Index Mundi - Maps and information for every nation on Earth

Index Mundi is a site that provides a huge amount of information about every nation in the world. This site is a data portal full of information, statistics, charts and maps that users will find easy to navigate because the information is all categorized and is easily accessible on the home page. The site not only offers data about individual nations but it has comparison maps and charts as well as an entire area dedicated just to the United States. With data ranging from health, to economics, to energy consumption,and so much more, Index Mundi is an amazingly useful site that just about any educator can use in the classroom.

Find the Data - Easily Discover and compare information

Searching the internet for statistical information is often difficult and tedious as you have to scroll though many websites before you find the data you need. Then you have to sort the information once you have found it. If it is information you need then a site called Find the Data is your answer. They have a cornucopia of relevant information and data that is accessible and easy to interpret. Their site has nine categories but the easiest way to find what you are looking for is to use their prominent search bar at the top of the page. If you have extra time you may want to dive deeper into the information held within each category because this site contains so much fascinating information. Another great feature to this site is the ability to easily compare the data sets you want. Find the Data is a great site for anyone looking for information on a topic. Students will find this site to be handy for research projects and teachers may want to utilize it in their lesson planning.

Three resources to discover new and interesting Infographics

Infographics are such a cool way to share information. A well done infographic can communicate so much information in such a short time but finding good ones can sometimes be a challenge. Well search no more as I have three excellent resources to assist you in discovering new and interesting infographics.

The Infographic Directory, by David Eaves, offers a large collection of infographics found on the web. Infographics are a growing way to communicate information is a visually appealing way. You can scroll through each page, use the search bar, or select from the categories listed on the right hand side of the site. Even though this site is less than a year old, it has an extensive collection of infographics for you to enjoy.

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Daily Infographic is a website that features the best and most dynamic infographics found on the world wide web. If you are searching for an infographic about a specific topic then this website can help you as well. You can use their search bar or just select the category that interests you and they will more than likely have the infographic you were looking for. If you really enjoy their site then you can subscribe to their site and have daily infographics emailed to you.

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The final resource  is a collection of nearly 600 infographics that have been put together on a Pinterest board by Randy Krum.

Bacon Wrapped Media

The internet has its fair share of sites that feature quotes, funny pictures, demotivational posters, and amazing facts. Bacon Wrapped Media is a site that contains all of the above and more. It is a one stop shop for all the entertaining and funny bits of the web all rolled into one greasy internet snack. At Bacon Wrapped Media you can laugh, be inspired, and learn something new in a matter of a few minutes.

History, Congress, and Funny laws

We humans are such creatures of habit. We tend to eat at the same restaurants, shop at the same stores, and visit the same websites. I am certainly guilty of being overly "brand loyal." My blog has really opened my eyes to how many amazing websites are out there on the world wide web. I really hope you have found some of the websites I share to be both useful and interesting.

First on the agenda is Congress.org. This website provides daily coverage of issues being discussed by Congress. It provides news and information while making it easy for citizens to find out how their elected officials are voting. If you are unhappy with the direction of our country then start visiting this site and become a more active citizen.

Next is History Pin, an online collection of photographs, videos, audio files, and text that have been shared by people from around the world. Their tag line is "a global community collaborating around history." Users can post their documents or search a map to find things in their area or search by collection, channel, and project. This site is great for educators as well as anyone interested in history.

Last is the lighter side of the law from Lawyers.com. This collection has pages of dumb criminals, kooky court cases, and crazy laws that are sure to entertain. No matter how you feel about Lawyers, you will most likely enjoy these stories from the funny side of the law.

Did You Stumble Upon Book RX?

I begin today with a very cool web tool from Northwestern University called Book RX. This website will generate a list of book recommendations by analyzing your Twitter activity. It could be good way to come up with book ideas for yourself or you could use it to find gift ideas for friends and family who love to read.

If you would like to impress your friends and colleagues with endless facts and trivia then why not check out Did You Know. This site offers pages upon pages of informative tidbits to read and enjoy. While you won't find the answers to life's big questions, this site does offer a great deal of interesting information.

Stumble Upon is one of my absolute favorite sites. I mentioned in an earlier post that it is one of the ways I discover the websites that I share in this blog. Whether or not you use Stumble Upon, why not check out the Best of Stumble Upon, a blog dedicated to the interesting things found on the Stumble Upon site.