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earthsunmoon: astrophysics
for primary schools |
Earth, Sun and Moon
An award-winning site from Rik Farrell at the University of Staffordhire, Earth, Sun and Moon is a great user-friendly teaching resource designed for primary school children. First, you must pilot your rocket from the planet Ree, blasting asteroids along the way, until you arrive in our own solar system. There you retrieve information about the relationship between the Earth, Sun and Moon, before setting back off through space to share your knowledge, which is tested in the form of a multiple-choice quiz.
The graphics are eye-catching and the structure of the story should work perfectly for a younger child’s shorter attention span. Clever use of animation brings the solar system to life, and clearly explains some challenging concepts for children. By splicing two different versions of the asteroid shoot-em-up through the story, the educational content is kept in balance and with an online score board which counts just how many questions you answer correctly (as well as how many asteroids you destroy) there is an incentive to go back and get a better score by learning the answers.
A History of FIFA and the World Cup Finals 2002
Leicester University is home to the Sir Norman Chester Centre for Football Research (SNCCFR), which has compiled this comprehensive but accessible history of the World Cup, with particular reference to this year’s finals in Japan and Korea. The document is available as either a pdf document or web page, and is packed with detailed information. Apart from bread-and-butter information on score-lines, national success rates and historic moments, the report comments on much of the behind-the-scenes politics, including sponsorship of the event by transnational corporations and the behaviour of FIFA presidents past and present. The enormous economic implications of staging the competition are also explained, raising questions such as: “What use is the multi-billion dollar stadium programme to local populations once the World Cup is over?”
As a web-resource, the site could be more interactive it reads as one long document. However, it offers some fascinating insights into the machinery of world football, and acts as an excellent introduction to the subject for anyone wanting to look beyond the sport’s slick image. The parent SNCCFR site is also worth a look, as it is home to many other fact sheets, covering everything from hooliganism and TV, to the rise of female football enthusiasts.
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Barrie Holden’s inspired Port Folio site |
Port Folio
Bored of your CV? This could be the inspiration you need. 23-year-old Barrie Holden of Ulster University has produced a stunning online demonstration of his design and animation work, in the virtual town of Port Folio. Here you can travel around in a truck and get an idea of what Barrie does while listening to choice cuts of his musical taste. Alongside contact details and personal information, there are links to previous web design projects he has undertaken, including ‘Thinking about Thought’ which was commissioned for BBC Knowledge.
The site, which uses Flash animation, is not extensive, and takes a little while to load with a standard 56K modem, but it’s a perfectly formed entity where the medium really is the message. Both the design and soundtrack are very cool, with some wonderful surprise touches (check out the magnifying lens and the enormous pigeon). Your paper-based CV may well seem decidedly two-dimensional after a sightseeing ride around Port Folio’s local landmarks.
Psychnet
For those studying or working in mental health, Psychnet offers a broad directory of resources, which ranges across practical diagnostic criteria and self-help through to discussions of experimental psychology and artificial intelligence. As well as a chat room and careers advice, there is a student section with a good variety of links to student-friendly sites elsewhere on the web.
The site takes its subject matter seriously, but is not concerned with maintaining political correctness at all times thus the humour pages are refreshingly irreverent, if not actually very funny. Psychnet also manages to maintain the difficult balance (which many websites fail to achieve) between content and presentation. Despite a wealth of information the screen is never overcrowded. |
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