Website Review: Deforestation in the Amazon

DEFORESTATION IN THE AMAZON is an interactive project exploring the history and current status of the world’s largest rainforest.

Developed by the nonpartisan organization Council on Foreign Relations, this engaging experience takes users through seven topics including an introduction, climate, people, biodiversity, history, deforestation, and reversal. The interactive resource including text, photographs, audio, video, maps, and more. In some sections, users can click for more in-depth information. Teacher resources include discussion questions, learning exercises, and links to additional materials.

Librarians will find this website provides an outstanding introduction to the key issues associated with deforestation and recovery. Feature the website along with books on related environmental issues.

To visit the website, go to https://www.cfr.org/interactives/amazon-deforestation/#/en.

Website Review: Ology

The OLOGY website has been providing engaging science activities for youth for over 15 years.

Sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History, the web-based learning environment explores fourteen different topics including anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, biodiversity, brain, climate change, earth, genetics, marine biology, microbiology, paleontology, physics, water, and zoology.

Users can complete dozens of activities including games, stories, hands-on activities, and videos. By registering at the website, students can collect Ology cards hidden throughout the project.

The Ology for Educators section provides free, research based curriculum materials connected with Earth, life, and physical science content for K-12 students.

Librarians will find this amazing website to be an excellent opportunity to immerse youth in science. Use the website in a learning center focusing on one of the ology topics. Include books and materials in the station to support the hands-on activities. Change topics every couple weeks for a year-long science experience in your library.

To visit the website, go to http://www.amnh.org/explore/ology.

Website Review: Smithsonian Encyclopedia

The SMITHSONIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA provides access to a multitude of online resources through an easy-to-use interface.

The online encyclopedia is organized into themes including Art and Design, History and Culture, Science and Technology, Mysteries of the Universe, A Biodiverse Planet, World Cultures, and The American Experience. Each section provides links to activities and games, fact sheets, online exhibitions, online features, reading lists, and research resources. While the resources are designed for the general public, they’re very useful for middle and high student projects.

Users can also explore by topic from aeronautics to women’s history or by resource type such as activities, games, online features, and teacher resources.

The Kids Favorites section is specifically designed for children. It provides access to dozens of activities and games found throughout the Smithsonian website. It also provides access to Fact Sheets that would be great for informational reading activities. Online Exhibitions of particular interest to youth are also provided including topics such as Abraham Lincoln, Butterflies, and Dinosaurs. Online Features include Invention Stories, Lewis and Clark resources, and the Dynamic Earth.

Librarians will want to spend some time mining this wonderful online resource matching the information sources with specific curriculum area needs.

To explore the website, go to http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia.

Tech Review: Biodiversity Heritage Library

The BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE LIBRARY website contains an interesting digital collection as well as two games to help the website verify the accuracy of OCR scanning.

The digital library contains free access to biodiversity knowledge. With nearly 100,000 titles and over 160,000 volumes, it contains millions of pages of taxonomic literature. While many of the materials aren’t likely to be of interest to K-12 youth, there are some interesting items that could be woven into art and science classes.

The BHL Blog is a good place to go for specific items of interest to youth. For instance, a children’s librarian’s Taming the Wild post shared some cool social media posters made from images from the collection. The blog also hosts a podcast featuring key collections such as their SHARK WEEK collection. It’s available at iTunes.

A good place for youth to start is at the Flickr stream. When students find an image of interest they can learn more by exploring the entire report or book.

The website’s two purposeful games help the library verify the automated information mined when objects were digitized. The Smorball game asks users to type the words they see as quickly and accurately as possible to help coach their team to victory. The Beanstalk game involves users in typing the words presented to them correctly in order to grow their beanstalk.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library is a great way to introduce youth to digital collections in the sciences.

To explore the website, go to http://biodiversitylibrary.org.
Go to the Taming the Wild blogpost at http://blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/…/taming-wild-social-me….