Mapping and geography starts very early in today's Back to Basics State Standards and Curricula, so it just makes sense to utilize the resources the WWW has to offer in promoting geography education at all levels. Here are some prime examples of how well-designed web pages can enrich and extend the good work you're already doing in your classroom. Thanks to Jerry Blumengarten and Joe Strickland for great map and geography recommendations. I hope you'll find something you can use!

• Climate Map of the U.S. - http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/USclimate/states.fast.html
  From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this map is a JAVA applet of all fifty states; click on areas of interest to learn more about basic climatology or examine monthly rankings for temperature and precipitation.
• Geo Teacher - http://home.att.net/~rmmwms/geoteach/geoteacher.html
  R.S. Williams created Geo Teacher as a research tool for students and geography links and other resources for high school students, parents, and teachers. There's more than 600 links to resources, references, and lesson plans for geography and sociology here.
• Geographic Learning Site - http://geography.state.gov/htmls/plugin.html
  GLS is a U.S. State Department site combining current events and world geography, and if you click on Challenging World you can select grade level appropriate activities for grades K-4, 5-8 or 9-12.
• Geography World - http://members.aol.com/bowermanb/101.html
  Created by Brad Bowerman of Lakeland High School, Geography World is a set of links to ALL things geographic" physical and political geography, mapping, time and calendars, games, quizzes and much much more.
• Lost at Sea - the Search for Longitude - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/
  Nova offers this intriguing look into navigation and the use of maps to determine your location. The site covers the use of the Global Positioning System, How to Find Your Longitude and the Ancient Navigators.
• Mapzone - http://www.mapzone.co.uk/main.html
  This British site offers elementary fun for kids learning about maps. Students can create their own local maps based on their zip code, learn about the science of map-making, complete activities and play games. Very educational!
• Mathematics of Cartography - http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/pres/map/
  Here's a great opportunity to integrate map-making and math. Cynthia Lanius created this well-done interdisciplinary tutorial on map making isn't too heavy on the graphics and it's great for middle schoolers.
• Online Map Creation - http://www.aquarius.geomar.de/omc/
  "You may create maps interactively at this site. Fill out the form, submit your entries and a page with the desired map will be returned to your browser." The result is a GIF image you can download and save on your hard drive!
• Round Earth, Flat Maps - http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/2000/exploration/projections/index.cfm
  National Geographic will take your students on a journey through the different kinds of map projections and how cartographers use them to make the maps we use everyday. Sow loading and graphics intensive but a fabulous site!
• USGS Geographic Names Information System - http://www-nmd.usgs.gov/www/gnis/gnisform.html
  This is a great user interface. Just type in information on the region you're interested in and have access to the U.S.G.S. resources on that region. A little slow loading (like all USGS sites), this site is worth the wait.
• Where in the World? - http://www.geography-games.com/index.html
  Here's a set of online geography games sure to motivate and challenge your students, from fun facts and topography to seismology and clip art, Gary Radley really knows how to create a great review site for kids!
• Ye Old Compass Rose - http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/comp.html
  Here's a great opportunity to integrate your study of circles in geometry with your study on cartography. This site walks students through the math of circles and the corresponding azimuths used in cartography.
  

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