Virtual Field Trips

Compiles hundreds of Internet sites which offer educational and interesting "trips" to users, including a tour of the Tower of London, a look at journals from Valley Forge, and a visit to seven wonders of the ancient world

YAAThe authors have done an admirable job of Web research and have organized hundreds of sites into usable subject listings that enable readers to find some truly inventive and instructional Internet sites. In the "Historic Time Travel" section, for example, one can read from journals and records kept at Valley Forge and check out the 1775 weather reports. Another site has illustrations and explanations of the seven wonders of the ancient world, all but one of which no longer exist in the physical world. A travel chapter gives the address for a wonderful tour of the Tower of London that includes sound and photos. One can spend a day following Thomas Jefferson about Monticello or take a virtual tour of the brain. The frailties of the Internet provide the only downside to the use of this book. Some sites are no longer available, some require the downloading of viewers or players, while others work best with Java-capable browsers, and others have moved to new locations and may take some perseverance to find. That will not bother Internet-savvy young adults, however, and the many pearls available are well worth the effort. The additional benefit is finding wonderful sites of interest that viewers would never even have thought to look for without this book as a guide.ACarol DeAngelo, Garcia Consulting Inc., EPA Headquarters, Washington, DC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Librarians and educators looking for instructional sites on the Web will find this work a welcome addition to their curriculum. The Web-based "field trips" direct students to sites about famous people, places, works of art and literature, scientific discoveries, and hobbies. Each entry is annotated and cross-referenced when appropriate. Although the book is aimed at elementary-and secondary-school teachers and students, its audience is much wider. With pointers to sites on subjects such as fractal art, the Holocaust, daguerreotypes, Umberto Eco, and William Blake, it is equally appropriate for high-school and college libraries and for general reference. The browsable table of contents will help students of various ages who are searching for scholarly Web sites or interesting topics to research. The sites selected for inclusion are largely produced by universities, libraries, museums, and research centers, ensuring their quality and academic value. This makes the book also useful for library-school instructors who want to show their students examples of reputable, well-designed sites. Kerry Cochrane