Issue 32

The Abacus: index
http://www.ee.ryerson.ca:8080/-elf/abacus/
Fascinating details of the construction, history and application of the abacus are covered here. Complete plans for building an abacus using LEGO blocks could form the basis of a creative lesson. SCIS 990154

Arctic Circle
http://Jareticcircle.uconn.edu/arcticcirel e/
Vital aspects of the Arctic region are investigated, particularly the environment and the sustainabi I ity of natural resources. Extensive coverage is also given to the history, culture and views of the indigenous Arctic peoples. SCIS 990160

Australian athlete profiles
http://www.ausport.gov.au/promenu.html
Background information on athletes from a variety of sports is available from this site which emanates from the Australian Sports Commission. Both Olympic and non-Olympic sports are included, with a range from archery to yachting. SCIS 990143

Awesome Library -K-12 education directory
http://www.neat-schoolhouse.org/awesome.html
With over 14 000 reviewed resources for educationalists this searchable site is useful for ferreting out those hard to find resources for particular lessons or simply browsing the well organised sub sections. SCIS 990138

BBC Schools Online
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/schools/
Aimed at students, teachers and parents this encompassing UK site includes primary and secondary curriculum material, news and resources. At the time of review, Michael Rosen's Star Poems were featured. SCIS 990098

Bright Spares
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/
Raising awareness of Australia's scientific, medical and technological heritage is the basis for this site. Features are an index, guide for teachers, links and a bibliography. SCIS 990140

The Common Good
http://www.abc.net.au/civics/
Teachers introducing Civics and Citizenship should investigate the resources and links available on this website, jointly developed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the British Council (Australia) and the NSW Department of Education and Training. SCIS 990151

Gifted Education
http://www.austega.com/gifted/
A comprehensive Australian jump site dealing with most aspects of teaching or parenting gifted children. Of particular relevance for Teacher Librarians are the links to recommended print and software bibliographies and reviews. SCIS 990146

lppy Online
http://www.ippyon Ii ne.gov.au/home.asp
IP Australia has developed this engaging site to promote the concept, meaning and understanding of intellectual property to students. Teachers are catered for with case studies, fact sheets and a bibliography. SCIS 990109

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/p _greetham/ingalls/frame.html
A wealth of material on the popular author Laura Ingalls Wilder is available here. Of particular interest is the extensive background information and photos of her family, friends and houses. The site also contains puzzles, selections of music from the period and family documents. SCIS 990124

LibrarySpot -encyclopedias, maps, libraries and much more
http://www.libraryspot.com/
Teacher Librarians will find a plethora of practical links to library and reference sites. Links include specialist libraries, all manner of reference material, quotations, journals, news and collections of lists. Definitely one to bookmark. SCIS 990164

NAJ: transportation records
http://www.nationalarchives.ie/search01.html
The National Archives of Ireland have made available on line searching of their remaining records of convicts transported from Ireland during the period 1788-1868. Records of convicts' families transported as free settlers may also be found. SCIS 990134

Polymer banknotes
http://www.rba.gov.au/poly/po_ind.html
A subsection of the larger Reserve Bank of Australia's home page, this site contains information regarding the history of Australia's currency notes and the introduction of the technology for printing polymer bank notes. SCIS 990115

Univ of Exeter: Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching
http://www.ex.ac.uk/education/cimt/
Primary and secondary mathematics teachers can use this material to enhance their curriculums with innovative, absorbing puzzles, games and competitions. Research material, reports, databanks and links to additional sites are available. SCIS 990148

Welcome to Interactive News for Kids
http://ink.news.com.au/
Teachers who are interested in having their students write and publish an on line 'newspaper' should investigate this engrossing site. Only basic computer knowledge is needed as the web-based software prompts users to carry out the necessary steps, and background notes and tips help make the tasks achievable. SCIS 990157