Web Site of the Month

In this section of the Toolkit you can find our web site of the month choices.

You can contact Joanne Troutner at troutner@mindspring.com

Volume 35 March 2008

C-Span Politics
Provides students with access to an unbiased look at the Presidential candidates for 2008. The C-Span site archives the video of speeches and makes available the political ads for each candidate. Links to the official candidate sites are also included. This library of materials allows students to analyze and view the candidate's words without interpretation. Thus, students can practice critical thinking skills as they decide who should be the final candidates. Social studies teachers should make daily use of this treasure-trove as the election season continues.

Volume 35, February 2008

Civil Rights
The Civil Rights Documentation Project housed at the Dirksen Center is a wonderful resource for Black History month. The project is done in chronological order and provides access to a vast array of primary source material. Links to actual White House press releases, speeches by Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy, and pictures from a number of news sources are just a small portion of the options available. The site is truly a wealth of resources for student projects and filled with myriad choices for spicing up any history class.

Volume 35 January 2008

A.Pintura: Art Detective
This classic site teaches about art as the students solve a mystery. A painting is stolen from their grandfather's art collection. With the help of A. Pintura, the mystery is solved by looking at composition, style, and subject clues. Youngsters view works by Raphael, Titian, Millet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Picasso. The mystery element is quite strong and easily keeps students engaged. This is a delightful site to use with an entire class or as a learning center option.

Volume 35 December 2007

SciVee
Nicknamed the "You Tube" of science, this site contains myriad science videos developed by actual scientists. Here students and teachers will find videos of science experiments and concepts in a number of languages. Both video and audio podcasts are accessed via content tag and a keyword search. Options range from an experiment on acids and bases conducted in Japanese to images from the Hubble telescope. Teachers and students who create user accounts can upload their own videos, comment on the existing videos, and become members of this scientific community.

Volume 35 November 2007

Smithsonian Focus
"Focus" is a wonderful free monthly e-newsletter designed to help the reader glean the best of the best from the Smithsonian. The November issue includes a virtual visit to a photographic exhibit of life in the Caribbean society. A "Sights and Sounds" link showcases a Korean musician on the drums. A trivia question, screensaver option, and a picture based "Where am I" questions are also included. A quick look at new exhibits and traveling exhibitions proves helpful for those planning travels. Subscribe to keep "focused" on the wealth of materials available at the Smithsonian!

Volume 35 October 2007

BioMolecular Explorer 3D: Explore the Molecules
This site is a wonderful addition to the toolkit of high school biology teacher! Java applets provide the ability to see model molecules for collagen, water, hemoglobin, antibodies, and a number of other options. In addition, learners can access background information, make a PowerPoint slide of a model, as well as construct their own models. Select options are available in Spanish. Funded by a grant from NSF, this university-developed site makes an excellent reference.

Volume 34 September 2007

Trails-Tool for Real-Time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills
Imagine the ability to provide high school students with a realistic assessment of their information literacy skills! This web site provides that option. The TRAILS project is a federally funded project based at Kent State University. The assessment is crafted for both Information Power and the Ohio Academic Content Standards. Options for a 30 question general assessment and a 10 question more specific topic assessments are available. Student responses are tracked. Both class and individual student reports are available. Be sure to check out the Related Resources link and the TRAILS wiki for even more ideas.

Volume 34 August 2007

The Mysterious Bog People
This stunningly crafted interactive site makes use of Flash and introduces learners to the Bog People of northwestern Europe about 10,000 years ago. Start your exploration via the "Mediatheatre" to gain access to information on a number of artifacts ranging from bows to the Ubbena wheel. From there move to the timeline for a chronological look at the people and events of the times. Use the "Science" section for insights into the work of archeologists. This joint venture between organizations such as the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Drents Museum is an excellent resource.

Volume 34 July 2007

Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright
Here is a delightful, interactive option explaining copyright to students. Copyright exposed illustrates how copyright works through youngsters writing and producing a music CD, creation of a story, which a producer wants to turn into a movie, and the development of a painting. The additional three choices provide a quick tour of the history of copyright in the US, talk about fair use, and detail the steps to registering for the copyright of a work with the Library of Congress. Think about using this at different times as a warm-up activity.

