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Science
"Anyone
who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
(Albert Einstein)
National Museum of Education: http://nmoe.org/giftshop/
The National Museum of Education is offering materials for K-12 teachers on innovation, invention, problem-solving and design. These materials are designed to meet state and national standards in science, technology, social studies, and more. You can find original downloads for classroom use and technology integration ideas including problem-solving activities, invention research and student completions. Although free, some items do carry shipping and handling charges.
NIH Office of Science Education: http://science.education.nih.gov/home2.nsf/Careers/F4DC786C2DC6E5548525733E0063F93F
Women Are Scientists is a series of free videos from the national Institutes of Health that showcase successful female scientists in their respective specialties. The videos are designed to motivate students to take more challenging advanced science and math courses and to enable them to successfully direct their career paths.
DragonflyTV: http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/
DragonflyTV, the PBS series that shows real kids doing real science, is exploring the world of nanoscale science and technology this season. A nonometer, or one-billionth of a meter, is a size so small that materials take on new properties, making possible new applications in medicine energy efficiency and more. The show also offers a number of resources and activities for teachers and parents.
World Wildlife Federation: http://www.worldwildlife.org/climate/curriculum/item5944.html
The World Wildlife Federation Climate Change Team has developed a free comprehensive educational curriculum that will elevate students' knowledge of climate change and ways to help.
The high school-level curriculum is divided into 15 lessons which include handouts, a glossary of terms and additional resources for ongoing discussions and research.
Kids Saving Energy: Games http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/games.html
The United States Department of Energy has developed a variety of materials to help students understand and appreciate the importance of "Energy Smart Schools." The department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has developed a CD containing K-12 lessons and activities about energy efficiency and renewable energy. the CD is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh operating systems and is available by calling 877.33.3463. The department also offers an energy awareness activity book, filled with games and puzzles for students.
Birdcentral.net - Learning Science through the study of birds: http://birdcentral.net/index.htm
This site is about the study of birds, sSpecifically, the
600+ species that can be found in the lower 48 states.
Being a study of birds, it includes a great many different
disciplines such as zoology, ecology, and conservation.
The EPA Climate Change Kids Site: http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.htm
Animals - Discovery School.com: http://school.discovery.com/teachers/animals/
"One thing most children share is a fascination with animals. Tap
into this ready interest to teach the alphabet, WWII — and many aspects
of biology, of course — with these featured video clips, lesson plans,
discussion guide, and activities."
Weather and the Forces of Nature
*Web Weather for Kids: http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/
Learn about weather forces and news stories; explore the basics of forecasting
through activities and games.
*For Kids Only: Earth Science Enterprise: http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/
Explore how water, land, air and people interact with the earth and its
natural hazards.
*WeatherEye: http://weathereye.kgan.com/
Includes student and teacher pages, authentic lessons and unit plans on
all aspects of weather.
*Miami Museum of Science - Hurricane Main Menu: http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/
For grades 3-6, this interactive site allows children to practice their
hurricane tracking skills using longitude and latitude. Students more
from tracking dangerous hurricanes such as Andrew, Camille, and Hugo.
They learn about what goes on inside a hurricane, hurricane survivors,
weather instruments, and killer hurricanes.
*Kid's Hazard Quiz: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/kqStart.shtml
From the National Geophysical Data Center, this child-friendly site includes
interactive quizzes relating to tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes,
wildfires and more.
*Prepare Yourself!: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/07/gk2/prepare.html
From National Geographic and MarcoPolo, this lesson plan is designed to
help young children understand how people can protect themselves during
natural disasters.
* Exploring Weather & Climate Change Through the Powers of 10: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/
This earth science site provides ways for students to examine climate
change and variability over time.
*National Hazards Center: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/sites.html
Funded by several government agencies (including FEMA), this University
of Colorado research center collects and shares research and information
related to preparedness for,response to, and recovery from, natural disasters.
Includes teaching resources, a research database for the past ten years,
and E-mail Lists/Newsletters/Discussion Groups.
*FEMA: Tropical Storm Watch: http://www.fema.gov/storm/trop.shtm
Read, view, and listen to immediate storm advisories; follow storm-related
news; and track disaster forecasting, preparation and recovery. This site
includes the current list of storms and a glossary of severe weather watch
terms. Some information, including audio advisories are available in Spanish.
*Planet Diary: http://www.phschool.com/science/planetdiary/
View a weekly update of articles on the environment, focusing on natural
phenomena and events such as floods, fire, fauna,flora, earthquakes, drought,
health, volcanoes, oil spills, radioactivity, hurricanes, tornadoes, and
tropical storms. Background on each subject is provided with annotated
links as well as interactive activities and lesson plans for teachers
and students.
*National Hazard Statitics: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtml
This site from the National Weather Service provides statistical information
on fatalities, injuries, and damage caused by weather-related hazards
in the United Sates. Data foes back to 1995 and is available as summaries,
by sate, and by specific hazard such as lightning, tornado, tropical cyclone,
heat, flood, cold, winter storms, and wind.
*US Geological Hazards Team: http://geohazards.cr.usgs.gov/research.php
This is a central repository for researching, synthesizing, visualizing,
and analyzing natural hazard data, primarily for the United States. Examine
comprehensive research findings and studies on floods, landslides, earthquakes
and hurricanes, and information about related geologic features.
*Savage Earth: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/
Provides information and multimedia features on our ever changing planet,
volcanoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes. Scientists and journalists collaborate
to explain the science behind these natural phenomena and feature original,
clearly designed animation that illustrate their action.
*Hurricane Preparedness Week: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml
This site features a brief history of major hurricanes back to 1900, information
about how hurricanes are categorized using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane
Scale (from Category 1 to Category 5), the forecasting of hurricanes,
disaster plan tips, and information about marine safety, storm surges,
high wind, tornadoes, and inland floods.
*US Geological Survey: http://www.usgs.gov/
As the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian
mapping agency, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collects, monitors,
analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource
conditions, issues, and problems. One of its components, the Natural Hazards
Support System: http://nhss.cr.usgs.gov/
provides a tool that helps monitor, respond to, and analyze natural hazards,
(hurricanes, earthquakes, fires) around the world. Launch the viewer,
identify your interest, redraw the map, and the result is a real-time
view of the status of the disaster.
*Nature's Fury: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/natures.html
From National Geographic, this comprehensive site helps students of all
ages understand the science behind volcanoes, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires
and earthquakes. Includes video clips; interviews with survivors; classroom
ideas for primary, intermediate, middle school, and high school students;
the history of satellites; and resource links.
*FEMA for Kids: http://www.fema.gov/kids/
For K-3 primarily, Herman (a "spokescrab") teaches children
how to prepare for disasters and prevent disaster damage. Includes an
interactive map that reveals current disasters, games an quizzes, a searchable
resource library, recommended books, and more. Some resources are for
middle school and older students.
*Ocean World: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/
Courtesy of Texas A&M University, this site provides information about
many aspects of oceanography: fisheries, coral reefs, currents, El Nino,
icebergs, weather, waves, and more. Ask "Dr. Bob" (oceanography
professor) a question or gather real-time data for various oceanographic
topics. Explore educational materials for K-12 teachers and students.
*Forces of Nature: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
This site is a companion to a National Geographic film about four of the
most destructive natural forces: hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, and
tornadoes. A description of the science behind the natural disasters is
provided along with an interactive activity for each. Also includes introductory
facts, a list of famous forces, a glossary, current earth science news
and lesson plans.
* WINDandSEA: The Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences Internet Guide: http://www.lib.noaa.gov/docs/wind/windandsea.html
Over 1000 reviewed and annotated links to science and policy sites, organized
by topic. Current Topics, The Teachers' and Students' Corner, and Images
provide many interactive and informational resources.
* Plymouth State University Meteorology Program Cloud Boutique: http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html/
Images and descriptions of different types of clouds, including cirrus,
cumulus, stratus, fog, and others.
*Volcano World: http://volcano.und.edu/
Satellite images, current volcanic activity as well as historical archives,
and more are at this site.
*American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
In addition to the latest news about disasters, relief efforts, and how
we can help, this site provides information about how we can protect ourselves
in disaster situations (hurricanes, floods, blackouts). There is information
about generator safety, food and water safety, and "talking points
for educators."
*One Sky, Many Voices: http://groundhog.sprl.umich.edu/
Explore basic weather concepts through the gathering, posting, and comparing
of local data, and communicating with mentor scientists and peers. Students
and scientists collaboratively share their understandings and predictions
of atmospheric science events, past and current.
*World Weather Information Service: http://www.worldweather.org/index.htm
Official weather observations, weather foreecasts and climatological information
for selected cities around the world.
*MetEd: Meteorology Education & Training: http://meted.ucar.edu/index.htm
Created by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, this site provides
"education and training resources to benefit the forecasting community,
including anyone interested in learning more deeply about meteorology
and weather forecasting topics." It features learning modules on
coastal weather, hurricanes, hydrology, and other weather topics. The
"K-12 and the Public" section contains introductory information
and activities for all grade levels.
*The Online Guides: Meteorology: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/home.rxml
A collection of well designed instructional modules that use multimedia,
dynamic technology to introduce fundamental concepts of the atmospheric
sciences. These resources incorporate text, colorful diagrams, animation,
computer simulations, audio and video and cover topics such as hurricanes,
light and optics, El Nino,hydrologic cycles, air masses and fronts. "Reading
Weather Maps" teaches how to read weather maps with data collected
from the Earth's surface and above; the differences between Kelvin, Celsius,
and Fahrenheit temperatures; and how to convert local time to the standard
time used by meteorologists.
Newton's Castle: http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC051308/index.htm
Learn about color, optical illusions, observations from nature and fascinating
facts about how cars roll up hill and why dogs chase cars. There are several
Project Legal (TIPS) lessons included regarding copyright and censorship
issues and a Newton Timeline. Take the quiz and get a perfect score to
gain access to the treasures contained in the Museum of Modern Art. Newton's
Castle is replete with inquiry learning, lateral puzzle solving opportunities
and investigative training options. You can read an article about how
Newton's Castle was designed to attract learners of all ages at: http://ezinearticles.com/?id=106149
Forces of Nature: www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature
To learn more about hurricanes, visit Forces of
Nature. National Geographic put together this site to accompany its Forces
of Nature film. Learn what causes hurricanes and
tornados. Then use the simulators to create your own. But
the learning isn’t just limited to storms. Forces of Nature also
explores earthquakes and volcanoes. Learn what causes them and read about
big ones in history. And, again, simulators make the experience explosive.
Zoological Site of Milwaukee: http://www.zoosociety.org/Education/FunStuff/Public/ColoringSheets/
Printable coloring sheets
World Year of Physics 2005: http://www.physics2005.org/
The World Year of Physics 2005 is a United Nations endorsed, international
celebration of physics. Events throughout the year will highlight the
vitality of physics and its importance in the coming millennium, and will
commemorate the pioneering contributions of Albert Einstein in 1905. Through
the efforts of a worldwide collaboration of scientific societies, the
World Year of Physics brings the excitement of physics to the public and
will inspire a new generation of scientists.
The Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/commsearch.htm
Just type in your ZIP code and you can find
out what it in your air and water. -- Envirofacts, EnviroMapper, Watershed
or UV Index. You'll get back a profile. The EnviroMapper
lets you zoom in on toxic air, hazardous waste and other byproducts of
big-city living. You can also customize the map by choosing elements like
streams and schools.
Linus Pauling and the Nature of the Chemical
Bond: A Documentary History: http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/specialcollections/coll/pauling/bond/index.html
"Utilizing over 800 scanned documents, photographs, audio clips and
video excerpts, this website narrates the incredible achievement of Linus
Pauling and others in the discovery of the nature of the chemical bond."
Adult grizzly bears (also known as brown
bears) measure from six to eight feet long, and weigh 350 to 500 pounds.
There are approximately 1,200 grizzlies in the continental states (where
they are endangered), about 25,000 in Canada, and roughly 31,700 in Alaska.
Animal Planet: Grizzly Encounters: http://media.animal.discovery.com/fansites/wildkingdom/grizzly/grizzly.html
Even though the original air date for this Animal Planet television special
has passed, there is lots to explore at the companion website, such as
the Tour a Grizzly ("get a close-up look at how this titan is put
together") and Grizzly Chronology ("Around 1.3 million years
ago, the brown bear, Ursus arctos, appeared in China.") Wrap up your
visit by taking the twelve-question Grizzly Safety Quiz.
