Description: The Annenberg/CPB Exhibits site offers visitors extension of the content presented in the organization's video series. Through 11 unique sites, users can learn about weather, amusement park physics, the Middle Ages, and volcanoes.

Great site because:

• The 11 sites' graphics are representative of each topic and manage to immerse visitors in the environments without employing Flash technology (or, in some cases, very little in the form of introductions). They illustrate how exciting sites can be without interactive technologies.
• The exhibits are on a variety of popular topics, which could make the site a great companion to more traditional teaching methods. The content includes interactive elements and is highly educational without being dull.

Briar Press

Description: Briar Press, which is "preserving the art of the letterpress," is geared toward people in the industry but is a good resource for anyone wanting to learn about printing. In addition to a glossary, a directory of letterpress organizations, and an online museum, the site offers free clipart of vintage ornaments and initials that can be converted to letterpress characters.

Great site because:

• Briar Press salutes the letterpress industry but clearly has embraced new technologies by providing a clean, elegant resource. The site exemplifies the attractiveness of simplicity.
• The site makes the art of letterpress interesting and teaches the printing history in a classy environment. Briar Press could make a great teaching tool.

Defenders of Wildlife

Description: Defenders of Wildlife is a site that is devoted to teaching conservation and environmental kindness. The homepage is relatively simple but eye catching, and the site's content is well organized. The resource offers news, tips for preserving the environment, and ways of making donations and adopting animals in the wild.

Great site because:

• Defenders of Wildlife embodies the outdoors through its use of color, images, and overall design. Unlike some sites, it manages to evoke the environment in which it is involved.
• The site offers a link to the Defenders of Wildlife's Kids' Planet, which provides fun, interactive ways for children to learn about conservation around the world. A great learning tool.

The Long Village

Description: The Long Village documents the lives of three individuals traveling the waterways of Europe. The main attraction of the site is the six newsletters, the first of which includes diary entries, the history of the locations being visited, and recipes.

Great site because:

• The Long Village is like an online logbook and diary, but instead of focusing on everyday encounters, the authors take interesting tidbits of their travels and turn them into interesting features. This site is the epitome of travel documentation.
• The newsletter (currently only the first is available) is laid out just like a traditional magazine but includes a rotating feature image and simple rollovers. (If more online books and magazines were like this one, I would be less reluctant to believe that paper resources are going by the wayside!)

Moonflowers by Don Barnett

Description: Don Barnett's Moonflowers is the equivalent of an online portfolio that includes seamless background images, unique typography for sale, and artwork. The illustrations on each page are fairytale-esque and add to the laid-back environment of the site.

Great site because:

• Moonflowers makes use of mostly illustrations (very little Flash is used) and but is of the caliber of several of the more interactive sites available. This site illustrates how simple rollovers can be sufficient in setting a mood.
• The artwork section of the site includes links to several websites that have the same unique touches as Moonflowers; all are unlike anything else that is currently online.

Mysteries of the Nile

Description: A NOVA online special and part of PBS online, Mysteries of the Nile is an "online adventure" that guides visitors through the Old Kingdom, the New Kingdom, and Raising the Obelisk. The expedition, which took place in 1999, relayed live dispatches and photos that are now archived on the site.

Great site because:

• The Explore Ancient Egypt section of the site presents visitors with interactive 360 degree QTVR photos; the site shows how to achieve interaction without Flash technology.
• In addition to the expedition information, the site offers classroom resources to integrate the site into other learning activities.

National Geographic Kids

Description: National Geographic Kids integrates all of the education provided on the adult site but also includes kid-friendly content, Flash animations, and contests. The site is an extension of the magazine, so the content is updated regularly.

Great site because:

• The site makes learning about nature topics interesting for children, and the information could easily be used to augment traditional teaching methods.
• Simple Flash elements, like rollover links that produce audio and gyrate, and a navigation bar that includes a small mountain climber who moves with the mouse, add to the interaction of the learning environment.

National Geographic Online

Description: National Geographic Online features a variety of information from around the world on animals, history, news, photography, and travel. Special features on topics such as Pearl Harbor and Mount Everest are introduced frequently, and an online store is available.

