Art

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The Visual Record  http://www.thevisualrecord.com

The Visual Record is a fantastic collection of photographs drawn from travel experiences, landscapes, photo essays and projects as well as a photoblog that you can also track.  The photographs provided here provide an artistic and inspirational journey.  Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRR

Vision & Art   http://psych.hanover.edu/Krantz/art/

This tutorial has been developed to demonstrate how visual information is used in art.  The tutorials deal with such things as depth, relative height, linear perspective, texture gradient, shadow, aerial perspective, relative height, and interposition.  This is an excellent collection of tutorials for art students. Ideal for year levels 5-11 RRRR

Scribe Worx: Calligraphy  http://scribeworx.8m.com/index.html

If you are teaching or learning about calligraphy, then this web site will provide you with a wealth of background information including reference works, electronic books you can read or download as well as access to thousands of fonts which you can download, unzip and install at no cost, or very little cost. Ideal for year levels 6-10 RRRRR

The National Gallery of Art: Kids Section   http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm

Students and teachers of art will find a fantastic collection of resources available from this web site.  There is an excellent collection of tutorials based around images, as well as the art zone, where you can create interactive art online, build geometric sculptures, draw interactive portraits, learn about the history of art . . . . A treasure trove of resources and inspiration. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Visual Magic Magazine  http://visualmagic.awn.com/

This online magazine deals with the increasing influence of technology on animation and artistic work.  With the commercial success of films such as "Lord of the Rings", the standard of animation has now reached a point where people are demanding to see Golem in person. This magazine will provide teachers and students with some excellent case studies, as well as background information  on affordable software as well as tutorials and lesson ideas. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRR

Harold Olejarz: Art Teacher  http://olejarz.com/arted/

This web site provides art teachers with an excellent insight into a very successful art program and art teacher.  As well as providing a background into teaching technology and content orientation, the site also provides an excellent collection of animations and illustrations, introducing principles such as one point perspective.  Teachers can discover here how Mr Olejarz uses student web-portfolios as an essential part of his art assessment program. Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

Using Technology in Art Education  http://home.wi.rr.com/clipartngraphics/ArtEdTech/ArtEd.html

Teachers who are looking to integrate technology into their program in order to improve the opportunities for students and the quality of resources provided can find seven excellent technology infused lesson plans available from here.  If you ever wondered whether technology had a place in the teaching of art, coming here will convince you that there is a place for integrating technology into your program.  Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci  http://www.visi.com/~reuteler/leonardo.html

If you are looking for some background information on the drawings of Leonardo as well as the drawings themselves, then you will find a great collection at this web site. Ideal for year levels 5-12 RRRRR

English Language

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Lesson plans, Teachers Guides, and Study Guides http://www.litplans.com/

This comprehensive web site contains a huge amount of resource material for students and teachers with over 30,000 listings in the directory.  You can search via author, theme or topic for teaching notes, student notes, study guides, lessons for teachers to give students and much more. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRR

Reading, Technology, & Inquiry-based Learning Through Literature-Rich Webquest's http://www.readingonline.org/articles/teclehaimanot/  CORRECTED URL ON THIS ONE!

The use of technology in teaching and learning can help bring reading alive for children and young adults.  The article here focuses on how technology-rich environments can facilitate the reading experience and help students meet challenging standards, while addressing essential questions that bring meaning to learning. Ideal for teachers  RRRR

Spelling Bee   http://www.cjonline.com/nie/spellingbee/resources.shtml

The use of spelling bee's has become somewhat of an American institution, but even if you do not run spelling bee competitions, you can find here a very interesting collection of words that trip up almost all of us at some time or another.  You can check out the fateful 50 words or use some of the warmup practice lists that are available here. Ideal for year levels 3-9 RR

The Digital White Board: A Tool in Early Literacy Education  http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/rt/2-04_Column/index.html

Unfortunately, the use of technology in schools tends to drift down from the teaching of older to the teaching of younger students.  In the first years at school, students are transitioning from a completely visual and oral interpretation of their world into one that is increasingly based on reading and writing.  In order to manage this transition, students need to manipulate text and images and oral language in order to learn about the relationship between these media.  Digital whiteboards present a fantastic opportunity to teachers of junior school children to facilitate that process much more effectively and powerfully.  This article describes how this tool can radically transform a junior school classroom.  Ideal for junior school teachers  RRRRR

