Time was ...

In 1900, there was no cure for the mentally ill, who were confined to "insane asylums." Today, mental illness can be treated with a range of therapies and medications. This is just one of the Then and Now features on the Science Odyssey site, which explores groundbreaking science and technology discoveries of the past 100 years. The site also provides an educator's guide for developing classroom activities and discussion questions based on the array of topics.

Everybody talks
about the weather

What is El Niño? What could a hurricane do to your home? How do mosquitoes spread malaria? Kids can find answers to questions like these on a site with the catchy name of The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change. More engaging than it sounds (or looks, at first glance), this site also examines the environmental impact of climate changes on agriculture, desert lands, forests, and water.

Just the facts

A drug-prevention manual for high school athletic coaches, the Team Up site gives straight facts about the consequences of abusing alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, steroids, cocaine, and crack. It explains why athletes abuse alcohol and other drugs and what school officials can do to discourage such behavior. The site also provides a questionnaire titled "Do I have a problem?"

History matters

And this site shows why. Covering the years 1876 to 1946, History Matters focuses on how ordinary folks lived then. A special bonus for educators is the section called Secrets of Great History Teachers, where some of the top high school and college history teachers in the country divulge their best tips and techniques.

The horse's mouth

Instead of that field trip to D.C., visit the Digital Classroom to see primary sources from the National Archives, including information about Nazi war criminals, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the secret tape recordings made by President Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Experts also offer advice on building a school archive and analyzing historical documents, and a "fascinating facts" section has some interesting tidbits about the National Archives building (which, by the way, just happens to have the largest bronze doors in the world).