Use an interactive, online tool sponsored by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES).

"Graphs and charts are great because they communicate information visually. For this reason, graphs are often used in newspapers, magazines and businesses around the world.

NCES constantly uses graphs and charts in their publications and on the web. Sometimes, complicated information is difficult to understand and needs an illustration. Graphs or charts can help impress people by getting your point across quickly and visually.

Here you will find five different graphs and charts for you to consider. Maybe it will help explain what you are trying to show. Use homework problems, things you have a special interest in, or use some of the numbers you find elsewhere on this site. Have fun!"

Visit the "Create a Graph" Web site now!
(Flash plug-in required; if you don't already have it, get Flash now)

There's bacteria in your brioche and fungus in your french bread. Yum.

The Exploratorium's Web site includes fun activities that revolve around food and cooking. You can "Ask the Inquisitive Cooks" questions, discuss ideas on the forums, or watch live Webcasts that explore the science and culture of cooking.

Visit the "Science of Cooking" Web site now!

Consumer Jungle is a web-based program that helps turn high school students into savvy consumers without putting them to sleep. There's something for everyone. Students will discover a host of on-line games, and Teachers will find free classroom materials. There's even something for Parents - a section filled with tips on how to help the young adults in their lives find their way safely through the real world. New to Consumer Jungle is our Consumer Awareness section which is filled with general tips and resources for consumers.

NOTE: This site's resources require the Flash browser plug-in and the ability to download and open Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. If you need assistance with any of these, check with your tech support staff.

Take a trip to the Conumer Jungle now!
Target audience: Primarily grades 9-12, but some activities are fine for younger students.

The History Detectives Web site is based on PBS's television program of the same name. There is an adult site which is appropriate for middle and high school students, as well as a History Detectives Kids site geared toward the elementary level.

History Detectives is devoted to exploring the complexities of historical mysteries, searching out the facts, myths and conundrums that connect local folklore, family legends and interesting objects.

Traditional investigative techniques, modern technologies, and plenty of legwork are the tools the History Detectives team of experts uses to give new - and sometimes shocking - insights into our national history.

Remember, history is only the surface subject here and the resources can be used in several curricular areas! There is information on DNA, paper and textile analysis, timber dating, and a historical scene investigator that uses Google earth views for geographical identification.

Visit the History Detectives main site and check out the educator resources, too. If you're an elementary educator, explore the History Detective Kids site and educator resources for younger students.

NOTE: Because this site is based on the PBS television series, the main site contains a library of videos that require the Real Media Player and a fast Internet connection in order to view them.

The weather is all around us and most classsrooms study various aspects of it. The Web Weather for Kids site provides information and activities related to thunderstorms, tornadoes blizzards, hurricanes and clouds. There are activities, experiments, a glossary, weather symbols, safety resources and even a chance to try your hand at forecasting!

This Web site is made possible by UCAR, Friends of UCAR, Boulder Valley School District, Science Discovery, who were the winning team members in the AAAS Public Science Day 2000, and supported by an NSF grant.

Visit Web Weather for Kids and explore the resources available. Take a look at the Teacher Tips, based on actual classroom experiences.
This site is most appropriate for elementary levels, although the information can be applied to all grades.

Many times, learning is richer when students interact with a math or science concept in a visual way. Shodor's Interactivate site provides a wide range of Java-based activities, for grades 3 through undergraduates, that help demonstrate these concepts. Some of the lower elementary activities can also be used with primary students.

The activities are also aligned to the National Council of Teachers of Math standards and several mathematics textbooks. The lesson plans include direct links to appropriate activities and discussion resources found on the site. Browse the 70 lessons and over 100 activities the site has to offer.

Visit the Shodor's Interactivate site to explore the interactive activities. You may want to start by reviewing the "Guide to Interactivate" link.

The National Atlas site, sponsored by the US Department of the Interior, provides tools to customize your own maps with a wide range of data for viewing and printing.

Any national atlas should provide a larger context within which to describe a nation's people, places, and resources. To date, the National Atlas of the United States has focused on providing you with information about America. But in recent years we have partnered with atlas programs in Mexico and Canada to compile authoritative and reliable geographic information that covers North America. We have begun by collaboratively building "frameworks," the essential map layers that provide a foundation for all other maps. These basic layers, including small-scale harmonized information on North American roads, water, boundaries and the like, are being offered here for the first time. Like all other raw data and documentation offered on nationalatlas.gov, these frameworks can be downloaded at no cost and used freely without copyright concerns or license restrictions. Revised elevation data and a new watersheds map layer will be our next North American frameworks releases.

Visit the National Atlas Web site now!

Visit NewsHour Extra's teacher and student resource site. Sponsored by PBS, NewsHour Extra provides integrated lesson plans that tie to current events and cross a wide range of content areas: arts, English, math, economics, the world, U.S. history and government, health, fitness, and media studies.

Want to build your students' analytical thinking and critical analysis skills? Are you searching for ways to make your subject matter more relevant and engaging? NewsHour Extra is here to help!

In addition to text information, the site contains audio and video files, images, intriguing interviews, links to additional articles, handouts and teachers guides (as part of the lesson plans). In addition to the Teacher site, there is also a Student site with current event stories and the Daily Buzz ("The end of fishsticks?"). Get your students involved in the world!

Visit the NewsHour Extra Teacher site, and take a look at the NewsHour Extra Student site, too.
Target grade levels: 7-12

This site is from the Smithsonian Institute, providing animated and interactive resources about transportation and its influence on America.

Explore the ways that improved American transportation networks helped create new links within the country. See how the nations growing numbers of steamships, roads, canals, and railroadsincluding the first transcontinental railroad in 1869created skeins of connection in the nation. Take a look at a map of America in 1876the countrys centennial yearand see how the transportation systems had developed into an increasingly national network.

Be sure to review the "Learning Resources" link for in-class resources, as well as Web links to related sites.

Visit the Smithsonian's America on the Move site to "Travel across America," "Investigate artifacts," and "Explore Transportation."

NOTE: In order to view many of the interactive, multimedia components, this site requires the Flash plug-in/player, Microsoft Media Player or RealNetworks Real Player, and Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the documents. These are free downloads and you can check to see if your computer already has them by using the "Test your browser" link in the right-hand navigation column.

This site is sponsored by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Inside the Invention Playhouse you'll fiind resources for visual thinking, problem solving, exploration, social play and collaboration.

"Explore the playful side of invention and the inventive side of play in Invention at Play, a national traveling exhibit. Learn how play -- the ordinary and everyday 'work of childhood' -- connects to the creative impulse of both historic and contemporary inventors." [from the Invention at play Web site]

There are interactive materials, stories from both well know and little-known inventors, and view discussions on play and creativity.

Visit the Smithsonian and Lamelson Center's Invention at play site to find out how play contributes to creativity and discovery.

NOTE: In order to view many of the interactive, multimedia components, this site requires the Flash plug-in/player, Microsoft Media Player or RealNetworks Real Player (and a fairly fast connection to the Internet), and Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the documents. These are free downloads and you can check to see if your computer already has them by using the "Test your browser" link in the right-hand navigation column.

Image credit: Alexander Graham Bell, Telephone Inventor -- Sketch from Bell's notebook, 1876, from the Library of Congress, Bell Papers.