Literacy Connections   http://www.literacyconnections.com/

Teachers of literacy will find here an excellent collection of recommended resources that are useful in supporting the teaching practice for teachers of English and/or literacy programs.  The links here include resources that teachers can use whether they are emergent, mature and second language literacy teachers. Ideal for teachers  RRRR

Research Tips for Mystery Writers  http://www.barbarafister.com/BloodattheSource.html

When writing mystery stories, historical novels or almost any text, it is important to carry out research so that the backdrop for your writing can be as realistic and historically correct as possible.  This web site provides a guide as to how to get the most out of libraries and the Internet in order to achieve this goal.  The focus here is for mystery writers but the skills highlighted here are the same for writing any serious work. Discover the need for critical literacy when using web based resources, information on accessing effective search engines, primary resources and special collections. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRR

Into the Wardrobe: The CS Lewis Web Site  http://cslewis.drzeus.net/

Being part of the Dr Zeuss web site did not initially instil much confidence but this is an excellent resource for teachers or students who are studying or teaching the works of CS Lewis.  You can find here an excellent collection of biographies, reflections on his literary works, message forums, related resources, daily quotes . . Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRR

General & Professional Development

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The Nobel e-Museum  http://www.nobel.se

At this official Nobel laureate web site you can catch up with the winners of the various Nobel prizes, the origin of the Nobel foundation and background information on the winning Nobel laureates and the work that they have created in order to win this prestigious title. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRR

Turning the Pages   http://www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/digitisation2.html

This fantastic technology allows you to treat your computer screen as a book and simply turn the pages as you would with any normal text.  The texts that have been transformed into online books are wonderful examples of historically significant books that are now available using this wonderfully enabling technology.  You can look at Leonardo's notebook, the Lindisfarne Gospels, Versalius’ anatomy, the Diamond Sutra, the Luttrell Psalter and several other wonderful online texts.  Well worth the wait! Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRRR

Hubbard's Cupboard  http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/

This web site is designed specifically for teachers and parents of early learners.  There is information here on how to build a desire for learning in young children and how to meet that desire in the various areas of literacy, mathematics and interactions that build understanding of foundational ideas. Ideal for year levels 0-3 RRRR

Ilumina  http://turing.bear.uncw.edu/iLumina/index.asp

Ilumina is a digital library of sharable undergraduate teaching materials for chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and computer science. It is designed to quickly and accurately connect users with the educational resources they need. These resources range in type from highly granular objects such as individual images and video clips to entire courses.  These digital learning objects can be used to help create student based courses, provide additional homework or be added to your school intranet or Knowledge NET for the students to use as resource material. Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRRR

The Gateway To Educational Materials (GEM)   http://www.thegateway.org

The Gateway to Educational Materials^SM is a Consortium effort to provide educators with quick and easy access to thousands of educational resources found on various federal, state, university, non-profit, and commercial Internet sites. GEM is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.  With almost 40,000 resources available here these digital learning objects can be used to help create student based courses, provide additional homework or be added to your school intranet or Knowledge NET for the students to use as resource material. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Webquests and Webquest Resources  http://www.iwebquest.com/

Teachers will find here an excellent collection of high quality Webquest's that they can provide for their students.  These Webquest's deal with topics such as mathematics, information communication technology, explorations ancient Egypt, medieval storytelling . . . . Ideal for year levels 5-10 RRRRR

Health & Wellbeing

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Tennis 4 You   http://www.tennis4you.com/

If you are looking for tips on tennis coaching and how to improve your tennis or how to improve somebody else's game of tennis then you'll find plenty of information, advice and coaching hints at this site.  You will also find the latest news and results from professional tennis leagues from around the world

Puberty & Girls: http://www.kotex.com/info/education/

Teachers will find here a wonderful education site dealing with puberty in relation to girls.  The site is available to teachers, students and parents in order to assist and help preteens and teens through the changes associated with adolescence. Well presented, well researched and  informative. Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

BAM! Body and Mind  http://www.bam.gov/

Growing up used to be a very low stress process but in today's hectic and frantic world it has become a time of increasing stress, based around making increasingly complex decisions.  This web site focuses on how to manage stress, whether it be within families, at school or between friends.  The site is excellently produced, has a great range of resources here and really is a great place for teenagers and preteens to de-stress and take stock of their lives. Ideal for year levels 5-10 RRRR

For Kids Only  http://www.health.org/features/kidsarea/kidsarea.aspx

Students will find here a range of web sites dealing with Internet safety, alcohol and drug information as well as  advice on friendships.  The information is presented in a light-hearted and animated format and will assist young people in making choices that have their long-term benefit at heart. Ideal for year levels 3-9 RRRR

