Wild World of Reptiles

Coming Soon! Dave DiNaso's Traveling World of Reptiles Show!

Earn a ticket to this performance at the Park Forest Public Library on July 30 by advancing to the third level in the Read on the Wild Side! summer reading program.

Want to learn more about reptiles? Check out these great slithery sites of information.

http://www.travelingworldofreptiles.com/
Dave DiNaso has always had a passion for wildlife. As a child he spent many summers at his family's cottage catching every critter imaginable. He's been hooked ever since. Over the years he has cared for hundreds of different species of reptiles, from the pet store variety such as iguanas and pythons to some of the most dangerous including alligators, crocodiles rattlesnakes and cobras. He has also owned, raised and rehabilitated many types of local mammals including racoons, opossums, skunks, squirrels and bats. Most recently, Dave worked with a television crew in Florida filming the abundant wildlife in the Everglades National Park. He helped relocate twenty Nile crocodiles from Tampa to a crocodile farm in Homestead Florida. In addition to the Crocs, he handled some of the worlds most dangerous snakes and lizards including black mambas, king cobras, cottonmouths, several species of rattlesnakes and gila monsters. Future plans include a trip to the Galapagos Islands and an expedition to the Guadalupe Islands to film great white sharks.

http://www.reptilechannel.com/
Videos, games, pet care information, species profiles, and more. Sponsored by the Animal Network.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles.html
Take the Sea Turtle Quiz, learn about King Cobras, check out the Rattlesnakes Photo Gallery. A fun project on this web site is the Wildlife Filmmaker -- put together your own nature film with animal clips, sound, and more and then share with friends. Sponsored by National Geographic.

http://www.reptile-database.org/
Looking for a specific reptile? This is one of the biggest databases you will find. Last updated January 2009 with a Summer 2009 update expected. Over 8,000 species listed. this site is for the serious reptile enthusiast, and does not advocate reptiles as casual pets.

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/animals/reptiles.htm
Caution reports from the Center for Infectious Diseases regarding pet ownership.

Native Americans

Start your research at authentic sites that tell the true history and culture of native tribes. Some of these sites provide written and audio first person accounts 0f events in history.


http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/dailylife.html
A teacher sponsored site – here is very basic elementary level information about tribal cultures with links to more detailed information on each tribe.

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/index.shtml
Minnesota State Museum’s Emuseum. Geography, language and cultural information for most tribes. Links to additional resources.

http://www.kidinfo.com/american_history/Native_americans.html
Links to all tribal information.

http://www.native-languages.org/kids.htm
Simple, easy to understand information for kids. Links to more complete cultural fact pages for older students.

http://www.historynet.com/culture/native_american_history
Sponsored by the world’s largest publisher of history magazines. Advanced articles for jr. high and up featuring American Indian wars and prominent figures in Native American history.

http://www.wisdomoftheelders.org/about.html
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. “records and preserves traditional cultural values, oral history, prophesy and other messages of guidance from indigenous elders in order to regenerate the greatness of culture among today’s and future generations of native peoples.”
Listen to some of the stories, music, and first person accounts to get a closer look at the people you are researching.

Blast Off/ Space Facts

Are you considering a career as a scientist or astronaut? Curious about what's really out there? Looking for serious facts about the cosmos? Check these sites!

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
If it is about space, then it is covered on this site. Great student sections broken down by grade level. Explore the planets, learn about current space travel, find biographies, and listen to NASA podcasts.

http://hubblesite.org/
How was the Hubble telescope made, what does it see? Also has monthly constellation guides, videos, and lessons on using Google Earth.

http://www.pbs.org/deepspace/
View the interactive timeline that outlines all major “space” events. Submit questions to “Ask the Experts.”

http://www.exploratorium.edu/observatory/index.html
Find out how old you would be and how much you would weigh in another world. Directions for building a solar system.

http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/
An amazing site! Learn about black holes and galaxies in “Capture the Cosmos.” See pictures of Mars taken by the Hubble telescope. Many ideas for research reports and science experiments – check out “homework help” and “online explorations.”

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/
Windows to the Universe. Who were the first astronomers? Check out the history of space exploration as well as biographies of today’s scientists and astronauts. See tables of missions flown and hours in space.

http://www.astronomycafe.net/
For older teens. Sections on gravity, space weather, magnetism, big bang, how to write a research paper on astronomy, and more. Includes 61 FAQ about careers in astronomy.

http://www.astronautix.com/
An exhaustive combination of links concerning space flights, equipment, and more. Caution: not well authenticated about source of information. Double-check facts through more searching.
Just for fun research!

