The Earth and Moon Viewer:
http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/

This site allows for viewing a map of the Earth showing the current day and night regions, or viewing the Earth from the Sun or the Moon. The user can choose to view any location on the planet specified by latitude, longitude and altitude, by a particular satellite in Earth orbit, or above various cities around the globe. The shape of the day/night regions changes as the orbit of the Earth changes relative to the sun. Given a globe (with the appropriate tilt of the Earth on its axis), a light source, and this website, learners will be able to explain the reasons why seasons occur on Earth. This site uses the Universal Time Clock, so it leads to interesting discussions about time and world time zones.

Earth from Space: An Astronaut's Views of the Home Planet
http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/

This is a database of selected imagery of Earth from space, including physical features, processes, and cities as seen by astronauts. There are several ways to search the database, including a clickable map. Each illustration has a caption with a description of the image. This website is a useful resource in teaching and learning about weather, habitat, landscapes, regions, and Earth-human interactions. The website is also useful as a springboard to writing and research.

Glacier:
http://www.glacier.rice.edu/

This website is about Antarctica and its part in the global system of weather, climate, oceans, and geology. It is an outgrowth of a collaboration between Antarctic scientific research and the educational outreach efforts of the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs. Featured topics include Antarctic expeditions, weather, ice, and oceans. Each section is well-illustrated with maps and photos. For example, the Expeditions section takes the viewer to Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica as it answers to such questions as what is it like to work in Antarctica, how do you get there, and what do you wear? There also is an extensive collection of fascinating information about the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Study (WAIS). This study has important information about the ever-changing ice sheet and its interaction with the rest of Earth.

A special curriculum development project is currently underway, through collaboration between the National Science Foundation and the Education Development Center of Massachusetts. Instructors who are interested in field testing a "GLACIER Middle School Earth Science Supplemental Curriculum" are invited to enroll in the project through an online application form. http://www.glacier.rice.edu/misc/glacier_in_class_app.html The curricular materials are intended for inquiry-based multidiscipinary eighth-grade classrooms; the project curriculum coordinator is delighted to have participation from instructors and learners in adult literacy programs for this field-testing of the materials.

NASA/JPL Radar Imaging Home Page:
http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov

When people link to this page, they are welcomed with a randomly-generated image of a feature on Earth or another planet. There is a multiple choice quiz asking the viewer to identify the location of the image, with an answer and description of the photo. The descriptions contain technical information, but also give careful explanations for the features within the image (such as a river, football stadium, airport, or volcano.) This site is a popular way for learners to practice Internet navigation skills. It introduces learners to the use of frames in a website. This site also demonstrates current radar imaging technology--we are amazed to see the distinct features that can be easily viewed from space.

NASA Observatorium:
http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/core.shtml

This website, newly revised, is even better than an earlier version. It is a public access site for Earth and space data. There are sections on aeronautics, spaceflight, space science, and Planet Earth. http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/earth/earth_index.shtml Within each of these sections there are explanations, activities, and opportunities for teaching basic skills in interesting contexts. For example, a section on the topic of the Million Man March in 1995 demonstrates the method of estimating crowd size by using aerial photographs, an application of remote-sensing imagery. There is a good teachers' guide for every topic on this website. The guides include summaries of the topic, questions for discussion, other activities, vocabulary definitions, a quiz, and links to related subjects and websites. http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/education/teach_guide/index.html At this site there is also an image gallery , in which one can go around the world in eighty scenes or can stay within the U.S. and visit each of the 50 state capitals via a "clickable" map. http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/gallery/image_index.shtml Finally, this site features an "Observation of the Week", in which images from satellites are exhibited and explained.
http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/ootw/1998/oarch98_index.html

The Nine Planets-A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System: http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/

This site, created by Bill Arnett, is a comprehensive resource for Earth and space science. The website contains an overview of each planet, with history, mythology, scientific information, and wonderful images, diagrams, and movies. A glossary is included in the site. It has been used as a model site with which learners can practice website navigation skills. http://www.nifl.gov/susanc/9planet.htm

With Mr. Arnett's permission, a simple Nine Planets site has been created, emphasizing basic concepts and aimed at children with lower reading levels. One can avoid the words "for kids" by going directly to the introduction to this second website: http://www.tcsn.net/afiner/intro.htm This site also uses excellent graphics, but the site's use of frames may make this a confusing place for many learners who are unfamiliar with using the Internet.

Virtual Biomes: What's It Like Where You Live?
http://www.mobot.org/MBGnet/sets/main.htm

This wonderful website is a product of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The website is well-designed, with large print and plenty of white space on each page. The activities are aligned with with National Geography Standards and National Science Education Standards. Each of the six land biomes (rainforest, tundra, taiga, desert, temperate, and grasslands) contains a comprehensive look at the flora, fauna, and physical processes to be found within the biome. Graphs, maps, and other visuals are used frequently. Some animations are included to explain physical processes, such as tides. (This website seems to be under revision, with some new references to an audience of children. However, the site still seems useful to adult literacy programs.) There are also two additional websites for water ecosystems:

Freshwater Ecosystems: http://www.mobot.org/MBGnet/fresh/index.htm

Marine Ecosystems: http://www.mobot.org/MBGnet/salt/index.htm

A trip to one of these virtual biomes is a must!

Volcano World:
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/

This comprehensive site has images, maps, a glossary, virtual tours, and data about current and historic volcanic eruptions. There is a teacher's guide of 16 different earth science lesson guides from reputable sources. http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/lesson.html There are very specific demonstration activities as well, such as the eleven different hands-on experiments in building volcano models. http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_models/models.html

The Why Files- Science Behind the News:
http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/

The Why Files is a project of the National Institute for Science Education, funded by the National Science Foundation. It features stories that explore the science (including math, engineering, social sciences, technology) behind the news. There are news briefs, visual images from the news, an extensive archive of past features, and a good search engine. Best of all, the webpage layout features large type, lots of white space around the text, interesting graphics, and clear language. This is a wonderful resource for opportunities for critical reading activities and writing projects.