Smart Mouth  http://www.cspinet.org/smartmouth/

Smart Mouth is a site and focused on encouraging young people to consume appropriate foods which are healthy and will provide them with all the vitamins, minerals and essential foods that their young bodies require for good health and plenty of energy.  They are well presented with great animations and activities. Ideal for year levels 3-8 RRRR

Simple Steps To Better Dental Health  http://www.simplestepsdental.com/

This dental hygiene web site has an excellent collection of articles dealing with a wide range of dental issues.  There is a parents section that schools could recommend, an “ask the dentist" section, an interactive tool and illustrations of the mouth and how moral hygiene is maintained as well as video clips, games and fun stuff about keeping your teeth and mouth healthy. Ideal for year levels 0-10 RRRRR

Girl Power: Body Wise   http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/bodywise/index.htm

Getting “body wise” is all about learning to love and take care for your body: it's the only one you’ve got!  That means knowing how to choose nutritious foods, eat smart, and stay fit.  It's important to learn about the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to keep you going.  This site answers these questions, presenting information in a format and manner that growing girls will appreciate. Ideal for year levels 4-8 RRRRR

Surf NZ   http://www.surf.co.nz/

As well as an excellent collection of surf photographs and club information, you can catch up the latest conditions via the WebCams that are available from this site. Ideal for year levels 4-12 RRR

The Olympic Games Curriculum Guide  http://www.aafla.com/6oic/curric_frmst.htm

Teachers will find here a wide range of curriculum guides across almost every curriculum area.  There are some excellent guides here including topics such as winning and losing, the Olympic torch, bobsleigh mathematics, the Olympic reporter . . . . . Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

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Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)  http://www.fcc.gov/voip/

Voice over Internet Protocol allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection, bypassing traditional telecommunications providers, and theoretically reducing your phone bill dramatically.  This technology sounds almost too good to be true and in the past it has been.  However, in the last 18 months significant advancements have been made and Voice over Internet Protocol in has become a reality and its clarity is increasing dramatically.  Catch up with this technology and possible applications for you and your school at this excellent site. Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRR

Search Bookmarklets  http://bookmarklets.com/

The concept here is that the user highlights a selection of words in the text of a web page and this automatically links to a search engine which then searches the Web using a variety of search engines.  This is essentially a "quick key" to speed up the searching process without having to cut and paste the text into a search engine or open a new search engine window. Ideal for all year levels RRR

The Tech Support Guy   http://www.helponthe.net

If you are looking for technical support, then this guy here is a fantastic resource and is very responsive to questions that are posted to him.  You can also check out the support forums in order to see the ideas and suggestions that are made in response to questions posted. Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

Free Computer IT training Tutorials  http://www.intelinfo.com/freecourses.html?cobrand=intelinfo DOESN”T WORK

Here you can find a considerable number of computer training tutorials at no cost.  These training tutorials are very well laid out and cover a wide range of needs including everything from HTML, Java, scanning images, web development, flash, PowerPoint, Photo shop, Access, Dreamweaver . . . . . Ideal for year levels 6-12 RRRRR

The Webby Awards  http://www.webbyawards.com/

The Webby awards are the leading international honour for the world's best web sites. Much can be learnt from the awareness of these awards as they point the way for others that will follow.  New technologies, new layout fashions and new ways of enticing people to visit their sites provides other web site designers clues for their own success. Ideal for year levels 5-12 RRRR

Seymour Papert on Project Based Learning http://glef.org/php/interview.php?id=Art_901

Seymour Papert is a world leader on the impact of technology on education and it is his belief that the concept of project based Learning has been one of the most moving  instructional education experiences of his entire career.   What is this lasts entence?In a project working with juveniles who had turned their back on education Seymour Papert manages to completely turn these students around by using appropriate contexts and applying in-situ learning experiences.  This is an excellent article that we highly recommend. Ideal for teachers  RRRRR

Five-minute Intranet Self Evaluation  http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/cmb_selfeval/index.html

If you are looking at building your own intranet from scratch, don't unless this is your full-time job!  This is the advice you will receive from most experts in this field and it is wise advice.  But when it comes to choosing what products you might use in order to create a schoolwide intranet then apply this five-minute intranet evaluation. If the product that you are looking at does not meet these needs then look elsewhere. Ideal for teachers RRRRR

Foreign Languages (LOTE)

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Yiddish News  http://www.derbay.org