Grizzly Bear Slider: http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/grizzlybear-sl.htm
Kids' Planet: Grizzly Bear: http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/grizzly_bear.html
This single-page Grizzly Bear fact sheet from Defenders of Wildlife is
a great place for homework help. It answers all the questions (size, habitat,
range, population, food, and so on) usually required for an animal report.
For more Kids' Planet endangered animal fact sheets, follow the "Especies"
link.
National Geographic: Creature Feature Brown Bears:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0010/brownbears.html
Fun facts, well-written articles, and a loud grizzly roar are just three
of the reasons why you don't want to miss this Creature Feature site.
Other featured creatures include hedgehogs, African lions and emperor
penguins.
Motorola Inc.'s Website: http://promo.motorola.com/recycle/phones/index.html
has a prepaid postage label to use on a mailer that can contain an old
mobile phone from any manufacturer.
Science Toy Maker: http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/
Billed as " the noncommercial site for people who like to roll up
their sleeves and make fun, mysterious toys that entice scientific investigation,"
The Science Toy Maker site offers a variety of interesting projects for
students of all skill levels. Easy-to-follow instructions for making vortices,
periscopes, "Cartesian divers", and much more are featured on
the site, along with handy links to explanations of the scientific concepts
at work and related links.
NASA CONNECT™: http://nasa.ibiblio.org/connect.php
"(Grades 6-8) NASA CONNECT™ is a series of Emmy®-award-winning,
math-focused programs. Each program supports the national math, science,
and technology standards and has three components that include (1) a 30-minute
television broadcast; (2) a companion educator's guide; and (3) an online
activity that further explores topics presented in the broadcast. These
programs establish a connection between the math, science, and technology
concepts taught in the classroom to those same concepts used everyday
by NASA researchers."
The Official U.S. Time: http://www.nist.time.gov
This site displays the official U.S. time for all 50 states and U.S. territories,
including daylight savings time information. It also has a map of the
world. Lighted areas are regions with daylight and the dark areas represent
night time.
Global Amphibian Assessment: http://www.globalamphibians.org/
"the first-ever comprehensive assessment of the conservation status
of the world's 5,743 known species of frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians."
Molecule of the Month: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/motm.htm
"Each month... links will take you to a page at one of the Web sites
at a University Chemistry Department or commercial site in the UK, the
US, or anywhere in the world, where useful (and hopefully entertaining!),
information can be found about a particularly interesting molecule."
Among the little-known chemistry stories here: the molecule that "causes
fish breath in some people," the chemistry of garlic, the "Zulu
poison that can be used to treat cancer," and lots more.
National Drought Mitigation Center: http://www.drought.unl.edu/
"helps people and institutions develop and implement measures to
reduce societal vulnerability to drought." Includes historical drought
maps and data, a 10-step planning process, drought mitigation tools, and
more.
ASEE EngineeringK12 Center: http://www.engineeringk12.org
The ASEE EngineeringK12 Center seeks to identify
and gather in one place the most effective engineering education resources
available to the K-12 community.
Chemical Heritage Foundation: http://www.chemheritage.org/
The History of Chemistry
Scientists In Action: http://mac.usgs.gov/mac/isb/pubs/booklets/scientists
This website from the United States Geological
Survey will tell you what scientists and engineers do all day. The site
explores the fascinating jobs of natural scientists and environmental
engineers, who attempt to understand nature and human interaction. Learn
what happens when a natural disaster strikes, or see how maps of the Grand
Canyon are created.
Ingenious: seeing things differently: http://www.ingenious.org.uk/
"This site brings together images and viewpoints to create insights
into SCIENCE and CULTURE." Click on read, debate, see, create: then
choose a topic and you're presented with images and text that challenge
you to think about some fascinating questions.
Hatching Eggs: http://www.umd.umich.edu/sep/students/medyer/medyer_exp.html
The Biology Place: http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/index.html
"The Biology Place, Classic Edition," from educational publisher
Pearson Prentice Hall, is a new web portal that gives high school and
college students free access to an abundance of timeless biology resources
and tutorials that work with any textbook program. The site contains three
interactive sections. BioCoach includes activities to help students visualize
and apply their understanding of biological concepts. During these practice
activities, students manipulate graphs, complete biological puzzles, and
answer questions. LabBench provides students with pre- and post-lab reviews.
Animations and interactive questions connect laboratory procedures to
biological principles. Designed for advanced students, these activities
correspond to the Advanced Placement Lab Manual and include sections on
key concepts, experiment design, analysis of results, and a lab quiz,
according to the site. There's also a Glossary of easily accessible definitions
and relevant terms for students to consult during class and from home.
Duke University Primate Center: http://www.duke.edu/web/primate/EducationSite/ContentsLoader.html
Duke University Primate Center is home to approximately 300 prosimian
primates, also known as lemurs. Mouse over the menu to see photos of seventeen
species of lemurs. Click on any species name (such as Bushbaby) to learn
more. Visit the Kids Corner for interactive games including a word search,
maze, coloring pages and two lemur jigsaw puzzles.
Enchanted Learning: Apes: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/apes/
For elementary grades, Enchanted Learning has sections on five kinds of
apes: gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons and siamangs. Each section
includes a feature article with lots of fast facts, a printable quiz,
coloring page, and related web links. To learn how apes fit into the primate
order, click on Classification to read about the Linnean Classification
system. To explore related topics, click around in Zoom Mammals and Zoom
Rainforests.
How Stuff Works: Is there a difference between monkeys
and apes?: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question660.htm
Is there a difference between monkeys and apes? Yes, and this one page
articles explains how monkeys and apes are related, and how they differ.
It's a good introduction to the scientific classification of orders, suborders,
and species. "The 235 modern primate species are divided up into
two suborders -- the prosimians and the anthropoids." There are some
interesting links at the bottom of the page, and a printable version with
less advertising.
Gorilla Scramble: http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/gorillas-scr.htm
Rainforest Word Search and Glossary: http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/rainforest-ws.htm
The Manduca Project: http://www.manducaproject.com/
"Using Manduca sexta, students learn observation skills by keeping
detailed logs of the insects' growth and behavior. They learn the elements
of graphing by plotting the growth of the insect using simple student-made
balances to measure mass, and string to measure changes in length. Students
use Manduca as the basis for writing, art, poetry, and music projects.
Typically, individual students have their own insect to observe and care
for, instilling a sense of responsibility and heightening their observation
skills."
Monarch Butterflies (Grades 3-10): http://www.enc.org/features/calendar/unit/0,1819,93,00.shtm
This is a Classroom Calendar entry produced by ENC, the Eisenhower National
Clearinghouse. The introduction provides background information on monarchs
(including a description of their life cycle and a discussion of how scientists
study their migration patterns). There are also cross-curricular activity
ideas, annotated links to online information and ready-to-go activities,
and descriptions of books that students and teachers can use to learn
about monarchs.
Recycling
Adventures of the Garbage Gremlin: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/recycle/gremlin.pdf
A 19 page printable comic book style booklet
All the Water in the World: http://www.epa.gov/region01/students/pdfs/ww_intro.pdf
This site has two sets of lesson plans: k-3 and 4-6
Did you know astronauts will recycle water in space?(Video): http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/beta/videos.cfm?unit=water
EcoKids: http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/index.cfm
Environmental Education in the Schools - Creating a Program That Works:
http://www.peacecorps.gov/library/pdf/M0044_enveduc.pdf
Happy Earth Day Coloring Book: http://www.epa.gov/region5/publications/happy.pdf
Graphing Garbage: http://unite.ukans.edu/explorer/explorer-db/rsrc/813447441-81ED7D49.2.PDF
A lesson using "Oh, Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout Would Not Take the
Garbage Out" by Shel Silverstein. You can hear him read the poem
at: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atcupdates/19990510.atcupdates.01.rm.
A worksheet for the poem can be found at: http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/worksheets/sarah.pdf.
A unit based on this poem can be found at: http://www.nsa.gov/programs/mepp/es/data51.pdf
Celebrate Lindbergh: http://www.lindberghspirit.com/nyp2002/images/Apr2002Curriculum.pdf
Planet Protector's Club: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/kids/index.htm
Quest for Less: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/kids/quest/pdf/quest.pdf
printable 194 page booklet of activities and resouces for K-6 .
River of Words: http://www.riverofwords.org/
Connecting Kids to their Watersheds and Imaginations through Poetry &
Art
Talking Trash: http://whyfiles.org/063recycle/
Welcome to Recycle City: http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/
Ornithological World Literature [OWL]: http://www.birdlit.org/
"a compilation of citations and abstracts from the worldwide scientific
literature that pertain to the science of ornithology. A major attraction
is its coverage of the 'grey' literature, which are not abstracted by
commercial databases such as Zoological Record or the Science Citation
Index."
Rare Books from the Missouri Botanical Gardens Library:
http://ridgwaydb.mobot.org/mobot/rarebooks/index.asp
This ongoing project currently features 46 digitized volumes; 16,133 pages
and 2,050 botanical illustrations are currently available. Browsable by
title or author. Many of these beautifully illustrated volumes date from
before the photographic era.
NASA Kids: http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/
Eye on the Sky, Feet on the Ground - Hands
on Astronomy Activities for Kids:
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/the_book/index.html
There is a terrific set of four Science Posters
from the Earth Observing System at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The
posters can be ordered "gratis" and the feature also contains
downloadable versions and worksheets for use in your classroom. The four
posters are entitled, "Air", "Water", "Land",
and "Ice", and are available at: http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_homepage/for_educators/eos_posters/index.php
Unseen Life on Earth: Introduction to Microbiology:
http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1866
All About Snow: http://nsidc.org/snow/
"Is it ever too cold to snow? How big can
snowflakes get? Why is snow white?" Everything you ever wanted to
know about snow (but didn't know who to ask) is answered here by the National
Snow and Ice Data Center, affiliated with the University of Colorado.
This educational site also includes a Snow Glossary (from "ablation"
to "vapor pressure"), a Snow Fact Sheet and a feature on the
history of snow removal. The first known snow plow was pulled by horses
through the "snow-clogged streets" of Milwaukee in 1862.
Make a Flake: http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/
This is a virtual snowflake designer. Start by perusing the gallery of
saved snowflakes, and then try your hand at making your own. The trick
is to click (not drag) your scissors from point to point. You'll know
your scissors are snipping when the indicator changes from red to green.
When your masterpiece is complete, you can download it, print it, email
it to a friend, or go back to the gallery and look for it there.
Astronomy for Kids: http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/
Beginner's Corner has tips on learning the rhythm of the sky, and Sky
Maps has timely advice on what to look for in the sky this month. But
don't miss the seven planet word searches in Puzzles, and for oodles of
good stuff for school reports, visit Planets.
Earth and Sky: Skywatching: http://www.earthsky.com/Features/Skywatching/
"Each day's segment is designed to guide your
eye to something you can see that night, or the next morning before dawn.
It might be a constellation, a star, or a planet. Or it might be a celestial
event, such as an eclipse." In addition to this feature, teachers
and lower-elementary kids have their own sections, accessible from the
lunar menu at the top of each page.
Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer: http://www.starhustler.com/JHSG_DNLD.html
"Confused about the cosmos? Can't tell
a planet from a star? Then give us just five minutes and we'll show you
what they are." Star Gazer is a syndicated PBS radio show, and this
site contains twelve months of video archives in RealPlayer format.
YPOP Film Festival: http://www.lmsal.com/YPOP/FilmFestival/index.html
"The Film Festival room is literally a festival of films, solar films
that is."
