If you come across any interesting sites while surfing the Net, please pass them along to me (Jeffrey Hopkins at hopkinsj@mtc.mid.tec.sc.us) for consideration.

In addition let me say that I have checked out each of these sites, and I consider them safe for viewing by our target audience of middle school students. However, changes do occur on the Net, so if you come across a site that you feel should not be here then please contact me as soon as possible. Neither GearUp staff nor MTC can be held responsible for the content of the sites referenced below, but we will respond quickly to any problems as they arise.

Cool Sites on How to Use the Internet

• Welcome to the Web - browsers, searching, guest books, and more Internet skills are explained here. Find out what you've learned with a quiz when you're done.
• Tek Camp- this fun site takes you on a step-by-step tour to teach you how to use and navigate the Web.
• Complete Internet Guide and Web Tutorial - this "netiquette" site explains what is good behavior on the Internet.
• Matisse's Glossary of Internet Terms- learn key words and phrases you'll use when you surf through the Internet.
• Lissa Explains it All- explains how to create your own web page including help with html, dhtml, frames, java, and more. 

Cool Astronomy Sites

• The Planets: Here's some neat sites with photos of the known planets
  • Astronomy for Kids: The Planets
  • The Nine Planets
  • Welcome to the Planets
  • NASA's Planetary Photojournal
  • Jeff Hopkins' College Astronomy on the Internet: The Planets
• Roman Gods: Here's some nice site dealing with the names of roman Gods (origin of planetary names)
  • Roman Gods & Goddesses from The Book of Gods
  • Roman Gods
  • The Gods and Goddesses of Rome
  • Roman Gods By Carr Nickerson
  • Roman Gods in Pompeii
  • Comparing the Greek and Roman Gods
  • Gods: Images and Stories
  • Greek and Roman Gods
• Arty the part time Astronaut- Explore the solar system with Arty the part-time Astronaut! This site features fun, interactive games and movies that help children learn about the solar system.
• Explorezone -  Frequently updated astronomy and Earth news site.
• Midlands Technical College Astronomy Club - The MTCAC site listing astronomical events and observations as well as student science-related art and poetry.  
• Exploring Planets in the Classroom- with 25 hands-on activities ready for classroom use.
• Star Child- online learning center for young astronomers.
• Windows to the Universe - user-friendly learning system on the earth and space sciences for use by the general public. Developed by NASA. 

Cool Earth Science Sites

• Dan's Wild Wild Weather Page- an interactive weather page for kids.
• Volcano World- includes current eruptions, world volcano listings by region, and images. 
• Hurricanes online meteorology guide- introduction to hurricanes and their associated features, where they develop, and under what conditions. 

Cool Biology Sites

• The JASON Project - Go on exciting expeditions to examine rain forests, volcanoes, coral reefs, and more! This great site is intended to be used as a supplemental science and geography curriculum for students in grades 4 - 9. It features teacher training, live broadcasts, and complete journals from real expeditions. 
• ES2000- Endangered Species of the Next Millennium. Which species may disappear from the planet in the next century? This kid-produced site has some important information on how humans are driving many creatures out of existence. 
• Dinorama- National Geographic site with information about dinosaurs and current methods of learning about them. Includes timelines, animations, and fun facts
• Zoom Dinosaurs- this site contains just about everything you might want to know about dinosaurs. It also includes jokes, pictures, a dino quiz, and a geologic time char
• Animals Myths & Legends-A cool site for our youngest visitors. I found the legends area the most interesting. Ever wonder how the kangaroo got its tail? 
• Nature Sound Studio Doorway- Want to hear what the Pine Barrens Tree frog sounds like? This amazing site is the work of Lang Elliot, who has collected amazing wildlife sounds from all over the world. Excellent audio quality and great images create a wonderful, immersive experience. 
• Neuroscience- This site is loaded with fun experiments and activities. Start with "Brain Basics" and then explore other topics. Very comprehensive. 
• Sue at The Field Museum Learn all about the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex, and how its skeleton is being prepared for display. Includes web cam. 
• Yuckiest Site on the Internet - Explore the living sciences of entomology, earth science, and human biology through roaches, earthworms, and the mysterious human body. 