Yiddish is the language of Ashkenazic Jewry.  The  Yiddish language, literature, poetry, theatre and music have a rich heritage and the mission of this web site is to preserve this culture. Ideal for year levels 9-12 RRRR

Language Dictionaries  http://www.yourdictionary.com/languages.html

There are 6800 known languages spoken in the 200 countries of the world.  2261 have writing systems and about 300 are represented by online dictionaries they can be accessed from this web site.  If you are looking for dictionaries in any of the common languages then it will probably be here. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRR

About the Spanish Language  http://spanish.about.com/

If you are studying or teaching the Spanish language you'll find here an excellent collection of links to unique Spanish web sites dealing with basic language skills, contextual use of language, grammar and syntax, grammar exercises and web sites that are written in the Spanish language. Ideal for year levels 8-11 RRR

French Teacher Net  http://www.frenchteacher.net

Teachers of the French language will be thankful to Steve Smith from the United Kingdom who has put online here an excellent collection of worksheets, interactive sites for students to practise grammar, vocabulary, crosswords and quizzes and also his philosophy on teaching languages within schools.  There is an excellent resource for any level of teaching the French language. Ideal for teachers  RRRR

French Basic Grammar  http://www.buxtononline.net/french-tuition/grammar.htm

This is  quite a formal French grammar site providing an excellent collection of exercises dealing with pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and tense.  The exercises are well laid out and provide students with a good opportunity for practise in building an excellent foundation for their French. Ideal for year levels 7-10 RRRR

France for Kids  http://www.ambafrance-us.org/kids/

This excellent site from the French Embassy in the United States provides an introduction to France, its culture and art, history and geography and life in France, as well as a brief introduction to the French language. Ideal for year levels 3-8 RRR

French Crosswords http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/fk26/xwords/frind.htm

Crosswords can be very useful way of encouraging students to remember terms and as a translation exercise.  You can find here a collection of 25 different crosswords which you can give  your students as extension exercises. Ideal for year levels 5-9 RR

French Language Games Online  http://www.engel.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/vals_french_games/frames/front_games_page.htm

Using a variety of introductory games this web site provides a collection of word searches, jumbled words and “fill in the gaps” exercises using French language terms.  Themes include topics such as pencil case, colours, days, animals, transport, numbers, months, schoolbag, countries and subjects. Ideal for year levels 5-9 RRRR

The Top 20 Interactive French Activities  http://www.quia.com/dir/french/

Students and teachers of the French language will find here a wonderful collection of interactive activities which assist in building a good understanding and knowledge of the French language.  There are a wide variety of different approaches that are used here and topics include French numbers, food and drink, colours, body parts, animals, verbs . . . . Ideal for year levels 6-12 RRRR

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Maths Stuff   http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/maths/interactives.php

Launching satellites, catching spies, hacking the matrix, and catching butterflies have all been turned into exciting interactive mathematics challenges here at this web site.  An excellent way of encouraging students to reinforce basic skills and number concepts. Ideal for year levels 3-8 RRRRR

50 Problem Solving Strategies Explained  http://www.une.edu.au/psychology/staff/malouff/problem.htm

Mathematics is about using and practising the language of problem solving. This comprehensive list of problem solving strategies allows individuals to use a checklist approach to problem solving.  In order to encourage students to develop a range of problem solving strategies, the author has collated for the different strategies on this site and also provided excellent explanations and examples demonstrating where and how each strategy can be used. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRRR

Count Your Chickens  http://www.learningplanet.com/sam/cyc/index.asp?counterid=174

Encouraging young children to learn to count is a foundational concept and requires continuous practise in a multitude of different media, and environments and interactions.  This web site provides an excellent opportunity for children to practise their counting skills in a fun and interactive environment. Ideal for year levels 0-3 RRRRR

Basic Number Concepts  http://www.adc.net.au/countusin/ DOESN”T WORK

Developing fundamental concepts about number and the various operations that can be applied to them is pivotal if students are to master more complex ideas and procedures later on.  This wonderful site presents a host of interactive games that reinforce and develop number concepts.  Students love using and interacting with these environments and it is an excellent way to build fundamental ideas. You can download these games onto your own computer so that they are always available without students having to be on the Internet. Ideal for year levels 0-4 RRRRR

The Census Bureau (USA)   http://www.census.gov

Census information can be absolutely fascinating when graphed or put into a format where it can be compared or contrasted with other information.  The United States census web site contains a huge amounts of information are wide range of themes and topics and this information can be used to investigate trends and changes over a number of years. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRRR

