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December 2006

Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Everything but the smells of the nearly 400 species at the National Zoo..
GRADE LEVEL: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm

	CONTENT: The Smithsonian National Zoological Park Website is the virtual National Zoo. It offers information, photographs, and live Webcams for many of the 2,000 animals of nearly 400 species that inhabit the zoo.
	SITE DESIGN: This well organized site is easily navigated from the front page image map. Users can click on the animal group of their choice or use the drop down menu “Animals, etc.” at the top of the page. A bottom navigation bar is also available for moving to other areas of the site.
	REVIEW: This Website has a wealth of information and resources for teaching and learning about animals. From the main page select any of sixteen areas of the zoo to explore: African Savanna, Amazonia, Asia Trail, Asian Elephants, Backyard Biology, Birds, Giant Pandas, Great Apes, Great Cats, Invertebrates, Kid’s Farm, North America, Ocean Living, Reptiles and Amphibians, and Small Mammals. Each of these features include photo galleries, live Webcams, articles, and information about the animals that live there. Educators can find online resources for teaching about animals such as fact sheets, ZooGoer articles, and curriculum guides that can be downloaded or ordered for free. Kids will want to check out the Just for Kids section located in the bottom navigation bar. This section provides over twenty jigsaw puzzles, fact sheets for homework help, articles about the stories behind the animal names, and other goodies such as a virtual world tour, interactive games and puzzles, and coloring pages.
	RELATED REVIEWS: Science: Zoology Science: Life Science Internet: Interactive Web Sites Students: Homework Help Parents: Home Schooling

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12/13/2006