The DNA Files: Radio Documentaries and Resources on Genetic
Science: http://www.dnafiles.org/home.html
Seasons and Climates
Sun and Seasons: http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1345
free online video
Wind and Weather: http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1346
free online video
NASA: Case of the Phenomenal Weather: http://www.knowitall.org/nasa/asx/weather.asx
Case of the Wacky Water Cycle
http://www.knowitall.org/nasa/asx/water_cycle.asx
http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/docs/guides/Water_Cycle.pdf
Case of the Mysterious Red Light
http://www.knowitall.org/nasa/asx/redlight.asx
http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/docs/guides/guide1_01.pdf
Become a Weather Wizard: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/teachers/weather_maps.pdf
Keeping Nine Eyes on the Weather: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/teachers/misr.pdf
Write the Book on Weather Metrics: http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/teachers/GOES_weather_book.pdf
Powerful Poetry: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/02-069/5-8_2.pdf
Weather Mathematics: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/02-005/5-8_1.pdf
Weather Tracking: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-045/5-8_2.pdf
Weathering the Storms: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-045/5-8_article.pdf
How Hot Is It?: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/02-033/k-4_2.pdf
Climate and Disease: http://www.strategies.org/Climate/Climate&Disease=REV.pdf
Arctic Climatology and Meteorology PRIMER for Newcomers to the North:
http://nsidc.org/arcticmet/index.html
Weather All Around Us: http://www.nps.gov/blca/webvc/edu/weather.pdf
Jetstream: http://www.srh.weather.gov/jetstream/
National Weather Service - Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/reachout/kidspage.shtml
Climate Kids: http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/climate/sercc/education/education.html
FEMA for Kids: http://www.fema.gov/kids/
National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosal Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations):
http://137.198.62.160:8080/index.html
The Science of Thunderstorms and Lightning: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/media/ltngscience.rm
free online movie
Web Weather for Kids: http://www.ucar.edu/40th/webweather/
Weather: http://www.glacier.rice.edu/weather/3_introduction.html
This capsule will explore Antarctica's weather.
Miami Museum of Science: http://www.miamisci.org/
NOAA Broadcast: http://www.broadcast.noaa.gov/
NOAA's web site for live streaming video and archived broadcasts.
NASA's KSNN™:
http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov is "a standards-based program that
uses the Web, animation, and video to introduce science, technology, engineering,
math, and NASA concepts. NASA's KSNN™ uses animated characters (grades
K-2) and web and video technology
(grades 3-5) to explain everyday phenomena of our world, correct misconceptions,
and answer frequently asked questions. Visit the K–2 portion of NASA's
KSNN™ web site for 60-second animations, activities, and resource
links covering such topics as "magnetism" and "states of
matter." The grade 3–5 portion of the NASA KSNN™ web site
features children in 60-second (video) newsbreaks answering such questions
as why is the sky blue and what makes popcorn pop. Each newsbreak includes
a follow-up written explanation, inquiry-based activities, related print
and electronic resources, and a computer-graded quiz."
Invention at Play: http://www.inventionatplay.org/
"When asked what inspired them to become inventors, many adults tell
stories about playing as children. In our virtual playhouse, you can set
your own inventive thinking in motion." So the Lemelson Center for
the Study of Invention and Innovation offers children a chance to play
around with visual thinking, puzzles, wordplay, and make believe.
American Experience: Edison's Miracle of
Light: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/edison/
Produced as a web companion to the 1995 PBS television special, Edison's
Miracle of Light is a worthwhile stop even if you've not seen the film.
There is a time line of Edison's life, photo gallery of eight of his inventions,
and Special Features. "In 1887 direct current (DC) was king. At that
time
there were 121 Edison power stations scattered across the United States
delivering DC electricity to its customers." Learn all about AC/DC
in the first interactive Special Feature. The second is a collection of
five fun tunes the Edison company produced on phonograph records between
1919 and 1926.
Edison After Forty: http://americanhistory.si.edu/edison/
"In 1887, at the age of 40 - with a new wife, a new home, a new winter
retreat - Thomas Alva Edison set up shop in a new and grandiose laboratory.
There he hoped to recapture and ultimately surpass the inventiveness he
had enjoyed in the much smaller laboratory he had used a few years earlier.
Edison's goal proved elusive." Edison After Forty, produced by the
Smithsonian, is a unique look at the demands that success placed upon
the prolific inventor.
Edison Invents!: http://www.si.edu/lemelson/edison/
This site combines multimedia with a well-written feature article. It
begins with a game. Depending on your mood, there are two ways to navigate
Edison Invents! The fun way is to play the Flash concentration game (match
Edison's inventions) and then to travel around the game board, clicking
on the icons representing phases of Edison's life. The more direct route
is to click on Edison's Story.
Physics and Music
Musical Illusions and Paradoxes: http://www.philomel.com/musical_illusions/description.html
Auditory Illusions: http://www.cbc.ca/kids/general/the-lab/big-bang/article6.html
PLAY YOUR EARS: The Partial and Overtone Series: http://www.piano300.org/educ8/educatn1.htm
Space Station Music: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/04sep_music.htm
McGurk effect: http://www.media.uio.no/personer/arntm/McGurk_english.html
The Shepard Scale: http://www.sandlotscience.com/Ambiguous/ShpTones1.htm
The Biology of ... Perfect Pitch Name That Tone - Can your
child learn some of Mozart's magic?: http://www.discover.com/dec_01/featbiology.html
Morning Edition 11/20/2002 - Pitch Correction: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/20021120.me.07.ram
Bach - Hidden Melodies
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20011105.atc.16.ram
Bach - All Sounds Considered: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/asc/asc11.bach.rmm
Wooing Mates with Acoustic Tricks: http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=868161
Listening to Animals: http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=1383202
Dial Tone Symphony: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20010827.atc.09.ram
Science of Sound: http://www.galaxy.net/~k12/sound/index.shtml
The Theramin: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/asc/20000401.theremin.ram
The Art of the Therimin: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/asc/20000424.asc05.rmm
Virtual Thermin 1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/playground/theremin1.shtml
Virtual Thermin 2: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/playground/theremin2.shtml
Lenin's "Skylark": http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/playground/final_lenin.swf
The Geometry of Music: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/playground/final_shapes.swf
Fibonacci Numbers and The Golden Section in Art, Architecture
and Music: http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibInArt.html
Demonstrating Doppler: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/03-043/5-8_1.pdf
Doppler's High/Low Pitch: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/03-043/9-12_1.pdf
Activity: Doppler Effect (1 source): http://www.explorescience.com/activities/Activity_page.cfm?ActivityID=45
Activity: Doppler Effect (2 sources): http://www.explorescience.com/activities/Activity_page.cfm?ActivityID=46
Acoustics and You: Learning About the Science of Sound:
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/AcousticalTest/PDF/Sheet2.pdf
Noise and Your Ears: Worth Hearing About: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/AcousticalTest/PDF/Sheet1.pdf
Can Sound be Controlled?: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/03-043/5-8_2.pdf
What Is Sound?: http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/sound/sound.html
Quieting the Roar - Preventing Fires on the Launch Pad
= Sound Waves (Lesson 1 of 2): http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-065/9-12_1.pdf
Quieting the Roar - Sound Waves (Lesson 2 of 2): http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-077/k-4_2.pdf
Quieting the Roar - Pitch: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-077/5-8_1.pdf
Quieting the Roar: Hear Me! (Lesson 1 of 2):
http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-077/9-12_1.pdf
Quieting the Roar- Sound Arond Us (Lesson 1 of 2): http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-077/k-4_1.pdf
Quieting the Roar - Organ of Corti (lesson 2 of 2): http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/01-077/9-12_2.pdf
Resonance Tubes: http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/02-031/9-12_1.pdf
National Science Center - Teacher Tools - Sound:
http://nsc10.nscdiscovery.org/TeacherResources/Search
Items/ThemeLookup.cfm?ThemeID=12&Start=0
Inventing Entertainment
Teacher Resources: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/collections/ed/
The Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings of the Edison Companies: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edhome.html
The Marriage of Sight and Sound: Early Edison Experiments with Film and
Sound: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edmrrg.html
Edison Sound Recordings: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edsndhm.html
The Biology Project: http://www.biology.arizona.edu/site.html
The Biology Project is a biology Web site presented by the University
of Arizona that is in both English and Spanish. Main headings include:
Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Chemicals and Human Health, Developmental
Biology, Human Biology, Immunology, Mendelian Genetics, and Molecular
Biology.
Frog Focus: http://www.asxfrogfocus.com/
ASX Frog Focus is a program to educate people about frogs and frog conservation.
It is supported by Zoos, Aquaria and Education Departments across Australia.
The website contains teacher created units of work on frogs, how to design
a frog habitat, and links to frog friendly sites on the internet.
EEEPs: http://www.gsu.edu/~mstjrh/eeep.html
An EEEP is an Exciting Example of an Everyday Phenomenon. It is a science
demonstration. It is an active learning tool designed to gain the attention
and pique the curiosity of our students. This website describes a number
of EEEPs related to Life Science, Earth Sciences and Physical Science.
MEDtropolis' Virtual Body: http://www.medtropolis.com/VBody.asp
Virtual tours of the brain, heart, skeleton, and digestive tract, well-labeled
diagrams and impressive
animations (watch a heart beat and guide blood flow) are highlights of
this site. The text is written at an adult level.
TryScience: http://www.tryscience.org/
TryScience is your gateway to experience the excitement of contemporary
science and technology through on and offline interactivity with science
and technology centers worldwide. TryScience has over 400 science centers
worldwide.
Nobel e-Museum: http://www.nobel.se/
Nobel e-Museum offers information on all 736 Prize Winners to date, the
Nobel Organization, Alfred Nobel, and Nobel events, as well as educational
material and games.
Mars
CNN.com: Earthlings revel in Mars close-up:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/08/27/mars.closeup/index.html
Mars is about 34.6 million miles away, making it the brightest nighttime
object except the moon.
The Daily Martian Weather Report: http://nova.stanford.edu/projects/
mod/
Brought to you by the Mars Global Surveyor Radio Science Team.
The Planetary Society: http://www.planetary.org/marswatch2003/
A nonprofit organization that promotes exploration of the solar system.
Exploring Planets in the Classroom: http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/
More than 25 hands-on science activities in classroom-ready pages for
both teachers and students.
Coral Reefs
25 Things You Can Do To Save Coral Reefs: http://www.yoto98.noaa.gov/books/reefs/reef1.htm
In the United States, the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for monitoring and maintaining
the health of domestic coral
reefs. But everyone can help, even those who don't live near a coral reef.
To that end, NOAA offers twenty-five reef-saving activities ("Become
a member of your local aquarium or zoo.") that will spur your own
reef conservation ideas.
Coral Reef Photobank: http://www.coralreef.org/resources/photobank.html
Click on any of the thumbnails in the geographically-organized gallery
to view the annotation and
copyright instructions (for example, most require a credit to the photographer.)
Reef Education Network: http://www.reef.edu.au/
Free registration will get you a virtual notebook for collecting favorite
links
from around the site.
Kinetic City: Mission to Vearth: http://www.kcmtv.com/index.htm
This is an "after-school standards-based science program in which
kids complete activities in conjunction with a dynamic website."
NASA Langley Learning Technologies Project:
http://ltp.larc.nasa.gov/
ARKive - Images of Life on Earth: http://www.arkive.org/
"It is ARKive's ultimate aim to compile an audio-visual record, where
possible, for the 11,000 animals and plants threatened with extinction,
according to the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Red Lists of Threatened
Species." Besides the images, data included for each species are
facts, status, description, range, habitat, biology, threats, and conservation.
For teachers there are lesson plans, support material, curriculum links
and project ideas.
Sandlot Science: http://www.sandlotscience.com/
Intriguing exhibits and real-time demonstrations include illusions, "brain
candy" (games and puzzles), science projects, and more. For older
kids and grownups alike.
exZOOberance - Celebrating the Animal Kingdom:
http://exzooberance.com/
A virtual zoo, with lots of pictures, this also includes a directory of
zoos and aquariums, Animal News, and a directory of animal webcams.
Periodic Table of Comic Books: http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/
The Periodic Table of Comic Books is a working periodic table that uses
comic book characters to draw students into learning about the elements.
The site is the work of two chemistry professors at the University of
Kentucky.
All About Frogs for Kids and Teachers: http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/frogs/
Beyond the Q's and A's you'll find fun frog
crafts, songs and poems, original froggie clipart (free for non-commercial
use), and links to lesson plans for K-8 teachers. Although the bulk of
this site is for elementary students, middle and high-school students
will find links to sites with more in-depth coverage under More Frog Facts
and Information.
CGEE: A Thousand Friends of Frogs: http://cgee.hamline.edu/frogs/
In August 1995, students from the Minnesota
New Country School found deformed frogs near the Minnesota River. A research
scientist from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency wondered what else
might be found if thousands of kids were looking in their backyards and
so A Thousand Friends of Frogs was born. To study frogs in your hometown,
click on Students/Get Involved. There is a data sheet you can use to collect
your findings, and lots to learn about frogs as bio-indicators in the
Science section.
