http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/ISSRG/index.htm

NASA can really put together a website, and the dramatic visual and audio introduction to their online interactive guide to the world of the International Space Station (ISS) is worth sitting back and watching in its entirety. After the introduction, visitors can listen to Commander Mike Fincke talk about the various scientific endeavors that are part of the Station's mission. The rest of the materials on the site are divided into three sections: "How the Crew Lives", "How it Works", and "ISS 360 Tour". While all of the sections are equally interesting, the "How the Crew Lives" is quite a treat, as visitors can watch videos demonstrating how the crew eats, sleeps, and exercises. Of course, visitors with a penchant for engineering technology should definitely not miss the "How it Works" area, which contains explanations of how the ISS is operated and supported. Finally, the site also contains a music video which blends together what sounds like early 1990s-techno music with in-flight scenes of space scientists at work and play. [KMG]

http://www.exploratorium.edu/iron_science/index.php

People in the Bay Area love to cook, and that can mean mixing up everything from home-grown arugula to free trade pumpkins. The good folks at San Francisco's Exploratorium have cooked up the Iron Science Teacher presentations in an attempt to bring together the worlds of science and the culinary arts. To no one's surprise, they have succeeded, and the results include a fine mix of science activities that are both fun and enlightening. Visitors can dive right in by looking over some of their recent endeavors, which have included such items as candy, apples, chocolate, fruit cake, pumpkins, and marshmallow peeps. There are other areas of the site that bring together previous webcasts that have covered kitchen items, common household items, and even things one might find in a recycling bin. [KMG]

http://www.bos.frb.org/economic/ppdp/index.htm

All of the Federal Reserve Banks produce discussion papers, working papers, policy briefs and other similar publications. This particular site takes visitors to the public policy discussion papers produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The series began in 2004, and visitors can view an archive of previously published works in the series. Recent titles in the series have included "Social Dynamics of Obesity", "Managing the Risk in Pension Plans and Recent Pension Reforms", and "The Theory of Life-Cycle Saving and Investing". If visitors are interested in other related topics, they should also look at the "Related Links" section, which features direct links to their policy brief archives and other Boston Federal Reserve publications. [KMG]

http://ocw.nd.edu/

The movement toward providing various course materials online for free is growing steadily, and a number of higher education institutions have recently joined the OpenCourseWare Initiative. Along with institutions like the University of California, Irvine and MIT, the University of Notre Dame is also now part of this very welcome program. On this site, visitors can view a list of available course materials, and they may also just want to look over the list of academic departments in order to locate courses of interest. There is something for everyone here, as visitors can find materials from courses such as "Latino Theology and Christian Tradition" and "Nature and the Built Environment". Additionally, visitors can leave feedback on the site and learn more about the OpenCourseWare program. [KMG]

http://cameo.mfa.org/index.asp

Art historians, preservationists, and other types will be most glad to learn about the existence of the Conservation and Art Materials Encyclopedia Online (CAMEO). This is, of course, if they don't know about it already. The original CAMEO was first placed online in November 2000, and it has been significantly enlarged and updated over the past several years. This online resource contains chemical, physical, visual, and analytical information on over 10,000 historic and contemporary materials used in the production and conservation of artistic, architectural, archaeological, and anthropological materials. While some visitors may wish to use the embedded search engine, some may just wish to browse the materials by letter. Visitors can also perform a material search by entering a word, partial word, or a variety of other fields, including composition, density, and boiling point. [KMG]

http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/4/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=1405

Working on a new calculus textbook can be a daunting project, and it is something that Håkan Lennerstad knows a bit about. He happens to be a faculty member at the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden, and he recently created this paper (along with two of his students, Maria Salomonsson and David Erman) that describes how he was able to develop new ways of learning calculus while working collaboratively with his students. This paper was released in June 2007, and in the article he talks about the process involved with creating this textbook and how he worked effectively with his students. It's a rather interesting piece, and one that fellow mathematics educators will want to look over and pass along to other colleagues. [KMG]

http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/libraries/education.html

Based at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography, the National Sea Grant Library (NSGL) has a wealth of digital resources available for educators with a distinctly marine focus. Of course, this material is meant to complement their print holdings, and for those who can't make it out to Rhode Island, these digital educational materials will be most helpful. Visitors can click on one of the subject headings to explore these materials, and these headings include "Coastal Hazards", "Diving Safety", "Global Warming", "Marine Careers", and "Harmful Algae". Other visitors may wish to use the more in-depth topical searches, which address aquaculture, habitat restoration, and marinas. There are a number of gems here, including the "Resource Guide for Oceanography and Coastal Processes" and "Coastal Capers: A Marine Education Primer". [KMG]

http://paleobiology.si.edu/LVF/#start

Unless you have a very large research grant, it can be difficult to find fossil bones. Fortunately, this very fine online learning module from the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum can help both young and old to learn about locating fossil bones, among other things. Through this multimedia feature created by the History Museum's department of paleobiology, visitors will learn what paleontologists do in each stage in the life of a vertebrate fossil. With the assistance of short video clips, interactive diagrams, and photographs, visitors will learn about how fossils are prepared for examination and how scientists unravel the stories of these paleontological finds. Finally, visitors will also learn how fossils are stored and preserved. [KMG]