General Interest
http://www.mappingthepacificcoast.com/
Maps of the Pacific Coast from the earliest period of European exploration continue to interest cartographers, geographers, and antiquarians. The maps in the Quivira Collection date from 1540 to 1802 and include early depictions of California as an island, Russian cartographic interpretations of the Pacific Coast, and overland maps across the continent westward to the ocean. All told, this online collection includes forty-five maps, books, and illustrations organized into six thematic galleries. Visitors can start by listening to an audio introduction, and then look around through the thematic galleries, which include such intriguing headings as " In the Wake of Captain James Cook" and "Secret Russian Explorations in the Pacific". Of course, visitors must click their way into the "California as an Island" section, if not just for a taste of six examples of what is perhaps one of the best-known cartographic mistakes in the world. [KMG]
http://www.chicagoancestors.org/
The quest to document one's family tree is one that stretches back across the human experience, and it can be done through the use of government records, obituaries, and so on. Recently, the Newberry Library in Chicago created this site for persons looking to trace their roots within the Windy City. First-time visitors to the site can just go ahead and type in a street address or browse through the online collections which are culled from a variety of local institutions. In the "Tools" area, visitors will find address conversion tools, Chicago City Directory street guides, and a tutorial on researching Chicago in the period before the fire of 1871. Visitors also have the opportunity to add content information to this interactive resource, which it should be noted is open source. [KMG]
http://www.dos.gov.jo/dos_home_e/main/index.htm
Created in 1949, the Kingdom of Jordan's official Department of Statistics has created this website to provide broad access to important information about the country to audiences around the world. In the "About Us" area, visitors can learn about their census techniques and also take in a bit of additional information about their organization and the services they offer. The tabs on the left-hand side of the homepage give users access to economic reports, agriculture surveys, environmental statistics, and e-government. One particularly compelling report included in this area addresses the subject of the Iraqi population in Jordan, and it is a document which will interest political scientists and others. The site also contains a "What's New" section and statistical reports and the like in Arabic. [KMG]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pocahontas/
Who was Pocahontas? It's a question that has puzzled historians and archaeologists for centuries, and this recent documentary from NOVA takes a nuanced and in-depth look into both the reality and the myth surrounding her. The program draws on a wide variety of perspectives, and this complementary website could be used as an educational tool in the classroom or just as a means for personal edification. Visitors can watch a short video preview of the program, and then take a look through the "Images of A Legend" area, which provides twelve different visual interpretations of Pocahontas from the early 17th century all the way up to her recent portrayal in a popular animated film. Other areas of the site include "The Science of Jamestown", "Touching the Past", and "Bold Endeavor", which features an essay by historian David Silverman on the clash of cultures between Jamestown's colonists and Pocahontas' people. [KMG]
http://www.enotes.com/music-encyclopedia/
Noted country artist Roy Acuff and modern American composer John Adams don’t often find themselves in close musical company, but in the Baker's Student Encyclopedia of Music they are only separated by four entries. Offered as part of the eNotes site, the Encyclopedia is a good resource for both students and others who wish to brush up on any number of composers, musical terms, performers, and so on. Visitors can browse on through alphabetically, and they may wish to read the brief "Foreword" offered as a way of establishing the focus and intent of this publication. From Sun Ra to the Sabre Dance, visitors will want to dip into this encyclopedia on multiple occasions. [KMG]
With offices in Calabasas, California and Washington, D.C, the Center for Civic Education is "dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles." The Center functions as a nonprofit, non partisan educational corporation and the materials offered on their site for educators and those wishing to brush up on everything from representative democracy to the Constitution will be pleased to wander around the site. While the Center does publish some commercial textbooks and the like, visitors will find a number of free educational materials in the "Resources" area that are worth considering. Here, visitors can download lesson plans, view an extensive set of related external links, as well as additional resources on civic education. The site is rounded out with a nice "Multimedia" area, complete with podcasts on civics and videos that examine civil rights. [KMG]
http://groups.physics.umn.edu/physed/Research/CRP/on-lineArchive/ola.html
New physics teaching resource sites continue to pop up every day, and this one from the University of Minnesota's Physics Education Research Group is a good find. The site is divided into two areas, one covering mechanics problems, and the other covering electricity and magnetic problems. Within these two areas, visitors can look through examples of linear kinematics problems, force problems, conservation problems, and so on. For instructors, each problem begins with a list of the specific principles necessary to solve the context-rich problem. Visitors are also welcome to submit their own problems for potential inclusion on the site. [KMG]
Want to know why statues of emperors are crowned with laurel wreathes? Symbols of Power: Napoleon And The Art of The Empire Styles, a web exhibition from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston has the answer for you. At the web site you will find explanations of the iconography - Roman mythological figures, the laurel wreath, butterflies, swans, bees - used on objects made for Napoleon and his first wife, Josephine, who were crowned emperor and empress in 1804. For example, a stool designed for one of Napoleon's generals has legs in the shape of crossed sabers, decorated with Mars and Minerva, the Roman gods of war. The stool was also purposefully designed with no arms, so that a soldier with a sword on his belt could sit in it without removing his weapon. Why the laurel wreath? It is another classical symbol used in ancient Rome to celebrate military victory. [DS]
