Education
on the Internet
is published by Spartacus
Educational every week. The newsletter includes news, reviews
of websites and articles on using ICT in the classroom. Members of
the mailing list are invited to submit information for inclusion in
future newsletters. In this way we hope to create a community of people
involved in using the Internet in education. Currently there are 14,667
subscribers to the newsletter.
Women
Veterans: Barbara Wilson, a former captain
in the USAF has produced Women Veterans, a website that explains the
role of US women in warfare. This includes Women in Vietnam a website
dedicated to explaining the role of the 10,000 women who took part
in this conflict. Captain Wilson explains that for many years "accurate
records on how many women were there, what decorations they earned,
where they served and most important - what after effects they have
suffered - and continue to suffer" were unavailable. Women in
Vietnam attempts to answer these questions about the 10,000 women
who took part in the war.
Martin
Luther King Jr. Project: The King Papers
Project is a major research effort to assemble and disseminate historical
information concerning Martin Luther King, Jr. and the social movements
in which he participated. Initiated by the King Center for Nonviolent
Social Change in Atlanta, the website includes sections on papers,
speeches, sermons, autobiography, chronology and articles.
Deutsches
Afrika Korps: Paulo Henriques from Portugal has created this detailed
website on the Deutsches Afrika Korps during the Second World War.
As well as providing biographies and photographs of the leading commanders
there are also articles on the War in Africa, The Italian Army, Afrika
Korps History, Life in the Afrika Korps, Afrika Korps Units and Symbols,
Afrika Korps Uniforms, Afrika Korps Guns and Afrika Korps Songs.
English
William
Shakespeare: Created and maintained by Jeremy Hylton at the Corporation
for National Research Initiatives, this website contains the electronic
version of the Complete Works of Shakespeare.
A powerful search-engine enables the user to search all the material
for selected words or phrases. There is also a chronological and alphabetical
listing of the plays, a collection of the most popular Shakespearean
quotations, and a detailed glossary. Another section deals with the
most frequently asked questions by users. The discussion area is very
popular and often involves pleas for help with essay titles such as
"Comic Female Monologues" and "Triumph and Tragedy
in Shakespeare's Life". There is also a comprehensive list of
other Shakespeare resources on the Internet.
The
Victorian Web: The Victorian Web is the result of Brown University's
Institute for Research in Information and Scholarship Intermedia Project.
At the moment there are 44 British writers on the website. This includes
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Lewis Carroll, Charles
Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson and Lord Tennyson.
Each author has an overview page where the material is listed under
the following headings: Biography, Works, Victorianism, Science, Literary
Relations, Visual Arts, Themes, Setting, Characterization, Image &
Symbol, Narration, Genre, Religion and Philosophy and Related Websites.
These sections might include one page of information or a list of
twenty or more pages. This site is a great research archive and fully
deserves the many awards it has received.
Robert
Louis Stevenson: The Robert Louis Stevenson website is managed
by Richard Dury at the University of Bergamo. The website receives
considerable support from the Robert Louis Stevenson Society based
in Australia and Edinburgh's Robert Louis Stephenson Club. Material
is listed under the following headings: Life and Works, E-Texts, Images,
Museums and Library Collections, Events, Bibliographies and Links.
Mathematics
MathMagic:
MathMagic has been created by Alan A. Hodson from El Paso, Texas.
Hodson points out that he is trying to "provide strong motivation
for students to use computer technology while increasing problem-solving
strategies and communication skills." A facilitator (teachers,
parents, librarians, etc.) register teams of mathematicians with the
MathMagic project. Mathematical challenges are posted on the website
and each registered team is paired up with another team and engage
in a problem-solving dialogue. When an agreement has been reached,
the solution is posted on the website.
Puzzles
and Fibonacci Numbers: An excellent website produced by the School
of Electronic Engineering, IT and Mathematics at the University of
Surrey. One of the features of the website is a series of puzzles
involving Fibonacci Numbers. Subjects include brick wall patterns,
bee lines, seating plans and jigsaws. There are also sections on Fibonacci
Numbers and Nature, The Golden Section in Art, Fantastic Flat Phi
Facts, Architecture and Music, Fibonacci Forgeries and Who was Fibonacci?
Houghton
Mifflin: Brain Teasers: Brain Teasers is part of the book publishers,
Houghton Mifflin's Mathematics Centre. New puzzles are posted every
Wednesday. Solutions are given the following week. All students who
submit the correct answer are entered into a weekly draw for T-shirt
prizes. The website provides an archive of previous Brain Teasers.
As well as brain teasers, the Houghton Mifflin also has a useful Mathematics
Project Centre.
