Gull Photo Archive
This site has images of different types of gulls. Within each type it tracks one gull over three seasons as the bird matures. It has a visual analysis of each bird which helped the scientist/photographer track the same bird. Visual data also changes slightly as the bird matures.
We are trying to identify databases of images that can be used with our computer based tools in a science curriculum. We are mainly looking for images that are visually interesting and are also taken from a common vantage point with similar light conditions. The following is a list of image databases that we are considering. If you know of other image databases that might compliment this set, please contact us
Japanese Ant Color Image Database
A color database of ants that live in Japan. Our curriculum materials that deal with science take
images from this database.
Bird Image Galleries
The following Bird websites came from a list found in this site. There are literally 1,000Ős of bird images on the web. I could look through this site for days.
The Birds
Bird Images Gallery
Between these two sites there are hundreds of pictures of birds. Most are photographs - some are drawings. The problem is that they are not always from the same angle. Though the majority show the bird standing in profile, some show the bird in flight. These may be too different from each other to be used, but these sites have a wealth of images.
Carter's rare birds
This database of 35 images of rare ducks is closer to what we are looking for for in that almost all the ducks are shot floating on top of the water and from the side. Some are shot closer up than others though. And this database may be too small for anything but a beginner exercise.
Birds of Mexico
A project that documented 57 birds of Mexico. All are shot close-up and in the same scale (held in the hand of a scientist). Occassionally, because these birds are alive, they may have their head turned forward, but the vast majority are in profile. This seems to be the most promising.
(http://www.mbr.nbs.gov/bbs/pictlist.html is another government project that documents well over 50 birds but it does not have the same consistency in the pictures as the above site.)
ZooNet Image Archives
The Houston Zoo photographed all of their birds (in fact, all of their animals) from the same distance and approximately same angle. They have over 60 birds.
World Species List - Fish Database
This is a list of fish-related sites. It is enormous, but not everything necessarily has images. The following sites come from this link:
Catalog of Freshwater Fish
A database with hundreds of pictures of fish. It has a search engine that allows you to search for them by type, common name, scientific name and other criteria. It was compiled by two people who run a pet store - so all of the fish that would normally go in an aquarium, which I think makes it more interesting because classrooms (and children in their homes) often have aquarium. Nevertheless, some of the fish are very exotic, high-end, tropical fish.
Guppy Photo Home Page
A site with pictures of nearly 40 guppies, divided by variety.
Fish Link Central - Fish Photos
A site with pictures of hundreds of fish. But an annoying advertisement is on the top of every screen. The pictures are not totally consistent in size, angle etc.
Vascular Plant Families
A huge database of flowering-plant images arranged in scientific taxonomies by the University of Hawaii Botany department. These seem perfect. I think the flowering plant families are the most interesting.
College of Creative Studies
This is a description of a college level course on visual literacy that was taught at the College of Creative Studies, part of University of California at Santa Barbara. It contains links to the UCSB art faculty web page and web pages of the individual faculty members.
Bellingham, Washington Public Schools
Visual Literacy: Module Two argues for the importance of visual literacy education. It includes some sample excercises that can be done with images from the Library of Congress collection.
University of Oregon
An excellent resource on visual literacy compiled by the University of Oregon, with links to dozens of image databases on the web. The site includes curricular ideas for children, with links to current visual literacy projects. Professional organizations who work in this field are also included.
Art Education Dynamics
A site that has many examples of artworks and the visual components that each work teaches. The results of a student art contest consist of technically skilled works created after famous artists, such as VanGogh and Picasso. However, the site is primarily an advertisement for their visual literacy software.
The Web Museum
A site that combines works of art from Museums all over France in an easily explorable database. For each work the site includes information on the works of art and their patrons, history related to the object, and a very helpful glossary. Special exhibitions are organized within the site, such as a collection of the Duc de Berry's Medieval Book of Hours.
Center for Documentary Studies
The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University has created several projects where children learn photography or filmaking skills and combine them with writing and learning about their community. This site is primarily an introduction to the center and does not show any of the students' projects.