The NEA Foundation June Grant Review

Do you have a BIG idea for an innovative classroom project or professional development experience that will improve student achievement and help you and your colleagues grow and learn? Could you use a grant of $2,000 or 5,000 to bring your idea to life? The NEA Foundation's Innovation Grants and Learning & Leadership Grants can help. 

Apply by June 1 for Innovation Grants and Learning & Leadership Grants and you will be notified by November 15. Applications are accepted on an ongoing, year-round basis, so proposals received after June 1 will automatically be included in the next review cycle. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the award date. 

NEA members just like you have applied for and received over 1,500 grants throughout the years in all subjects, including the arts, literacy, science, and technology. Read about recently funded projects at www.neafoundation.org, and then submit your own idea. 

All members who are practicing U.S. public K–12 school teachers, education support professionals, or higher education faculty and staff at public colleges and universities are encouraged to apply. 

Applying for a grant is easy, so why wait? Visit www.neafoundation.org today for more information on The NEA Foundation's grant programs, including guidelines and an application, or call 202-822-7840.

Arts Education Grants

Illustrations & Photo: Getty Images

Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth grants from the National Endowment for the Arts offers funding for projects that support in-depth, curriculum-based arts education experiences that occur over an extended period and that help K–12 students acquire appreciation, knowledge, and understanding of, as well as skills in, the arts.

Projects must provide participatory learning and engagement of students with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art. Projects also must ensure the application of national, state, or local arts education standards. Only school districts and state and regional education agencies are eligible; no money is awarded directly to individual elementary or secondary schools. Schools may participate as partners in projects for which another eligible organization applies. For more information, go to www.arts.gov/grants/apply/Artsed.html. The grant application deadline is June 13, 2005.

Schools as Centers of Community

Each year KnowledgeWorks Foundation searches across the country for excellent schools that successfully model the growing trend to build schools as centers of community. The top selected school, chosen by a panel of national experts receives the Richard W. Riley Award for Excellence and a $5,000 grant. The panel also selects several schools with innovative design elements and initiatives to be members of the Schools as Centers of Community Honor Society and be part of the National Search Web site.

For more information, see the National Search Web site. Submissions will be accepted until June 24, 2005.

Honoring Young Heroes

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes seeks nominations for its 2005 Awards. The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8–18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Each year, 10 national winners each receive $2,000 to support their service work or higher education. This year's nomination deadline is April 30. For more information and to nominate, visit www.barronprize.org/.

Grants for Graphic Arts

The Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) offers full grants and mini-grants for education projects that promote careers in graphics arts and communications. Graphic arts educators, institutions, and students may apply. Full grants may include standard grants that fund one-year projects; teacher conferences, which are funded for specific one to two-week periods and are normally held in the summer months; and continuing grants for a specific time period and level of support with a statement of intent to provide additional support of the project.

The deadline for submitting applications for full grants is May 30 of each year for funding beginning on January 1 of the following year. Mini-grants may be submitted at any time during the year. GAERF awards up to four $2,500 mini-grants per year. For more information, including detailed grant guidelines, go to www.gaerf.org/grants/grant.html.

Physics Poster Contest

To mark Einstein Year and the World Year of Physics, Science Across the World encourages students ages 10–16 years to create their own colorful posters to show how physics  and physics applications have a positive impact on their everyday life. Posters should be self-explanatory, in A3 format (42 x 29.7 cm), and can be submitted on paper or electronically in .doc, .pdf, .gif, .jpg, .ppt, or .htm formats.

All posters must be submitted by May 31, 2005. Send paper copies to Science Across the World, The Association for Science Education, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts. AL10 9AA, United Kingdom and electronic copies to saw@ase.org.uk. Short-listed entries will be displayed at "Beyond Einstein: Physics for the 21st Century" in Bern, Switzerland July 11–15, 2005, where an international panel of judges will select a winner and runners-up. Prizes include digital cameras for students and digital cameras and a year's membership in the Institute of Physics for teachers.