It's All About The Olympics

Have you dreamed of winning a gold medal at the Olympics? Are you anxious to know if the Olympics will ever come to your state? What do you know about te origins of the Olympics? How about current games and competitors? Check out these sites!

BBC Ancient Greece

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ancientgreece/olympia/index.shtml

Explore Olympia at the time of the games.

Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

http://en.beijing2008.cn/

Official Website of the Olympic Movement: Beijing Games

www.olympic.org/uk/games/beijingindex_uk.asp

Everything you want to know about the 2008 Summer Games.

The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games

http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/olympics/olympicintro.shtml

Compares ancient and modern Olympic games on several issues.

U.S. Olympic Committee Kid's Base Camp

www.usoc.org/kids/Athens/site/

Cartoon videos, coloring pages, games, and lesson plans.

USA Junior Olympic Skills Competition

http://www.jrolympicskills.com/

Learn about opportunities to compete in events sponsored by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

History of . . . Comics and Graphic Novels

Wish that history was funny? It can be when you are studying the history of comics and graphic novels. Check out the biographies and political debates that have always surrounded both types of books. Check out the best teen review site while you are at it -- so you can have more to compare.



http://www.ipl.org/div/procrast/graphicnovels/gnsHistBasics.html
Get the history and basics about graphic novels. Who really inspired them? How are they related to comics? What different types of graphic novels are there?

http://www.comic-art.com/history/history1.htm
Learn about the years of comic history. Biographies of famous artists.

http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/grd/resguides/comic/controv.html
Were comics as controversial as graphic novels?

http://www.noflyingnotights.com/
A graphic novel review site for teens. Also includes a new section (sidekicks) for younger readers.

Drug Use and Abuse

It's not just about collecting old facts about drug use. It's about being street smart and learning how to handle peer pressure. Check out these sites to know the true lingo, the real side effects, and ways to sidestep people that just don't get it! (Do you know what percentage of teens don't take drugs??)



Freevibe.com is a great site for getting up to date statistics on drug abuse, as well as teen feedback on current topics.
Freevibe.com was created for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a program of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Freevibe’s goal is to provide teens with the knowledge and personal empowerment to reject drug use.
http://www.freevibe.com/Drug_Facts/index.asp

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/straight/intro.htm
This site is actually a book, put together by a “teen posse” (sponsored by the DEA – U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration). Each chapter is about a specific drug—discussing street names, facts, and legal issues surrounding the drug. Also included are teen activities that might be good for teen forum or discussion groups.

Also look at the DEA teen site http://www.justthinktwice.com/ for more formal, definitive facts, and a look at the effects of drugs on individuals. Also featured is a segment on hot topics in the news regarding drugs.

http://www.thecoolspot.gov/
Geared to younger teens and students. Only a few facts about alcohol – but a lot of survey type information that positively reinforces the idea that most teens do not drink (you are not alone)! Features include animated scenes that recreate peer pressure situations and “Know your No’s”, a guide to help you say no comfortably. This side was noted as a “find it site” because of the excellent self-help “healthy mind & body” links, in addition to more links to a few well-chosen research sites that provide hard facts for school projects.The Cool Spot was created for kids 11-13 years old by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

http://teens.drugabuse.gov/index.asp
A great interactive site that will inspire you to come up with new angles on research topics. Facts, first-person accounts about drug abuse, games, and challenges. Especially helpful is a searchable glossary of terms that may come up in drug research. Middle-schoolers and all teens should stop here. Sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofacts/Infofaxindex.html
More facts and figures – but these are clearly updated and articles provide additional links for other sources. Not a “fun site”, but great for providing hard core statistics about demographics of use and $$$ spent on drug use and education.

Teen Eating Disorders

Whether you are trying to research eating disorders, or know someone that might have a problem, these sites will help you to get some basic knowledge of the symptoms of these diseases. Be sure to ask your librarian for more information -- here's a subject where books offer more recent and readable research for teens!



http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/bodywise/eatingdisorders/index.htm
A site for younger girls that gives short, clear-cut explanations of what eating disorders are, stories about girls who have battled them, and tells who to contact for help about suspected disorders.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/thin/
For those who like multimedia presentations of research – this is the online companion to a PBS special “Dying to Be Thin”. Hear first person accounts of the disease and click on resource links to gain additional information.

http://www.anred.com/stats.html
ANRED: anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. This site is not teen friendly, and a bit hard to navigate. However, if you are looking for serious information with updated statistics, it is worth the hassle. Get a librarian or someone to help if you can’t unearth what you need.

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=294
From the National Eating Orders Association, again this site is not targeted towards teens. But, it provides a wealth of information including articles specifically targeted towards women of color and men and boys – often overlooked groups in the research.