Al's Picks |
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by Al Massey |
http://www.ed.gov/NCES/pubs/ce/index.html
The Condition of Education 1996. At the heart of The Condition of Education 1996, recently released on the web by the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, are "60 indicators, representing a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education." Indicators are arranged in six categories: Access, Participation, and Progress; Achievement, Attainment, and Curriculum; Economic and Other Outcomes of Education; Size, Growth, and Output of Educational Institutions; Climate, Classrooms, and Diversity in Educational Institutions; and Human and Financial Resources of Educational Institutions.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces760.html
GPO Pathway Services, a product of the US Government Printing Office, is an attempt by that agency to make finding US government information easier for both librarians and interested end users. It does this by connecting the user to many sources of government information from one site. Users can browse the information by topic (though the topic listing is a work in progress at this time) or by title, arranged alphabetically by agency. This title page contains a "New Additions" hypertext link to help interested users keep up with new releases across agencies. Government Information Locator Service (GILS) records can also be browsed. These records contain information about government agencies, along with relevant hypertext links. Pathway Services also provides keyword searching of government information sites, as well as MoCat (the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications). This site shows great promise in helping information seekers use one location as a gateway to all their government information needs.
Digital Education Network, a free web-based course for secondary students. The Digital Education Network offers 7th through 12th grade students a chance to expand their knowledge in four areas: NewsDEN, which covers current events for kids and provides tips for teachers on how to integrate the information into their curricula; MathDEN, an interactive math challenge that offers four "stages" for students at different levels and tracks their progress (new question sets are added every Thursday); InternetDEN, a tutorial on using Internet tools for education, aimed at the novice net-surfer; and GraphicsDEN, a tutorial on and gallery of computer graphics.
http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Chemistry Web Book. For information on thermodynamic data for over 5,000 chemical compounds and on ion-energetics data for over 10,000 chemical compounds, NIST's Chemistry WebBook is available for searching. Compounds can be searched by name, chemical formula, or CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) registry number. Information on enthalpy of formation, heat capacity, entropy, ionization potential, and appearance potential is available. Note that this site works best on browsers that support tables. NIST also supplies reference databases in the area of physics.
http://gsulaw.gsu.edu/metaindex/
Meta-Index for US Legal Research. This page, provided by the Georgia State University College of Law, presents search forms for many US Federal Government law sources; each form contains sample search criteria. The judicial opinions section provides search forms for the Supreme Court as well as all Federal Circuit courts. The legislation section allows searching of the US Code, as well as searching of bills (104th Congress, both full-text and by bill number) and the full text of the Congressional Record. There are also search forms for federal regulation, people in law, and other legal sources. Users may enter search criteria directly into the forms on this meta-index page, or follow the link to the source page for direct searching. The searches of standard sources (opinions and legislation) are presented without instructions, while the "Other Sources" section provides descriptions of the source and tips for searching. Users may register to be notified by email when the page is modified.
http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/archair.html
Israel Archaeology from the Air. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made two richly graphical exhibits available on the web. "Archaeology From the Air" presents birdseye views of over 20 sites, each with an explanatory caption. Included are the Northern Palace of Masada, the Qumran Caves, Megiddo, the Amphitheatre and Aqueduct in Caesarea, Belvoir Fortress, and Rugum Hiri (the "Wheel of Giants") among others. These aerial views not only show each site, but the surroundings as well, giving geographical perspective. "Jerusalem in Old Maps and Views" contains images of 14 maps of the city, arranged chronologically from 565 A.D. (the oldest detailed map in the world, according to the site) to 1905. Each map is accompanied by an explanatory caption. Note that both these exhibits are extremely large, as the images are not thumbnails that connect to larger images. However, if your connection is fast enough, these exhibits are well worth viewing.
Mapquest: Worldwide Coverage. To its detailed coverage of the United States, Mapquest has added maps for cities and regions around the world. The interactive atlas can now display international locations on six continents; maps are detailed to the highway and boulevard level. For US addresses, users may search for locations by street address and view a map of the neighborhood. Registration, free of charge, allows the user to return to the Mapquest site with settings intact; settings include which points of interest will be highlighted, how the maps should be displayed, and even which maps will be labeled and stored for future reference. The US-only services on the site include Tripquest, a route planner that covers the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Housenet. Housenet, provided by Gene and Katie Hamilton, is a comprehensive site aimed at home improvement information. It contains a wealth of how-to information on such topics as interior and exterior repairs, painting, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and gardening, among others. The “Do it Yourself or Not” section estimates professional vs. do-it-yourself costs for over 25 jobs from demolishing plaster walls to laying oak flooring. Housenet also offers a wealth of tips on saving on your utility bill. As befits a site that was originally a BBS, there is a “neighbor-to-neighbor ideas exchange” (registration required).
http://www.sunrise-theater.com/
Sunrise Theater: Sci-fi films from the 1950s. Were you terrified seeing such movies as “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms,” “Forbidden Planet,” or “The Thing” in the theater in the 1950s? Did you laugh at “The Queen From Outer Space” on late night TV? Then Sunrise Theater is for you. This frames-based multimedia site (free registration required) is highlighted by a fairly exhaustive interactive story for each of the six films presently available (“The Day the Earth Stood Still,” and “IT! The Terror from Beyond Space,” are the others), with still images and sound clips. There are also limited video clips, cast lists, games (Java support required), posters, chatrooms, and connections to other sci-fi sites. As the site grows, more 1950s sci-fi films are scheduled to be added. If your browser has the capabilities and your connection the speed, Sunrise Theater is a wonderful, nostalgic experience.
Mouse Pad at http://www.cadshare.com/.
To receive one of our hot, new over-sized sublimated fabric mouse pads please fill in the following form completely and we’ll ship a mouse pad out to you immediately. Mouse Pad at http://www.abracadabra.net/contest.html.
Abracadabra Digital Color Output Centers, Picture: MOUSE6bits.GIF (15k), would like to Thank You for visiting our Web site. To show our appreciation, we’d like to send you something COOL to go with your MAC or PC set-up!! While there enter contest to win a free ZIP drive. CD-ROM at http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/landdaac/sir-c/educational.html. This CD-ROM contains a collection of images (including radar images from earlier missions), documentation (including the Teachers’ Resource Guide, Presentation Materials and Lesson Guide), and software for displaying the image data and some of the text files. This data set is unique and contains a comprehensive set of radar data and supporting documentation.
CD-ROM at http://headbone.com/text/sampler.html. Headbone’s hot, new CD-ROM Sampler showcases our titles and gives you a taste of what you’ve been missing in kids’ multimedia: a verve and vitality that’ll put a spark into any kid’s imagination. Reserve your copy now! (If your kids like our Sampler, they’ll love our games!) Hop into the world of Headbone and give it a test-drive! The Sampler disk is jam-packed with... Playable demos of loads of Headbone games: Infinity City, AlphaBonk Farm, Elroy Goes Bugzerk, Pantsylvania, Elroy Hits the Pavement, and Elroy’s Costume Closet; Your first peek at Headbone’s upcoming titles: the Gigglebone Gang’s “World Tour” and Iz & Auggie in... Escape from Dimension Q!; Special sections just for parents (so you can see why Headbone games are perfect for kids’ growing minds); Detailed charts that show you all the activities, features, and fun inside each Headbone game; Glowing praise from folks who’ve already had the pleasure of playing Headbone-style; and, Lists of stores near you that stock our stuff.
Free Sticker at http://www.ffnormal.com/index.html. Get your free Far From Normal Sticker. If you are reading this, you certainly qualify.
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.
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