Based at the University of California, Berkeley, the National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering (NISEE) is a public service of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. NISEE was started in 1972 and the site contains hundreds of publicly sponsored technical reports, research papers, data sets, and other materials related to scholarly investigations in this field. Visitors...

Science teachers around the country and the world have a good friend in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. They have brought together dozens of helpful teaching aids in this fine corner of their website. There are booklets, fact sheets, websites, and flyers all arranged into neat and tidy sections. The Booklets area includes "You and Your Genes-Making it in a Tough...

The Arctic Studies Center at the Smithsonian Institute was established in 1988, and the staff members there "study northern peoples, exploring history, archaeology, social change and human lifeways across the circumpolar world." The website has several online exhibitions about the different tribes of the circumpolar world, lists of "Resources", and "Publications" information. The Resources link...

The National Museum of Natural History has a myriad of exciting resources for those who wish to help young people learn about natural history. On the site, visitors can make their way through three sections: Lesson Plans, Web-based Student Activities, and Resources for Teachers & Classrooms. In the Lesson Plans area, visitors can browse resources that include the Ocean Portal, which features...

The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides a range of documents and materials to stakeholders from the private sector, government agencies, journalists, and scholars. One of their projects is the National Resources Inventory (NRI), which produces maps and charts based on their surveys. On this site, visitors can look over these documents, which are divided into eleven different themes,...

The Classroom Resources section of the National Science Foundation's website has a collection of materials for school teachers, students, and parents of students. The lessons are suitable for grades K-12, higher education, and lifelong learners, and they are drawn predominantly from the National Science Digital Library. Visitors can choose from the range of research topics by clicking on the...

The National Snow and Ice Data Center researches the cryosphere, and this website provides plenty of information on their work on the world of ice and snow. The Education Center homepage of their website will cause visitor's teeth to chatter just from looking at all the photos. There are several links to comprehensive discussions about Sea Ice, Snow, Frozen Ground, and Glaciers. One of those,...

At this website, the National Speleological Society (NSS) promotes its goals "to study, explore, and conserve cave and karst resources; protect access to caves; encourage responsible management of caves and their unique environments; and promote responsible caving." Individuals can view amazing images of the twelve preserves managed by NSS. Students and educators can investigate links offering...

Some might wonder: What exactly is the National Water Trails System (NWTS)? That's a good question; NWTS describes the system as "a distinctive national network of exemplary water trails that are cooperatively supported and sustained." This website provides information about the NWTS for policy makers, water enthusiasts, and other interested parties. Casual visitors will want to start with the...

The National Weather Service's Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services has a strong outreach component. This "Education" page offers a range of materials for educators and young people which includes lesson plans, brochures, satellite image collections and career information for the fields of meteorology and climatology. The site doesn't have a search engine, but visitors can scroll through...