Learning Skills Center
R e s o u r c e s
Welcome to the LACC Learning Skills Center list of web resources.
In this section, you will find many useful and fascinating sites.
Please click on the underlined names to visit the sites of interest.

 
 
 
General
INFOMINE: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections Designed for the university community, this site links to over 14,000 "highly useful Internet/Web resources including databases, electronic journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, listservs, online library card catalogs, articles and directories of researchers." Main topic categories include Biological, Agricultural, Medical, Government Information, Instructional Resources, Internet Enabling Tools, Maps, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Computer, Math, Regional, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts. 
Discovery Channel Online Feature Stories From crinkly skin to nanotechnology, there are plenty of topics here to capture the interest of anyone with an ounce of curiosity. Stories vary in depth and could be used to support extra credit or extension activities.
The Learning Group This learning game collection provides a fun way to help students review a wide variety of topics in general subject areas of math, science, foreign language, economics, and music. Visitors can create their own java-enabled flashcard drills, matching games, concentration, and word search puzzles using a simple (and free!) editing tool. The editor creates the Web pages and publishes them for all to share. This is a handy way to help students memorize factual information.
Guide to Knowledge "World's Largest and Best Organized Paranormal Website" Low Graphics, No JAVA, No Music, No Fluff... Only the Stuff You Need!"
The Web for Educators, by Tom March Writing the article "What's on the Web?" got us thinking about classifying and dividing the types of things we encountered on the Web using common classroom terminology. We eventually decided upon a handful of different application types. Most of what is on the Internet is information (resources and references) which contributes the raw material for learning, but processing the learning itself still falls to the teacher and learner.
AcademicNet "The information network for those interested in technology-mediated instruction and learning in higher education."
Study Strategies Knowing how to study is like knowing how to fish. It's a set of learning skills that lasts a lifetime and brings many rewards. Just as there are ways to know that you are a competent fisherman, there are also ways to develop study skills competency.
Blue Web'n Learning Sites Library Blue Web'n is a searchable database of outstanding Internet learning sites categorized by subject area, audience, and type (lessons, activities, projects, resources, references, & tools). Blue Web'n does not attempt to catalog all educational sites, but only the most useful sites -- especially online activities targeted at learners.
Resources for Distance Education  A useful all around site with many links. The site is particularly useful for writing resources and studuy skills.
 
 		  
 