Volume 34, June 2007

Zamzar Online File Conversion
This online tool is just what teacher-librarians and students need when working on multimedia projects. Files up to 100 MB in size can be e-mailed to the site for conversion to another format. Files from both a PC and a URL can be converted. Options for converting movies from YouTube, Google Video, and other online sources are available. Some of the newer features include conversion options for Microsoft Works files and Office 2007 files. Think about the ability to convert that student file created in Office 2007 to the Office 2003 or Mac Office you have at school.The converted file is e-mailed to the user and can be accessed for up to 24 hours after the e-mail with the file link is received. Take some time during summer break to explore this great tool!

Volume 34, May 2007

e-Archives at Purdue University
Explore the wealth of primary sources related to Amelia Earhart, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth in their field of industrial management, and a number of vintage newsreels at this site constructed by the Libraries at Purdue University. Here learners will find more than 800 pieces of material related to various aspects of Earhart's flying and teaching career. The time-motion studies done by the Gilbreth's chronicle attempts to find the "one best way" to accomplish a task. The advanced search option and the straight-forward index make this a time efficient location for finding myriad sources. Share this site with your social studies colleagues and those interested in flight.

Volume 34, April 2007

GoogleLitTrips

Explore the geography behind a growing list of classics via Google Earth. High school teachers and students will find the tales of Macbeth, Candide, The Aeneid, The Grapes of Wrath, and other well-know works of literature greatly enhanced by using the prepared Google Earth trips found at the site. Links to a number of additional Google Earth resources are also available. Share this one with English and geography teachers in grades 9-12.

Volume 34, March 2007

Women's History Month

Explore the wealth of primary source materials focused on famous women in history indexed at this site. Learners will find Susan B. Anthony and Sandra Day O'Connor featured on the home page. A "Did You Know" link provides details of Carry Nation's crusade against alcohol. Additional options for exploring various collections, images, and audio and video selections related to women in history are easily accessible. Use this site to introduce learners of all ages to the rich contributions of women throughout history.

Volume 34, February 2007

Try Science

Visit more than 400 science centers throughout the world via this web site. Options range from thematic, interactive adventures to hands-on experiments with an online component to field trips. In addition, there are a number of live web cams that can be accessed as well as a "Curious?" link for information and polls on hot topics. Educators should visit "The Teacher Page" to find a number of award-winning lesson plans based on TryScience activities, best-practice ideas, and information on connecting with parents via science experiments. Check out the adventure options for computer classroom use. Recommend this site to teachers and parents of students in grades 1-12.

Volume 34, January 2007

50 Coolest Websites

Check out the list developed by the folks at Time magazine. Categories include entertainment, arts, and media; shopping, lifestyles, and hobbies; news and information; staying connected; time wasters; travel and real estate; and Web search and services. Investigate the news and search categories for items to share with students. Be sure to look at "The Morning News" for a daily news e-zine based in New York City. At "Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone" your students will find a journalistic look at the various conflict/war zones across the planet. Finally, check out "the Human Clock" that provides a different image from around the world every minute. These sites make great engagement or bell-ringer activities as well as starting points for information literacy discussions. You will also find links to the lists from 2003, 2004, and 2005. Share this site with teachers and students of all grades.

Volume 34, December 2006

Fantasy Congress

Developed by students at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, CA, this simulation provides an opportunity for students to experience the legislative process in the same manner that fantasy football players experience the game of football. Leagues can be created for classroom activities, and then the students draft their legislators and begin work. Each team has 16 legislators, divided between different seniority categories, to equalize that factor of the simulation. Points are scored when a bill becomes law. The site is updated daily with point values and legislative information. The format is enticing, the technical portion of the site is sound, and the information can be verified. This is a wonderful tool for use in social studies classes and other interdisciplinary units, so share this site with teachers and students in grades 9-12.

Volume 34, November 2006

Primary Source Learning

Developed with the help of a grant from the U.S. Congress, this site showcases the myriad primary sources available at the Library of Congress. An advanced search option provides one method of access; the browse feature provides access by media type, curriculum area, and Library of Congress areas. Be sure to examine the "Students" section for teaching ideas and family use activities. In addition, educators can subscribe to the Teacher Treasures newsletter that has a curriculum theme for each of the quarterly issues. Finally, check the professional development materials for well-crafted online modules to help deepen your understanding of using primary sources as teaching materials. Share this site with teachers, parents, and students of all grades.