For more, go to www.scienceacross.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.showcontent&node=374.

Schoolyard Habitat Grants The National Wildlife Federation administers a grant program for teachers interested in developing a schoolyard habitat. The $250 grants may be used to establish a new schoolyard habitat or to add components to established habitats. Applications are accepted (year-round) by the first of the month and money is awarded by the third week of the month. For more information, visit www.nwf.org/schoolyardhabitats/pdfs/wsfapplication2005v2.pdf.

Read Across America is

'Where It's Hat!'

Read Across America Day may be over but the mission of NEA's Read Across America continues. With April comes Major League Soccer's 10th season and a new season for Get a Kick Out of Reading/Leer y Marco Un Golazo, the bilingual reading partnership between NEA and Major League Soccer. See the brand new site and meet the new Read Team Leaders. And don't forget to take part in Youth Service Day, April 17. The Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant Winners will also be celebrating.

Check out the winners.

In Print

	Overcoming the Darkness Give your heart and soul a lift by reading Paul Rogat Loeb's The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, a collection of beautifully written essays and stories chosen to inspire. Writings from activists and leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Arundhati Roy, Marian Wright Edelman, and Vaclav Havel give concrete examples of people overcoming despair—political, spiritual, social, and ecological—through community involvement, compassion, and hope. 422 pp.
	Assistive Technology Guide Computer Resources for People with Disabilities, from the Alliance for Technology Access, serves as a guide to what technology and resources are available for people with disabilities. The latest edition includes real-life examples, updates on technologies, contact information for support organizations and vendors, worksheets to help users develop an assistive technology plan, and a "technology toolbox" to help people match technologies to their abilities and goals. Though not specifically geared toward education, this highly readable guide would be a good resource for schools, parents, and anyone in need of assistive technology. 396 pp.
	Looking Good Pinduli's mother tells her she is a beautiful hyena, but the other animals just make fun of her, saying that she has funny ears, a scraggly mane, and the wrong stripes. Little Pinduli just wants to disappear. But in an effort to fit in, she triggers a surprising chain of events. From Janell Cannon (author of Stellaluna) comes Pinduli, an entertaining story about accepting who you are set in the east African savanna. 48 pp.
	Man's Best Friend In Dog Show, a droll story for young readers by Elizabeth Winthrop, Harvey sets his hopes high, sure that his dog Fred will win an award. By the show's end, however, Fred hasn't won anything. Fred doesn't care, but to make Harvey happy, this inventive and loyal dog comes up with a plan to win both he and Harvey a prize. 24 pp.
	Reaching Hard-to-Reach Students Developed by veteran educator Kathleen Gould Lundy, What Do I Do about the Kid Who…? 50 Ways to Turn Teaching into Learning helps educators create communities of learning in which the needs of all students are identified and dealt with in an encouraging manner. The book provides helpful hints and effective activities to turn the classroom into a positive and participatory environment. While applicable for grades 4–12, the activities are designed for those hard-to-reach students who require a little extra care. 112 pp.
	When Dating Turns Violent Young-adult librarian Patrick Jones pens Things Change, a novel that addresses the often hushed subject of dating violence. Written for teenagers as a gripping, cautionary tale, the story follows perfectionist Johanna's relationship with life of the party Paul. The high school students' romance takes a turn for the worse as Paul begins to take out his frustrations on Johanna through physical violence. Yet Johanna risks her own safety by staying with him. To get out of the destructive relationship, she must learn to put her own happiness first. 224 pp.
	More than One Way to Fly Since Tomasito's spinal cord never fully formed, he must use a wheelchair to get around. After his family moves, he has to explain this over and over again to the other kids. His father gives him a bird as a present, but the bird can't fly. But when Tomasito is given a chance on a soccer team, he learns that despite their challenges, he and his bird can find other ways to fly. Author Juan Felipe Herrera writes the heartwarming Featherless/Desplumado in Spanish and English for elementary school readers. 32 pp.