More than Mathematics  http://www.morethanmath.org/

More Than Mathematics is a web site providing challenging activities based on integrating art into the mathematics curriculum.  This unique approach to mathematics provides an insight into the incredibly wide and diverse integration of mathematics into our daily lives. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRRR

About Mathematics  http://math.about.com/

About Mathematics provides a wide collection of links to mathematics web sites as well as locally produced material which is presented on the site.  This includes problems, issues within mathematics and ideas for the classroom.  You can also find here excellent tutorials, tables of mathematical formulae, mathematics lesson plans, help with calculators, competitions, history of mathematics as well as included information and background notes on recreational mathematics and applied mathematics. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Music & Performance Arts

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Free Music  http://www.coolfreeweb.com/Free_Music/

You will find here a list of  sites providing you with links to a whole range of sservers where you can download music of every possible genre and style.  Ideal for all year levels RR

Free Play Music  http://www.freeplaymusic.com/

Free Play Music is the biggest, the best and the fastest-growing free broadcast music production library in the world.  You can download almost any musical genre you could possibly imagine from the blues through to hip-hop.  If you are looking for examples of different music styles to play to your students, then this is the place to come.  Ideal for all year levels RRRR

Experience Music Project (EMP)  http://www.emplive.com/ EXTRA Typo here Mark – experiences below!

Experience Music Project provides dynamic, multifaceted, ever-changing experiences through new and exciting explorations of American popular music, which both entertain and engage visitors in the creative process.  If you are looking to extend students’ appreciation of music and the possibilities  now out there, this project will take them on an unprecedented and technologically advanced musical journey of inspiration. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRRR

Museum of Music Instruments  http://www.themomi.org/museum/index2.html

The Museum of Musical Instruments is that and much more; including over 450,000 song titles which can be downloaded. Experience the myriad of musical genres via the time machine as well as investigate topics such as "the guitar is art" along with an excellent look at the historical development of the musical instruments that we take for granted today.  A fully interactive and well presented site. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Songs for Teaching  http://songsforteaching.homestead.com/

Creative teachers can use music to teach content across the curriculum.  This web site contains a wide range of educational songs from popular artists and are presented here under curriculum and thematic headings to make their selection even more straightforward.  Ideal for teachers  RRRR

Music Theory  http://www.musictheory.net

This is a huge site with a wide range of lessons covering topics such as scale degrees, intervals, an introduction to chords, composing with minor scales, phrases and cadences, note trainer and key trainer, interval trainer, keyboard trainer, guitar trainer, bass trainer . . . . .  Excellent quality of lessons provided and at no charge. Ideal for year levels 5-12 RRRRR

Classical Music Resources http://www.lib.duke.edu/dw3/index.php

There are three key resources available from this site including a collection of more than 90 classical music radio stations, broadcasting live on the web; an additional 500 radio stations that you can link into and listen to, as well as a comprehensive collection of free, downloadable files of complete movements/works covering nearly every genre of classical music.  These include biographical information about the performers (mostly Russian) and composers (a wide variety). Ideal for year levels 7-12  RRRRR

Creating Music  http://www.creatingmusic.com/

This is a children's online creative music environment.  Here children can compose music, play with musical performance, music games and music puzzles.  The Musical Sketch Pad is absolutely brilliant!  Ideal for year levels 1-6  RRRRR+

Science

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Seasons  http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/topics/Seasons.html

Understanding the seasons seems to be fairly straightforward as a science concept but there are some complications and this web site does an excellent job of explaining the changes in seasons, the different Equinox’s and the effect of the earths tilt on the weather as we orbit around the sun. Ideal for year levels 7-11 RRRR

Science in the News: New Scientist   http://www.newscientist.com/

If you want to keep up with the latest scientific news and discoveries, then this online news service will provide you with a constant information flow dealing with all the different sciences and the latest discoveries, advances and applications. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRR

Sun-Earth Viewer http://ds9.ssl.berkeley.edu/viewer/flash/flash.html

The Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory satellite has been sending back stunning views of the sun, revealing far more detail about its surface than we have ever appreciated before.  The sun is a dynamic, violent and ever-changing neighbour which we rely on for its overall consistency of behaviour and provision of light and warmth.  But how reliable is it? Ideal for year levels 5-12 RRRRR

The Periodical Cicada http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/michigan_cicadas/Periodical/Index.html