 
English
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet Shakespeare has been dead nearly 400 years, but thanks (in part) to Web sites like this, his popularity has never been greater. Created by Terry Gray, "Mr. William Shakespeare" is an annotated, scholarly guide to William Shakespeare, his works, life, and times. Features of this outstanding site are a Shakespearean Timeline, Works (synopses of plays, study guides, canons and more), Criticism, Critical Resources, a bibliography, and even a Shakespeare Biography Quiz. Whether you are a student, teacher, parent, or fan, this web site is for you.
Common Errors in English Students and teachers will enjoy browsing this alphabetically sorted list of common errors in English. The page also links to non-errors, commonly misspelled words, suggestions, and more.
Darling's Guide to Grammar Just what is a correlative conjunction, and how is it used? How can essay writers compose an effective and interesting introduction? Writers will find answers at this comprehensive Web site. Clear explanations of key concepts, abundant examples of proper and improper usage, on-line quizzes after every topic, and expert help from "Ask Grammar" make this site an essential resource for wordsmiths everywhere. Created and maintained by Dr. Charles Darling and Capital Community-Technical College, this site is updated daily.
Visual Thesaurus The Visual Thesaurus is an intersting way to explore English language synonyms. Words show up as a "spatial map of linguistic associations," with clickable words that encourage you to follow threads. The site uses Java and works best on newer systems.
World Wide Words Michael Quinion must never sleep. He has developed a rich resource for lovers of words. You can find out past history of common words, catch the latest creations used in the press, or check usage. Divided into categories like "The Word Hoard," "Articles," and "Newsworthy Words," the site is a playground of our evolving language. What makes it even better is that there's a fun bloke named Michael ready to play with you. Teachers might use this as a resource for getting students to see the changing nature of the words around them.
American Verse Project The American Verse Project is a collaborative project between the University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative (HTI) and the University of Michigan Press. The project is assembling an electronic archive of volumes of American verse prior to 1920.  Searchable; but browsing seems easier.
The Biography Maker Students will appreciate this site when it's writing time. These online lessons explain what a biography should be and walks writers through questioning, learning, synthesis, and story-telling. Includes embedded links to relevant Internet resources and tips for effective writing.
Grammar and Style Notes "These notes are a miscellany of grammatical rules and explanations, comments on style, and suggestions on usage I put together for my classes."
Allyn & Bacon's CompSite "This web site is meant to be a place to talk and learn about writing. Whether we're teachers or students, this site provides a place to meet, share resources and work on our projects."
The Student Learning Center: Main Page "The Student Learning Center provides academic support services for students at the University of California at Berkeley. The Center is open to all students at Cal, and services are offered without fees."
Ancient Rhetoric Online "Ancient Rhetoric Online explores the fundamental concepts of ancient rhetorical practices in an effort to approach the transition from printed to electronic texts, much in the same way rhetorical concepts were adapted from spoken to written discourse in earlier centuries."
Rhetorical Figures This site provides a list of rhetorical devices as well as examples of usage. 
HTGREP form for works by Robert Harris "A Glossary of Literary Terms and A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices including an Introduction and a Self Test."
Resources for Distance Education  Dictionaries, writing resources, rhetorics, grammar books, and the complete MLA Handbook of Style, etc.
English as a Second Language A dedicated English as second language site for non-native English speakers.
The Oxford English Dictionary The online dictionary brought to you by the UCLA library.
Useful Search Tools This a good site that contains various search tools such as Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Search Usenet Archives at DejaNews, World Telephone Directories.
Dictionary.com A dictionary with gramma, usage, style, jargon, and words look-up.
On-line Dictionaries "Now linked to more than 500 dictionaries of over 140 different languages..."
 
 		  
 
 
 
