Wonderful creative and interactive tools to teach and learn geography.  This site provides two (soon there will be more, we can hope) GeoLabs that can be used by students to learn about a wide range of geographic and statistical skills, from using per capita calculations to learning about correlations.

Students follow the specific directions of the GeoLab to move through the incredibly rich NationMaster database, answering questions along the way. Their answers are sent directly to their teacher’s e-mail address (which students provide before beginning the exercise.) This is a very simple, practical way that NationMaster has bridged the divide between the web page and the chalkboard.

No registration or payment is required.  According to the site, "this is an entirely free project which will hopefully open some young eyes to the rather rewarding field of statistics and country information."

The two Geolabs currently available:

Understanding Statistical Measurements Recommended for Students in 5th, 6th and 7th grade

Correlations and Variable Relations Recommended for students in 11th and 12th Grade, as well as first and second year post-secondary students.

Link: NationMaster – NationMaster’s GeoLab.