Cicadas are probably best-known for their conspicuous acoustic signals or "songs", which the male makes using specialised structures called tymbals found on the abdomen.  This web site goes through the life cycle of the cicada, the various species as well as a description of the insect itself. Ideal for year levels 4-9 RRRR

Red Gold  http://www.pbs.org/wnet/redgold/

Blood and circulatory systems are what keeps every cell in the body serviced, managed and maintained.  Without it we would die almost immediately.  This excellent web site provides information and background on the journey the blood takes through a body and how it manages to regenerate itself, transport all the essential nutrients vitamins and substances each cell requires, how it maintains our health, destroying any enemies of the body, as well as how we have come to understand the importance of blood and the huge number of roles it has in the maintenance of our body. Ideal for year levels 5-12 RRRRR

Signs of Spring (NASA)   http://www.signalsofspring.net/

Using a range of earth imagery technology, this web site looks at and explains the migration of animals around the world.  Migrations are difficult to fully comprehend until you see them in this format. The distances that these animals travel and the barriers that they have to overcome, both natural and man-made, make their journeys into truly epic events.  Ideal for year levels 0-9 RRRRR

The Hubble Space Telescope Project   http://hubble.nasa.gov/

The impact on astronomy of this telescope has been unbelievable, and until a replacement is built and sent up, it will be the premier access point to our view of the rest of a universe. You can find here information on the telescope itself and the technology that it uses, but most interest will be the extensive image gallery which can be accessed from here. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

Memory  http://www.exploratorium.edu/memory/index.html

We are beginning a journey in learning to understand how our own mind works.  One of the most perplexing and intriguing aspects of our own biology is how we remember things that happened in our lifetime.  Our understanding of memory is quite limited but this series of features, exhibits, articles and lectures presents an insight into how our minds function and why we remember some things but completely forget others. Ideal for year levels 5-10 RRRRR

The Latest New Zealand Earthquake Report  http://www.geonet.org.nz/latest.html

The country of New Zealand sits astride two converging tectonic plate boundaries and the result of this is a series of active volcanoes, as well as regular seismic activity as one plate descends below and the other.  This web site shows the number of earthquakes over the past year(s) and background information on the latest earthquake (usually within the last week).  Ideal for year levels 3-12 RRRRR

Playing With Time  http://www.playingwithtime.org/

Time is an intriguing concept and one with which we never really completely come to terms with.  Some things happen before our eyes instantly and others are incremental, changing in a timeframe we have little cognisance of.  This web site investigates time, slowing it down, and speeding it up to show how the rate of change influences our perception and impacts on our consciousness.  An excellent focus for a science unit. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRRRR

CritterCAM: Tracking Animal Behaviour   http://www.nationalgeographic.com/crittercam/index.html

What do wild animals to when nobody is watching them?  In this National Geographic site, wild animals have small cameras attached to them (CritterCam’s), providing a rare view of the private lives of animals.  By seeing life from the animals viewpoint we get a much better understanding of their daily lives and their quest for survival. Ideal for year levels 0-10 RRRRR 

The IrYdium Project  http://ir.chem.cmu.edu/irproject/applets/

If you are looking to extend your knowledge on the periodic table or experiment in own virtual chemistry laboratory, or derive an equation that relates the necessary amount of haemoglobin to the partial pressure of oxygen at the current and next camp as you climb Mount Everest . . . . then you will enjoy these online interactive activities.  Each activity is downloadable at no cost. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRRR

EXCITE: Teaching Epidemiology   http://www.cdc.gov/excite/index.htm

EXCITE is a collection of teaching materials developed by The Centre for Disease Control & Prevention to introduce students to public health and epidemiology, the science used by "disease detectives" everywhere.  Students learn about the scientific method of inquiry, basic biostatistics, and outbreak investigation..  Although presented as a scientific study, teaching epidemiology is more of an integrated study and includes mathematics, social studies, history and physical education. Ideal for year levels 7-10 RRRRR

Exploring the Environment: Coral Reefs  http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/coralreef/CRmain.html

This unit covers an ecosystem that covers less than 0.2 percent of the oceans bottom but contains 25% of all marine life!  Unfortunately many of our coral reefs are dying and scientists are rushing to discover and understand their fragile nature.  Using remote sensing and a wide range of sophisticated tools, students can explore this coral reef module and take a comprehensive look at the real danger to the earth’s bioiversity and why they should be concerned about it. Ideal for year levels 6-10 RRRRR