Exploratorium: Frogs: http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/
Visit this site from The Exploratorium Museum
of San Francisco to enjoy the well-written articles, illustrated with
photos and video clips. The lead feature, The Amazing Adaptable Frog,
is a click-and-hear Frog Tracker exhibit. For something a little different,
venture beyond biology with Tales and Tours, where you can become acquainted
with Frog City, Louisiana or learn about Frog Myths Across Cultures.
Mixing two elements to make
another
Silly Putty - use equal parts white glue and liquid starch. Put about
1/4 cup of each in a styrofoam cup and stir like crazy with a popsicle
stick.
Online Exhibits of the Museum of the History
of Science:
http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/exhibits/index.htm
Sand Castle Central - Sand Sculpture Tips,
Tricks and Pics: http://www.sandcastlecentral.com/
"your on-line source for all things sand sculpture, including free
tips for beginners, information on the best sand carving tools, updated
contest and master sculptor information, related links and lots of photos."
NASA Human Space Flight: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/index.html
Includes information about the Space Suttle, the Space
Station, Behind the Scenes, and Space News. Much real-time information.
The Microbiology Information Portal: http://www.microbes.info/index.html
A microbiology information portal containing a vast collection
of resources including articles, news, frequently asked questions, and
links pertaining to the field of microbiology.
Science News for Kids: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org
Invasivespecies.gov: http://www.invasivespecies.gov/
Science Toys You Can Make With Your Kids:
http://scitoys.com/
Observations and Inferences
a. write the characteristics of a peanut, put all
peanuts in a pile, see if you can find yours, swap lists, see if someone
else can find yours.
b. make a DETAILED sketch of a sea shell
c. draw a unique object from many points of view (hang an object from
the ceiling and give kids 5 minutes to draw, then rotate and draw from
another point of view.
Inferences. (a guess based on your observations)
a. read the beginning of a story, have students INFER what will happen
next.
b. Mystery Boxes - put objects in covered boxes, through the sense of
touch have students infer what the object is.
c. Bumble Ball - place a baby-toy called a Bumble Ball (a ball that jumps
around when turned on) in a box. Carefully carry the box around the classroom.
Have students make observations and then make an inference about what
is in the box.
d. The Candle - Take an apple corer and core out the fleshy part of an
apple. Place an almond sliver on top. Hold the "candle" and
ask students to make observations. Then light the almond sliver (it maintains
a light!) and walk around with the lit "candle" and ask students
to make more observations. Then blow out the flame and take a bite! Ask
them to check their observations. If it was really a candle, would it
have been eaten? So, if they listed it as a candle, they were actually
INFERRING that it was a "candle". This activity makes students
aware of the difference between describing
something completely and making inferences when you are not sure.
Other ideas: Never tell them it was anything but a candle! You can preface
it by telling them that we take many things for granted, and there are
many observations you could make about something as simple as a burning
candle. Make a list of observations, and the candle usually goes out.
Talk about how the smoke appears only after it goes out (just about instantly),
relight it, go on..... The second
time it goes out, say to heck with it and eat it--right before the bell
rings for them to leave.
Generate questions
Bring in a variety of natural items (seed pods, rocks, shells, plants,
pinecones, sea stars, sand dollars, etc.). Have out magnifying lenses
and dissecting microscopes. Students make a two column list in their notebooks.
One side labeled " I Notice", the other side labeled "I
Wonder". They each choose 3 different items and list EVERYTHING they
notice and EVERYTHING they wonder about those items. Later ask them to
share one particularly surprising observation and a question they are
dying to find the answer to. Practice turning questions into ones that
can be investigated (this takes a lot of practice).
Everyday Assessment in the Science Classroom:
http://www.nsta.org/main/pdfs/store/PB172Xnp.pdf
This new release from the National Science Teachers Association
includes 10 essays that include how-to tips for conducting learning assessments.You
can buy this book or read it on line.
Birch Aquarium Learning Center: http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/learning/learning_res/creature_feature.cfm
The Scripp's Birch Aquarium Learning Center is a collection of two Web
cams (KelpCam and PierCam), animal facts (including an extensive sea horse
feature), Science Spotlights and Online Interactives (educational games.)
Science Spotlights, for middle school and above, tackles important conservation
issues. Shifting Baselines is a striking exhibit that illustrates the
differences between today's ocean and that of forty years ago.
Monterey Bay Aquarium: http://www.mbayaq.org/
The Monterey Bay e-Quarium has five live Web cams, Splash Zone (for elementary-age
kids), a feature on jelly fish, and the Habitats Path cybertour. First
stop on the Habitats Path is the live Kelp Cam, which captures the changing
sunlight streaming through the swaying kelp (7 AM to 7 PM, PST.) From
here, you can jump to the online games, which include Kelp Habitat Tic-Tac-Toe
and Habitat Coloring Pages. For information on a specific animal, try
the Online Field Guide (listed under Aquarium Exhibits.)
New York Aquarium: Alien Stingers: http://www.alienstingers.com/stingerhome/
"Stingers - known to scientists as Cnidarians (pronounced 'Ni-dare-ee-ans')
- are an ancient and primitive form of life. Stingers include jellies,
corals, and anemones. They are the simplest multi-celled animals that
have muscles and nerves for movement."
BBC-Gene Stories: http://www.bbc.co.uk/genes/index.shtml
Chesapeake and Coastal Bay Life: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/cblife/
This site is produced as a joint effort by several
people associated with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. It
includes broad topical headings such as: Restoration & Protection,
Bay Grasses, Harmful Algae, Bay Monitoring, Bay Life Guide, and Bay Education.
Dropdown menus
for each topic may lead to programs, scientific descriptions, drawings,
photos, and more. Within the articles, hyperlinks exist to a glossary
of scientific terms.
Grade Level: Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary,
Middle School, High School, College, Adult/Professional
Content Area: Community Interest (Regional Information), Science (Environmental
Studies), Science (Life Science)
My Life as an Elk: http://www.wildlifeart.org/ElkStory/index.html
In this interactive game the user takes on the identity
of a newborn elk calf and has many adventures. In each adventure the user
must decide what to do. Users learn about the life cycle of the Rocky
Mountain elk as well as about choices and consequences.
Grade Level: Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary,
Middle School
Content Area: Science (Environmental Studies), Science (Life Science)
Animaland.org: http://www.animaland.org/
Provided as a public service by ASPCA, this Web
site is designed to serve as a source of information about pets and other
animals for young people. The site is divided into several main areas,
including pet care, animal encyclopedia, book recommendations, career
info, current issues, humane education, and "Ask Azula" -- where
young people can write in with their questions about animals.
Grade Level: Early Childhood (K-2), Elementary,
Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Life Science)
Healthfinder Kids: http://www.healthfinder.gov/kids/
Optics for Kids: http://www.optics4kids.org/index.cfm
National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www.drugabuse.gov/pubs/Teaching/
The slides include images of neurons, the brain, the synapse, drugs of
abuse and neural pathways involved with addiction. Many slides can be
used for a general presentation about the brain and nervous system.
Walking With Woodlice: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/interactive/woodlice/
Pathfinder Science Projects: http://pathfinderscience.net/teachers/projects.cfm
Find Out Why - Why Does Chocolate Melt in
Your Hand:
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/events/fow/fowtfkv2n3/htm/start.htm
Stowaway Adventure-Real Time Science Lesson on Tracking Ships At Sea:
http://k12science.org/curriculum/shipproj/
Athena, Earth and Space Science for K-12:
http://vathena.arc.nasa.gov/
Etna Live Cam: http://www.albanetcom.com/EtnaIMG/
Science Bob: http://www.sciencebob.com/
Secrets at Sea: http://www.secretsatsea.org/
Froguts: http://www.froguts.com/index.htm
Human Body Adventure: http://vilenski.org/science/humanbody/
The Dynamic Earth: http://www.mnh.si.edu/earth/
Playing With Time: http://www.playingwithtime.org/index.html
exploreMarsnow: http://www.exploremarsnow.org/
This interactive, Flash-based website lets you explore
the Mars Base Habitat and Rover and learn about the science and technology
behind them. Sections include: base layout, lab, airlock, medical,
bunks, personal hygience, greenhouse, design drawings, and more.
Weather Wiz Kids: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
"Real-time" Science Event-YES I
Can! Science: http://www.yesican.yorku.ca/
National Science Digital Library: http://nsdl.org/render.userLayoutRootNode.uP
Who Dunnit? :http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/castle_builder/
Dinosaurs Alive!: http://www.questacon.edu.au/html/dinosaurs.html
There are activities to do, pictures to colour, dots to join, and dinosaurs
to find. You'll learn lots about dinosaurs. Meet Muttaburrasaurus, a dinosaur
discovered in Australia. Teacher Resources include lesson plans, classroom
activities, and activities related to using the Questacon exhibition.
Hurricanes
CNN.com Special Report: Hurricane Season: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/hurricanes/
CNN.com Student News: Hurricane Lessons: http://fyi.cnn.com/2002/fyi/lesson.plans/05/29/hurricane.overview/index.html
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
Education World: Hurricane Watch Lessons:
http://www.education-
world.com/a_lesson/lesson076.shtml
USAToday.com: Hurricanes: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/whur0.htm
Miami Museum of Science-Hurricane Education: http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/hurricane0.html
Imagine Mars home Page: http://imaginemars.jpl.nasa.gov/index1.html
Caves
Virtual Caves: http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtcave.html
More Than Skin Deep-A Teacher's Guide to Caves: http://www.nps.gov/ozar/skindeep.htm
Caves in the United States: http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/theme/caves03.htm
Exploring Caves: http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/explorecaves_america.htm
National Caves Association Cave Directory: http://cavern.com/caves.htm
Caving MEGA Links Page: http://www.caver.net/megalink.html
Nursery Live! http://flexiblelearning.net.au/innovations/files/vic083/index.htm
"NurseryLive! features a simulated nursery, in which you interact
with a variety of plants in order to complete certain tasks. Plants must
be watered, fertilised and monitored to ensure their health. As in any
other nursery, pests and disease must also be controlled."
Pitsco's Guidelines for Hands-on Competitions:
http://www.pitsco.com/Competitions/comprules.htm
Competition Guidelines from Pitsco consists
of guidelines for 32 hands-on competitions. Print the
guidelines in simple text form or download the full-color, printable document.
You are free to print, copy, and even modify them, if you wish, to suit
your purpose. These guidelines are NOT the official rules of any national
organizations, although, wherever applicable, organizations are listed
that sponsor similar competitions.
Environment Australia-Coasts and Oceans Home
Page: http://www.ea.gov.au/coasts/
GCSE Chemistry and Physics: http://gcsechemistry.com/index.html
Watershed Ecology: http://www.epa.gov/owowwtr1/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/ecology/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Threatened
and Endangered Animals and Plants: http://endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html#Species
Science Day Guide: http://www.ohiosci.org/ScienceDayGuide.pdf
Solar System Web Scavenger Hunt: http://www.thedalles.k12.or.us/dry_hollow/dh_faculty/lhughitt/solar/solarproject.htm
Designed for fourth and fifth grades
Australian Animals - Mammals: http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/ausanimallinks/index.html
Created by an Australian teacher-librarian, this page contains links to
sites with facts and information about 15 different Australian mammals,
organised according to complexity. There is a similar page for birds at:
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/birdlinks/index.html.
Walking with Beasts - Skeletal Jigsaws: http://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/fossilfun/skeletal_jigsaws/
Part of the BBC Walking with Beasts site, this fossil fun game invites
younger students to try their hand at being a palaeontologist with beasts
skeleton jigsaws. There are 3 jigsaws, and 3 levels of difficulty to choose
from. Other activities include Burying Bodies, Making Fossils, Footprints
and Camouflage.
Genetically Modified Crops: http://www.geocities.com/gm_crops/index.html
created by by 3 Gr 9/10 students
First Science.com: http://www.firstscience.com/site/home.asp
Museum Botanical Garden News: http://mbgnet.mobot.org/
The Spider Page: http://www.uark.edu/~dksander/spiders.html
Solar System
The Nine Planets: http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/
Our Solar System Drawn to Scale: http://www.crayola.com/educators/lessons/display.cfm?id=44
How Much Do You Weigh on Distant Planets?: http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/weight1.htm
Travel to Another Planet: http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/misc/traveltoanotherplanet.html
Eyes on the Sky, Feet on the Ground: Chapter 5:
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/the_book/Chap5/Chapter5.html
Exploring the Planets: http://www.nasm.edu/ceps/etp/etp.htm
The Best of the Solar System Teaching Tips - Detailed
Lesson Plan: http://www.nasm.edu/ceps/siimages/tips.html
A Coastal Journey: http://www.poulsbomsc.org/tutorial.htm
Coastal Journey is a diary of scientific discovery written by a young
teen, as she explores the rocky shores of Washington state with her marine
biologist father. She writes about the tides, the difficult living conditions
they create, and five kinds of plants and animals that live in tide pools:
algae, cnidarians, crustaceans, echinoderms, and mollusks.
