Grolier's standard
New Book of Popular Science (NBPS) for students in grades five and up is now partnered by a Web site that includes full text as well as numerous additional features.
The print NBPS is organized thematically. Each volume surveys a different area of science, and most of the revisions for 2000 focus on volume three, with an emphasis on the chemistry material. Separate sections on chemistry and physics have replaced the old physical-sciences section, and Chemistry now features new four-color photography and artwork. Of the 16 new articles, 11 are found in Chemistry, among them Chemical formulas and equations, Nuclear chemistry, and Measurements and techniques in chemistry. Eight of the nine rewritten articles also relate to chemistry, the only exception being Video games. Several new career articles have been added (e.g., Astronomers and their science, Mathematicians and their science). Articles undergoing major revision (defined as 50 to 90 percent of the text) include Introduction to health, High-definition television, The Internet, and Computer programming. All the photographs in the computer articles have been replaced. For the first time, the entire index now appears in each volume, instead of only in volume six.
Students who appreciate the well-written NBPS articles will find information online even more easily, with keyword and Boolean text searching and multiple links to other articles and validated Internet sites (updated monthly). There are 12 browsing categories, from Animal to Technology, available from the home page and also on every subsequent page, making it easy to move from one part of the encyclopedia to the other. Selecting one of these categories leads to a list of articles. We chose Chemistry and were presented with the same list of contents as we found in the print version. Chemists and their science, as an example, contains full article text, with a table of contents linking directly to the different sections and numerous hyperlinks to other articles in the encyclopedia. There are buttons offering access to additional material. Selected Readings leads to the bibliographies found in the print set, and Careers hooks the researcher up with the encyclopedia's Careers in chemistry sidebar. Closer Look links to other sidebar material from the print set, such as the spotlights on Rosalind Franklin and Linus Pauling. The Fun Fact, in this case a short article on alchemy, is unique to the online version. The annotated list of Web sites is not restricted to sites that would be of interest to children. Missing from the online article are all but one of the print version's illustrations.
In addition to the SciClopedia (text of the print version) and SciFiles (listing Nobel Prize winners, conversions, and formulas), features of the online version include NewsBytes, SkyWatch, Ask Pop Sci, and SciZone. Teachers Guide and Help thoroughly describe the structure and explain search techniques, but most users won't need anything beyond what's on-screen. Current science news is found in NewsBytes (three newly written articles each week with lesson and discussion plans), and SkyWatch offers a North American stargazer and a celestial map (also updated weekly). Ask Pop Sci answers three random questions weekly, with old questions and answers archived. Recent questions include one on ringing in the ears and another on bird migration. Probably the most unique and fun for students is the interactive section, SciZone, which offers math puzzles, word searches, element puzzlers, and Photo Bizarre, where users can correct pieces of skewed photos. These are also changed weekly and could be used as classroom rewards or enrichment activities.
Regular PlayStation users may be disappointed by these games, but the site requires no additional plug-ins and is easily used with standard Internet browsers. Librarians will welcome the facts that printing one or more sections of an article is a clear choice (nice for saving ink and paper) and no more than two thumbnail illustrations are included in articles (great for faster loading), with links to more pictures, mostly scientific artwork, when available.
A dependable print resource has become a user-friendly online reference work.
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