This site is for female science teachers and students who like to network! Nearly every listing in the drop-down index leads to a registry or a database of some sort. Whether it be the International Registry for Women in Science (listing names, occupations, and academic backgrounds of more than 120 participants available as mentors and contact persons in their fields) or the Teacher Resource area that allows teachers to enter their favorite lesson plans, the site allows ample opportunity to enter names and field of specialty at least once! Teachers beware. As requested by the Web's creators, only serious registrants should add their names to the registries. When I looked in the Future Scientists section, nearly all of the 135 entries were from 4th graders at a parochial school or high school students from a public high school in what may be Australia. The Future Scientists section invites participants to add their names, schools, grade levels, and a few sentences describing their dream science jobs in the future. Recent entries from the aforementioned include finding a cure for Parkinson's disease, learning how to communicate with animals, and discovering a lifetime cure for hiccups. I could not tell from one or two visits how frequently this sight is monitored or updated by the Web's creators.
A link to Electronic Fieldtrips opens the door to visitors to witness various disciplines in action (ranging from astronomy and geology to karyotyping and chemistry) through miscellaneous images. An ultimate Special Field Trip is offered as a quiz encompassing pieces from each of the specialized field trips.
A Fun and Games section includes crosswords and word searches in each of the major science disciplines.
Other sections to visit include Biographies, Interviews, a Chat Room, and Guestbook & Comments. Students can even log into a Student Medal Awards section to print out an award with their name on it for having visited any number of the site's links.
The Quickfinder (drop down menu) that materializes on each screen of the site does make the site easy to navigate. Buttons to other links appear at the bottom of each section. Special effects are simple, and include rolling credits on the “page.”
Teachers should guide students through this website with specific instructions for its use and effectiveness. Younger students might use it for a “scavenger hunt,” in which they need to find out information about a special kind of scientist or career. Older students might do a little actual networking, chatting or interviewing a female scientist. Teachers themselves can use the sight for professional development and networking, too!
**Review Updated: 2/6/03
The Women in Science website is now part of the Think Quest website. This fact has not changed the content of the site. All of the above mentioned features are still available.