Science
TechWeb Technology Encyclopedia From A: to Zip, thousands of terms are here for the searching in this illustrated on-line technology encyclopedia from CMPnet.
Geologylink For anyone who has ever been interested in "the world's daily geological rumblings," Geology Link is a "must see" site. You'll find breaking news on geologic events all over the world, the latest news and discoveries, hot topics, virtual field trips, interactive forums, an image gallery and more. From Worth Publishers, this site has something for everyone, from preschoolers to professional geologists.
Biology Lessons for Prospective and Practicing Teachers Developed at San Diego State University, these elementary school lessons cover molecules, cells, and population biology. Each lesson illustrates an important idea and has student groups predict, answer questions, collect and interpret data, and reflect. Some lessons include knowledge mapping exercises to help students transform experience into learning. A Teachers' Guide provides answers to questions and offers advice on "the kinds of anchoring conceptions students are likely to have, the errors that students might be expected to make, and strategies for promoting conceptual change."
Explore Science Nuclear physicist and educator Raman Pfaff created these interactive simulations to help students visualize physics and life science concepts. The Shockwave Plug-in is required, and the site can be easily downloaded for those with a slow Internet connection. The simulations should fit in with typical labs or demonstrations.
Windows to the Universe This stunning NASA-funded site explores Earth and Space sciences and the historical and cultural ties between science, exploration, and the human experience. The site includes a rich array of images, movies, animations, and data sets. Teacher Resources include classroom activities and educational links.
Project 2061 From the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Project 2061 is "dedicated to reforming K-12 science education nationwide." The Web site provides background information, articles, and links and includes the full text of Benchmarks for Science Literacy.
Exploratorium Science Snacks The Exploratorium Science Snackbooks show how to build miniature science exhibits with inexpensive, easily available materials. This online resource includes 107 "snacks," each with instructions, advice, helpful hints, and explanations of the science involved.
Space Available This site includes over fifty lesson plans for learning activities and longer term projects on remote sensing, imaging science, oceanography, meteorology and ecology. Links to required satellite images are included.
The Biology Project--University of Arizona This "interactive online resource for learning biology" from the University of Arizona was designed for high school and college-level biology students. Tutorials, problem sets, activities, and other resources guide learners in biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, human biology, Mendelian genetics, immunology,and molecular biology.
Chemical Abstracts Service "Welcome to Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), producer of the world's largest and most comprehensive databases of chemical information. The CAS databases, CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS (CA) and REGISTRY, now include about 14 million abstracts of chemistry-related and patent literature and more than 18 million substances (check out the exact number!)."
The Franklin Institute Science Museum If you scroll down the FISM's openning page, you will find useful links to science-related information as well as thought provoking and entertaining activities.
The Smithsonian Institution Home Page One of the richest sites on the Internet; a user can spend many hours browsing this searchable site.
Earth Sciences & Map Library Home Page As the title states, this site provides maps of many kinds, including ancient, aerial and satellite maps of the world.
NGS - Main The National Geographic Society's site, like the Smithsonian site, is rich and complex. The site has many interesting resources and also provides an excellent collection of maps with an easy to use interface.
Hands-on Science Centers Worldwide "This page contains pointers to public museums from all over the world with a strong emphasis on interactive science education."
Science Learning Network: Home "The Science Learning Network explores how telecomputing can support inquiry-based science education." Links to other science museums are also provided.
The Why Files A Webzine containing articles from many science-related fields. Lots of images, clear writing, and searchable story archives.
The ASTRONOMY CAFE "Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be an astronomer? Do you have any questions that you would like an astronomer to answer? Would you like to hear the latest about hyperspace, black holes, time travel and quantum cosmology? Well, at the Astronomy Cafe you've come to the right place! Sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and have a far-out adventure at the outer frontier of space and time."
US Geological Survey: Ask-A-Geologist "Do you have a question about volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains, rocks, maps, ground water, lakes, or rivers?" 
You can email earth science questions to scientists connected to this site.
New Jersey Networking Infrastructure in Education "...you will find information that will facilitate your use of the Internet as a classroom tool. As part of the a National Science Foundation grant, the NJNIE project staff has developed some lesson plans which allow students to use realtime data gathered from the Internet to participate in exciting and real scientific analysis and discovery on a variety of topics ranging from the aurora borealis to earthquakes..."
The NASA Homepage One of the richest sites on the web--and one best viewed from a browser connected to a device faster than a regular modem.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: LLNL An interesting site in general,, and the link to "Education" takes a user to a site called "Fun Science" with additional links to useful sites for Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computers, and Environment and Nature.
National Science Foundation World Wide Web Server The NSF site has a searchable data base giving users access to thousands of articles related to many science-related fields. Articles available through this site are uncommonly accurate and usually written by well-respected scientists.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution WWW Server Interested in oceanographny? This is the site for you, though you should have a recent version of Netscape or Internet Explorer with a broad range of plug-ins to take full advantage of the site. "Useful Links" to science areas as they relate to oceanography (i.e., biology, chemistry, geology, etc.).
NRC Homepage In addition to its online newsletter, the National Research Council site connects to a collection of sites (with searchable data bases that include abstracts of thousands of science articles) representing the National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
ESF Home Page The European Space Foundation has an excellent collection of links to many online science-related magazines; click on "Other Sites and Useful Information."
Space News "Look around our free area where you'll find more than 200 links to space-related web sites, a constantly updated stock box of space companies, information about our education efforts, and visit our marketplace of space-related merchandise."
The Nine Planets "The Nine Planets is an overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets and 
moons in our solar system. Each page has text and images, some have sounds and movies, most provide references to 
additional related information."
Earth Viewer "You can view either a map of the Earth showing the day and night regions at this moment, or view the Earth from the Sun, the 
Moon, the night side of the Earth, above any location on the planet specified by latitude, longitude and altitude, from a 
satellite in Earth orbit, or above many cities around the globe."
 
 		  
 
 
Math
Lemonade Stand The objective of this Web version of the classic supply and demand simulation is to make money. Players must decide how much lemonade to make, how much to charge for each cup, and how much to spend on advertising. This could be part of a unit on profit.
Calculus on the Web Temple University's Calculus on the Web (COW) project takes dedicated students through the equivalent of a complete first-year college calculus course AI routines analyze incorrect answers,,figure out what you did wrong, and try to restate the idea of the problem more helpfully.
 
