Web Site Reviews: January, 2005

-- School Library Journal, 1/1/2005

The Islamic World
Bina Williams Bridgeport (CT) Public Library

About Islam. www.cair-net.org/asp/aboutislam.asp
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). (Accessed 11/14/04).

Gr 7 Up-CAIR's mission is to "to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America" through local and nationwide outreach and education. In a brief Q&A format, "About Islam and American Muslims" covers seven topics including: Muslim women, the definition of Jihad, an explanation of the Quran, and an outline of The Five Pillars of Islam. Other links lead to weightier reports on the civil liberties of Muslim Americans, the role of mosques in America, an American-Muslim news brief, and details of CAIR's outreach programs.

Arab Culture and Civilization. Arabworld.nitle.org. National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education. (Accessed 11/15/04).

Gr 11 Up-Al-Musharaka, a collaborative of college professors and librarians, created this site to provide curricular materials for liberal arts campuses. Standard subjects, such as history, art, architecture, and Islam, are included as well as less common topics such as Arab cinema and music. "Ethnicity and Identity" explains the differences between being Arab and being Muslim and examines subgroups such as the Kurds and the Berbers. Interconnections between Islamic literature and philosophy are discussed, including their relation to Islamic art and calligraphy. A special section on new media addresses how satellite television, the Internet, and Al-Jazeera have changed the way that information is disseminated. Sections include articles, videos, slide shows, and links to the English language Al-Jazeera home page--a useful tool for middle and high school teachers and librarians when planning history, social studies, and current events lessons. (Note: Some sections are in Arabic.)

Calendars Through the Ages: The Islamic Calendar. webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-islamic.html. Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement. (Accessed 11/14/04).

Gr 5 Up-This fascinating section is part of a Web site dedicated to comparing and contrasting how different cultures measure time through days, weeks, months, and years. The Islamic calendar has 12 months that are "scheduled" according to the visibility of the crescent moon. This feature makes the Islamic year 354.36 days compared to the 365 days of the Christian calendar so that traditional holidays such as Ramadan fall in different seasons. Students can also link to information on other calendars including the Chinese, Christian, Indian, Jewish, and Ethiopian, as well as those of ancient, Mayan, Roman, and future civilizations.

The Hajj: Islam's Journey of Faith. www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/hajj. CNN News. (Accessed 11/14/04).

Gr 7 Up-About two million Muslims from 70 countries travel annually to the city of Mecca for a holy pilgrimage called the Hajj--a tradition that every Muslim aspires to at least once in his or her lifetime. This CNN site is an effective resource for Islamic culture and provides background on the Hajj through videos, photo galleries, interactive maps, and descriptive articles. The site poses the following questions with answers that offer a great springboard for further research and study: How does the city of Mecca prepare for and absorb thousands of visitors? What are the Five Pillars of Islam? Where do the pilgrims stop and what rites are performed at each place? How can such a blessed event go hand in hand with tragedy?

Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. www.lacma.org/Islamic_art/Islamic.htm. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (Accessed 11/15/04).

Gr 7 Up-This site offers an alternative view of Islamic art to that of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. An introduction explains how the term "Islamic art" encompasses both religious art and secular art, produced in countries under Islamic rule or influence, according to the artist's or the patron's religious affiliation. Select from the following time periods: "Early Islamic," "Early Medieval," "Late Medieval," and "Late Islamic" and click on "Art" to see relevant images, with links to the passage in the accompanying text that describes each object. Tour the museum's online and permanent collections from each page, as well as a special exhibition: "The Legacy of Genghis Khan." Unfortunately, the images included in "Architectural Context" on the navigation strip above each page cannot be viewed individually or in a larger format.

100 Questions and Answers about Arab Americans: A Journalist's Guide. www.freep.com/jobspage/arabs/arab7.html. Detroit Free Press. (Accessed 11/14/04).

Gr 5 Up-The simple Q&A format of this site, intended for journalists, explains Arab American life and culture and attempts to dispel some common misunderstandings. What is meant by the phrase "Islamic fundamentalist?" Are there issues with the way Arab Americans are portrayed in the media? Is Palestine a country? Is Islam mostly an Arab religion? What are the Five Pillars of Islam? Questions cover an overview of Arab Americans as well as the origins of the culture, its language, demographics, family traditions, customs, religion, politics, terminology, stereotypes, and news coverage--all answered in brief paragraphs. The site also provides valuable ideas for further research and paper topics. Check out the "Resources" section for a list of 12 important books on both Arab and Arab American issues.

Works of Art: Islamic Art. www.met.org/Works_of_Art/viewHigh.asp?dep=14&viewmode=0. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Accessed 11/15/04).