Books by NEA Members

	Diverse Divorce By Lisa Lawmaster Hess Children with divorced or separated parents need to realize they are not alone. This book assumes the voices of 18 kids of different cultures as they experience the changes and chagrin brought by divorce. These situation stories address hefty issues (adjusting to stepparents, financial difficulties) that children of divorce might encounter, and each story includes follow-up discussion questions and activities. The author, a school counselor, gears sections toward both young and older children, keeping stories simple without sugar-coating divorce's downside. For grades 1–8. 128 pp. To order, call 800-448-2197 or visit www.marcoproducts.com.
	A Tale of Two Tails/El Perro con Dos Colas By Mariana Donahoe Written by a second-grade teacher, this book depicts the adventures of a young girl and her unique dog Sidney. Although initially dismayed about being different, Sidney learns that having two tails makes her twice as special. Written in both English and Spanish, this tale will bring smiles in either language. The book also features a bilingual glossary and discussion questions. Jeff Byrd's lively illustrations help bring the author's memorable characters to life. One Arm Publishing.
	Capturing Readers with Children's Choice Book Awards By Beverly J. Obert and Patty Barr Written for librarians by a school librarian and a library system consultant, this guide provides a state-by-state list of the must-have children's books. This collection is the end product of the annual Children's Choice Book Awards, a program designed to let children nominate and choose those special stories that have classrooms abuzz across the country. Information on implementing awards programs in schools is also included. 182 pp.
	Byte Me By Ron S. Tuitt The Internet's role in the classroom seems to be growing by leaps and bounds every day. To better navigate cyberspace and use it as the ultimate teaching aid, former journalist and current elementary educator Tuitt developed this helpful guide to the World Wide Web. Sorted by subject, this comprehensive handbook provides brief blurbs on 2,000 different sites suitable for preK–8 classrooms. Because the Internet is always changing, free updates will be provided to purchasers of the book on a quarterly basis. 210 pp.

Heads Up from NEA Member Benefits

Why home equity loans are so popular

The vast majority of homeowners use home equity loans (or lines of credit) to pay for home improvement projects or to consolidate bills. Some use them to buy new cars or to pay tuition. Regardless of how the money is used, the interest is usually tax-deductible (check with your tax advisor), which makes them a smart choice for a lot of people. And the interest rates are generally lower than most other kinds of consumer credit.

If you're interested in finding out how a home equity loan or line of credit can work for you, call the NEA Home Financing Program at 1-800-NEA-4-YOU (1-800-632-4968). Learn more about home equity loans.

Car Rental Tips to Ensure a Smooth Ride

Driving an unfamiliar vehicle can bring its own set of challenges, so if your travel plans include renting a car, review these vehicle safety tips from the National Safety Council:

• Examine your auto policy and credit card provisions to see if they provide supplemental car rental insurance coverage.
• Familiarize yourself with all the knobs, levers, and buttons on the car's dashboard, including the turn signals and horn, so you will know their locations and if they work.
• Check the trunk to make sure you have a viable spare tire and jack.
• Bring along your infant or toddler car seat if you need one, or check ahead of time to see if the car rental company can provide it for you.
• Find out about the car rental agency's emergency road service provisions.
• Do a "once over" of the car's interior and exterior, and report any dents, scratches, or other damage found before you leave the lot.

Check out the discounts and exclusive privileges offered to NEA members through the NEA Car Rental Program®. Call 1-800-637-4636. Have a great trip!

Last year, NEA members drove nearly 8 million miles with the NEA Car Rental Program.

