NOVA: Sputnik Declassified
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/

The Russian satellite Sputnik was one of the many very visible and tangible markers of the Cold War, and it was effectively the first proverbial shot fired in the so-called “Space Race” during the 1950s and 1960s. Recently, PBS’s NOVA program decided to draw on newly released top-secret documents to offer a portrait of this famous satellite and the early days of the Space Race. Visitors can get started by watching a short preview of the program, and then dive right into the “Build a Rocket” feature, which as one might imagine, will let future (or current) rocket scientists assemble a German V-2 rocket. Visitors looking for a broader exploration of the events of the Space Race, will want to look at the interactive timeline and then continue on to the “What Satellites See” area, which talks a bit about how images from these devices are used by scientists on the ground. Additionally, the site contains a helpful teacher’s guide and a collection of external links and suggested reading. This has been added to Astronomy Resources Subject Tracer™ Information Blog. From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/