Web Site Reviews: October, 2004

-- School Library Journal, 10/1/2004

Black History/Civil Rights
Kate Houston Mitchoff Multnomah County (OR) Library

American Civil Liberties Union: Racial Equality. www.aclu.org/RacialEquality/RacialEqualityMain.cfm. American Civil Liberties Union. (Accessed 8/26/04).

Gr 7 Up-This American Civil Liberties Union site educates and advocates for racial equality by presenting current legislative and political actions surrounding affirmative action, racial profiling, education, drug policy, fair housing, and minority voting rights. The ACLU provides the latest news, position papers, and legal documents for each topic.

Civil Rights & Brown v. Board of Education Resource Guide. www.multcolib.org/homework/civilrights. Multnomah County Library. (Accessed 8/26/04).

Gr 3 Up-The Multnomah County Library Homework Center has created this new and extensive civil rights Web portal for students and educators. Beginning with the Dred Scott decision, this site exposes students to people, events, and laws of the civil rights struggle from the Civil War era to current events. Under "Online Resources," users can search 25 subject headings such as "Biographies," "Freedom Rides," and "Ku Klux Klan" for numerous Web sites providing information about the civil rights movement. Of particular interest are transcripts from both famous and lesser known civil rights court cases and educators will find links to numerous online civil rights lesson plans.

Dred Scott v. Sandford. www.landmarkcases.org/dredscott/home.html. Street Law & the Supreme Court Historical Society. (Accessed 8/27/04).

Gr 5 Up-This site for educators and students explores one of the most important U.S. Supreme Court cases concerning racial matters--the Dred Scott decision of 1857. The Supreme Court majority stated that slaves, who were viewed as personal property, could not be considered U.S. citizens and could not bring suit in a federal court. This valuable site provides teaching recommendations based on available class time, a summary of the case for three different reading levels, age appropriate discussion questions, and excerpts from both the majority and dissenting opinions of the Supreme Court judges. Additional resources include full-text newspaper editorials from the time and Lincoln's speech on the decision.

News Report: Brown v. Board of Education Ruling. www.historychannel.com/speeches/archive/speech_410.html History Channel. (Accessed 8/26/04).

Gr 5 Up-Listen to the History Channel's Brown v. Board ruling from the radio news report that not only presents the case ruling, but also illustrates the depth of the segregation controversy in 1950s society, as seen through the media.

Oh Freedom Over Me. www.americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/oh_freedom/index.html. John Blewen, American RadioWorks. (Accessed 8/26/04).

Gr 6 Up-American Radio Works captures the story of the Freedom Summer of 1964 in Mississippi when one thousand Americans of all races came together for a nonviolent assault against racism. Their story is told through text, audio clips, interviews, and a photographic slideshow.

Plessy v. Ferguson. memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may18.html. Library of Congress, American Memory Historical Collections. (Accessed 8/27/04).

Gr 5 Up-The Library of Congress explores the significance of the 1896 Supreme Court ruling that upheld and legalized the practice of separate but equal facilities. The site offers historic photographs and teaches students about black laws, Jim Crow, and the African- American's quest for full citizenship. There are links to additional American Memory resources related to segregation and the African-American struggle.

The Ruling that Changed America: Brown v. Board of Education. www.asbj.com/BrownvBoard (Accessed 8/27/04).

Gr 6 Up-The American School Board Journal presents a special online issue of articles that focus on the significance of Brown v. Board of Education, in a historical and current context. The journal successfully asks readers to reflect on the importance of the case to the Civil Rights Movement and whether the promise its ruling gave to end segregation holds true in today's schools and society. The site's "Teaching Brown" section discusses how educators can introduce a discussion of race and equality in the classroom. An informative narrative civil rights timeline and an extensive book and Web list contribute to the usefulness of the site.

Separate Is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education. www.americanhistory.si.edu/brown/index.html. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. (Accessed 8/26/04).

Gr 5 Up-This Smithsonian Institute Web site provides a comprehensive look at equality and segregation in 19th and 20th century America, beginning with the Civil War era of promised equality and continuing through today, as scholars and students discuss the significance of Brown v. Board of Education over the past 50 years. The site also supplies a civil rights timeline and a six-unit teacher's guide with lesson plans in both html and PDF formats. Middle and high school students may download and view a 50-minute video of a special tour of the museum's Brown v. Board of Education exhibit with curators Alonzo Smith and Harry Rubenstein.

We Shall Overcome. www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/. The National Park Service. (Accessed 8/26/04).