On TV

Photo: MTV News	MTV News Presents—After the Tsunami MTV, April 4 and 18 (Part 1) and April 11 and 25 (Part 2), 4 a.m., ET. Check local listings. This two-part program explores the impact and aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, including aid missions, the scope of the damage, visits with survivors, and more. The 30-minute shows can be taped and used in the classroom for one year
	The Brooke Ellison Story A&E, April 5 and 6, 7 a.m., ET, check local listings. On her first day of middle school, Brooke Ellison was hit by a car, became permanently paralyzed from her neck down, and was forced to breathe with the help of a ventilator. Brooke's local school, however, does not want her back, in part because she needs a full-time nursing aide, necessitated by her immobility, her tracheotomy, and her cumbersome wheelchair with its portable ventilator. Brooke's mother steps in, becoming Brooke's nurse and helper during Brooke's school years. Brooke's hard work in high school earns her a spot at Harvard University, and Harvard in turn accepts the challenge of housing Brooke and her mother and providing the scholarship support she needs to study there. While her college years are full of ups and downs, Brooke manages to graduate summa cum laude.  Directed by Christopher Reeve, this story is not upbeat or sanitized; the parents are shown as tired, the siblings in shock, and the family's finances are nearly in ruins. And while her mind is sharp and her spirit strong, Brooke's body is barely functional, indeed, she must be turned every two hours to avoid the kind of pressure sores that caused Christopher Reeve's death. For more information, go to www.brookeellison.com
Photo Rick Friedman/Blackstar	TLC Elementary School The Learning Channel, April 8, 6 a.m., ET, check local listings. "Liftoff Into Space" examines the history of rockets, weightlessness, what makes the Sun rise and set, and humankind's fascination with Mars as part of a series designed for grades K–6 that consists of segments edited from original documentaries. The episode can be taped and used in the classroom for two years with teaching materials at www.discoveryschool.com.
	Biography—Dow and Jones: Wizards of Wall Street A&E, April 11, 7 a.m., ET. This documentary profiles the two men behind the stock index and explains how the Dow Jones works. Teaching materials can be found at www.aetv.com/class.
	In the Mix—Sex: Everyone's Doing it, Not! PBS, April 16–23, check local listings for times.         This special is aimed at raising awareness among teens that not "everyone" is having sex and that you don't have to be sexually active to be popular or in a loving relationship. Teens discuss the pressure from their peers and partners to have sex before they are ready, and the effect of the media that too often glamorizes sex as "cool" and consequence-free. Using humor and real experiences, the program shows the emotional and physical consequences of being sexually active and empowers viewers to stick by their decision to wait, providing the practical skills to resist pressures.
Photo Brett Von Buddenbrock/Grandad Media Group	Nature—Deep Jungle PBS, April 17 and 24 and May 1, 8 p.m., ET, check local listings. This three-part series examines how sophisticated technology is transforming our understanding of the world's jungles, from Borneo to Brazil. It also profiles the new breed of explorers who risk their lives to study these wild regions. These men and women use every new tool available, from lasers to GPS and digital cameras, to track animals and their habitats. Some are amateur sleuths, such as Martin Nicholas, who spends his free time searching for a mysterious "chicken-eating" spider (and finds one). Others are professionals, like Roman Dial, a biologist by training who also resembles a gymnast. Dial crawls among the forest canopy in Borneo, using long lines of rope to hang between trees. Dial has translated his findings into the first-ever 3-D graphic map of a jungle, making a remarkable grid of images worthy of any computer game. More information on the series can be found at www.thirteen.org or www.pbs.org.
Photo Gary L. Foreman	Time Machine—Boone and Crockett: The Hunter Heroes History Channel, April 18–19, 6 a.m., ET. Pioneers Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett, who blazed early paths to the American West, are profiled in this two-part program. It can be taped and used in the classroom for two years with teaching materials available at www.historychannel.com/classroom.
Photo Chester Higgins JNR	Inside the Pyramids Discovery Channel, April 21, 5 a.m., ET. This hourlong program explores how and why pyramids were built around the world and examines the life of Sneferu, the first pyramid builder in Egypt. Can be taped and used in the classroom for one year. Teaching materials are available at www.discoveryschool.com.
	National Geographic's Strange Days on Planet Earth PBS, April 20 and 27, check local listings for times. This four-part series is constructed as a high-tech detective story, with the fate of the planet at stake. The program follows scientists as they try to solve ecological mysteries. Segments include "Invaders," which looks at alien species of plants and animals that have invaded every continent; "The One Degree Factor," which explores the connection between energy use and the planet-wide transformation of climate that is occurring; "Predators," which looks at the links between deforestation and the depletion of natural predators in the functioning of ecosystems; and "Troubled Waters," which focuses on cutting-edge research to solve the worldwide problem of toxins in the water.
	In the Mix—Ethics: Cheating and Plagiarism PBS, April 23–30, check local listings for times. Is copying homework from a friend considered cheating? What about the Internet? Polls show that 80 percent of high school students admit to having cheated. In this episode of In the Mix, teens speak out frankly about the reasons they feel the need to cheat. They also raise questions about the definition of cheating and when it can be considered acceptable, if ever. Viewers then meet ninth-graders from a New Jersey high school who are required to participate in a series of courses on a variety of ethics topics. In a cheating and plagiarism workshop, the students wrestle with typical situations and come up with solutions. This program is designed to open classroom discussion and critical thinking about ethical behavior among students in grades 5–12.
	Launching Young Readers—Becoming Bilingual PBS in April, check local listings for dates and times. For an educator who speaks only English, teaching students who speak another language can be a daunting prospect.  Yet each year, teachers face larger numbers of students who don't speak English at home. Part of the Reading Rockets' Launching Young Readers series, "Becoming Bilingual" highlights successful strategies in teaching English-language learners to read by visiting schools in Texas, Virginia, California, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and Oregon.
On TV listings are provided by Kidsnet, a national resource for children's media in Washington, D.C., and by Cable in the Classroom's Access Learning magazine.