Great site because:

• National Geographic Online is devoted to numerous topics, so it is a great site to visit when needing to learn more about a subject or create a design with elements from certain parts of the world.
• The site offers several kids pages, many of which are interactive, a feature that makes National Geographic Online a good learning resource for all ages.

Rainforestweb.org

Description: Rainforestweb.org is site devoted to the conservation of the world's rainforests. Geared for adults, the resource offers news, tips on helping, information about the current state of rainforests, and campaigns.

Great site because:

• The design's colors and images evoke the environment of the world's rainforests, which helps visitors become immersed in the topic without Flash interaction.
• Rainforestweb.com includes a great deal of information but manages to categorize it all into a few simple headings to help visitors quickly locate content without being confused by the navigation. A great example of a portal.

Sahara

Description: PBS's online resource on the Sahara Desert offers information about the area as well as a background of how the television program was produced. Users can explore the geography, people, climate, and wildlife of the Sahara, all of which make the site an immersive resource.

Great site because:

• The layout is similar to a travel diary and is reminiscent of Indiana Jones films; it helps to create the scenario of a journey through the Sahara to get visitors interested in the content.
• The interior navigation bar at the bottom of each page is very unique in that it is similar to a drawing of a trail on a map. In addition to further helping to set the environment, the element allows users to view the information linearly, if they prefer.

Seattle Opera

Description: The Seattle Opera's site helps visitors explore all aspects of the organization, including current operas, ticket information, the latest news, a calendar of events, and ways to get involved. The site is highly image-based but loads quickly.

Great site because:

• Opera is sometimes considered to be an uninteresting pastime, but the site manages to appeal to a variety of audiences by including colorful descriptions and bold, contemporary images.
• The layout and color scheme (dark aqua, dusty rose, and brown-red) of the Seattle Opera's site is unique but works wonderfully; the resource, then, reminds visitors how offbeat color combinations can work together to create an inviting environment.

Secrets of the Dead

Description: Secrets of the Dead, a PBS online presentation based on the company's television programs, includes several sections including Titanic's Ghosts, Murder at Stonehenge, Day of the Zulu, and The Great Fire of Rome. Every case file presents background information, clues and evidence to solving the puzzle, and interviews.

Great site because:

• The homepage as well as the first page of every case is stunning because of the fiery color combinations, gripping images, and great text.
• All of the sections include a great deal of interactivity through the clues and evidence area without using Flash; the site is a nice reminder how visitors can get involved without encountering the newest technologies.

Strange & Beautiful Music

Description: Strange & Beautiful Music focuses on the art of John Lurie and Marvin Pontiac. While the site has not been updated in some time, there are links to news, tour information, a mailing list, and buying options.

Great site because:

• The homepage is unusual but sets the tone for the entire site; it uses rare color schemes, quirky illustrations and animations, and comical speech. The site illustrates how elements that might not normally be used can effectively create the ideal environment.
• Strange & Beautiful Music's site is noteworthy in its uniqueness. While at first it is difficult to determine the purpose of the resource, visitors are drawn in by its bizarre but attractive design (just as its name implies).

Webmonkey for Kids

Description: Webmonkey for Kids, the junior version of the popular Webmonkey web developer's guide, teaches children the basics of web design. In addition to tutorials, learners can access projects and download free design programs.

Great site because:

• While Webmonkey for Kids is intended for children, it is a great learning site for anyone getting started in web design.
• The website and lessons are easy to follow, and the design and color scheme appeal to children who are visually oriented.

The Yuckiest Site on the Internet

Description: Discovery's Yuckiest Site on the Internet is a resource for learning about body functions and other intriguing topics. Visitors can also ask questions and play games like Whack-a-Roach.

Great site because:

• The Yuckiest Site on the Internet is guided by Wendell the worm reporter and his child friend; this touch helps to make the site more interactive and fun to navigate.
• The information presented is highly educational but appeals to children by covering the topics that are the most fascinating. The site also helps to make strange and uncomfortable body functions seem not so weird or scary.

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