Cool Health Science and First Aid Sites

• DNA for Dinner- In this online activity, students are asked to analyze the issues surrounding genetic engineering of food, and to decide whether these types of food crops should be labeled for consumers. 
• Chronic Illness Children Health Education- children's narratives about what it's like to grow up with serious medical conditions and activities to sensitize others to their experiences. 
• Kids Health- contains interactive articles about children's healthcare, medicine, surgery, and parenting. There are fun games, Kids Vote health polls, and the Nemours media guide. 
• You Are What You Eat- interactive guide to nutrition which includes customized nutritional information and a database of foods for planning a healthy lifestyle. 
• EMT First Aid and OH&S Solutions- outlines the first aid treatment of emergency conditions, including CPR, EAR, medical emergencies, sports injuries, body trauma and venomous bites and stings. 
• Rescue 411 Home Page- information includes first aid, general information, and a quiz. 
• Lacie Gaughf's First-Aid Page-  She's a nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician-Basic

Cool Physics Sites

• The Rainbow Maker Web Site- Meet a man who travels the world making 2000 foot rainbows using powerful pumps and the sun's light. If you can ignore the annoying Muzak accompaniment, this site is great fun.
• The Bubble sphere-Don't be fooled by those "unofficial" bubble homepages. This is the "official" one and with a name like "Professor Bubbles" we believe him.
• Amusement Park Physics- interactive exhibit exploring how the laws of physics play a role in the design of amusement park rides. 
• Galileo Project- Rice University presents a hypertext source of information on the life and work of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) and the science of his time.
• How Things Work - A physics professor from the University of Virginia answers questions about the "Physics of Everyday Life." You can ask a question or browse through the vast archive of previous questions. Learn what makes an airplane fly? or how a single-lens reflex camera works?
• New Scientist Planet Science - Why is the sky blue? Why does hair turn gray? Answers to readers' questions from the column in New Scientist magazine.
• The Why Files - The Why Files cover "science behind the news." The stories are engaging and a lot of fun!

Cool Chemistry Sites

• Chemical Elements - An Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements by Yinon Bentor. 
• Mad Scientist Lab- This densely packed site has scads and scads of excellent science and chemistry experiments you can try at home, as well as science book reviews, science tips and more, all delivered in a highly irreverent style. 

Cool General Science Sites

• 4000 Years of Women in Science - This site offers a wide ranging look at the roles of women in science, dispelling any notion that women's involvement in science is a recent development. 
• Welcome to Thinking Fountain!- this fun site is full of activities and ideas for fun science experiments, galleries to show your work, and neat science facts.
• Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences -Profiles of the many African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science. 
• Design Your Future:  Math, Science and Technology for Girls - Math, science, and technology resources and inspirations to support girls' involvement in scientific careers.
• Women of NASA- developed to encourage more young women to pursue careers in math, science, and technology.
• Bad Science -"Be very, very careful what you put into that head, because you will never, ever get it out. "
• The Science Club-A great resource for kids, teachers and parents with answers to general science questions and suggestions for science projects. 
• Beakman and Jax-An interactive site for kids that answers science questions. The site also contains some recommended links. Kids will like the cartoon artwork.
• Science Learning Network Home- science resource for K-8 teachers and students.

Cool Math Sites

• Women Mathematicians-Part of an ongoing project, Biographies of Women Mathematicians illustrates the numerous achievements of women in the field of mathematics. 
• Units of Measurement - Dictionary of units of measurement with commentaries and explanations of the English Customary, Metric, and International Systems. 
• Math Help by Prof. Freedman- This site offers just what it describes: helpful ways of approaching and learning basic math and algebra. Professor Freedman also offers strategies for dealing with what she calls "math anxiety". 
• Metric Helper- Quick, how many centimeters are there in an inch? Ever wrack your brain trying to remember how many kilometers there are in a mile? Well, never again. This site, developed by a group of sixth graders, offers a thorough explanation of the metric system, the reasons for using it, and even an online unit converter.
• Math Forum- This is one of the most comprehensive math resources I've come across. This site is well organized and offers something for every level from K-12 through college and beyond.

