Archive

Current and past selections of exemplary sites--browse month by month through every year. When sites are no longer available, they are not listed as Digital Dozen winners.

January 2000

1. A virtual journey into the universe
   Grade(s): 2 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 016458
   Synopsis: Visit this ThinkQuest winner for a vivid exploration of our planetary system. Interactive movies, games, and other activities combine with a wealth of textual information about each planet to make this virtual journey a trip worth taking.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
2. Addison Wesley Longman Internet projects for elementary statistics
   Featured in ENC Focus  
   Grade(s): 10 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 016350
   Synopsis: Designed to complement chapters in an Addison-Wesley textbook on statistics, these simulations, demonstrations, and other activities are useful to anyone interested in statistics, not just users of that specific book. The site provides access to varied data sources and interactive graphical tools that can be used to analyze the data.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
3. CHEMystery: an interactive guide to chemistry
   Grade(s): 9 - 12 ENC#: 016554
   Synopsis: With its interactive Periodic Table of the Elements and 3D VRML rendering, this interactive chemistry guide is a far cry from your traditional chemistry textbook! Visitors can explore topics such as states of matter, thermodynamics, and organic chemistry, to name a few.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
4. Forensic science web pages
   Grade(s): 9 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 016552
   Synopsis: Anyone who watches television these days, with its proliferation of crime dramas, can't help encountering the term "forensics" and its use in solving crime. This site will help you make sense of some of the terminology used in forensics by offering a clear explanation of what it is and how it is used for detective work such as firearm identification, crime scene processing, and psychiatric profiling.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
5. Genetic Science Learning Center
   Grade(s): 5 - 12 ENC#: 016488
   Synopsis: The University of Utah's Genetic Science Learning Center provides information on basic genetics, genetic disorders, and genetics in society. In each section you will find explanations of introductory concepts and a variety of hands-on activities, including labs and instructions for building classroom lab equipment. Two thematic units are available on the genetics of deafness and genetic newborn testing.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
6. Hidden killers: deadly viruses
   Grade(s): 5 - 12 ENC#: 016478
   Synopsis: No, this site does not describe another round of vicious computer programs designed to attack your hard drive. Rather, this site talks about the science of virology, the immune system of the human body, and the potential use of viruses as a terrorist weapon. One section describes in depth a variety of specific viruses, such as the HIV virus and rabies. On the front page of the site, you will find updates on viral activity culled from today's news sources.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
7. Invention dimension
   Grade(s): 5 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 008640
   Synopsis: Every week, a new inventor is highlighted at this site, hosted by the Lemelson-MIT Program. Archives store all the highlighted inventors from weeks past. Interested in inventing something yourself? Check out the Inventor's Handbook, which addresses the frequently asked questions of would-be inventors.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
8. Que tal in the current sky: an Earth in space online monthly newsletter
   Grade(s): K - 12 ENC#: 004494
   Synopsis: Loose translation: "What's up in the sky?" This online monthly magazine features astronomical information about the visible planets, our moon and other moons, the sun, and other heavenly bodies. Visitors will find animations, articles, and activities, as well as "mooncasts" that indicate the phases of the moon for each day of the month.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
9. Science fun with airplanes
   Grade(s): 6 - 12 ENC#: 016348
   Synopsis: What child among us has not dreamed of someday being able to fly--and what adult among us, apart from aerospace engineers, really has a good grasp of what makes airplanes fly? Explore the mysteries of airplane flight at this interactive site, which contains animations demonstrating key principles, quizzes with answers, experiments, and other activities.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
10. Six billion and beyond: population in the new millennium
    Featured in ENC Focus  
    Grade(s): 6 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 016490
    Synopsis: The world's population is growing at a staggering rate, even with all the natural (and unnatural) disasters that take such a heavy human toll. When the world's population reached six billion this past 10, PBS conducted surveys in the United States, Italy, China, Mexico, Kenya, and India. Participants discussed their views on population issues that affect their lives and countries. Visitors will enjoy watching the site's ticker keep track of how many babies are born in the time they spend touring the site.
    (For more details, see ENC Record.)
    
    
11. Tools for understanding: a resource guide for extending mathematical understanding in secondary schools
    Featured in ENC Focus  
    Grade(s): 7 - 12 ENC#: 016331
    Synopsis: The lessons, activities, and other materials at this site are designed to enable mathematics educators (especially teachers of the intermediate and middle grades) to integrate technology into their everyday teaching. Strands within the site deal with tools such as spreadsheets, calculators, and presentation software. Another strand addresses journaling and the use of writing to teach math.
    (For more details, see ENC Record.)
    
    
12. Why is the sky dark at night?
    Grade(s): 7 - 12 ENC#: 016553
    Synopsis: To begin to answer this deceptively simple question, come visit this site and pick up a good working knowledge of elementary physics at the same time. Animations and interactive applets help illustrate important concepts, including a small-scale model of heat-transfer physics.
    (For more details, see ENC Record.)