Ever looked for a way to make sense out of all those crazy stats about global poverty? It's hard to turn all those numbers into something people can grasp, let alone show people why everyone thinks Americans are rich. Enter The Global Rich List, a project of a London creative company using World Bank statistics. The site lets you enter an annual salary in multiple currencies and then ranks you globally. It's surprising. And challenging.
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Now and then, I need pictures of animals. Sometimes, I need pictures of very specific animals, and on occasion, I even need video. Granted, it's not so common, but when you want to use an illustration about a Madagascar Grass Owl, there's nothing like a photo. Enter the Arkive--a collection of image and video documentation aspiring to someday capture every species on the planet. Take a peek sometime and imagine all the ways it could be useful.
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Ok, I know this outs my nerdness, but it's just cool. I've known Google was working on it, but I had no idea of its power until last weekend, when I was doing some research on a Greek word and really needed to check its use by Herodotus. Seriously. I warned you. Anyway, I was having trouble with Perseus (long story) and Ι was desperate. I typed in "Herodotus" and "σκῆπτρον" (it didn't find the word I needed, but I knew this one was used with it--not perfect, but still cool). It brought up the reference I needed--to the paragraph--and highlighted. Amazing.
It's a rare day you need a word like that, BUT imagine trying to find a quote, or a famous line. OR imagine tracking down a primary source. And you'll be amazed at how much material they already have online. Many things with expired copyrights are out there as usual, but there are just as many newer books either being allowed or ignored. For you theologians, there is a surprising amount of biblical material (think of those old commentary citations you've wanted to track down--like Baur and Schlier). Of course, a lot of it is German!
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What a great idea for running through pics of the last big event or to handling less-than-exciting announcements! This guy took the first three Star Wars films and boiled them into a minute-fifteen. I'm betting we could easily do the same with a collection of mission trip pictures or a montage of new construction footage. It's a nice reminder of a lower-tech way to tell old stories and make them "new." Seriously--wouldn't this be a great way to use Braveheart or Gladiator as an illustration?
Link via TestPatten
This one may not seem to fit our Crosstie.org theme, but take a peek and you'll see a wealth of great ways to introduce world events, understand political debates or review the year. Cartoonist Daryl Cagle [wiki] has been indexing political cartoons from around the world for about six years and has an amazing collection that express a range of views and opinions. They lampoon everyone from Katie Couric to James Brown and give us a glimpse of ourselves from perspectives across the pond. And they're searchable! Two great new features are a separate site where you can pay for any cartoons you want to use/own ($3 for in the classroom), and a special selection of free toons for teachers.
The site used to be linked from Slate Magazine, but it is ultimately held under the auspices of MSNBC.
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It's a little difficult to browse and I'm not going to highlight the whole thing tonight, but the Edison Collection alone is a treasure trove of goofy introductions, historical novelties and observation exercises. The whole thing is silent and every last one is downloadable in multiple formats--safe to play on your laptop or iPod far from a wireless connection.
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Sometimes, you just need a little bump to get the creativity flowing. Neatorama is my favorite site for doing just that. No, it isn't about Jesus or God or faith, but it's a great place to stumble across some obscure photo, video or news item that would make the perfect illustration or introduction for a tired lesson (like this). And it's pretty clean to boot. There are multiple sites offering a smorgasboard of information, but I subscribe to this one, and every time I read it I catch myself thinking, "Neat."
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If you wanted creative video illustrations a few years back, you had two options: do it yourself or buy a pre-made DVD and re-write what you really wanted to say so you could use the DVD. The first one was often beyond reach. The second, if you were like me and had the idea a bit late in the game, you needed the video now--not after a week after you ordered it. Times have changed. At Sermon Spice, you can search by keyword, view an entire video online, buy it (and only it) and immediately download a full size version. Nice. And, they host videos from many places and artists, so you can find what fits your message and not have to re-work the message to fit the video.
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Since 12-DEC-2006
