http://www.mobot.org/education/tropics/welcome.html

Developed by the Education Division at the Missouri Botanical Garden, this self-guided online tour provides students with a good overview of tropical rain forests. The tour utilizes great illustrations and concise sections to discuss interesting topics such as plant adaptations, and animal and plant interactions. Other tutorial topics include rain forest layers, biological diversity, economic plants of the tropics, effects of elevation on vegetation, and more. The site also discusses some causes of rainforest destruction, and suggests simple activities that can help protect rain forests. [NL]

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/Trex/index.html

From the University of California-Berkeley Museum of Paleontology (UCMP), this interactive learning module, developed for students in grades seven though 12, serves as "an introduction to cladistics, the most commonly used method of classification today." The module utilizes cool graphics, and a tour-like format to explore evolutionary relationships, and the diversity of life. UCMP suggests setting aside three to four class periods for students to navigate through the entire module. The site includes a helpful Teacher's Guide with sections addressing technical requirements, module navigation and trouble-shooting, and related activities and resources. The Guide also provides a suggested lesson plan for the module, online handouts, and assessment materials. [NL]

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/

This informative online gardening resource was created by longtime gardener and former nursery owner Bill Beaurain. The website presents information addressing such topics as Gardening Basics, Creating New Gardens, Fruits and Vegetables, Annual and Perennial Plants, Shrubs and Trees, Bulbs, and more. Site visitors can also link to brief growing guidelines for a wide variety of plants listed by scientific and common name. In addition, the website includes a beautiful, interactive USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; and information about caring for house plants, and dealing with garden pests and problems. The site offers an online Gardener's Forum, a Garden Encyclopedia, a Glossary, a Gardening Calendar of monthly tasks, and cookie recipes as well. [NL]

http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/faune/guide/html/identification_e.html

From the Canadian Wildlife Service-Quebec, this archived waterfowl guide helps bird watchers learn how to "recognize birds on the wing--it emphasizes their fall and winter plumage patterns as well as size, shape, and flight characteristics." The guide includes brief introductory sections regarding Eclipse Plumage, Dabbling Ducks, Comparative Sizes, Wetlands and Birds, Swans and Geese, and Diving Ducks. The guide also features identification pages for numerous waterfowl including the Wood Duck, Snow Goose, Common Goldeneye, and Canvasback, to name just a few. Identification pages generally include good-quality illustrations, scientific and common name, audio clips, and brief descriptions. [NL]

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20041109tuesday.html

In an age of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners, fears about microbes seem to pervade our society. This one-hour lesson, designed for sixth to 12th grade students, incorporates a New York Times article about widespread germ worries. The lesson encourages students to think about common misconceptions regarding germs, and to create public service announcements that counter a misconception. The lesson was authored by Priscilla Chan, of The New York Times Learning Network, and Tanya Yasmin Chin, of The Bank Street College of Education in New York City. The website includes a lesson description; Academic Content Standards; and concise sections that address objectives, needed materials, extension activities, evaluation, and interdisciplinary applications. [NL]

http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/vision_background.html

From the Access Excellence Classic Collection archives, this website contains a concise article about human vision by Dr. Diane M. Szaflarski. The article incorporates clear diagrams as it addresses such elements of human sight as eye anatomy, visual pigments, retinal and vitamin A, photoreceptors, and more. The article is accompanied by two activities regarding how environment affects color vision, and distance vision. The site also includes a glossary and a page of related resources that includes websites, books, and articles. [NL]