mars_rocket.htm
NASA's Spaceplace Web site (last mentioned in the August 14, 1998 Scout Report) has several new activities including the Let's Go to Mars interactive game. Kids learn what astronauts would need to take on the nine month mission to the red planet by choosing various items and reading why each may be good or bad in space. After loading all of your items, the spacecraft launches and then gives a score on how you did. The game is not terribly involved but will give younger students a fun way to learn and gain interest in space and space travel. [JAB]
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Teacher's Corner
http://www.nps.gov/badl/teacher/teacher.htm
From the National Park Service comes the Teachers Corner Web site on Badlands National Park. The lesson plans offered include erosion in a box, understanding rock layers, making dirt, muddying the waters, and more. Each lesson page gives a suggested grade range, key concepts, background, materials, procedure, results, and a why section that explains the scientific reasons behind the results. The pages are simple and easy to follow while containing good material that should help kids learn about geology and our national parks. [JAB]
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Physics Songs and Physics Poems
http://www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/songs/
Hosted by Haverford College and maintained by Associate Professor of Physics Walter F. Smith, the PhysicsSongs.org Web site is just that. Students and educators will find songs that have been written about such things as Gauss's Law, The Twelve Days of Newton, The Relativity Song, and more. Words are provided, and some even contain playable recordings. Who said learning isn't fun? [JAB]
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The Trivia Portal: Quizzes
http://www.funtrivia.com/cgi-bin/quizlist.cgi?type=cat&cat=9&brief=yes
Fun Trivia.com, "the World's Largest Trivia Site" includes a section of trivia quizzes devoted to science. Sixteen different quizzes are currently offered, covering topics such as the Fahrenheit Scale, Chemical Elements: Origins of Names, and How to Do Science. The quizzes are graded on a difficulty scale based on scores from the first twenty players. After a free registration, anyone can submit their own quiz, as long as it meets the ground rules and requirements. For this reason, Fun Trivia does not guarantee the accuracy of questions and answers. An appealing feature is that, once all questions are answered and the quiz is submitted, the correct answers are displayed along with the answer submitted by the player. This may be a fun activity to incorporate into science classrooms of a variety of levels. [AL]
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Reading Weather Maps
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/home.rxml
From the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Department of Atmospheric Sciences comes the Reading Weather Maps Web site. Visitors learn how to convert their local time to the standard used by all meteorologists; to tell the difference between Kelvin, Celsius, and Fahrenheit temperatures; and how to read maps with weather data collected on and above the Earth's surface. For example, wind bards, which are flag-like symbols that indicate wind direction and wind speed, always point in the direction the wind is blowing "from." Other interesting facts, descriptions, and illustrations are available on the site. [JAB]
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Size and Scale
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/sizeandscale/index.html
Another good lesson plan from DiscoverySchool.com, the Size and Scale Web site gives teachers a well conceived and thorough activity on the physics of size and scale. Objectives of the lesson include: understanding the relative sizes of bodies in our solar system and the problem of making a scale model of the entire solar system (because the distances in space are so great that even a very small scale model would be too large to be practical). The site contains all the information needed to complete the lesson, as well as a printable version and related links. [JAB]
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Fundamentals of Physical Geography
http://www.geog.ouc.bc.ca/physgeog/home.html
The Fundamentals of Physical Geography Web site was created by Dr. Michael J. Pidwirny of the Department of Geography at Okanagan University College. The site is a complete online text book with eleven chapters, covering topics ranging from maps, energy, hydrology, geology, and much more. Descriptions include links to a terms page, informative illustrations, and photographs. The Online Study Guide is especially helpful, containing a chapter summary; list of key terms; and study questions, problems, and exercises. Although students will surely find this site very helpful, others interested in any of the subjects will also appreciate the clear descriptions and simple navigation the text book provides. [JAB]
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Light and Optics Activities
http://acept.la.asu.edu/PiN/act/activities.shtml
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Arizona State University maintains the Patterns in Nature Web site, which includes the Light and Optics Activities page. Here, visitors can attempt almost twenty activities at home, with titles such as lenses, photons, optical microscopy, and polarized light. The activities and descriptions are great for kids and adults wanting to explore and learn physics related concepts. [JAB]
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Map Collections: 1500-1999
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html
The Library of Congress maintains the online map collection Web site which contains maps from 500 years in seven different categories. The site, entitled Map Collections: 1500-1999, can be browsed by cities and towns, conservation and environment, discovery and exploration, general maps, transportation and communication, military battles and campaigns, and cultural landscapes. The database can be searched by keyword and also browsed by additional parameters that include geographic location, subject, creator, and title. Each map has a description, can be zoomed to fine detail, and even downloaded in most cases free of charge. A wonderful resource for anyone interested in maps or any of the subjects they portray. [JAB]
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Environment Australia
http://www.ea.gov.au/
The Department of Environment and Heritage Web site, Environment Australia, gives an overview of environmental concerns of the country. Topics covered include the atmosphere, biodiversity, coasts and oceans, inland waters, land management, meteorology, and more. The site gives an interesting look into the unique problems and concerns that Australia is faced with and what its governmental agencies are doing to protect its resources. Many additional links are available on the main page for those interested in more information, such as databases and publications. [JAB]