Volume 34, October 2006

Smithsonian Photography Initiative

Explore the more than 2,000 photographic images available at this web site. This superbly crafted search and slide-show creation tool provides myriad images appropriate for any curriculum area. An easy-to-use search tool includes keyword, geographic area, century and decade options, and other choices. The Frame option allows for easy creation of a sequence of pictures, which can be saved after completing the free registration and can be the link to the sequence that can be e-mailed to others. When complete, the site will provide access to more than 13 million photographs in the Smithsonian collections. This site is a fabulous resource for student projects, so recommend it to teachers, parents and students in all grades.

Volume 34, September 2006

Italy Guides

Visit the cities of Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Siena, and Naples via this spectacular site. Virtual panoramas of well-known sites in each city are available via QuickTime. Web visitors can inspect the Tower of Pisa, the Roman Coliseum, Doge's Palace, and many other options. More great teaching tools at the site are the iPod or MP3 audio tours of the various cities and sights. These tools can help students visualize the Renaissance time period, be used as starting points for writing assignments, or serve as models for student-created tours of other areas.

Volume 33, August 2006

Virtual Astronaut

Take a virtual tour of the International Space Station (ISS) with this interactive, 3-D web site. Featured are activities for students in grades 5-12 that teach about the human skeleton, topography and geography skills, plant growth in space, why and how astronauts temporarily grow taller while in space, and much more. Here, students can learn about solar power, neuroscience, microgravity, water purification in space, and many other stimulating topics. A wealth of teaching resources and activities are provided for grades 5-12 educators. Additionally, teachers can download a poster of the ISS that includes complete instructions for constructing a classroom model. Share this web site with elementary through high school teachers.

Volume 33, July 2006

The Capitol

This web site provides access to the superbly crafted video series on the U.S. Capitol. Visitors to the site learn about the architecture, art, and history of this magnificent building. In addition, virtual tours, a photo gallery, interviews about the making of the series, famous speeches made in the building, and a wealth of other primary source options are available. Tours for viewing the grand staircases, the dome, chambers, Senator Ted Kennedy's office, the Speaker's lobby, and many other aspects of this majestic building make this site a wonderful tool for teaching students about U.S. history. Recommend it to all teachers and parents.

Volume 33, June 2006

Pompeii-Stories from an Eruption

This online exhibit offers a glimpse of the terrifying day when Mt. Vesuvius erupted and devastated the ancient cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Oplontis. Visitors are introduced to the story through historical facts and images, and an interactive timeline shows the deadly phases of the volcano's eruption. A photo gallery features artifacts, frescoes, and casts of the people who were caught in the volcano's path. Visitors to the site can view the Field Museum's impressive collection of more than 450 artifacts from Pompeii. A 23-page, full-color educator's guide-developed just for teachers and filled with activity ideas-makes this an excellent resource for teachers, teacher-librarians, and parents of students in elementary through the high school grades

Volume 33, May 2006

Library of Congress-Webcasts

This portal to more than 600 webcasts, gathered by the Library of Congress, offers numerous lectures, symposiums, and documentaries in the categories of biographies and history, education, culture and performing arts, government, poetry and literature, religion, and science and technology. Select the featured webcast or from a list of the top 10 favorites, search for a specific topic, or use the directory structure to locate resources. Share this resource with your fellow teacher-librarians and other K-12 educators to enliven those last few weeks of school.

Volume 33, April 2006

Artopia

This colorful, vivid site is filled with creative activities for middle school students for examining styles, principles, and processes of art forms, such as sculpture, dance, music, media arts, theatre, and painting. Students can watch videos of practicing artists and one-minute overviews of each art form. Teacher resources and student activity options are included. Artopia is an online treasure-trove of materials for those who teach fine arts and want to include the fine arts in core curriculum areas. Recommend this site to teachers, parents, and students.

Volume 33, March 2006

Anne Frank, The Writer-An Unfinished Story

This online exhibit accompanies an exhibition at the United States Holocaust Museum. Learn about Anne Frank's great ambition to be a writer through the complete digitized texts of her original writings that survived the war, as well as through interviews with her cousin and the exhibit curator. Numerous additional web links and the option to post responses to the exhibit round out the experience.