Space Day: May 1  http://www.spaceday.com/

The resources available here will provide students with a wide range of activities, lessons, resources, links and ideas that can assist in making Space day a focal point of the curriculum. Ideal for year levels 3-9 RRRR

Social Sciences

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The Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library  http://iris.lib.virginia.edu/tibet/

The Tibetan and Himalayan digital library is an international community using Web based technologies to integrate diverse knowledge about Tibet and the Himalayas for free access from around the world.  This site publishers multilingual studies, multimedia learning resources and creative work related to the area’s environments, cultures and histories. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRRRR

Sri Lanka: Living With Terror  http://www.pbs.org/frontline/stories/srilanka/ DOESN’t Work

If you wish to get an insight into life in Sri Lanka as it is today, then this web site will provide a wide range of different media that investigates and reports on the terror that ordinary citizens must live through each day as the Tamil separatists battle the government for their autonomy.  Suicide bombings, assassination, human rights abuses and the historical backdrop to this situation are all presented here as a testimony to man's inability to forgive and forget. Ideal for year levels 7-12 RRRRR

Children of Conflict  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/childrensrights/childrenofconflict/

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted to protect children caught in conflicts throughout the world.  The question must be asked however "has the Convention had any real impact on the lives of children across the globe?"  This BBC World Service report visits the war zones on several continents to investigate what is happening to children caught up in conflict. Ideal for year levels 5-12 RRRRR

The Congo: A Special Report  http://www.guardian.co.uk/congo/

The African Congo is one of the scariest parts of the world to be living in.  Massacres occur with fearsome regularity with almost no response from the international community.  This web site backgrounds the history to this violence, the main players and the possibilities for peace. Ideal for year levels 8-12 RRRR

Debt, AIDS, Trade Africa : DATA  http://www.data.org/

Bono, the famous face from the Irish rock band U2, has led the fight for wealthy industrialised nations to forgive the mountainous debt of small countries who have no possible way of repaying.  If you wish to keep up with the state of play in regard to this initiative then you will find all the information you require at this site. Ideal for year levels 6-10 RRRR

Brazil's Landless Movement  http://www.nytimes.com/specials/salgado/home/

In this online photo essay on the issue of peasants wanting to retain their land or repossess land taken from them is highlighted.  The photography is fantastic and the layout for justice in this social case is well presented. Ideal for year levels 5-10 RRRR

Access: Middle East  http://www.accessmiddleeast.org/

If you are looking for up-to-date, relatively impartial and well-balanced reporting on issues dealing with Israel and the Middle East, then this web site may be what you are looking for.  The site draws on over 400 different sources which are automatically monitored and translated for a truly global perspective on this somewhat contentious collection of issues. Ideal for year levels 8-12 RRRRR

A Study of Place  http://www.studyofplace.com/

This site contains two online science modules, one of which deals with Antarctic exploration and the other dealing with ocean currents.  These two, two-week units are structured around asking clever questions and encourage the students to do real scientific research and study.  They are very well done and all the resources and information you require is provided here. Ideal for year levels 7-9 RRRRR

Justice Learning  http://www.justicelearning.org/

Students have an acute sense of fair play and justice but sometimes their perception(along with that of many adults) is coloured by their own experiences and limited understanding of possible outcomes on the topic itself.  This excellent web site encourages students to make judgments based on a broad overview of the topic and seeing issues from multiple perspectives. Themes that are investigated here include voting rights, race and education, the death penalty, women's rights, gun control, religion in schools . . .  Ideal for year levels 6-10 RRRRR

Jewish Cultural Renaissance (1898-1938)  http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/spec/kiev/treasures/

Before Hitler unleashed his wrath on European Jewry, there existed a period of rebirth and rediscovery of Jewish culture and the Hebrew language in Germany, and this web site chronicles the development of the collective identity in establishing publishing houses, journals, adult education, libraries, schools, museums . .. .  Unfortunately it's very success led to the near extinction of an entire race. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRR

The Vietnam My-Lai “Events”   http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/mylai.htm

The MyTai court martials show tragedies that grew out of the American involvement in Vietnam.  One was the massacre by United States soldiers of as many as 500 unarmed civilians and the other was the cover-up that took place in order that nobody would ever know.  Given the ongoing events in Iraq and almost every other war zone, this trial brings to light the unfortunate nature of being human. Ideal for year levels 10-12 RRRR

The Worldwide Panorama Photograph Shoot  http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/wwp304/wwp.html