Enchanted Learning: The Intertidal Zone: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/intertidal/intertidal.shtml
The colorful Enchanted Learning site for elementary ages features
an illustration of the four intertidal zones: from the spray zone (which
is usually dry) to the low tide zone (which is almost always wet.) There
are twenty printable, color-able animal printouts arranged in alphabetic
order from anemone to zooplankton. There are related sections on Tides
(follow the hyperlink in the opening text), Walruses, and Biomes.
Life in a Massachusetts Tide Pool: http://www.umassd.edu/Public/People/Kamaral/thesis/tidepools.html
Kim Armaral wrote this tide pool study as part of her Masters in Professional
Writing thesis. It features nine tidal creatures including arthropods,
barnacles and sea cucumbers and a page explaining tides. There are short
movies that illustrate mysteries such as how a barnacle eats or how a
sea star moves. The adventurous will enjoy the activities, which include
a recipe for seaweed pudding (this yucky sounding treat is actually a
common ingredient in ice cream, salad dressing and toothpaste) and instructions
on drying and pressing seaweed.
Physics
Newton's 1st Law: http://teachspacescience.org/graphics/pdf/10000796.pdf
Newton's 2nd Law: http://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_2/nlawprt2.PDF
Newton's 3rd Law: http://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_3/nlawprt3.PDF
Newton's Three Laws of Motion: http://www.aloha.com/~isaac/3laws/3laws.htm
Newton's Three Laws of Motion: http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/newton3laws.html
Newton's Law of Gravitation: http://swift.sonoma.edu/education/newton/newton_2/nlawgravit.pdf
Newton in Space - Teacher Guide: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/Newton_In_Space.pdf
Space Basics - Teacher Guide
http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Pro
ducts/Space.Basics/Space.Basics.pdf
Space Basics - Video: http://quest.nasa.gov/content/rafiles/space/basics.rm
You can order this free video: reference pages 2,
3, 26 http://wwwedu.ssc.nasa.gov/pdf/videos.pdf
DNA studies
The DNA Files: http://www.dnafiles.org/home.html
Color Coded DNA: http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=108
Possible genetic mutation being responsible
for humans being able to speak and make use of symbols
Suddenly Smarter: http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2002/julaug/features/anthro.html
Language Gene Is Traced to Emergence of Humans: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/15/science/15LANG.html?ex=1030248000&en=f
412e995454ce475&ei=5040
Study: Gene mutations led to human language: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/healthscience/134513634_language15.html
Gene Study Explains Chatty Humans, Speechless Apes:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000CCE7E-A2A7-1D5A-90FB809EC5880000
Whonamedit.com: http://www.whonamedit.com/index.cfm
" It is our ambition to present a complete survey of all medical
phenomena named for a person, with a biography of that person."
The Sheep Brain Dissection Guide: http://academic.uofs.edu/department/psych/sheep/f1.html
Webwatchers Web Guides: http://webwatchers.nsta.org/default.asp
Lists of pre-selected web sites, lesson plans, activities, experiments
and real-world examples.
Web Resources for Infections and Illnesses:
http://www.cityschools.com/walkergrant/resources/infectious.htm
StudyWorks Online: http://www.studyworksonline.com/cda/home/0,,NAV1,00.html
StudyWorks Online is a free learning site to help students discover math
and science concepts traditionally taught from grades 7-12, through a
variety of online investigations and creative learning activities. These
include online strategy and eye-hand coordination games that are played
against the computer, logic problems, weekly puzzles, adn a large selection
of explorations and demonstrations grouped by content area, such as proving
the Pythagorean Theorem visually. the site also includes news stories
about math and science, homework hints, online tests, and links to related
Web sites.
Invention Dimension: http://web.mit.edu/invent/invent-main.html
Invention Dimension, from the Lemelson-MIT Program,
has sections that include: Inventor of the
Week; Inventor Archives (where you can search for information on a specific
inventor or invention); Inventor's Handbook (created for independent inventors
and entrepreneurs); Games and Trivia; plus
Links and Resources. The InvenTeam Grants support a non-competitive, team-based
approach to invention and innovation among high school students. Grants
of up to $10,000 are awarded
annually. (See http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/InvenTeam/
for grant info)
Grade Level: Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science, Technology
Wonderville (Science Alberta Foundation):
http://www.wonderville.ca/
Wonderville was created to spark kids' interest
in science. In Wonderville, they can engage in scientific experiments,
locate science facts, download exclusive screensavers and desktop wallpaper.
Teachers and parents will want to know that the scientific activities
are based in the Alberta Learning science curriculum for grades 4 - 6
and include outcomes, objectives and technical requirements contained
in
a 'Read Me' file specific to each activity.
Energy & Recycling: http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/recycling/index.html
explores the link between solid waste & energy, the history of garbage,
how landfills work, & related topics. Biographies of
pioneers in energy & "energy news you can use" are offered
for students. Materials for teaching about energy are provided in Classroom
Connection.
Toxtown: http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/
is an interactive guide to toxic substances commonly found in
water, rivers, offices, stores, schools, parks, homes, & factories.
Substances include arsenic, asbestos, carbon monoxide, lead, mercury,
ozone, radon, & toluene.
Seahorses
Docslaw Seaworld: http://www.seahorses.de/
Dr. Ruediger Verhasselt, of Düsseldorf, Germany, has a digital camera
and several tanks of seahorses, and has put them all to good use. His
bilingual hobby site is home to nearly 200 extraordinary annotated photos,
information on the biology of seahorses, and details for those interested
in keeping or breeding seahorses.
Monterey Bay Aquarium: Saving Seahorses: http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_se/se_ssh.asp
Although you can't visit the Saving Seahorses exhibit in Monterey, California
anymore, its virtual counterpart lives on. "With horselike heads
and kangaroo-like pouches, seahorses don't look much like fish. But look
again they breathe through gills and have tiny fins for swimming."
Topics to
explore include why seahorses are imperiled and what conservation efforts
are under way. You'll find seahorse e-cards on the Seahorse Saviors page.
NOVA Online: Kingdom of the Seahorse: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/seahorse/
Amanda Vincent, a marine biologist dedicated to the conservation of the
seahorse, is the focus of this PBS site. "No one knows exactly how
many seahorses there are in the world. Because of this, and because of
the high demand for the seahorse, conservationists are working hard to
ensure this magical fish has a future." The four site sections are:
the Vincent interview, Hot Science (for seahorse basics), Roundup (the
photo gallery), and Superdads (find out which animal dads -- besides the
seahorse are involved in parenting offspring.)
Project Seahorse FAQ: http://www.seahorse.mcgill.ca/faq.htm
Everything you need for your school report on seahorses can be found at
Project Seahorse. From "What do seahorses look like?" to questions
about seahorse conservation, this single page Q&A
covers all the basics. Learn how male seahorses become pregnant and carry
their offspring to term in their pouch; where seahorses are found; and
how seahorses rely on camouflage to capture prey and avoid predators.
Secrets of the Seahorse: http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/new_site/
Both the science and art of the seahorse are addressed at this site from
San Diego's Birch Aquarium. Start your visit with a history lesson on
early efforts to learn about the seahorse. Continue with seahorse biology,
a look at the Gasterosteiformes family tree, and the Threats section.
The most unique seahorse clicks are the winning entries from the seahorse
poetry contest and the gallery of decorative items found under Inspiration.
At the Conservation section you can watch a video of Neptune's Nursery,
where Birch is propagating seahorses for distribution to other marine
facilities.
Heavens Above: http://heavens-above.com/
You put in where you are on the earth and this site will
tell you when you'll be able to see a visible pass of the space station.
The Exploratiorium: http://www.exploratorium.edu/
This site is an online arm of the world-famous Exploratorium
museum in San Francisco. It also helps people nurture their curiosity
through innovative environments, programs and tools. The Exploratorium
offers interactive activities on the Web in science, math and human percepion,
including opportunities to follow expeditions online, visit the Hubble
telescope, look through live cameras, participate in Webcasts, build projects
and explore the science behind topics such as baseball and cycling. the
site also includes a subject index.
Bubbles
Art and Science of Bubbles: http://www.cleaning101.com/sdakids/bubbles/
The Soap and Detergent Association presents a variety of bubble tips
(Bigger Better Bubbles) and tricks (The Pop-Proof Bubble!) If you navigate
the bubble site by using the menu at the bottom of the page, not the left-hand
menu, you will not leave Kid's Corner. The Predictable Pop! will show
you how to amaze your friends by knowing exactly when a bubble is about
to burst.
Bubblesphere: http://bubbles.org/
He's traveled the world, entertaining audiences with his bubbles,
and now Professor Bubbles shares his secrets. He shares his homemade bubble
tools and his simple bubble solution recipes. The Questions section is
a good place to start for bubble how-tos, history and science, but you'll
need to scroll down the page to see the FAQs. For indoor fun, try the
three online bubble games.
Bubble Town: http://www.zurqui.com/crinfocus/bubble/bubble.html
When the anonymous author of Bubble Town was a little
boy, he discovered a paper bubble-blowing funnel in a cereal box that
made much larger bubbles than the familiar plastic blowing rings. Learn
how to make your own amazing bubble tube from two sheets of paper (see
High Tech Bubble Tube) and learn why this simple device creates bubbles
that are both bigger and longer lasting than other bubble wands (see Bubble
Engineering).
Exploratorium Soap Bubbles: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/bubbles/bubbles.html
"What is so fascinating about bubbles?
The precise spherical shape, the incredibly fragile nature of the microscopically
thin soap film, the beautiful colors that swirl and shimmer, or most likely,
a combination of all these phenomena?" For the an exploration of
the science of bubbles, this San Francisco Exploratorium site is the bee's
knees. And exactly what do beehives have in common with bubble foam? Go
to "Bubble Meets Bubble" to find out.
Soap Films Made Easy: http://home.earthlink.net/~marutgers/
Imagine studying soap bubbles for a living! That's
what Maarten Rutgers does. For high school science students, and other
serious science fans, this site goes far beyond what is covered in the
other sites. Click on Fun/Bubble Details to learn that "a bubble
is a film, but a film is not a bubble. Bubbles usually start as a film,
for instance in a bubble wand. Once you have blown on this film, it will
separate to form a free floating entity called a bubble. Soap films must
be bounded on all sides, or their surface tension will pull them into
tiny droplets."
BirdCentral.net: http://birdcentral.net/
Grades: Kindergarten - 12
Bird-watching in the 21st century is a bird of a different feather, thanks
to online technology! At this site, birding enthusiasts as well as classroom
teachers will find ideas and information about studying birds, color photographs
of North American birds, and tips on how to take snappy photos of your
own.
Ecology explorers: http://caplter.asu.edu/explorers/index.htm
Grades: Kindergarten - 12
Your schoolyard is more than just a place to blow off steam at recess
time; it's also a teeming ecosystem full of fascinating flora and fauna,
just waiting to be explored! This site features
protocols for surveying resident arthropods, seeds, birds, and vegetation,
as well as lesson plans, additional online resources, and downloadable
presentations for teaching the protocols.
Fire wars: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fire/
Grades: 6 - 12
As fires rage across much of the West in what is one of the most dynamic
fire seasons on record, this site provides timely information about fighting
fires, the mechanics of combustion, and the factors that contribute to
conflagration. Virtual labs and activities encourage hands-on exploration
of this hot topic
Lichens, tardigrades, and SO2: http://www.kancrn.org/so2/
Grades: 6 - Post-secondary
Synopsis: Lichens, tardigrades, and SO2--oh my! We're definitely not just
in Kansas; lichens are everywhere, and studying them can reveal a lot
about the quality of the air around them. This site reveals the complex
relationship between lichen proliferation and air pollutants. It also
provides guided research questions for students of all ages, as well as
current data and interactive mapping tools.