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SciNet Science Search
http://www.scinet.cc/
SciNet Science Search Engine is described as "Your Science, Engineering, and Medical Search Engine and Directory." Visitors can browse the many categories or search by inputting key words (an advanced search option is not available). The site has additional features such as a highest rated sites link and a 5-star site link, as well as news, a picture post, unit conversions, and periodic tables. Users searching for science specific sites and information will appreciate the engine's ease of use and non-technical feel. [JAB]
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An Atlas of the Universe
http://anzwers.org/free/universe/
Created by astrophysicist Richard Powell, An Atlas of the Universe is a Web site that allows visitors to see nine main maps of the universe, ranging from 12.5 light years to 15 billion light years from the sun. Each map then contains several other corresponding maps as well as descriptions of what is being shown. The maps give perspective to the vastness that lies beyond earth and explains, clearly and simply, things such as "where is the center of the universe" and "where did the big bang occur." Anyone interested in astronomy will enjoy the well organized and informative content. [JAB]
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Environmental Issues and Astronomy: An Introductory Resource Guide
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/environment.html
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific maintains a Web site of the same name, with an interesting section titled Environmental Issues and Astronomy: An Introductory Resource Guide. Most people may not normally think that their would be environmental issues related to astronomy, but this site explores four of them -- one of which is light pollution. Although the descriptions of the issues on this site are fairly short, links are provided to give readers further information about each, making the unique subject of these pages worth looking at. [JAB]
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Marvelous Molecules [Flash]
http://www.nyscience.org/marvelousmolecules/index.html
Presented by the New York Hall of Science, the Marvelous Molecules Web site accompanies its physical museum's exhibit by offering descriptions and additional online activities. The first page "About the Exhibit" shows what is available at the museum and gives interesting facts about molecules. The next page "All About Molecules" explains what a molecule is and gives eight examples (e.g., aspirin and carbon dioxide). The next page called "Marvelous Activities" contains several activities, one of which is the "How Many Molecules Are You?" interactive exercise. Here, users input their weight to see how many molecules their bodies contain and how that compares to other living things. Geared mainly towards kids, the Web site should give all people a fun way to learn. [JAB]
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Asteroids
1. Spaceflight Now: New Study Reveals Twice as Many Asteroids as Believed
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0204/07asteroids/
2. Asteroid Introduction
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/asteroid.htm
3. Doomsday Asteroid
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/spacewatch/
4. Asteroids: Deadly Impact
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/asteroids/
5. Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards
http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/
6. Asteroid Orbital Elements
http://arnold.usno.navy.mil/murison/asteroids/OrbitalElements.html
7. A Blast From the Past
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/blast/index.html
8. Crazy Craters
http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com/10feb00/teach10.html
Asteroids have been of continued interest and research among scientists and the general public. This issue's Topic in Depth explores some of the Internet's offerings on the subject.
From Spaceflight Now, the first site (1) is an April 7, 2002 article that describes new research, showing that "there are between 1.1 million and 1.9 million 'space rocks' larger than 1 kilometre in diameter in the so-called main asteroid belt, about twice as many as previously believed." The next site, offered by Solarviews.com, is called Asteroid Introduction (2). Here, visitors can learn the basics about asteroids, including information on well known ones, pictures, animations, and more. NOVA maintains the next site, called Doomsday Asteroid (3). This site describes comets such as Hale-Bopp and others, while also providing teacher activities and great photographs. For a unique look at the effects that asteroids can have on the Earth, take a look at National Geographic's Web site Asteroids: Deadly Impact (4). Here, visitors get to play detective by looking at available evidence of impacts and then trying to figure out what sized meteor or comet caused it. From NASA, the next site is called Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards (5), a comprehensive but approachable accumulation of information about the study and probability of asteroid-Earth impacts. Included are articles, photographs, animations, and more -- offering links such as the Torino Impact Scale page that describes how the scale assesses the probability of an asteroid impact. From the US Naval Observatory and called Asteroid Orbital Elements (6), the next site is a database that contains all known non-cometary and non-planetary bodies. Search results provide data such as the asteroid's name, number, diameter, orbital eccentricity, and more. The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History Web site, A Blast From the Past (7), is a short but interesting site that explores new evidence of an asteroid impact 65 million years ago when dinosaurs went extinct. The last site, from thursdaysclassroom.com, is a lesson plan for grade-schoolers called Crazy Craters (8). Students experiment to learn about what causes the various features of impact craters, including the rim of mountains around the edge and the streaks or rays that fan out from large craters. [JAB]
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Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The NSDL Scout Report for the Physical Sciences.
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From The NSDL Scout Report for Physical Sciences, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2002. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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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.
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