Volume 33, February 2006

The Renaissance Connection

Make the Renaissance come alive for students by exploring the many modern-day connections with that time period. This web site looks at travel and exploration, the arts, science and technology, and ideas from that time period that has greatly influenced our lives. Excellent lesson plans in PDF format, a number of superbly crafted Flash animations, and links to additional resources are available. In addition, digitized works of art provide primary sources for students to examine.

Volume 33, January 2006

Winter Olympics

Tie the Olympics into the math, science, or wellness curriculum at the high school level with this superbly crafted site. Educators will find complete lessons on sports nutrition, physics and biomechanics, and physiology and psychology. For example, the course outlines explore the physics of luge, the biomechanics of figure skating, the muscular factors of cross-country skating, and the food and fluid requirements of athletes. Lessons engage learners through concise descriptions, Shockwave videos, and excellent activities.

Volume 33, December 2005

Reading Rockets

Reading Rockets is the superb web site that accompanies the PBS show Reading Rocks. Teaching professionals will find strategies to help struggling readers, fun-and-effective reading activities for families, and suggestions for lots of free guides that can be downloaded from the site. Video interviews featuring 35 children's authors, recommended kids' books listed by theme, and professional development resources are offered. Share this web site with teachers and parents and get ready to read!

Volume 33, November 2005

S. O. S. for Information Literacy

Check out this multimedia database of lesson plans and teaching tools on information literacy. Formally introduced at the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) conference, this tool is the equivalent of the WebQuest portal housed at www.webquest.org. This database can be searched by keyword, grade level, subject area, and lesson-plan author. Be certain to peruse this rich list of resources and consider adding your own efforts. Registration is required for access, but it is free! Spread the word about this site to every grade K-8 teacher.

Volume 33, October 2005

Ocean World

Learn about fisheries, weather, icebergs, coral reefs, waves, and a number of other ocean-related science topics as you explore this superbly designed web site. Written for middle school through college students, this site also provides real-time data on El Nino. Teachers and students will find the "Ask Dr. Bob" option fun and helpful. In addition, two oceanography textbooks are available for downloading from the site. Share this site science teachers and students!

Volume 33, September 2005

Back to School

Developed by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT), this site provides a wealth of ideas for first-year teachers and seasoned educators. Myriad options abound for bulletin board ideas, icebreakers, first-day activities, sources of clip art, classroom management tips, and other teacher-friendly ideas. Teacher-librarians will find the book clip art especially useful. Hints on effective open house practices and parent communication tips are presented. Information is provided in both English and French. Share this resource-packed back-to-school site with teachers and parents

Volume 32, August 2005

American Museum of Natural History Learning Resources

Explore this extensive collection of superbly developed materials available on this web site. A "browse by topic" option provides easy access to information on anthropology, astronomy, biology, earth science, and paleontology. More than 800 options include activities, curriculum materials, articles, evidence and analysis, resources from museum exhibits, and reference lists. Be sure to check out the various special collections that include award-winning creations-ranging from dinosaurs to Einstein to the ocean-designed to make the world of natural history engaging to students in grades K-12. Share this site with everyone!

Volume 32, July 2005

Stop Bullying Now

Help students and fellow educators to understand, identify, prevent, and intervene in the many ways that bullying happens in school and student life. The 12 webisodes-animated scenarios of various types of bullying with thought-provoking questions-are creatively written and illustrated to appeal to students to help them understand and handle bullying actions. Teachers and parents are offered effective tips for bullying prevention and intervention. A series of games, and information on the youth panel members who assist with the site are also included. Share this excellent resource with all parents, teachers, and others who are concerned about bullying.

Volume 32, June 2005

CyberNewseum

Stay abreast of current events with ready access to numerous front pages from today's newspapers, explore the Berlin Wall via news views, see the space race from the media's point of view, and discover the history of the newspaper as you explore this virtual museum. The exhibits are well designed and they provide multiple learning options for writing, discussing point of view, and exploring numerous historic events. Look through published editorial cartoons and play a news game that tests your knowledge of current events. Extensive primary source materials and superb photojournalism exhibits make this a valuable site for many curriculum areas. Recommend this site to parents, students, and teachers.