Space for species: http://www.spaceforspecies.ca/
Grades: 6 - Post-secondary
Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk takes young learners into outer space for
a unique vantage point from which to track the migratory patterns of various
animals, including polar bears, peregrine falcons, and leatherback turtles.
Find out how space technology can provide a window on the world around
us.
Stormy weather: http://www.educationcentral.org/stormy/main.htm
Grades: 9 - 12
Don't let storms bring you down! Find out why it keeps raining on your
parade and learn about the elements that create storm systems. From the
safety of your desktop, experience the Perfect Storm from 1991 that became
the basis for the Hollywood recreation.
SLIME TIME SCIENCE: http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2001/12/120301_simplescience.jhtml
It's drippy, messy, gooey, slimy, tons of fun--and
it's science... Explore these hands-on ultra-cool science projects and
recipes in your classroom, with Dancing Raisins, Musical Fractions, and
Educational Goo. Be sure to try the Related Activities as well, offering
more in math and mu-
sic, and reinforcing both the scientific method and lab write-up procedures.
MOO-VE OVER -- HERE COMES GREEN ENERGY!: http://www.riverdeep.net/current/2002/03/032502t_cowpower.jhtml
Hold that burp, but hand over the manure... Believe
it or not--and your students will love this factoid--cattle burps contribute
to a significant amount of global warming. On the up side, cow manure
is wonderfully recyclable as green electricity. Students will learn about
cow energy, and the differences between global warming and ozone layer
depletion in this fascinating Currents installation. Classroom exercises
follow, with activities in both physical and Earth sciences.
SCIENCE LAB GENERATOR: http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/science_lab/
Lab sheet templates here help to provide students
with practice on the scientific method. Generate
your own customized lab worksheets with this online tool.
PACKING FOR A LONG TRIP TO MARS: http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/teachers/mars_packing.pdf
Working in teams of three to five students, your
class must plan a trip to Mars lasting two and a half years. Students
will need to brainstorm on how to get along, what activities they can
plan to pass the time, and how to logically and economically pack what
they will need to bring along.
Can Cruncher: http://www.iit.edu/~smile/ch8915.html
"The purpose of the activity is to show what
happens to the pressure inside a container of steam when it is cooled
and how the pressure affects the boiling point of a liquid."
Welcome to Astro-Venture!: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/astrobiology/astroventure/
Astro-Venture is an educational, interactive, multimedia
Web environment where students in grades 5-8 role-play NASA occupations,
as they search for and build a planet with the necessary characteristics
for human habitation.
NASA Quest: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/index.html
"NASA Quest is a rich resource for educators, kids
and space enthusiasts who are interested in meeting and learning about
NASA people and the national space program. NASA Quest allows the public
to share the excitement of NASA's authentic scientific and engineering
pursuits like flying in the Shuttle and the International Space Station,
exploring distant planets with amazing spacecraft, and building the aircraft
of the future."
Liftoff to Learning: Toys in Space 2: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/teachers/liftoff/toys.html
You download a video tape called Toys in Space. The kids
play with a certain toy and predict how it will act in space. Then they
watch a segment of the video tape and watch actual shuttle astronauts
play with the same toy. Then you move on to the next toy and watch the
next segment.
Air Quality Web sites
Haze Cam web cam (Northeast U.S.): http://www.hazecam.net/
EPA Air Now web site:
http://www.epa.gov/airnow/
http://www.epa.gov/airnow/where/index.html
Ozone Alert Programs around the U.S.: http://www.ridewise.org/ozone/ozlinks.htm
Dryden Research Aircraft Photo Collections:
http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/
The Dryden Flight Research Center is located in Edwards, California. It
is NASA's primary site for studying flight and for testing all manner
of experimental aircraft. The Center has been active for the past 50 years
in studying designs and materials that have since been developed for civilian
and military use. The Center's website offers a
collection of photos featuring all kinds of aircraft. The collection page
lists all the various aircraft for which the site has photos, with links
to those pictures, and includes the flight dates for each craft.
Exploratorium: Global Climate Change research_explorer:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/climate/index.html
At this website, you can explore scientific data
relating to the atmosphere, the oceans, the areas covered by ice and snow,
and the living organisms in all these domains. Study the atmosphere,
hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and global effects and access current
research of our changing world. There are great links included for student
researchers.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School, College
Content Area: Science (Environmental Studies), History & Social Studies
(Geography), Mathematics (Statistics and Probability)
A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A TREE: http://www.domtar.com/arbre/english/start.htm
Explore this interactive site on the seasons with
your students. You will click on the tree to learn about its changing
forms, or click on seeds, cones, and leaves in the corresponding frame
to learn how they function.
WEATHER SONGS AND POEMS: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems17.html
Learn all about the weather through these wonderful
little rhymes and chants. Once your students have mastered the words,
consider creating simple masks and costumes to act out some of the selections.
PRESCHOOL WEATHER ACTIVITIES: http://www.angelfire.com/fl/preschoolfunzone/weather.html
Your preschool class will become little scientists
as they complete the activities listed here. They will be measuring rain,
making a wind indicator, and experimenting with balloons and and soap
bubbles to learn about the properties of air.
SCIENCE FOR A RAINY DAY: http://www.monroe2boces.org/programs.cfm?sublevel=414&subsubpage=82&subpage=54&master=3
Explore the theme of weather with these wonderfully
creative activities. Students can learn about thunder and lightning, measure
the rain in a coffee can, or make this simple balloon car as a class and
discuss the properties of air.
Anglo-Australian Observatory: http://www.aao.gov.au/images.html/
This page is the gateway to a wonderful collection
of astronomical photographs, mostly made with the telescopes of the Anglo-Australian
Observatory. All ages of learners can easily find quality images. Under
the link WWW Image Use, there is a clear use policy for users who download
images off the server, including e-mail contact information for obtaining
permission and policy for clearly giving credit for the photograph and
linking to the observatory site.
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School,
College, Adult/Professional
Content Area: Science (Astronomy & Space), Arts (Visual Arts), Community
Interest (General)
Light: A Learning Unit: http://www.gelighting.com/na/home/gela/students/index.htm
Created by General Electric, this Unit deals with
Filaments, Prisms, Wattage, and Electricity. Hands-on activities and experiments
are included.
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School
Content Area: Science (Physics), Mathematics (General) History & Social
Studies (U.S. History)
CELL TRAVEL BROCHURE: http://www.middleschoolscience.com/cellbrochure.pdf
Take a tour through the inner body with this challenge
to middle and high school students to create
a travel brochure on plant and animal cells. You can go one step further
by having your students animate their specific cells, personifying them
and creating characters--which of course must interact with other cells
in a student-written script.
GET TO KNOW THE NIGHT SKY: http://familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,64-3889-0-1,00.html
Challenge your students to go home and really
take notice of the night sky. Find supportive activi-
ties to guide them through at this site.
INSECTS THEMATIC UNIT: http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/Insect.htm
Bees, butterflies, and ladybugs will be studied
in this thematic unit on insects. Students will identify insect habitats,
become familiar with life cycles, look at ant anatomy, and visit a beehive
to understand its inner workings. Observation stations will be placed
around the classroom to collect various specimens, while various activities
explore the insect theme across the curriculum.
Astro-Venture: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/astrobiology/astroventure/avhome.html
This multimedia website deals with NASA careers
and astrobiology research. The concept is to search for and design a habitable
planet. Students enter training, are quizzed on their knowledge, and adjust
the features of potentially habitable planets to see what makes a planet
habitable and why. The recording of student observations ties this activity
to the basics of the scientific process.
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Astronomy & Space/Life Science), Vocational
Education (Careers), English (Writing)
Arctic Alive: http://www.arcus.org/arcticalive/index.html
Arctic Alive is a distance-learning environment for learners. Although
the actual interaction with researchers has already taken place, teachers
can use the background materials on the arctic, earth systems, and climate
with students. Lessons, or investigations, often link to activities on
other sites.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Earth Science/Life Science), Vocational Education
(Careers), English (Writing)
Fun with Bacteriology: http://www.cbdn.ca/english/fun_with/fun_with.html
Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network produced this
website where students can learn about Bacteriology and the importance
of microscopy. Photos and text introduce the basics including microscopy
and Gram staining, different cell types, and bacterial culture plates.
After exploring
these topics, students can work through a series of short case studies
to test their knowledge.
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Life Science), Vocational Education (Careers)
The How Far Does Light Go? Debate: http://www.kie.berkeley.edu/KIE/web/hf.html
"How Far Does Light Go?" is a debate project
in which students examine the scientific properties of light. The culminating
activity is an informal classroom debate where groups present their arguments
about how far light goes and respond to questions from other students.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Physics), English (Writing/Speaking)
World Wide Web Pages for Dam Design: http://www.dur.ac.uk/~des0www4/cal/dams/fron/contents.htm
Learn about hydrology, concrete dams, enbankment dams, and spillways.
All ages of students can benefit from knowledge of the ways water is stored,
and shared. This website could be a starting point for examining dams
and water usage in your region.
Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle
School, High School
Content Area: Science (Earth Science), Vocational Education (Careers)
EPA Global Warming: http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/visitorcenter/educators/index.html
features materials teachers can use in presentations & classroom activities
on climate change science. A
kids' site includes animations of global warming & earth processes
(for Grades 5-9). A calculator lets students estimate their household's
greenhouse gas emissions & explore ways to reduce
emissions. A database offers nearly 100 lesson plans, videos, books, toolkits,
& other fun materials on climate change.
Zoos
Animal Shape Patterns: http://www.abcteach.com/Animals/AnimalShapeMenu.htm
Facts and Furs: http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/at/facts.asp
Heart Of Africa: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/special/heartofafrica/home.html
Lincoln Park Zoo: http://www.lpzoo.com/
Zoo Animals: http://www.preschooleducation.com/zoo.shtml
Zoo Animals: Arts and Crafts: http://www.preschooleducation.com/azoo.shtml
Animal Cams: http://www.toledo.com/zoocams/
Animals You Can See At The Zoo: http://www.pacificnet.net/~cmoore/zoo/index.htm
Herds Of Information About Zebras: http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~kantner/zebras/
Jaguar Exhibit: http://zoo.chattanooga.org/jag-exb.htm
Kids Corner: http://www.phillyzoo.org/kidscorner/games.asp
Zoo Art Ideas: http://www.angelfire.com/ky2/LITTLEPIXEYDAYCARE/zoo.html
Zoogoer Magazine: http://www.fonz.org/zgintro.htm
Animal Masks by Jan Brett: http://www.janbrett.com/mitten_masks_main.htm
Animal Pictures/Animal Facts: http://www.exzooberance.com/
Bronx Zoo: http://www.fieldtrip.com/ny/83671010.htm
Dot To Dot: http://www.scz.org/fun/dotdot.html
Mystery Animal: http://pbskids.org/zoboo/mysteryanimal/index.html
Zoo Animal Word Scramble: http://www.scz.org/fun/wrdscr.html
Animals: http://www.scz.org/animals/home.html
Jungle Adventure: http://www.scz.org/fun/jungadv/ja001.html
Jungle Jukebox: http://www.scz.org/mmedia/jukebox/juke.html
Many Faces of the Sedgwick County Zoo: http://www.scz.org/mmedia/faces/faces.html
Swingin With The Apes: http://www.scz.org/mmedia/swing/swing.html
Zoo Coloring Book: http://www.clemetzoo.com/
Animal Bytes: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wildideas/animal/index.html
Animal Talk: http://www.angelfire.com/md/byme/pocket/animaltalk.html
Baby Page: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/special/babies/index.html
Saint Louis Zoo site: http://www.stlzoo.org/content.asp?page_name=VirtualChildrensZoo1
The Bear Went Over The Mountain: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/bearwent.htm
Virtual Zoo: http://www.southwickszoo.com/vzoo/vzoo.htm
Alice the Camel: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/sally.htm
Animal Coloring: http://www.ilovenature.co.kr/play/anicoloring.htm
Coloring Book: http://jamestracy.tripod.com/colouringbook.htm
Bear Cam: http://www.wpz.org/
The Animal Fair: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/animalfair.htm
Wild Animal Coloring Pages: http://coloringbookfun.com/wildan/index.htm
Animal Information Database: http://www.seaworld.org/infobook.html
Zoos are pretty cool--but so is this online reservoir of facts, figures,
and fascinating tidbits all about animals. Fun games, animal research,
educational materials, and lots of other goodies await you.
