All the plants, animals, and other organisms living on Earth -- that's the ambitious scope of Investigate Biodiversity, an engaging site launched last fall by Conservation International and Intel Corp. Billed as a "virtual mentoring web site for young scientists," Investigate Biodiversity takes kids on field expeditions to collect and analyze scientific data about some of the 1.4 million different species that share our planet. Now online: expeditions to Venezuela and Botswana. Coming this year, Indonesia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Cote d'Ivoire.

From the migration of the first Paleo-Indians from Asia to North America to the impeachment of President Clinton, this interactive tour frames the key events of American history in images, commentary, maps, and timelines. Designed to accompany the Annenberg/CPB educational television and video series by the same name, A Biography of America's online component is a rich resource on its own. Of special interest in this visual era is the "Image as History" feature, which helps students interpret historical paintings, drawings, photos, and maps.

Not quite sure how the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' new Principles and Standards for School Mathematics should play out in the classroom? The new videotape archive on Mathline, a web site from PBS TeacherSource, might help. The archive includes 72 video clips that take you on virtual visits to classrooms where teachers and students are engaged in standards-based instruction. Also included are lesson guides and suggested ideas for online discussions.

January was opolahsomuwehs, or whirling wind month, on Canku Ota (Many Paths), an informative and absorbing online newsletter celebrating Native America. Each issue features a salute to an outstanding Native American, a profile of an artist or entertainer, stories and artwork, news, greetings in various Native languages, recipes, and more, presented with an unmistakable authenticity. Canku Ota is what the Internet is all about: making connections across time and space and, as here, across cultures.