Gr 7 Up-Browse 50 objects up-close from the Metropolitan's vast Islamic collection such as carpets, jugs, jewelry, plaques, paintings, and a mihrab, a tiled archway that signifies the direction of Mecca. With free registration, students can add their own images to "My Met Gallery" for further study or to add to a report. This section also contains three interactive links--the first explains the Tugrah, the official signature of Ottoman sultans that became a sophisticated motif in Ottoman Turkey; the second offers a search for images in "Carpet Hunt"; and the third provides curricular activities for "Flowers Underfoot: Indian Carpets of the Mughal Era." Click on "Timeline of Art History" and scroll down for details about blown glass, calligraphy, and history, as well as other exhibits related to Islamic art, a list of online resources, and where to find Islamic art in the museum.

Birds
Jackie Partch, Multnomah County (OR) Library

All About Birds. www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/allaboutbirds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (Accessed 11/17/04).

Gr 4 Up-This excellent, online bird guide lists hundreds of birds either alphabetically or by taxonomy. Each entry includes descriptions, photos, bird sounds, range maps, scientific names, information on behavior and reproduction, conservation status, and lists of sources used. A section on how to identify birds includes information on recognizing birds by their silhouettes, markings, posture, size, flight patterns, and more. Users can also find help in choosing bird-watching gear, suggestions on attracting birds to their yards, and facts about bird conservation. Teachers can use the "Educator's Guide to Bird Study," which includes activities and teaching suggestions.

Audubon WatchList. www.audubon.org/bird/watchlist/index.html. National Audubon Society. (Accessed 11/17/04).

Gr 4 Up-The Audubon WatchList 2002 identifies the United States bird species with the greatest need for conservation based on habitat loss and/or limited geographic range. Using scientific data from other studies, Audubon has marked the birds on the list with red dots (those that face major conservation threats) or yellow dots (species that are a conservation concern). The birds (approximately 200 are listed) are organized by family, but for novices to the birding world, a keyword search is also available. For each species, users can find an image, data on population size, information on identification and distribution, and more.

Eggs: A Virtual Exhibition. www.pma.edmonton.ab.ca/vexhibit/eggs/vexhome/egghome.htm. Provincial Museum of Alberta. (Accessed 11/17/04).

Gr 4 Up- This wonderful site about a less familiar area of ornithology was created by the Provincial Museum of Alberta to showcase eggs of the world, with specific emphasis on the eggs of Alberta. The online field guide contains over 300 images of eggs, and users can find them by using the bird families index or viewing the lists of Alberta breeding birds, Alberta migrants, or world species. An image of each egg is provided with a picture of the bird, a description of the egg, and data about the clutch size and egg size (using metric measurements). "Nesting" identifies different types of nests and explains how birds lay eggs. The site also discusses "Oology" (the study of eggs) and includes a glossary of egg terms such as biliverdin, chalazae, and precocial. There's also a "Humour and Trivia" section.

Migratory Bird Center. nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds. Smithsonian National Zoo. (Accessed 11/17/04).

Gr 4 Up-This site provides comprehensive coverage of bird migration. Lengthy essays on the migration of 37 birds, such as the Cedar Waxwing, the Indigo Bunting, and the Rufous Hummingbird as well as science articles on migration in general, are aimed mostly at older students. Interactive features include a Web cam of birds at the Smithsonian National Zoo's feeding station with information about birds commonly viewed there. For younger students, the site offers a nest identification game, available in both a beginner and advanced version, and a migration game. Fact sheets on topics such as adaptations of migratory birds and the importance of shade-grown coffee to bird migration are available in English and Spanish.

Raptor Center. www.ahc.umn.edu/ahc_content/colleges/vetmed/Depts_and_Centers/Raptor_Center/index.cfm. University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. (Accessed 11/17/04).

Gr 4 Up-Students often list raptors as their favorite birds, and this site is full of information on the subject. Facts sheets provide information on more than 30 raptors (from the American kestrel to the turkey vulture) as well as common and scientific names, images, identification clues, data on range and habitat, information about nesting and feeding, and conservation status. The Raptor Center lists which raptors are endangered and which are threatened. In the section featuring frequently asked questions, students can learn how to help injured raptors, how to keep birds from crashing into windows, and more. The site also offers access to a large amount of tracking data compiled by the Raptor Center. Statistics on osprey, Swainson's hawk, and bald eagle migration are included and some sections contain lesson plans.

Zoom Birds. www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds. Enchanted Learning. (Accessed 11/17/04).

K-Gr 8-Most sections in this online book about birds begin with basic, introductory information and move to more advanced topics. "All About Birds," for example, introduces topics such as feathers, diet, and nests before moving on to more complex subjects such as classification, evolution, and physiology. Younger students can use the bird printouts, which contain images for coloring as well as basic information on more than 100 birds. Trivia buffs can check out the section on bird extremes and learn that the heaviest flying bird is the great bustard that can weigh up to 46 pounds, among other facts. A list of state birds is also included as well as topics such as bird fossils, historical birds, bird watching, and birds as pets.

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