Diversity Calendar

April

April 10–16—National Library Week

The American Library Association sponsors this week to encourage the use and support of all types of libraries. For more, see www.ala.org/pio/nlw.

April 22—Earth Day

A day to remember our responsibility toward the environment and to commit to better stewardship of the Earth's resources in the upcoming year. For more, see www.earthday.net.

April 23—Birthday of William Shakespeare

The renowned English poet and playwright was born on this day 1564 and died on the same day in 1616.

April 29—National Arbor Day

The National Arbor Foundation sponsors this day to encourage people to plant and care for trees. For more, see www.arborday.org.

May

May 1–31—National Sight-Saving Month

Sponsored by Prevent Blindness America, this day promotes awareness of the importance of eye care, safety, and early detection of eye problems.

May 4—Birthday of Horace Mann

Born in 1796, Mann is considered the father of the American free public school system. He died in 1859.

May 5—Cinco de Mayo

The anniversary of the 1862 Battle of Puebla, in which Mexico defeated the French army.

May 16—Celebration of Buddha's Birthday

This founder of Buddhism lived from 563 to 480 B.C.

Take Note

Fighting for Health Care Coverage

There are 45 million Americans without health coverage, including 8.5 million children. And the problem won't get better soon. Rising health care costs keep individuals, businesses, and state governments from purchasing health care coverage. We need to act now to reverse this trend. Cover The Uninsured Week, May 1–8, will feature kick-off events, health and enrollment fairs, seminars for small businesses, campus events, and interfaith activities across the country. Town hall meetings will also be held nationwide to discuss proposals for achieving affordable and stable health care coverage for all Americans. These efforts seek to inform our nation's leaders about policy proposals to expand health care coverage to the uninsured and make coverage more affordable. For updates on events in your area, and materials to plan events in your community, go to www.covertheuninsuredweek.org. The site also features resources on how to find, afford, and improve health care coverage; state guides to finding health care coverage; and  suggestions for how individuals can help the uninsured.

