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.

April 2001

Spring is here! In celebration we give you, yet again, twelve sites that will knock your socks off. This month, explore mathematics with the Math Cats, or view the night sky over your hometown anytime, day or night! We've also brought back the DD classic, Monarch Watch. Enjoy!

1. Critical issues forum (CIF): students and teachers examining the nuclear world
   Featured in ENC Focus  
   Grade(s): 6 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 018948
   Synopsis: Even though the Cold War is but a chilling memory, the problem of nuclear weapons and what to do with them is still a critical one. The Los Alamos National Laboratory provides this web-based curriculum to inform students and others about current, global issues focusing on the nuclear world. Participants have the opportunity to correspond by email with mentors in the field.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
2. Discovering the value of pi
   Featured in ENC Focus  
   Grade(s): 6 - 10 ENC#: 019002
   Synopsis: The concept of pi is a difficult one to grasp for students. The clear language, illustrations, and applets at this site will go a long way toward clarifying the meaning of pi and providing applications for its use, as well as providing interesting historical facts about this fundamental ratio.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
3. General chemistry online!
   Grade(s): 9 - 12 ENC#: 018958
   Synopsis: Bookmark this site for a library of more than 800 common compounds, feature articles, tutorials, and a database of more than 400 links to general chemistry web references. Site visitors can also subscribe to a monthly email newsletter that highlights changes, updates, and new features of the web site.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
4. Math cats magic chalkboard
   Featured in ENC Focus  
   Grade(s): 1 - 8 ENC#: 019003
   Synopsis: Math games, explorations, quizzes, interactive projects, facts, and other fun (and educational) stuff abound at this site for elementary kids. Some of the games and projects require advanced browser versions and special plug-ins.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
5. Monarch watch
   Featured in ENC Focus  
   Grade(s): K - 8 ENC#: 002473
   Synopsis: This Digital Dozen Classic (first awarded in September, 1995) covers the migration of the Monarch butterfly. Monarch Watch is a collaborative effort to study the Monarch's life and migration patterns, partnering with student and adult volunteers to raise, tag, and track Monarchs. Activities in the online curricula include role playing, vocabulary, and butterfly life cycles.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
6. Simple machines
   Grade(s): 4 - 9 ENC#: 018950
   Synopsis: For people who aren't mechanically inclined, there may not appear to be anything simple about machines. However, as this site teaches, even the most complex machine is really composed of a variety of simple machines that are much less intimidating. Check out the clear animations to learn about the essence of simple machines and how they work together to make the more complex system of a lawn mower function.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
7. Sky view cafe
   Grade(s): 7 - 12 ENC#: 018916
   Synopsis: Come on up, the view's terrific from here! Never again will you need to be afraid of going blind while looking at a solar eclipse. With this interactive Java applet, you can take a look at astronomical information such as the movement of the sun, moon, stars, and planets.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
8. The Lemelson Center
   Grade(s): K - 12 ENC#: 018919
   Synopsis: Liberate the inventor within you and find out just how far creativity and innovation can take you. At this site, the history of innovation in America is celebrated through profiles of inventors and inventions. Find out how inventions such as baby carriers, electric guitars, and wind surfboards came to be. And walk in the great inventor Thomas Edison's shoes for a day and learn how to "invent" the light bulb!
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
9. The Titanic in the classroom
   Featured in ENC Focus  
   Grade(s): 9 - 12 ENC#: 018942
   Synopsis: No, this isn't a site touting the educational merits of the blockbuster Leonardo DiCaprio movie. Rather, it features eight student research projects that explore the mysteries of the Titanic using a specially developed database of Titanic-related information. Each project uses original source artifacts and provides suggestions for enriching the project with information from video and print sources.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
10. Waikiki Aquarium virtual tour
    Grade(s): 3 - 12 ENC#: 018951
    Synopsis: If your spring break plans don't include a trip to Hawaii, don't feel bad--you can still take a virtual tour of one of the islands' attractions. Learn about Hawaiian marine life and the tropical West and South Pacific as you stroll through the five online galleries of the Waikiki Aquarium exhibits.
    (For more details, see ENC Record.)
    
    
11. Wild world
    Grade(s): K - 12 ENC#: 018949
    Synopsis: We live in a world at risk, and this site highlights the 200 most endangered natural regions on the planet. In addition, visitors can select other locations across the globe and learn about each one's unique environmental conditions, such as species diversity, variety of habitats, and number of endemic species. The goal is to increase awareness of conservation efforts and to implement a global strategy to protect endangered areas.
    (For more details, see ENC Record.)