The Spirit of Florence The Renaissance remains one of the most memorable eras of European history. Meet the explorers, philosophers and architects who brought Europe out of the Middle Ages and into an age of intellectual freedom and adventure. Go back in time to www.learner.org/ exhibits/ renaissance and relive the sites and sounds of this golden age. From Galileo's work in astronomy and physics to the music of Gilles Binchois and Guillaume Dufay. The site is loaded with hands-on activities, demonstrating everything from the dangers of trading spices on the high seas to the puzzle of the seashell spiral. There's also a section dedicated to the Italian city of Florence, thought to be the model of Renaissance culture. The site is literally a classic!
Ancient Americans To the ancient Anasazi, a "sipapu" was a passageway to the Lower World of their spiritual ancestors. Today, Sipapu at http:// sipapu.gsu.edu is your passageway to learn about the customs and traditions of these early Native Americans, the prehistoric ancestors of the Pueblo people of the Southwestern United States. Explore a Chaco Anasazi "great house" or step down into a prehistoric "great kiva," a subterranean ceremonial chamber. As a virtual archaeologist, you can inspect ancient pottery and artifacts these ancient Americans used in their daily lives. (Disclaimer: This site now contains advertisements.) Digging for Dinosaurs From historians to movie audiences, people have long been fascinated with dinosaurs, but our understanding of them has continued to change from the early 1800s to the present. Dig into http:// dinosaurs.eb.com/ and follow the great dinosaur debate through the ages. Using an easy-to-follow grid, this site compares scientists' evolving views of dinosaurs' anatomy, behavior and environment. Were dinosaurs warm-blooded or cold-blooded? Are they the ancestors of today's birds? Was their extinction brought on by an asteroid? By taking you to museums, libraries and dig sites across the globe, Discovering Dinosaurs examines these questions. Find out everything from how smart the dinosaurs were to what they ate. The site has all kinds of cool illustrations depicting these awesome beasts. Follow the dino tracks and return to the Age of Reptiles today! (This site is no longer available.)
This 4Kids Detective game has expired. To play the current Kid Quest Challenge, go to 4Kids.org/kidquest.
1. How many years have dinosaurs been extinct?
Dear Amy: Where's a good homework site for math?--Allisha, Fort Collins, Colo. Dear Allisha: When it comes to helping kids with their homework, the Web is known mostly for finding information for a report. But some teachers and schools are trying to make interactive games and tutorials on the Web for kids to learn from. A good example is Flashcards for Kids at www.edu4kids.com/ math. You can choose whether to do addition, subtraction, multiplication or division and what degree of difficulty you want to try. It makes homework more fun.