Student Journalism Online

TEENSPEAK Today for the Leaders of Tomorrow, is a quarterly publication, written by teens for teens, intended to inspire young people to take an interest in the issues that confront our country and our world. TeenSpeak was established to help eradicate the apathy and complacency many youth feel about what happens in their communities, their country, and their world. TeenSpeak reporters learn fundamental skills in journalism. They interview prominent people in our world who lead by example. Through their articles, they inspire their peers to take an interest in topics that they might not otherwise be interested in learning about. TeenSpeak is growing an international forum with reporters as far away as Pakistan, India, Israel, China, and France. Students ages 16–23 can submit editorials on any issue for consideration for publication. For more information,  you can e-mail teenspk@optonline.net. No downloads or attached files are accepted. For a free subscription, sign up at www.teenspeaknews.com.

Lesson Plans from the U.S. Mint Photos & Illustrations: Getty Images The U.S. Mint offers the newest 50 State Quarters Program lesson plans. The plans, which can be downloaded for free, feature the California, Minnesota, Kansas, Oregon, and West Virginia commemorative quarter-dollar coins to be released this year. The lesson plans were created and reviewed by teachers to meet national curricular standards and are appropriate for grades K–12.

Exploring Africa and Its Cultures This summer a two-person team will embark on a two-year-long, overland African expedition through 35 countries as part of the Tire Tracks Project—and they're inviting students around the world to virtually join them. At Tire Tracks, students and teachers will be able to access interactive, multi-media content about Africa and its people sent from the explorers that reinforces concepts taught in social studies, science, technology, and reflective writing courses. The team hopes to offer a fresh and balanced view of Africa, providing students with a new perspective on the continent. Students will also be able to participate in monthly and semester-end projects with other classes and interact frequently with the Tire Tracks Explorers, in addition to exchanging questions and ideas with the estimated 1,000+ participating classrooms. Sign up or for more information.

Immigrants in America

Mi Querida America, an online video documentary that follows a group of immigrant teens through their first year of high school in New York City, can be used to facilitate an inclusive discussion of immigration. Each of the short video segments on different topics can be viewed via the Internet and include suggested classroom activities including role-playing exercises and discussion questions. The program aims to use the subject of immigration as a vehicle to develop students' written and verbal communication skills as they respond to questions ranging from "Who was the first person in your family to come to the United States?" to "What does it take to be an American?" Check out Mi Querida America.

Arizona Mathematical Software

The University of Arizona has a wide variety of free, commercial, quality math software that can be used with students studying algebra, calculus, and differential equations.

Encouraging Service Learning

As part of the 17th Annual National Youth Service Day (NYSD), April 15–17, young people across America, with the help of millions of volunteers, will address important, unmet community needs through service-learning projects addressing literacy, hunger, public safety, and the environment. For more than 15 years, National Youth Service Day has brought together 28 million people in thousands of communities nationwide, mobilizing millions of America's youth to identify and address the needs of their communities through community service. Here's more information about National and Global Youth Service Day, including free planning materials and a curriculum guide.

Resources from the National Gallery of Art

Even if you missed National Gallery of Art's (NGA) special collection of Islamic masterpieces, it's not too late to learn more about it on the Web. NGA's site boasts several selections from the exhibit complete with detailed explanations. Discover how religion, politics, and world events affected art both ancient and modern. NGA also offers an instructional packet for teaching about Islamic art and culture including prints, slides, and a CD-ROM. It focuses on 20 examples of calligraphy, manuscript illumination, the decorative arts (textiles, metalwork, glass, ceramics), and architecture to address four general areas: arts for the mosque, Islamic science and learning, arts for the court, and exchange between East and West. Educators may request the packet for a nine-month loan period. For more on the exhibit, go to www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/islamic/index.htm. For more on the NGA loan program, go to www.nga.gov/education/classroom/loanfinder/.

