Show me some good newbie intros to GNU/Linux

[Alan Davis <adavis@saipan.com>]

I am trying to write this myself.  I have found nothing that explains GNU/Linux adequately to my students.  I teach Biology at a public high school on the island of Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States.  Many of my students have never used computers before.  The highest level computer course at our school is computer literacy, which I think is an introduction to M$ Works (call that literacy?).  

I have a four machine GNU/Linux (Debian) net in my classroom, for student use.  Many students have gotten to know the basics---which consists of how to start up Galeon or Netscape, even how to log on as "students".  (I set up one account, so far, for most students, and leave the machine logged on to that account.  Comments?)

This is a demonstration/proof of concept project.  This is a Biology class; I don't have the free reign to spend two weeks on computer basics.  I have the students read Sterling's Brief History of the Internet, give them a few pointers of web searching, show them galeon, and let them search.  Some students do quite well.  

But I CANNOT FIND any single good introduction to GNU/Linux that is geared to this leverl.  Here is a typical opening paragraph:

   Linux is a POSIX compliant, UNIX-like operating system, with a kernel    written by a Finnish graduate student, and etc., etc., etc.  

Con someone point me to some documents that actually attempt to explain what the differences are, from Windoze and the Mac (the two computers with which students are obviously acquainted)? 

I am writing this from scratch.  I am sure someone else has already done a better job than I can do---given that unique combination of nerd/geek/hacker/teacher?

I'm not sure this list is the best place to take up the issue---but it's a good one.  

Alan Davis
Marianas High School
Saipan, NMI
adavis@saipan.com

-- 
adavis@saipan.com                                     1-670-322-6580
    Alan E. Davis,  PMB 30, Box 10006, Saipan, MP 96950-8906, CNMI

I have steadily endeavored to keep my mind free, so as to give up any
hypothesis, however much beloved -- and I cannot resist forming one 
on every subject -- as soon as facts are shown to be opposed to it.  
                                  -- Charles Darwin (1809-1882)