Gr 4 Up-The National Park Service presents a travel guide to historic sites of the civil rights movement, with landmarks organized by state. A clickable U.S. map helps students geographically place significant landmarks and events, such as the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, where a cappella singing became a civil rights trademark. The National Park Service supplies an educational equality lesson plan as part of their Teaching with Historic Places Web resource that can be found at www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/crandall/crandall.htm, and the NPS highlights the Brown v. Board of Education case and landmark school at www.nps.gov/brvb/home.htm.

Native Americans Today
Carol Marshall Bridgeport (CT) Public Library

AIROS. airos.org. American Indian Radio on Satellite (Accessed 8/30/04).

Gr 9 Up-This internet-based radio station offers American Indian news, music, discussion, interviews, and entertainment. Click on any of the numerous links to access other Indian radio stations across the country and find out what's playing, and when. Check out the program grid for a day-by-day, hourly listing of programs that reflect a fresh perspective and appreciation of a thriving American Indian life and culture. A streaming audio player is required.

American Indian Reservations and Trust Areas. www.eda.gov/Research/AmerIndianRes.xml. U.S. Department of Commerce. (Accessed 8/30/04).

Gr 9 Up-Choose any of the Indian reservations listed and view a pdf map of each state, with each reservation pinpointed. The economic infrastructure of each reservation and trust area is the purpose of this site--students can access this valuable information and also read a brief history of each area. Information is also listed concerning all sources of income for the reservations, including farming, mining, the gaming industry, forestry, privately-owned companies, and tourism. Tribal government is also explained in terms of council members and length of appointments. Sidebar statistics include total population, average income, and more.

ArtNatAm. www.artnatam.com. Native American Artists.(Accessed 8/30/04).

Gr 7 Up-Take a virtual tour through the gallery and observe the beauty and scope of today's Native American artists. Biographies of the artists are included, as well as a published interview, and often, an explanation of the inspiration or meaning behind the painting.

Gathering of Nations. www.gatheringofnations.com/front.htm. Gathering of Nations, Ltd (Accessed 8/30/04).

Gr 4 Up-Of all the nation-wide powwows, Gathering of Nations is one of the most popular. Held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this event is the largest festival of its kind, and the website reflects all the color and drama of the meeting, so much so that it's initially hard to figure out how to navigate the site, but once the general layout is understood it's well worth the trip for the amount of information provided. Click on the "powwow" picture from the homepage and you can access all the important links at the top, under "Also in this Section," and "Related Pages." "Why we dance," and "What to expect," are important sections on history, spiritual meaning, and tips for the first-time observer. Proper etiquette must be observed at the event, which includes body language as well as respect for sacred traditions. Be sure to click on "Learn about powwow dancers" for text and photos that describe the different dances, their meaning, and the accompanying regalia. The photo gallery has hundreds of thumbnail photos to choose from, and focuses on powwows of the recent past.

Indian Country Today. www.indiancountry.com. Indian Country Today (Accessed 8/30/04).

Gr 9 Up-This site boasts more content on American Indian issues than any other news media source and offers a "fresh perspective on the Native American Experience." Headlines and "News from Nations" focus on topics of current Indian interests and concerns that are in the news. "Lifeways" deals with Indian culture; current articles, feature news regarding food, movies, education, and literature. Editorials, political cartoons, and essays on current events help convey the issues that are important to native nations.

Native American Sites. www.nativeculture.com/lisamitten/indians.html Lisa Mitten. (Accessed 8/30/04).

Gr 6 Up-This is a one-stop shopping site for information on all things pertaining to American Indians. Click on "Information on Individual Native Nations" for an alphabetical listing of recognized and unrecognized tribal names. Links to homepages are included, and offer a vast assortment of official tribal sites. Students can find other important sources of information, such as using Indian names and figures as mascots, the history of Indians in military service, a list of Indian businesses, and more.

Native Languages of the Americas: Facts for Kids. www.native-languages.org/kids.htm. Native Languages of the Americas (Accessed 8/30/04).

Gr 5 Up-An amazing amount of information--not all related to language--can be found at this site. Foremost is the background on the many different languages of American and Canadian Indians. Start by reading the "American Indians Kids FAQ" for a basic understanding of terms, a little history, and facts on the number of languages currently in use. As stated in the beginning text, the site is short on flashy graphics in order for all the information to download quickly, especially on older computers that many Indian children use. Over 30 tribal languages are described with alphabets, dictionaries, and pronunciation guides, and many come with sound files. Unfamiliar words, or Indian terms in general are highlighted and are linked to either a glossary, or another site with detailed explanations. Most of the individual language pages come with links to the homepages of the tribes themselves.