Extreme science: http://www.extremescience.com/
Grades: Kindergarten - 12
Facts, figures, experiments, research, and more abound at this site, which
covers topics such as weather, time, space, and technology.
Heavens-above: http://www.heavens-above.com/
Grades: 6 - Post-secondary
There's a wealth of information here on satellites, the space stations,
and the Iridium Flares. Get
astronomical information that's relevant to your specific locality by
entering your town and country.
NOVA online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/
Grades: 7 - Post-secondary
Check here for engaging online supplements to the award-winning, science-themed
PBS documentary series. Features include an in-depth look at why the World
Trade Center collapsed, how firefighters combat wildfires, and where human
life originated.
FireWars: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fire/
This Nova program looks at wildfires and how they
work. There is a fire-growth computer model, used to simulate conditions
such as wind speed and direction. A virtual laboratory lets you explore
the basics of combustion, including how a fire ignites, what a flame is
made of, and how burning molecules rearrange themselves. A teacher's guide
is available.
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Life science/Environmental Studies/Chemistry),
Vocational Education (Careers)
The living Africa: http://www.thinkquest.org/library/lib/site_sum_outside.html?tname=16645&url=16645/
Grades: 5 - 12
Visit the continent that gave us the Great Pyramids, the world's longest
river, and the world's largest desert. You can also take the Wildlife
Conservation Challenge, an interactive safari adventure in which you travel
the continent in search of animals on your endangered species list.
Bubbles
BUBBLE SOLUTIONS: http://bubbles.org/solution/
No need to buy bubble solutions. The formula is very easy and inexpensive
to make.
BUBBLE FORUMULAE: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/bubbles/formulae.html
Try experimenting and recording
which formula you think works best, through a series of bubble tests.
Graph the results.
BUBBLE TOOLS: http://bubbles.org/html/solutions/tools.htm
Click on each illustration to find detailed instructions
for each example of bubble tools.
LEARNING WITH BUBBLES: http://www.kinderart.com/across/bubbles.shtml
Wind is the topic of observation and discussion
with this bubbles lesson. Students will be coloring their bubbles with
food coloring in order to observe their movements, and looking for wind
patterns.
CREATING A SOAP BUBBLE COMPANY: http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/science/lessonsk1/soap.html
Early elementary students will be able to learn
the scientific method with this hands-on bubble activity.
They will form a hypothesis on which is better: purchased bubbles, or
class-made bubble solutions. They will then test and observe their solutions,
and write or draw up the results.
THE SCIENCE OF BUBBLES: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/bubbles/bubbles.html
Hands-on learning takes place with the experiments
and activities listed here from the bubble experts
at the Exploratorium. Students will examine shape, soap, color, and more.
BUBBLE ART: http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/s/suds/suds.html
A little paint, a little bubble magic, a few paper
towels and bowls, and voila, your class has accom-
plished their very own bubble art.
SQUARE BUBBLES:
http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/b/bubblegeometry/bubblegeometry.html
http://www.sdahq.org/new1198/kids/bubbles/page05.htm#mid
Have your students ever seen square bubbles before?
How about triangular ones? Find a few simple suggestions here, and then
experiment making different types of wands. The 2nd URL above gives instructions
for making a square bubble wand to yield big results.
BIGGER, BETTER BUBBLES:
http://www.sdahq.org/new1198/kids/bubbles/page02.htm#mid
The quest for bigger and better bubbles demands
a competition. Hold a bubble field day at your school, for the biggest
bubbles, longest lasting, bubble relays...ask your students to come up
with even more competition ideas for an end of year bubble fair.
BUBBLE ART AND SCIENCE:
http://www.fandm.edu/departments/Mathematics/A.Crannell/Shapes/of%20Nature/bubbles.html
Students will be experimenting with bubbles to observe
shape and action, and then sketching the results of bubble formations.
This activity might get messy; you may wish to take it outside.
ANTIBUBBLES:
http://www.jtan.com/antibubble/
http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/antibub/antibub1.html
For advanced bubble masters, try the anti-bubble
activities here, and explore the science and uses be-
hind them, as well as tricks to wow school mates. The 2nd URL above offers
alternative activities and explanations.
BUBBLE WRAP POP GAME: http://bubbles.org/html/games/bubwrap.htm
For the sheer fun of it, see how many bubbles you
can pop in twenty seconds. Careful--this game might
get addictive.
VIRTUAL MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM: http://www.mbayaq.org/
The exhibits at Monterey Bay Aquarium are fascinating
for any age. Here you can explore a number of live cameras and observations,
of penguins, otters, the Outer Bay, or the kelp beds.
UNDER THE SEA WHO AM I?
http://ms.mathscience.k12.va.us/lessons/ocean/guess.HTML
http://ms.mathscience.k12.va.us/lessons/ocean/explore.HTML
Interactive questions and answers guide students
through their learning on ocean life, with great pictures of both plant
and animal specimens. The second URL above lets students click on various
ocean animals to explore, with text appropriate to elementary classes.
OCEAN LIFE: http://www.sillybilly.com/ocean.html
Lesson ideas across the curriculum explore both
whales and ocean life in this third grade unit. For whales,
students must work in teams to research a specific whale, and then create
a tailored diorama reflecting
its marine environment.
UNDER THE SEA: http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/fishy/under.html
Transform your classroom into an undersea environment
this summer, with crepe paper, yarn, crayons, and these instructions.
OCEAN UNIT: http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/ocean.htm
Besides becoming familiar with our planet's oceans,
students will also learn the countries which border
oceans around the world. They will research ocean habitat food chains
and animal and plant life, and learn
about modern environmental issues affecting the seas.
THERE ARE ALGAE IN YOUR HOUSE:
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/education_lesson1.html
How is the ocean useful to us on a daily basis?
How about the foods we eat? This lesson plan and student
take-home worksheet illustrate how we eat many algae products on a daily
basis. Have your students guess
first on which food items contain algae derivatives, before continuing
on with the lesson plan.
TECHNOAQUARIUM: http://www.mcps.org/ces/TechnoProjects/TechnoAq/index.html
The challenge: upper elementary students must design
and construct ocean environments for different marine communities. Choices
can include intertidal zones, kelp forests, or coral reefs, for example.
Student teams must also find some creative way of making specific animal
models to stock their chosen environments.
THE OCEAN FROM SPACE: http://inspire.ospi.wednet.edu:8001/curric/oceans/ocolor/index.html
Microscopic plant life, as well as our sky, affect
the color of the ocean as we see it. Students will cover
ocean-based food chains and ocean productivity in this lesson plan, as
they compare the different ocean regions of the world.
MICROBE ZOO: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo/index.html
They affect all of us, tiny microbes that live in
our intestines, or those that invade our teeth and cause
cavities. And what about ammonia chompers, or swamp gas producers? Microbes
inhabit an amazing universe of their own, and in conjunction with the
human world, we see them as good guys--making cheese and yogurt, for instance--or
bad guys, such as the e-coli attacking body systems. Investigate their
world with this online exhibit.
Ask the Answer Worm: http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/squirm/skworm.html
This site for younger students deals with dirt (soil).
What could be better! Start with the simple questions (Is
soil made by magic?) and work up to the tougher ones (What is soil conservation?).
Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary
Content Area: Science (Earth Science/Environmental Studies), English (Reading)
AnimalSearch: http://animalsearch.net/
A family-safe search engine for animal related web sites.
Rivers 2001 - National Geographic Society
Flash animation: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction/
If you have Flash animation on your computer, this site will provide you
with an excellent and entertaining description of a river system. You
will also find lesson resources and activities created for this National
Geographic Special Theme.
All Along the River: http://library.thinkquest.org/28022/
This site created by students for students gives clear and concise explanations
of river dynamics and discusses important issues facing our rivers today.
Also included are many fun activities for you and your child.
River Systems of the World: http://www.rev.net/~aloe/river/
If you are on a fact-finding mission, look at this Web site. The tabular
format makes the information easy to find and the authors of the site
welcome any news and new links you have to offer.
Chesapeake Bay Net: http://www.chesapeakebay.net/
One of the first estuaries to be included in the federal Watershed Restoration
Partnership, the Chesapeake Bay has a Web site that provides some of the
best information for teachers, students and scientists to use in their
study of the estuarine ecology.
National Estuary Program: http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/
The official Web site for the NEP maintains links and maps for all of
the United States estuaries served by this program. The links include
educational material as well as news articles that can be used for your
home school.
The Hurricane of '38: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hurricane38/index.html
Look back in time with this PBS site to study the
science and history of this massive hurricane. The survivor accounts of
the storm can be harrowing, so they might not be appropriate for younger
students. Lesson ideas are available in the areas of history, economics,
geography, and civics.
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Earth Science), History & Social Studies (U.S.
History/Economics/Georgraphy)
Nova Online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/
NOVA Online now offers teachers quick access to more than
500 of the popular science program's educational resources in itsTeachers
site, which includes a searchable database of program information, activities,
and other classroom tools. The ever-growing collection includes detailed
content summaries for most NOVA programs since 1993, along with information
on which videos are for sale and how to purchase them. It also features
more than 125 printable and 100 online activites with grade-level designations
in anthropology, archaeology, chemistry, earth science, forensics, health
science, life science, mathematics, paleontology, physical science, and
space science. Teachers can use the site to access resources for cross-curricular
connections in the areas of social studies, science and society, and technological
design: gain ideas from other teachers on how they are using NOVA in the
classroom; find links to available resources for each NOVA program by
program title; join an eMail list ot receive weekly updates on upcoming
broadcasts and new web sites: learn about NOVA's Featured Teachers and
how to become one: peruse information about taping rights and suggestions
for using videos in the classroom; and order NOVA's printed teacher's
guide. In addition, the expanded Teachers site gives educators access
to curricula from other science specials from the producers of NOVA, including,
"A Science Odyssey," "Building Big," and "Evolution"
series.
Exploratorium: Life Along the Faultline:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/
Created for the ten-year anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake of
1989, Life Along the Faultline offers earthquake science, advances in
structural engineering, personal perspectives, and a look back to the
great San Francisco shake of 1906. Best click for students and teachers
is the tiny link to Activities in the lower left-hand corner.
FEMA for Kids: Earthquakes: http://www.fema.gov/kids/quake.htm
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is in charge of helping
people before and after a disaster. Their colorful site uses stories,
photos, rap music, games, experiments and quizzes to explain earthquakes
and earthquake preparedness to elementary students. There are Earthquake
Legends (folklore from around the world), and experiments listed under
"Jess and Sam's Earthquake." FEMA also provides free educational
pamphlets and posters if you call or write (sorry, no email orders accepted.)
How Stuff Works: Earthquakes: http://www.howstuffworks.com/earthquake.htm
"We only hear about earthquakes in the news every once in a while,
but they are actually an everyday occurrence on our planet. According
to the United States Geological Survey, more than three million earthquakes
occur every year. That's about 8,000 a day, or one every 11 seconds!"
How Stuff Works explains the science of earthquakes in their ten-page
site for middle and high school students. Look in the Lots More Information
page for links to additional How Stuff Works articles on seismographs
and building quake-proof structures.
PBS Savage Earth: The Restless Planet: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/earthquakes/
PBS brings science to life with the use of Flash animations and QuickTime
video to explain the how and why of earthquakes. Three sidebars cover
learning from earthquakes, predicting quakes, and engineering quake-resistant
buildings. Other chapters at Restless Planet explore volcanos and tsunamis.
USGS Earthquakes for Kids & Grownups: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/4kids
U.S. Geological Survery neatly divides their
site into separate sections for kids, grownups and teachers. Kids should
visit for the puzzles and games, science fair ideas, and the online activity
links. Grownup goodies include virtual earthquake fly-bys and will be
of interest to middle and high school students. Teachers will delight
in the grade-sorted link directory that spans from kindergarten through
college-level.
