www.cvm.umn.edu/depts/raptorcenter/education/lessonplans/

From the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center, this website contains 16 lesson plans designed for fourth to eighth grade students. The multidisciplinary, hands-on lessons address the lives of ospreys, ecological systems, predator-prey relationships, migration, different habitats, macroinvertebrates, human-environment relationships, and more. Lesson plans include learning objectives, vocabulary lists, materials needed, lesson background information, activity descriptions, extension ideas, and suggested resources. The website offers print-friendly formatted pages as well. Teachers can also link to information about the Raptor Center's traveling educational programs. [NL]

http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/

Hosted by the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University, this well-organized website provides basic information about many common insects found in Texas, and in numerous other states as well. The website is based on a book titled, A Field Guide to Common Texas Insects by Drs. Bastiaan M. Drees and John A. Jackman. The site contains concise descriptions and good-quality images of a variety of insects including roaches, weevils, dragonflies, stoneflies, silverfish, walkingsticks, and more. The site also contains a brief overview of insect orders; characteristics of numerous insect orders such as Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Lepidoptera, and Mecoptera; a glossary; and links to a variety of insect images, animations, and video clips. [NL]

http://www.seasky.org/sea7.html

The Ocean Realm is part of Sea and Sky, an award-winning, nonprofit website created by J.D. Knight, an Orlando-based Web designer, amateur astronomer, and marine aquarium hobbyist. The Ocean Realm offers two features: Reef Life, a presentation of animals who inhabit corral reefs; and Monsters of the Deep, an exploration of animals found in deep zones of the ocean. Reef Life contains gorgeous photographs; and basic information about a variety of sponges, corals, echinoderms, mollusks, sharks, and more. Monsters of the Deep contains profiles for a collection of fascinating creatures including the sizeable sixgill shark, the tiny vampire squid, the large-mouthed gulper eel, and the fierce viperfish to name but a few. The site also provides straightforward descriptions of ocean layers, deep sea bioluminescence, and hydrothermal vents. [NL]

http://www.searchingwolf.com/

This impressive wolf information website was created by retired biology professor Dr. Bill Forbes. Notably, the site contains a multitude of links to both recent and less recent wolf-related articles appearing in such publications as Paleobiology, Wildlife Biology, Animal Science Journal, and Molecular Ecology. The site also offers a collection of other useful wolf resources such as an archived Bibliography of European Wolf Literature; a list of suggested wolf education materials; an extensive bibliography of books about wolves and related subjects; and links to an abundance of wolf organizations and websites. In addition, the site contains links to howling and growling clips, great wolf skull images, a list of places to see wolves, quizzes, and even an interactive crossword puzzle. [NL]

http://www.sciencefriday.com/kids/sfkc20050107-2.html

The world is still reeling from the tragic effects of last December's tsunami on so many coastal communities around the Indian Ocean. This website, developed for middle school teachers by Science Friday Kid's Connection, focuses on one of the less-talked about consequences of this recent disaster: the variant effects of the tsunami on terrestrial and marine wildlife. The website links to a NPR Talk of the Nation: Science Friday radio program addressing the ecological impact of the tsunami with expert guests from Columbia University, the Pew Institute for Ocean Science, and the United Nations Environment Programme. The site also contains a collection of links to related news stories, and educational activities for students. The site provides an Academic Content Standards section with related standards and benchmarks for grades six to eight as well. [NL]

http://www.nationalasthma.org.au/publications/spiro/index.htm

Hosted by the National Asthma Council of Australia, this online "handbook was written as a guide for those involved in the performance and interpretation of spirometry in clinical practice, i.e. medical practitioners and assisting nursing staff, and as an introduction to the topic for scientists and technicians." Initially published in 1995 by Drs. Rob Pierce and David P. Johns, the Spirometry Handbook was revised in July 2004. The brief sections include Measurement of Ventilatory Function; Measurement Devices; Infection Control Measures; and Predicted Normal Values. The publication also offers a number of references, and suggestions for further reading. Handbook users may print individual pages and link to a couple brief video clips as well. [NL]

http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/01293/

One of the many benefits of the Internet is that it serves as a place for kids to create educational websites for other kids. Following in this tradition, this website (winner of the April 2004 ThinkQuest contest for students 12 and under) was created by a team of fifth-grade students--with help from their teachers--to educate other kids about Crocodilians. Although not heavy on content, the site offers basic information about this fascinating order of reptiles, and at the same time provides elementary school students with a model for what kids are capable of creating and sharing with their peers. The website provides brief summaries of all 23 crocodilian species. The site also showcases original artwork; and briefly addresses habitats, communication, conservation efforts, and physical features. The site also includes a glossary, and an interactive crossword puzzle. [NL]

http://www.marinecareers.net/

Developed jointly by members of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and New Hampshire Sea Grant Programs, this website introduces students and others to a variety of information about careers in marine science fields. The website features profiles of people doing a number of jobs including Marine Educator, Chemical Oceanographer, Aquarium Curator, and Ocean Advocate, to name a few. The site also contains concise descriptions of three important marine fields: Marine Biology, Oceanography, and Ocean Engineering. For those curious about financial matters, the site lists potential salaries based on occupational grouping, employment sector, and geographic location. In addition, site visitors will find a solid collection of related links, a Frequently Asked Questions page, and three short slide shows. [NL]