On March 20th 2004,  more than 180 photographers in 40 countries around the world celebrated the equinox by creating virtual reality panoramas.  This site showcases the results of their efforts.  A virtual reality panorama is a specially created computer image that goes all the way around the viewer.  It is a revolutionary way to document a particular place and time that makes you feel as though you are actually there.  This, as well as being technologically very clever, also provides an insight to the different conditions in 40 different countries on the same day. Ideal for all year levels RRRRR

The Ancient Olympics   http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/ NOT WORKING

In this online exhibit, you can compare ancient and modern Olympics sports, to the site of Olympia as it looks today, learn about the context of the games and the Olympic spirit, or read about the Olympic athletes who were famous in ancient times.  But the 2004 Olympics returning to Greece and compare in contrast exercise between these Olympics and the ancient version would be quite insightful.  Ideal for year levels 4-9 RRRR

The Wharenui  http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/say/wharenui.php

The Wharenui is a traditional New Zealand Maori meeting house, full of history, ancestral whakapapa (geneology), and is made up of a series of components that tell the story of a particular hapu (sub tribe).  This web site provides an insight into the significance and meaning behind the elements that make up the Wharenui. Ideal for year levels 3-10 RRRRR

Flank Game: Guess the Nation  http://www.flw.com/flaggame/login.php  

In this online game, national flags of countries are presented randomly and students guess from a selection of  possible answers which they think would be correct.  The site also introduces students to the capital city, national anthem, continents, currency and neighbouring countries that border the country on display. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRRR

Technology Education

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Assessment of the Design Approach in Technology Ed http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v12n2/custer.html

The development of problem solving abilities is pivotal to technological literacy.  Problem solving is a critical thinking skill necessary for addressing issues related to technology and in developing effective solutions to practical problems.  This paper addresses and proposes an assessment model for the design approach to technological problem solving and makes for fascinating reading. Ideal for teachers  RRRR

Alternative Fuels: Methane Hydrate  http://www.netl.doe.gov/scng/hydrate/about-hydrates/about_hydrates.htm

Methane hydrate is the most abundant natural form of clathrate, and scientists have only just realised over the past 30 years that this chemical is one of the most abundant and unusual chemicals on earth.  As a source of methane it is eight times larger than our present reserves of methane gas.  It has the potential to supply energy needs over the next several hundred years, but what is the impact of using it as a fuel?  This web site explains the background and some of the debate. Ideal for year levels 11-12 RRR

Terra-Forming Mars  http://www.redcolony.com/index.html

This community of students, professors and scientists have a common interest in colonising and terraforming Mars. Their aim is to transform the barren redness of Mars into an earth like environment.  Interestingly with gravity on Mars slightly more than one-third that on earth, in theory Martian trees should be able to grow to huge heights in comparison with a earthbound genetic rootstock.  Some good discussion here regarding the rights of any one planet’s inhabitants to tamper with the environment of another planet. Ideal for year levels 7-10 RRRR

The Golden Gate Bridge  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldengate/

The Golden Gate Bridge is a truly iconic piece of engineering and its construction was a remarkable tribute to the engineering of the times.  This web site investigates the mathematics, the design and the engineering and allow this bridge to be built across such a spectacular piece of water.  It is quite fascinating to see photographs of the same area before the bridge was built. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRRR

Wired: The Gadget Lab  http://www.subscriberdirect.com/wired/wired_signup/signup.cfm

Wired magazine has an excellent newsletter which gives you the latest information and links to resources to do with the latest technology "toys".  The gadget lab looks at dozens of products hitting the market every week.  Absolutely fascinating; the technology that is!   Ideal for year levels 4-12 RRRR

Robonaut  http://vesuvius.jsc.nasa.gov/er_er/html/robonaut/robonaut.html  

Robonaut is the humanoid robot designed by the Robot Systems Technology branch at NASA's Johnson Space Centre.  The project seeks to develop and demonstrate a robotic system they can function as an EVA astronaut equivalent.  This project just shows how far robotic technology has come in the last few years. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRRR

A Digital Library for Engineering Education http://www.needs.org/

Senior technology students and teachers will find an excellent collection of applications, reports, animations, and teaching/learning elements that are available from this web site. Ideal for year levels 11-12 RRRRR

Project Ornithopter  http://www.ornithopter.net

An Ornithopter a is an aircraft that derives all of its thrust and nearly all of its lift from flapping wings.  This bizarre approach to flight has actually contributed a considerable amount of knowledge to our understanding of flight in general. Ideal for year levels 4-10 RRR