Design
& Technology
Design
& Technology Online: D & T Online website provides free
access to a wide range of design and technology materials, resources
and software for students to use as they engage in design and technology
activities as part of the UK National Curriculum. In some cases the
material will be relevant to science and mathematics as well as design
and technology. So far there are sections on electronics, packaging,
environments, food, pneumatics, mechanisms and manufacturing projects.
Marcel
Breuer: Marcel Breuer
regularly exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art but he was most famous
for his classic piece the 'Wassily Chair'. This was designed for his
mentor the great painter Wassily Kandinsky and was inspired by the
shape and form of a bicycle handlebars. Breuer was both a furniture
designer and architect. A student of the famous German 'Bauhaus School
of Design'. Breuer designed modern classic furniture made from chrome
plated tubular steel, in his opinion 'essential for modern living.
A amongst other things a description and images of the Whitney Museum
of American Art designed by Breuer are provided.
Science
BUBL
Science Reference Library: The BUBL Information Service, based
at Strathclyde University Library, is a searchable database of Internet
resources of academic relevance. The websites are organized by Dewey
Decimal Classification and is browsable by subject or class number.
The Science main page has ten categories: Natural Sciences, Astronomy
& Allied Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Paleontology,
Biology, Plants, Animals and Mathematics. These provide links to further
categories. For example, Physics, is broken down into eleven categories
from Physics: General Resources to Modern Physics. Each website listed
has a brief review with information on the people and organization
that have created the website.
WebElements:
This excellent site has been produced by Mark Winter at the University
of Sheffield. Students select the element they are interested in from
a list of 112 or from the periodic table provided on the home page.
There is a wealth of information on each of the elements listed. For
example, the entry for iron includes history, description, atomic
weights, iron: the atom, iron: the element, iron compounds, and iron
around us. The atomic number, atomic weight and CAS Registry number
is also supplied. You are even provided with the French, German, Italian
and Spanish words for iron.
The
Mineral Gallery: Amethyst Galleries of Dayton, Ohio sells minerals,
fossils and jewelry over the Internet. To increase the number of people
visiting its website, Amethyst has produced a very useful mineral
encyclopedia. For each entry there is a photograph and about 300 words
of background information on the mineral. This is followed by data
on the colour, luster, transparency, crystal system, crystal habits,
cleavage, hardness, specific gravity, etc. Amethyst have also produced
a Jewelry Gallery and are currently working on a Fossil Gallery.
Geography
Global
Earthquake Response Centre: The Global Earthquake Response Centre
provides news on the latest earthquakes. The website also contains
an education section. This includes practical advice for schools about
what to do if there is an earthquake in your area and resources for
those who want to teach about the subject in the classroom. The website
also provides links with other 'Earthquake Information Centres' and
sites that are concerned with specific earthquakes.
Volcano
World: Volcano World website is managed by the Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory. One of the services provided is a constantly updated
list on current volcanic activity. The website has an excellent section
on 'Learning about Volcanoes'. The website also has an impressive
collection of online teacher's guides and lesson plans.
Greenpeace:
On its home page Greenpeace tells us that it is "an independent,
campaigning organization which uses non-violent, creative confrontation
to expose global environmental problems, and to force the solutions
which are essential to a green and peaceful future." The website
provides the latest information on the "pollution and abuse of
the earth's ocean, land, air and fresh water." This includes
press releases and overviews of their current campaigns. There is
also a very useful archive section that contains articles, photographs
and sound recordings on global environmental issues.
Modern
Languages
German
Electronic Textbook: The German Electronic Textbook provides a
grammar and pronunciation guide. Topics covered include: Nouns and
Noun Modifiers, Pronouns, Word Order, Prepositions, Adjectives &
Adverbs, Conjunctions, Verbs: Present Tense, Verbs: Subjective Mood
and Verbs: Passive Voice.
German
for Beginners: A website that contains some useful material for
students just starting a study of the German language. Sections include
Beginners Grammar, Exercises and Links. The website also enables you
to listen to useful German phrases and provides a comprehensive series
of links to English-German dictionaries.
WebMuseum:
Paris: WebMuseum's is a good place to visit before taking a school
trip to Paris. Sponsored by BMW, the website provides a virtual tour
of Paris. You have the choice of "walking around on your own"
or taking a "historical guided tour". Some of the tours
offered include 'Paris and its River', 'La Tour Eiffel' and 'The Crypt
of Notre Dame'. The most impressive feature is a virtual tour of the
Louvre. The site is in English and is therefore more useful for students
of French history and culture than the French language.
Do you
want to have your website listed in our web directory? If so, send
a brief description (about 150 words) and the URL to spartacus@pavilion.co.uk.
