Online Educational Resources

Calculus, math research, physics, earth and environmental sciences, Walt Whitman, Islamic manuscripts from Mali, and the history of Western music are among the topics of 13 new resources at FREE, the website that makes teaching resources from federal agencies easier to find: http://www.ed.gov/free Special collections at FREE this month include: Jazz Appreciation Month What does bebop sound like? How did jazz evolve? Learn about Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and others. See ideas for celebrating jazz appreciation month and for studying jazz in U.S. history or music class. http://www.ed.gov/free/jazz.html Financial Literacy Month Learn the basics about getting the most out of your money -- saving, investing, banking, and buying a home. Try an online retirement calculator. Test your "financial smarts." http://www.ed.gov/free/fin-lit.html FREE offers an RSS feed. Get new teaching and learning resources delivered several times a week: http://www.ed.gov/free/rss.html ==== Arts ==== "Leonard Bernstein: An American Life" is a guide to an 11-part documentary illuminating the life and work of one of America's greatest classical musicians, Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990). An audio overview -- and websites for learning about Bernstein and classical music -- are provided. (NEH) http://wfmt.com/bernstein/ "Moldenhauer Archives" presents 130 music manuscripts, letters, and materials from a 3,500-item collection documenting the history of Western music from the medieval period through the modern era. Essays by musicologists discuss items from Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Handel, Liszt, Mozart, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and other composers. (LOC) http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/moldenhauer/ "NEA Jazz in the Schools" traces the history of jazz from its birth in New Orleans to the swing era, bebop, and new frontiers. Five lessons include essays, videos, photos, and nearly 100 music clips of Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Louie Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, Charlie Mingus, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and others. Lessons include social and political context and are designed for history classes as well as music. (NEA) http://media.jalc.org/nea/home.php ==== Math ==== "Calculus on the Web" offers an interactive environment for learning, practicing, and experimenting with the ideas and techniques of calculus. It is organized in seven parts: Precalculus; Calculus I, II, and III; Linear Algebra; Number Theory; and Abstract Algebra. (NSF) http://www.math.temple.edu/%7Ecow/ "Mathematics: Research Overview" looks at topics of major research in mathematics: image creation, statistics, inverse problems, CPU testing, materials and nanotechnology, proteins, random graphs, prime numbers, optimization, design, financial mathematics, weather and climate simulation, rare events, and high-dimensional data sets. (NSF) http://www.nsf.gov/news/overviews/mathematics/index.jsp ======= Science ======= "Earth and Environmental Science: Research Overview" examines questions that scientists are pursuing: What part do we play in earth's changing climate? What can rock layers tell us about earth's history? How can we understand the forces that lead to earthquakes and volcanoes? How can organisms live without sunlight? How do long-term changes affect earth's ecosystems? (NSF) http://www.nsf.gov/news/overviews/earth-environ/index.jsp "Physics Education Technology (PhET)" produces fun, interactive simulations of physical phenomena. More than 35 simulations let students experiment with circuits, string tension, kinetic and potential energy, radio waves and electromagnetic fields, balloons and static electricity, ideal gas and buoyancy, velocity and acceleration, sound waves and the Doppler effect, and more. (NSF) http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phet/ "Physics to Go" is a collection of reviewed resources for teaching and learning about astronomy, electricity and magnetism, fluids, light, modern physics, motion and energy, quantum physics, and waves and pendula. (NSF) http://www.compadre.org/informal/index.cfm "Teach the Earth" offers hundreds of teaching activities, visualizations, and resources for teaching earth science. Categories include biosphere, climate change, energy/material cycles, geology and human health, geochemistry, hydrosphere and cryosphere, mineralogy, ocean systems, petrology, solar system, and earth history. Special sections are provided on using data and teaching quantitative skills. (NSF) http://serc.carleton.edu/index.html ====================== History/Social studies ====================== "Ancient World Mapping Center" promotes cartography, historical geography, and geographical information science within the field of ancient studies. The Center is developing a community of scholars, teachers, and specialists to collaborate in the updating and expansion of the spatial and historical reference information assembled by the Classical Atlas Project. The Center also offers free digital maps of the ancient world for educational use. For most maps, a blank version suitable for quizzes and customization is provided. (NEH) http://www.unc.edu/awmc/index.html "Islamic Manuscripts from Mali" showcases 22 manuscripts from Timbuktu and the surrounding regions of Mali and West Africa, enabling students to understand the rich culture and society of the region. Especially noteworthy are the extensive collections of photos showing the domestic architecture, the characteristics of Islamic manuscripts, and an array of interactive maps made in Europe beginning in the 16th century. (LOC) http://international.loc.gov/intldl/malihtml/malihome.html "MyMoney.gov" is the U.S. government's website for teaching all Americans the basics about financial education. Whether you're buying a home, balancing your checkbook, or investing in your 401k, MyMoney.gov can help you do it better. Find important information from 20 federal agencies. See if you have "financial smarts": take the MyMoney interactive quiz. Read the national strategy for financial literacy. (MA) http://www.mymoney.gov/ "Revising Himself: Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass" is a virtual tour of Whitman's life tracing the 40-year history of his famous masterpiece, from when it was first published (1855) to the ninth and final edition (1892). Depicted are selected manuscript drafts, notes for poems, information on his changing career paths, first-hand correspondence, and treasures from friends and family. The site helps show how Whitman's vision of America influenced the course of American literature. (LOC) http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/whitman-home.html Acronyms ~~~~~~~~ LOC -- Library of Congress MA -- Multiple Agencies NEA -- National Endowment for the Arts NEH -- National Endowment for the Humanities NSF -- National Science Foundation