Volume 32, May 2005

EconEdLink

Use this site to help teachers provide sound lessons in economics for students of all ages. EconEdLink is a searchable database of superb lessons, current events, macroeconomic data for use in the classroom, and links to other excellent web sites. In one example, elementary students examine what is the perfect pet and what are the economic implications. In another example, high school students learn about the inflation rate with current information. Up-to-date federal budget information and current news stories along with lesson plans are easily accessed. Finally, a select number of web sites are presented with brief annotations. This site is a great compendium of first-class resources for K-12 educators.

Volume 32, April 2005

Shakespeare: Subject to Change

Celebrate the month of Shakespeare's birth and death by providing students with an option to explore the literary world of the bard via this interactive site. Designed as an experiment in the use of broadband Internet access, this whimsical yet educational site provides a critical look at changes in a number of Shakespeare's writings. Begin with a look at two film versions of Hamlet. Users can also travel through the changes in Shakespeare's works from the pen to paper. Examples of new phrases and insults, an animated timeline, a comparison of various scenes from Hamlet, and a look at text alterations done by the printer are included. The use of film clips, audio narration, and other multimedia tools make the site accessible for a vast range of learners, so share it with every teacher.

Volume 32, March 2005

A Journey to a New Land

This wonderfully crafted site offers an introduction to the people who first arrived in the Americas over 12,000 years ago. Journeys for primary, elementary, middle, and high school students are provided. Options include an interactive timeline, learning games, video and audio files, photos, illustrations, and simulations. Teacher/parent guides for each level of learner are included, and the site can also be viewed in French. Learners of all ages will enjoy this fascinating educational site as they learn archaeological skills while navigating the many options. Developed as part of the virtual museum of Canada, it's an essential site for every teacher.

Volume 32, February 2005

Read-Write-Think Student Materials

Superb interactive tools that help learners of all ages develop literacy skills fill this site. The Comic Creator enables students to create their own comic strip. Hints about Print provides a well-crafted demo on how to evaluate nonfiction print books as appropriate resources for an assignment. All 36 options include instructions and further references, and most of the options run via Java applets. Language arts teachers with students in grades K - 12 will find numerous choices. This is also a good site to share with parents.

Volume 32, January 2005

Interactive Tools for Learning Math

A plethora of math teaching tools and fun learning opportunities can be found at this web site. Young students discover how many outfits Bobbie Bear can take on vacation when given various colors of clothes. Students in middle and high school use a code machine to investigate how mathematics is used in developing data encryption codes. Graphing tools for bar charts, histograms, and other graph options are provided. All 55 options include instructions, colorful images, and additional references. Most of the options run via Java applets. Share this site with math teachers and parents.

Volume 32, December 2004

KUMC Diversity Calendar

Quick access to a wealth of holidays and a look at the diverse holidays throughout the world can be discovered at this web site. Indexed by month, the list provides the name of the holiday and the country and/or religion which celebrates that date. A link to a concise explanation is provided. Well developed hyperlinks take the user to a myriad of authoritative sites for even more information on the holiday, cultural information, and often future celebration dates. Be sure to share this site with your elementary educator colleagues as well as social studies teachers.

Volume 32, November 2004

Ecohealth

Help students learn about a number of environmental topics via a credible Internet resource. Ecohealth, developed by an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, provides information on global warming, the hole in the ozone layer, issues with biodiversity, feeding a growing population, and the impact of globalization. A glossary, connections to daily life with health and science topics, a wealth of images, and video clips are available for use as a teaching tool or for student project research. Lesson plans, student project ideas, and links to news resources round out the site. Be sure to share this site with your science and social studies teachers.

Volume 32, October 2004

Map Machine

Finding current maps is always a challenge for teacher librarians. Be sure to look at the vast number of options available at the National Geographic Map Machine site when trying to find that perfect map. The redesigned site includes maps of practically every place on earth as well as population and climate information. The collections of conservation and ecology maps make excellent tools for science classes and current event discussions. The historical maps provide information on early explorers, antique world maps, and a variety of other eras and viewpoints. Easy to use search options and customization features make this an excellent teaching and reference tool.