Cool History & Social Studies Sites

• Harcourt Brace Social Studies-choose the Social Studies theme that interests you like Communities, The United States, The World, or Ancient Civilizations, and learn more!
• History Through The Eyes Of Those Who Lived It- presents history through the eyes of those who lived it. Includes first-hand accounts of many wars and other historical events.
• World History HyperHistory- amazing clickable chart covering 3,000 years of world history.
• Modern World History- this fantastic site examines key historical events from 1919-1945 including European politics, World Wars, and the Depression. Includes over 30 animated maps and activities.
• The Horse in Human History- learn how horses have been involved in history from the middle ages to modern times.
• People's Century- tracks important events that happened from 1900-1999. Includes a timeline and info about each period in history.
• You Be the Historian- study the clues to learn how people lived in the past.
• History Channel- from the TV station network.
• Academy of Achievement- has biographies of and interviews with people who have shaped the twentieth century by their accomplishments.
• The Mariners' Museum - learn about the different cultures and people who helped explore the world. Includes time line of events.
• Ancient Civilizations Museum- learn about the ancient civilizations of China, Canaan, India, Mesopotamia, the Maya, and Africa at this excellent site done by sixth graders at the William Penn Charter School.
• Pirates! - avast ye scurvy dogs! Face the high seas challenge or walk the plank.
• Wayback- cool online magazine with an issue each month about a different aspect of history in America. Includes bios, games, quizzes, and lots more!
• Maps- maps from 1597 to 1988 in all sorts of subjects, such as military battles, cities and towns, immigration, transportation, and more. From the Library of Congress.

Cool Homework Sites

• Schoolwork Ugh!- homework help with math, science, literature, dictionaries, encyclopedia, poetry, politics, history, art, music, sports, biographies, online books, and more.
• Study Skills- step-by-step suggestions with strategies to help your listening, reading, note-taking, paper-writing skills, and more. Includes the PQR strategy for reading.
• Academic Assistance Center:  Homework Help- handles math, history, English, and science subjects. 
• Harcourt Brace Math Glossary- see illustrated and animated definitions and explanations for math terms to help you with your homework.
• Megamaths- learn your multiplication tables the fun way with this mathematical site from the BBC! Includes a glossary and games.
• English Activities- exercise your vocabulary, spelling, and grammar skills by playing these games. You'll also find English Proverbs and stories for practice with reading.
• Beege's Homework Help- includes sections on news, science, history, and more by Discovery.Com.
• Education Resources- students with homework questions may submit them to teachers on Star Tribune Online's Homework Help. The site uses a discussion format for the submission of questions and answers.
• Cyberspace Middle School- designed for students in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grades who are using the World Wide Web to help get an education. 

Cool Arts Sites

• Illusion Works - It is true that you can spend hours on the Web-especially so if you land upon this site. I could barely tear myself away to write this blurb. This extensive site hosts the largest collection of illusions on the Internet. Check out the Java and Shockwave illusions.
• @rtoom- Welcome to this virtual learning environment for exploring the world of art. Find art activities, learn about artists, and read ideas to help you become a better artist.
• Academy of Achievement- interviews with famous people throughout the arts, from actors and directors to singers, writers, musicians, dancers, and more. From the Academy of Achievement.
• Drawing in One-Point Perspective - How do artists draw things so they look three-dimensional? This site explains the principles of one-point perspective, and provides some hands-on activities to help you learn!
• Through the Eyes of a Child- under the tutelage of a dozen professional photographers, 12 children from a variety of cultural backgrounds armed with cameras photograph their worlds. 
• Global Children's Art Gallery -This site makes the most of a simple idea: Let children from around the world submit their artwork, and display the pictures in an online gallery. Children ages one through twelve have posted their work, and free scanning is provided if needed.
• Museum of Web Art - At this Web-based art gallery you'll see examples of the latest technologies in Web design and computer art. On view are interactive computer art installations, stories and game-like activities for kids, and innovative Web designs. Check it out and expand your idea of what art is and what it can do! 
• Greatest Films-If you love film, this site deserves a bookmark. Check out films by genre or by title. The site also contains quotes and the greatest moments and scenes in film. I don't agree that all of the films here are "great," and there are some omissions, but everyone's a critic. 

