Research and Education
Public history is an important way of conveying the importance of the historical past to a broad public audience, and the Public History Resource Center is a fine online resource for persons interested in these goals, and for those looking to learn more about the practice of public history. On the website, the general public can learn more about what exactly constitutes public history, read reviews of history-focused websites, peruse syllabi on such topics as archival studies and historic preservations, and learn about degree-granting programs in public history. Additionally, the site includes a rather detailed list of related websites, thematically organized into areas such as associations, job resources, listservs, and newsletters. Along with the website reviews, the publications section includes several helpful feature articles, such as how to utilize the historical documents and still images held by the U.S. Mint. [KMG]
http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/
Established in 1992 at the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Centre for the Study of Global Governance with a substantial grant from the Maurice Laing and Rufford Foundations. As the website notes, the centre's mission is "to inquire into the origins and nature of urgent problems facing the globe, to inform by way of public lectures, seminars, and discussion, and to influence agencies and organizations engaged in seeking and implementing solutions to these urgent problems." From the homepage, visitors can learn about the various leaders and fellows at the Centre, learn about ongoing research projects on global civil society and other topics, and view selected discussion papers and transcripts of public lectures. Some of the rather compelling papers available for consideration here address topics as diverse as the role of international criminal prosecutions in reconstructing divided communities and the impact of globalization in southeastern European countries. [KMG]
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/ev.php?URL_ID=7277&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1048272936
As heralded by academic and popular works of the past several decades, much of the world is entering what some have called the Information Age, and some have noted that the access and availability to knowledge in a variety of forms will determine the success of national and regional development in this century. This particular site, organized and maintained by UNESCO, brings together hundreds of resources on the development of the Information Society from around the world, including various reports on the digital divide, online governance, e-commerce, intellectual property rights, infostructure, and virtual libraries. Visitors to the site can browse the available materials by region, country, or by thematic topic of interest. The homepage also provides a frequently updated news section that contains links to related events, recently released studies, and other materials generated by UNESCO and partner agencies. [KMG]
http://www.archaeologychannel.org/
Founded in 1999, the Archaeology Channel brings a host of short films about the practice of archaeology to the computers of visitors from around the globe in an attempt to inform the general public about this field and its continuing relevance. The site's homepage features some of the latest audio and video segments, along with links to additional commentaries, teacher resources, and news from the field. Some of the subjects covered in the videos include the mound builders of Ohio, the ancient city of Machu Picchu, and a broad overview of archaeology in Jordan. The audio interviews are quite good as well, and include interviews with an expert on the legendary city of Atlantis and some perspective on the excavation of Caral, a city in Peru that is thought to be the oldest effervescence of urbanity in the New World. [KMG]
Developed to disseminate medical and cultural information on immigrant and refugee groups for health care professionals, the EthnoMed website was developed as a joint project initiated by the University of Washington Health Sciences Library and the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The ethnic groups covered on the site include Cambodians, Chinese, Eritrean, Hispanic, Oromo, Somali, and Vietnamese. The documents featured on the site include materials in each ethnic group's native language that deal with a broad range of healthcare issues, such as hypertension, pregnancy, and breast cancer. Users may elect to search the website in its entirety, or they may browse the available materials by cultural group. The site also provides a number of short pieces on the practice of cross cultural medicine, such as articles titled "Breast Cancer in Asian Women," "Traditional Vietnamese Medicine," and "Mental Health Issues of Resettled Refugees." [KMG]
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/53420main_RTF_vol1_rev1_1_ALL_112103.pdf
Since the tragic accident involving the space shuttle Columbia, the remainder of NASA's space shuttle fleet has been grounded indefinitely. This paper is "a periodically updated document demonstrating our progress toward safe return to flight and implementation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board recommendations." Nearly 250 pages in length, the paper looks at specific systems of the space shuttle and identifies those that need to be upgraded, replaced, or redesigned to ensure a greater level of safety for future missions. It also addresses scenarios for dealing with shuttle damage during a mission and repairing it. This document is Revision 1.1 of Volume 1, and many more revisions can be expected over the long process of returning to flight. This site is also reviewed in the December 5, 2003 NSDL MET Report. [CL]
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/K-12/home.cfm
Sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Economic Education (and part of the Economic Education Web), this website offers a panoply of resources for educators who may be looking for materials that will assist them in the teaching of basic and intermediate economic principles. Teachers can peruse sections that offer dozens of classroom activities and lesson plans, complete with information about both their relationship to state and national educational standards and grade appropriateness. The economic concepts section offers some guidance as to which ideas are most appropriate for various grade levels, including scarcity, profit, supply, factors of production, and many others. Another helpful section identifies important projects that teach principles of economics through utilization of the Internet, something that will be of great use to those classroom that actively employ computers as an instructional tool [KMG]
While not everyone can afford to attend Harvard University, the Harvard@home site allows people around the world to listen and watch to a number of special lectures, talks, and public addresses that take place at this august institution. Established in March 2001, the programs range in time from 45 minutes to 3 hours, and address a broad range of topics, including the humanities, current affairs, college life, and the natural sciences. Some of the more notable programs include an hour long lecture by Professor Edward O. Wilson on the relation of science and the humanities, a three-hour program on the state of the global environment,a 50-minute talk by Professor Diana Eck on Shiva, and finally, a talk on the legacy and genius of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. [KMG]