On The Web

	Laugh It Up Prove to students that laughter and learning can coexist with the Museum of Humor's special site just for educators. Combining puppets with politics and satire with science, the site is home to hundreds of free lesson plans designed to get students motivated. More memorable suggestions include a "Family Feud" review class with the Montagues and Capulets and the detailed dissection of a dill pickle.
	Ability Hub This site boasts assistive technology FAQs and links for people with a disability who find operating a computer difficult. Links direct visitors to adaptive equipment and alternative methods available for accessing computers.
	Travels with Lewis & Clark The Missouri Historical Society's "Lewis & Clark The National Bicentennial Exhibition" is available online along with an accompanying, multi-disciplinary curriculum. The exhibition takes a long look at the cultural landscape encountered by Lewis and Clark, examining not only their experiences, but also asking "What did the expedition look like to American Indian eyes?" Designed for grades 4–12, the curriculum is divided into units that  follow the major thematic sections of the exhibition. These themes tell the story of the expedition through an approach that encourages students to examine multiple perspectives and use a variety of historical sources.
	Giving Back to the Community A Web site dedicated to teaching the importance of voluntary action for the common good in a democratic society, "Learning to Give" offers lesson plans, activities, and resources to educate youth about the power of philanthropy (sharing time, talent and treasure). Educators can also volunteer to test new curricula in their classrooms.
	Dealing with Bullies Bullies, peer pressure, and arguments with friends can be devastating to kids, so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a site, BAM! Body and Mind, to help them cope with these sticky situations. Using an interactive approach, such as a bully roundup game and an animated quiz, kids can learn social survival skills.
	Funding Help If you're new at writing grant proposals, "Show Me the Money: Tips & Resources for Successful Grant Writing" might help. The site offers practical tips on finding and getting grants, as well as a link to a grant match rubric to help you determine which grants are good for you.
	One from Many You've probably heard the phrase "E Pluribus Unum," but do you know its translation? The Latin term, meaning "one from many," lies at the core of American democracy. This site examines three decades of American history—1770s, 1850s, and 1920s—that tested the nation's ability to remain united despite dividing forces. Primary documents such as speech transcripts, diaries, and trial testimonies offer access to some tumultuous times in our past. Designed with teachers in mind, the site provides lesson plans for each era.
	Voice from the Past Step into the life and times of early American Elizabeth Murray with an online collection of her personal belongings. Complete with maps, portraits, and letters, Murray's possessions provide a firsthand account of the American Revolution. Catering to educators of all levels, the site supplies grade-specific materials, assignments, and interactive exercises regarding this fascinating, but largely forgotten, figure.
	Quick Facts on Countries Information on more than 200 countries and territories can be found at this site. National geography, economic data, demographic statistics, country maps and flags, descriptions of national military forces, overviews of each country's governmental structure, and data on transportation and telecommunications can all be found at this part- almanac, part-atlas site.
	China the Beautiful This virtual museum offers rich media on subjects such as the Beijing Opera, calligraphy, dragons, emperors, New Year, and Zen Buddhism. Online tools include maps, discussion boards, dictionaries, flash cards, and tips for learning Chinese.

What's Up at HIN

NEA HIN Now Accepting Nominations for the Ryan White HIV Prevention Award

Each year HIN presents the Ryan White HIV Prevention Award to an NEA member or affiliate who has demonstrated a commitment to implementing or supporting innovative HIV prevention education programs. Previous winners have included the Washington Education Association, Phillip Armstrong of South Carolina, and last year’s honoree, Cynthia Louden of Pennsylvania. The award will be presented at the 2005 NEA Representative Assembly in Los Angeles, California. To nominate an individual or affiliate contact Paul Sathrum for a nomination form at 202-822-7787. The deadline for applications is May 27, 2005.

SmartBODY: A Tool for School Wellness Policies

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires federally funded school districts to develop and implement a local wellness policy by the fall of 2006. This policy will address nutrition and physical education, establish an assessment plan, and involve a wide range of stakeholders. Does your school or district need a guiding hand in this effort? SmartBODY, HIN’s new fitness information center, contains model programs and useful links that can provide you with a starting point. Check it out at: www.neasmartbody.org.

National PTA Supports Construction and Renovation to Promote Healthy Schools