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Canada Science & Technology Museum

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/index.cfm

Target Audience
Grades - 3-5 6-8 9-12

This is an easily accessible site with short illustrated text pages, available (via a choice at the beginning) in either English or French. The Museum's charter is, "History and recent advances in physical sciences, communications, space, transportation, and renewable resources" - with a focus, of course, on Canadian contributions. Offerings include: sound recording, public electric lighting, electronic music, washing machines, and cycles. The last is a short but rather comprehensive illustrated essay on bicycles and their antecedents, including: the hobby horse, invented in Germany by Baron Karl von Drais, rather a fad from 1817-1819; the velocipede, originating in France and popular in the late 1860s, which added cranks and pedals; and the high wheeler. Among the illustrations are some posters and catalog covers that are reminiscent of our psychedelic posters of the 1960s - except that these are from the 1890s. Also of interest is "A Sampler of Scientific Instruments," which has illustrations and descriptions of a selection of laboratory equipment, meteorological apparatus, and surveying instruments. The latter ranges from GPS to the plumb bob and includes alidades and plane tables. The museum lists among its assets a collection of thirty-eight thousand railroad photographs, mostly of Canadian railroads but also including some others. The Museum looks very interesting; its website is somewhat more oriented toward its local public than toward remote netsurfers, but merits a look especially if you are interested in bicycles, or if you plan to visit Ottawa.

Reviewer Name:	Paul R. Cooley
Reviewer Affiliation:	The Aerospace Corporation
Site Title:	Canada Science & Technology Museum
Site Owner/Developer:	Canada Science & Technology Museum
Date of Review:	02/7/2001
Technical Environment used for testing:	Memory: 16M+ Browser: Netscape 4.0 Internet Connection: Cable