Cool Writing & Literature Sites

• Thunk.com - A kids' site looking at the fun and mystery of cryptography, the science of secret codes, with lots of activities.
• Bartleby's Great Books Online- Great books on-line.
• Aesop's Fables - Online Collection- contains the full public domain texts of the fables. Several include RealAudio and illustrations. 
• Legends- exploring the history, literature, and lore surrounding Robin Hood, King Arthur, Pirates & Privateers, and other swashbuckling characters of balladry, fiction, and film, from The Queen of Elfland to Zorro. 
• Common Errors in English- a guide to proper language use and abuse

Cool Sports & Games Sites

• Sports Central- amazing site with info on nearly every youth sport. Includes player tips, sports news, game room, sports store, health and fitness facts, sports camps info, and much more.
• Major League Baseball- official site of MLB, presenting news, photos, highlights, scoreboard and the clubhouse shop. 
• Big Leaguers- everything you want to know about baseball's big leaguers.
• The Olympic Hall of Fame- get info on U.S. athletes chosen for their achievements in the modern Olympic Games. The first members were inducted in 1983 ceremonies in Chicago, IL.
• NBA- official site of the National Basketball Assoc.
• International Swimming Hall of Fame- honors aquatic athletes who have achieved greatness in the field of swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming. 
• Volleyball- The most complete site on the sport of volleyball. Contains information on Amateur, Professional, Collegiate, and Olympic variations of the sport. 
• Masters Track & Field- results, opinions, records, links and the only virtual track team in cyberspace
• US Pro. Tennis  Assoc. - a professional organization for tennis coaches, teachers, and players.
• Soccer  - news, information, interviews, gear and equipment, games and contests, and more.
• NFL- official site of the National  Football League. Includes news, stats, standings, teams and players, and more.
• ESPN's Extreme Sportsl- extreme sports news and reports.
• Cheerleading Net- list of cheerleading related sites and links.
• Ballparks- past, present and future baseball parks. Also includes sections on football, hockey, and basketball venues and golf courses.
• ESPN- sports news, scores, fantasy games, chats, and much more from ESPN. 
• Science of Sports- devoted to the science behind athletics. 
• Planet Girl- Really cool site for girls who share a passion for sports. 
• Sports For Women - it's just about sports and it's just for women.
• The Jalopy Journal- spreading the gospel of traditional hot rods to greasers around the world 
• Baseball: The Game and Beyond- includes a baseball dictionary, trivia ticker, physics of baseball (including why a curveball curves) and much, much more

Cool Fun & Silly Sites

• A Girl's World Online Clubhouse-A great site just for girls. The site includes activities, "meet incredible women," and even secret diaries. 
• Tongue Twisters- try to say "three free throws" three times fast.
•  Smirk City- visit the different neighborhoods in this humorous town to see some hilarious jokes.
• Pop History - features a random year in pop history every weekday. Covers music, television, movies, news, and politics. 
• KidsCom Play Smart Stay Safe and Have Fun! Games Chat Polls Video Game Cheats etc.
• CIA Homepage for Kids- (that's right - the CIA) games for children, historical highlights about famous Americans, a world geography quiz, links to other Federal Internet sites with pages for children.
• HampsterDance- see virtual "hampsters" dance, and listen to their hoedown music. This is the original -not the rip-off version that took over heir old site - or so Hampster says. Be forewarned: it's kind of infectious.
• UBL:  Music's Homepage- huge list of music links. 
• Roller Coasters- searchable statistics on more than 450 roller coasters including height, length, number of inversions and everyone's favorite statistic - top speed. 
• Virtual Cow Tipping-Tipping the cow. Sort of ranks up there with "hampsters" dance!