Volume 32, September 2004

American Museum of the Moving Image

Take a look at this site as you work on information literacy activities for this school year! At the online exhibitions link, you will find a great set of animations explaining the science and technology behind movies and television, which serve as a beginning for an information literacy unit. You can then continue to viewing material about classic video games, tour the sets of The last samurai and view any of the television commercials relating to the US Presidential elections from 1952 to the present. In addition, there are viewing guides for some classic films – guides for The immigrant, 12 angry men, In the heat of the night, and Dear America: Letters from Vietnam are available.

Volume 31, August 2004

Adobe Education

Want to learn how to archive a web site as a PDF file? Interested in finding tips for teaching students about digital images? Want to find ways to archive student projects? Visit the education section of the Adobe web site for a treasure trove of teaching tools and options. The curriculum section contains completely developed, project-based lesson plans using the newest versions of Adobe software. The training portion provides a number of free online tutorials and discount-priced professional development choices. Be sure to explore the Digital Kids Club for information on integrating digital images into your teaching activities as well as links to student-oriented websites. Educators can also download trial versions of many Adobe software titles.

Volume 31, July 2004

ARKive

Think of this site as a digital ark striving to save information on a vast number of rare species. From the Species link you can find information about globally endangered species, endangered species from the British chapter and a pilot project on corals and their identification. The endangered species are further indexed by classification—mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, plants and algae, as well as fungi. Each species cataloged features an average of 10 minutes of video, 6-10 still images, sound recordings if appropriate and a complete profile of the animal’s habitat, characteristics and behaviors. ARKive is an excellent resource. The rich multimedia options provide students with a real look at animals that may soon be extinct.

Volume 31, June 2004

Pastimes and Paradigms: Games We Play

Learn about the history of games starting in the 1800s by visiting this online exhibit done by the Division of Rare and Manuscripts at Cornell University. Trace the evolution of games and learn about the cultural aspects of these forms of recreations. Visit Civil War board games or a vintage Monopoly board, view Koreans playing cards or see Willard Fiske playing chess as you peruse the myriad exhibits. The digitized pictures of people playing games as well as various game pieces and boards makes the site an excellent tool for teaching research and the use of primary source materials.

Volume 31, May 2004

Center for Children’s Literature & Culture

From this site you can explore the Baldwin Collection of Historical Children's Literature, where you’ll find an intriguing virtual exhibit of 19th century book covers. Another captivating feature is the Recess! link. This daily three-minute radio show provides a look at the world of children’s culture. More than 900 shows are archived on the web site, each presenting book reviews, historical information, stories, music reviews and many other related topics. All have audio options and many have print transcripts available. An excellent site for engaging fellow professionals, parents and students.

Volume 31, April 2004

Historic Jamestowne

Investigate the first English settlement on North America, Jamestowne. At this site, teachers and teacher-librarians will find a wealth of lesson plans, including PowerPoint presentations. Options for elementary through high school are available, including a number of activities with information literacy components. Be sure to check out the “Jamestown in the Media” lesson dealing with newspapers. Other learning opportunities include virtual archaeological digs for both artifacts and buildings. These interactive modules are guaranteed to enliven a social studies lesson and can be done with a single computer and an entire class.

Volume 31, March 2004

Mars Dead or Alive

Consider this site your portal to a wealth of information about the NASA Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Learners find a brief background on Mars, an interview with the lead scientist who designed the rover and details of the rover’s design. There is also an interactive diagram of the parachute used for the rover’s landing. In addition, the one-hour PBS video on the subject is available for viewing. Finally, follow a link to NASA’s Mars site to see the latest images. This is a well-designed, one-stop shop for information on the Mars discoveries.

Volume 31, February 2004

Best WebQuest.Com

Developed and maintained by one of the WebQuest founders, Tom March, this site provides an excellent, evaluated list of WebQuests for all grade levels and subjects. These web-based activities can be used immediately to provide students with quality Internet-based learning experiences. A Best WebQuest of the Week is featured on the home page.

Volume 31, January 2004

Take time to explore the new Smithsonian Education web site

There are sections for educators, families and students. This well-organized site provides a single portal to the vast number of individual web sites under the Smithsonian umbrella. The number of excellently crafted lesson plans, suggestions for family activities when visiting the museums or accessing online exhibits, and the virtual exhibits specifically designed for students are a true gift to learners.