K-12 (and others) Paleontology

["Wayne Daniels" <wdaniels@tpl.toronto.on.ca>]

This will, we hope, especially interest K-12 earth science teachers and 
students out there (paleontology included, of course).

Please take a look at the Toronto Public Library's K-12 resource library, 
called "Science Net" <sciencenet.tpl.toronto.on.ca>. We are more than half way 
through the building stage and there is a great deal now available for use. 
Science Net uses the familiar Dewey classification (modified) to organize a 
very large collection (the average is about 600 links per subject) of science 
links. These are cross-classified by target audience: teachers, K-6, and 7-12. 
There are lesson plans, programmed learning sites, and subject-specific 
information sites. 

So far we have completed: Physics, Chemistry, Geology and EARTH SCIENCES, and 
Biology. PALEONTOLOGY is nearly complete, and Botany, Zoology, and Astronomy 
are still being built. (There are sites already to be found at the first two.) 
We hope to have the entire site complete by the Spring.

Here, in more detail, is what you'll find.

The first screen gives you a choice of interface language: English or French. 
Then, from the English screen, you are asked whether you'd like to search via 
subject or through the A-Z menu.
In order to get acquainted with the site's organization, I suggest you choose 
the first. This will give you a screen where the different subjects are 
graphically represented. If you choose, say, Chemistry, you are taken to the 
first, most general level of the subject. The default grouping is for grades 
7-12. You can point here to "Teachers" and "K-6", in order to view those 
offerings.
Click any site on our "shelf" and it opens up in a window. There is also a 
pull-down menu that gives access to more specific sub-divisions of Chemistry: 
Organic Chemistry, Crystals, Applied Chemistry, and so forth. Just highlight 
the one you want and hit "refine" to be taken to the appropriate shelf. You can 
go back by pointing to the term "Chemistry" (in blue letters), or by using your 
"back" button.

The first level also has an "advanced" grouping. Here you will find links to 
the Chemistry departments of Canadian universities, for those wishing to 
continue their studies beyond the secondary level.

There are help screens available, plus an e-mail form to give is feedback and 
suggestions for sites we may have missed.

By the way, if you're wondering where mineralogy is, Dewey classifies it under 
Chemistry. Just go to that subject and use the pull-down menu to find "Minerals"

Enjoy!

Wayne Daniels
Science Net Project Coordinator
Virtual Reference Library Project -- 3rd Floor
North York Central Library
5120 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
Canada  M2N 5N9

tel.: (416) 395-5659
fax: (416) 395-5429
e-mail: wdaniels@tpl.toronto.on.ca