 		  
 
 
History
Discovery Online: Wayback Machine - Gold Rush Discovery Online's time machine takes visitors back to that glittering chapter of California History, the gold rush. Join our narrator and his dog Browser as they meet the likes of Captain John Augustus Sutter, founder of the first outpost in the region, and James Marshall, who first discovered gold in the American River. Authentic photos, drawings, and sound files make this trip worthwhile.
Middle Ages What was it really like to live in the Middle Ages? Inspired by programs from The Western Tradition, a video series in the Annenberg/CPB Multimedia Collection, this site explores multiple perspectives of the Middle Ages. Online quizzes and links help make this a useful and interesting resource.
People's Century This Website extends the PBS television series that "offers new insight into the turbulent events of these hundred years through the revealing personal testimony of the people who were there." Thematic overviews, timelines, and a teacher's guide all help put the episodes into perspective. Readers are also encouraged to submit their own stories, which could provide a broader audience for students doing oral history projects.
Perseus Project This extensive collection of resources for studying the ancient world includes ancient Greek and Latin texts and translations, maps, illustrated art catalogs, essays, and more. Search by keyword or browse by topic (art, archaeology, atlas, texts, text tools, historical overview, encyclopedia, essays and catalogs). From Tufts University.
Exploring Ancient World Cultures Exploring Ancient World Cultures is "an introductory, on-line, college-level 'textbook' of ancient world cultures, constructed around a series of cultural pages consisting of: The Ancient Near East, Ancient 
India, Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Early Islam, and Medieval Europe." The site features an anthology, chronology, essays, maps, and an interactive quiz for each of the cultures. If you're wanting to further explore ancient cultures, use Argos, a limited area search engine that taps into a database of peer-reviewed Web sites. This is a CD-ROM quality Web site!
Country Studies When military or diplomats' families receive "traveling papers" to a distant country, they look to the Department of the Army's Country Studies  / Area Handbooks to gain detailed information about their new residence. Currently handbooks exist for 85 countries and are prepared by a multidisciplinary team of social scientists. Although the information is sometimes too comprehensive for younger aged students, the depth and breadth of the coverage make the handbooks uniquely valuable. Learners can  search for information about each country, compare social and political life, and learn about countries affecting current events.
Words and Deeds in American History The American Memory division of the Library of Congress has contributed another example of what makes the Web so wonderful. "Words and Deeds in American History" collects and posts original manuscripts and letters archived at the Library of Congress. Some have been grouped by such topics as: The Presidency, Military Affairs, Arts and Literature, etc. Of course you can perform keyword searches. Although somewhat cumbersone to browse the complete collection, you might want to scroll through the entire chronological list to pull out a few gems like a poem by 13 year old Helen Keller or Ernest Hemingway's assessment of Ezra Pound's mental condition.
The History Channel Website Here's a nice Website for getting access to reliable, primary source historical documentation. Especially useful aspects are the archives of great speeches (especially handy if you are creating a Multimedia Scrapbook) and the This Day In History section. Try tapping into this site as a daily sponge activity for the history classroom.
Making of America Making of America (MOA) represents a major collaborative endeavor to preserve and make accessible a significant body of primary sources related to development of the U.S. infrastructure. Drawing on the depth of primary materials at the Michigan and Cornell libraries, these two institutions are developing a thematically-related digital library documenting American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. Approximately 5,000 volumes with imprints between 1850 - 1877 will be selected, scanned, and made available to the academic communities at each institution. Difficult material to present, a job well done.
 
 		  
 
 
Health
The Food and Nutrition Information Center You'll find everything you ever wanted to know about food here. The wealth of resources include searchable databases on topics like "Food and Nutrition Software and Multimedia programs" and "Healthy Schools Meals Training Materials." You'll also find hot lists on subjects ranging from "Audio Visuals by Topic" to General Nutrition here, but that's not all! The "Healthy School Meals Resource System," USDA Reports, and "Food Borne Illness Education and Information Center" are but some of the other features of this outstanding site.
Kids Food CyberClub Kids today want cheeseburgers and soda, not milk and tossed salad. It is harder than ever to get them to eat right. That's why the Connecticut Association for Human Services and Kaiser Permanente developed this wonderful Web site, designed to teach 3rd to 5th graders about food and nutrition. The site is divided into sections, including "Food Keeps Us Well," "Rate Your Plate," and "Food Facts." Each features an interactive quiz with feedback to test and reinforce learning. Highlights of the site include "The Club Cookbook" where visitors are invited to send in their favorite recipes and "Books We Love to Read." A section for parents features fun and educational activities to do with children, and a downloadable Teacher's Guide (PDF) includes lesson plans and classroom activities.
Aunt Edna's Kitchen A great resource for home economics teachers, this site includes recipes, nutrition information, and cooking utilities (spices, ingredient substitutions, weights & measures, conversions, etc.).
 
 		  
 
 
Career
Accounting Students Just what do accountants do? IF you are an accounting student or thinking about becoming one, don't miss this Web site from AccountingNet, the "complete online resource for accounting professionals." Hightlights include the Toolbox of study tools and career tips, Scholarship information, a Jobs page, and a Forum for networking with peers and professionals.
The New Teacher Page This site offers advice, ideas, and links for "education students, student teachers, first-year teachers, teacher certification candidates, and those who think maybe, just maybe, they'd like to be an educator someday. " From high school English teacher Lisa Pajot Renard.
 
 		  
 
 
Web Resources
Learn the Net Learn the Net is a great site for web novices interested in web publishing, business, multimedia, or better ways to dig for data. You'll find interactive tutorials, "ask the expert" forums, FAQs, games and more. Best of all, the site is well designed, written and organized. Learn the Net puts a "human faceon cyberspace!"
Color Composing Engine This is the best site we've found for choosing the background, text and link colors for those creating their own Webpages. The reason it's so good is that you can try out and adjust all the colors to make sure they go well together and are legible. Once you find the combination you like, just paste the coding into your BODY tag. Also, here's one interactive page that won't crash your browser very often.
Internet Safety Do you know where your kids are on the Internet? Do you need to know? This page links to articles, Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) guidelines, and technological solutions to help you consider Internet safety issues and options.
Safe Internet Programming "We are studying the security of widely-used Internet software, especially mobile code systems like Java, ActiveX, and JavaScript. We try to understand how security breaks down, and to develop technology to address the underlying causes of security problems."
Welcome to WebWorks! "WebWorks is a part of Information Technology Services at the University of Colorado at Boulder and was created to meet the needs of faculty and staff wishing to have a presence on the Web, but who don't want to become programmers in the process. We also serve academic and support departments, and university-related groups."
CoolType "This site is an ultimate resource for every web and graphics designer. We try to provide people with some really useful information, tips, tricks, hot links and more."
The Free Graphics Store Archives "A bi-weekly selection of great graphics you can browse and download - free!"
Tucows "Which website garners more visitors than Prodigy, USA Today, Paramount Studios, Intel, Disney and the Official X-Files Homepage? TUCOWS. Ranked as one of the busiest web sites on the 'Net, TUCOWS offers up the latest and greatest Internet software to millions of visitors each month."
 
 		  
 
 
L A C C   Student Resources
LACCD - district's home page The Los Angeles Community College District is the largest system of two-year higher education in the United States. Our nine colleges offer transfer and occupational programs that are open to anyone who is a high school graduate, or at least 18 years of age and able to profit from instruction.
UCLA Library The UCLA Library site should be familiar to every Los Angeles area student. This is the beginning point for almost anuy kind of preliminary research. All students should familiarize themselves with this site and its many links.
The Researching Librarian Intended as a supplement to the print resources available in library collections, this site gathers links to selected web resources useful for research: freely searchable citation databases, funding information, relevant journals, statistics and statistical methods, useful research tools, current awareness sources, and a discussion board.
 
 		  
 
 
 
 
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