Simple machine web sites
http://www.ced.appstate.edu/whs/goals2000/projects/machines.htm
http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~hixson/index/machines.html
http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq8/jjquest.htm
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/lp_res/TRB013.html
http://www.trms.ga.net/~jtucker/lessons/sc/machines.html
http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/etc/simple.htm
http://www.ed.uri.edu/SMART96/ELEMSC/SMARTmachines/machine.html
http://library.advanced.org/3447/simpmach.htm
http://volweb.utk.edu/Schools/sullivan/sullms/machines.htm
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InventorsToolbox.html
http://www.galaxy.net:80/~k12/machines/index.shtml
http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/hv/machines.htm
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/gr3uhesc.html
http://www.ed.uri.edu:80/SMART96/ELEMSC/SMARTmachines/machine.html#OVERVIEW
http://www.discoverengineering.org/eweek/toc.htm
http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/hv/machines.htm
http://www.fi.edu/qa97/spotlight3/spotlight3.html
http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~hixson/index/machines.html
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/215.html
Albert Einstein sites
Albert Einstein Archives: http://www.albert-einstein.org/
There is a biographical timeline, the Multimedia Mini-Exhibit and
the audio recordings at this site. The Mini-Exhibit is a slide show of
highlights from Einstein's life and achievements.
Einstein: Image and Impact: http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/
The American Institute of Physics site (my pick of the day) explores
Einstein's life through historical accounts, photographs and sound clips.
The Brief Version (recommended for elementary students and anyone not
wanting to read all one hundred pages of the Main Exhibit) can be traversed
by following the Next Page link at the very bottom of each page. Clicking
on any other links for more detail will take you into the Main Exhibit.
To return to your tour through the Brief Version, use your browser back
button, or start again at the home page.
Einstein's Quotes: http://stripe.colorado.edu/~judy/einstein.html
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just
that I stay with problems longer." There are a hundred more Einstein
gems categorized into subjects at this quotation site created by a University
of Colorado staff member. Want to understand relativity? Here's Einstein's
short version: "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it
seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like
a minute. THAT'S relativity."
NOVA Online: Einstein Revealed: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/
This PBS site is a companion to their two-hour Einstein
Revealed television special. Do-not-miss-them clicks are the two Hot Science
lessons. Light Stuff explores everyday objects that slow down the speed
of light. Second is Time Traveler, which asks "What happens to time
when you travel very quickly?" This Shockwave experiment can either
be played online or downloaded to your Windows or Mac computer and played
off line. Other worthwhile clicks are the timeline of Einstein's life
and (for high school students and adults) a synopsis of how Einstein's
work laid the foundation for modern cosmology (the study of the universe.)
The Why Files: Everything's Relative: http://whyfiles.org/052einstein/
For middle and high school science enthusiasts,
The Why Files dive into Einstein's theories about the speed of light and
the space-time continuum. Twentieth century physics "has been a long
trail of vindication for Einstein's theories." The Why Files site
takes you by the hand to show how black holes and neutron stars offer
proof of theories Einstein made eighty years earlier.
Weather Sites
http://www.npac.syr.edu/textbook/kidsweb/weather.html
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
http://205.156.54.206/om/brochures/tornado.htm
http://water.dnr.state.sc.us/water/climate/sercc/education/education.html
http://www.weatherworks.com/
http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/projects/projects-html/thermometer.html
http://score.kings.k12.ca.us/lessons/weathermath/wrksht1.html
http://www.cedu.niu.edu/scied/student/lessonplans/team/97fall/vander.htm#10
http://www.kyes-world.com/sunwatch2.htm
http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/Butler/curry/wbpage.html
http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/Students_Teachers/learnact.htm
http://coe.west.asu.edu/explorer/weather/team4/Celcius-Fahrenheit.html
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ScienceMathMeasuringTempSeasonsK1.htm
http://www.creationsensation.com/weather/facts.htm
http://www.hants.gov.uk/sparsholtschoolscentre/learn/primary/weather/weather_recording.html
http://www.robotmonstertoys.com/apw/weather.htm
http://www.weather.com/maps/maptype/currentweatherusnational/index_large.html
http://www.onesky.umich.edu/
http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/weather.html
http://www.geocities.com/sumuptheweather/index.html
http://www.needham.mec.edu/sciencecenter/Sundial.html
www. wxdude.com/
www.usatoday.com/weather/wworks0.htm
www.earthwatch.com/
weather.yahoo.com/
www.spaceweather.com
whyfiles.org/013tornado/index.html
movies.warnerbros.com/twister/cmp/tornadointro.html
www.cnn.com/weather
www.nssl.noaa.gov/NWSTTornado/
www.fema.gov/kids/tornado.htm
www.outlook.noaa.gov./tornadoes/
Cut to the Heart: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/heart/
A NOVA site that tells about the heart.
Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES):
http://www.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/lter/HBTest/HubbardBrookWebsite/HBEducationHomepage.htm
Long-term research in the environment can capture
students' imaginations and fuel an interest in science. Designed for middle
and high school students, this website lets them explore research sites
across the United States and Antarctica, and discover the issues confronting
the environment in different region. Students can take a virtual tour,
learn about new research, read about HBES scientists, and more. Teachers
can access activities and information designed to help teach students
about the HBES.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Environmental Studies), History & Social Studies
(Geography)
"Inquiring Minds": http://www.fnal.gov/pub/inquiring/index.html
features an introduction to elementary particles & forces in our universe,
physics questions answered by Fermilab scientists, an interactive timeline
illustrating the history of high-energy physics, links to other high energy
physics sites, & more. It is maintained by Fermilab, the high-energy
physics lab devoted to studying the universe.
"Interactive Plasma Physics Education Experience":
http://ippex.pppl.gov/ offers web
modules that help students distinguish atoms, ions, elements, & molecules;
understand basic concepts involved with electricity & magnetism; &
see how energy flows through different states.
"Searching for the Building Blocks of Matter":
http://www-ed.fnal.gov/projects/exhibits/searching/exhibit_home.html
looks at Fermilab's search for the smallest building blocks of matter.
It also describes the accelerator & detectors needed for the discovery
of these building blocks (quarks, leptons & bosons), spin-offs along
the way, & continuing efforts to reveal the basic particles &
forces of nature. (Fermilab is a high-energy physics laboratory that houses
the Tevatron, the world's most powerful particle accelerator.)
Biomes
Biomes of the World: http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/
Six terrestrial biomes (rainforests, desert, tundra, grasslands, taiga,
and temperate) are covered in depth in these attractive pages from the
Missouri Botanical Gardens. Each biome topic includes pages on plants
and animals, a photo gallery and a links section. Freshwater and marine
ecosystems have their own sections (look for the text links at the top
of each page.) Straight-forward text and beautiful photos make this great
site for elementary and middle-school report writers.
Earth Floor: Biomes: http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/biomes.html
Developed at the Wheeling Jesuit University/NASA Classroom of the Future
in West Virginia, Earth Floor: Biomes is a small part of the larger Exploring
the Environment site. Earth Floor divides the world into six biomes, each
briefly explained in a single page. Teachers for grades K through 4 will
find classroom activities in the K4 Earth Science Biomes Module: http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/k4/teacher/biomes/biomes.html
EnchantedLearning.com: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/
There are printable, color-me animals that are linked from each biome
page. Another fun activity is the printable Biome calendar, which features
a different biome to color each month.
EO Laboratory: Mission Biomes: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Laboratory/Biome/
Reference material, maps, a glossary of biome vocabulary, and two
interactive, self-correcting missions area found here. The Great Graph
Match mission (match the climagraph to the correct biome) can be completed
as a beginner (select an answer from two choices) or an advanced student
(pick your answer from a list of six biomes). To Plant or Not to Plant
asks where in the world each of eight plant specimens must go. Teachers
of grades three to eight will find additional resources, such as books
and classroom tips, at the bottom of each page.
The World's Biomes: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/
This biome site from the University of California,
Berkeley was created several years ago by a biology class. It divides
the world into five biomes: aquatic, deserts, forests, grasslands and
tundra. Middle school and high school students will be able to overlook
the fact that this site has very few pictures and will find an excellent
bibliography for further study.
The Little Shop of Physics: Online Physics
Experiments: http://littleshop.physics.colostate.edu/Experiments.html
Colorado State has some great experiments here.
Choose from experiments using common household items, experiments you
can do with your computer, or shockwave experiments (requiring a shockwave
plugin that works with your browser). Demonstrate Bernoulli's principle
or find out how those annoying sounds are generated for the Emergency
Broadcast System. Enjoy these fun activities for all ages.
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School,
Adult/Professional
Content Area: Science (Physics), Arts (Music), Community Interest (General)
Garfield Star Sleeper: http://starsleep.nhlbi.nih.gov
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and
"Garfield the Cat" teamed up last year to launch a five-year
campaign to educate young children about the importance of adequate sleep.
As part of this national program, they have created the Star Sleeper web
site. Visitors to the web site can download a 51-page activity pad and
play on-line games to learn about sleep. Most of the material on the site
is for children between 7 and 11 years old, but there are links to information
for older people.
Weather sites: Almanac.com: http://www.almanac.com
Awesome Clipart for Kids: Weather Clipart: http://www.awesomeclipa
rtforkids.com/weather.html Weather.com's Classroom:
http://www.weather.com/education/index.html
Weather Lessons & Activities from Mars Global
Surveyor Project
http://nova.stanford.e
du/projects/mod/lessons.html
Intrepid Sea-air-Space
Museum: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/
Explore a a piece of history by visiting the Intrepid Sea, Air and space
Museum, a decommissioned World War II-era aircraft carrier moored in the
Hudson river, along West 46th Street in Manhattan. Classes can tour the
Intrepid on their own or participate in exploration workshops, which include
a guided tour and hands-on learning experiences. One workshop, for example,
is titled, "Sink or Swim:: Why Do Boats Float?" Classes meet
New York state science and social studies standards and are led by New
York and New Jersey certified teachers and museum experts.
ABC's of Nuclear Science: http://www.lbl.gov/abc/
This site introduces the object that contains almost all of the mass in
the universe, the atomic nucleus.
Antimatter, beta rays, fission & fusion, the structure of the atomic
nucleus, how elements on the earth were produced, how we use the nucleus
in every day life, & the effects of radiation in the environment are
among the topics. The site includes nearly a dozen experiments that can
be done in chemistry & physics classes, along with "A Teacher's
Guide to the Nuclear Science Wall Chart."
Ask a Scientist: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov:70/archive.htm
This site answers more than 7,000 science questions.
Search the database or view answers by topic area -- astronomy, biology,
botany, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science,
mathematics, molecular biology, physics, zoology, & others.
Biotechnology Education Program: http://ep.llnl.gov/bep/
This site offers lessons & learning activities on acids & bases,
diffraction, DNA fingerprinting &
criminal evidence, electrophoresis (a tool molecular geneticists use to
separate DNA, proteins, & other molecules), & other topics related
to genetic engineering & testing.
The Brain's Inner Workings: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/braincd.cfm
This site introduces the physical, chemical, & electrical events that
occur in the normal brain & provides clues to what goes awry in mental
illness. A video, narrated by Leonard Nimoy, shows how cells of the brain
function, how messages pass through a cell neuron, & more. The video
is accompanied by a guide for teachers & one for students.
Fermilab Education Office: http://www-ed.fnal.gov/trc/projects/index_all.html
This site offers materials for learning about particle physics & the
pursuit of questions such as "What is the smallest piece of matter?
How did the universe begin?" It includes streamed lectures by distinguished
scientists & teachers, a newspaper for middle school students, classroom
units & projects, physics data, games, & more. (Fermilab is a
high-energy physics laboratory, home of the world's most powerful particle
accelerator, the Tevatron.)
Fusion: Physics of a Fundamental Energy Source: http://fusedweb.pppl.gov/CPEP/Chart.html
This site provides introductory educational materials on fusion, the process
that powers the sun & other stars; & plasmas, known as the "fourth
state of matter."
Genomics & Its Impact on Medicine & Society: A
2001 Primer: http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/publicat/primer2001/index.html
This site examines the human genome project -- what's been learned so
far, anticipated benefits, & societal concerns. This site also provides
information about genomics (the study of genes) & the genome (the
exact instructions required to create a particular organism).
The National Marine Mammal Laboratory's Education: http://nmml.afsc.noaa.gov/education/
This website examines whales, dolphins, porpoises,and other marine mammals.
The site also offers a quiz & explores careers in marine mammal science.
The Particle Adventure: http://particleadventure.org/particleadventure/index.html
This site offers a timeline & background on particle physics, student
worksheets, & other resources to help students explore the world of
fundamental particles & forces.
QuarkNet: http://quarknet.fnal.gov/
This is the website for a professional development program in which teachers
work on particle physics experiments over the summer & join a cadre
of scientists & teachers introducing their research into high school
classrooms.
Turning Water into Energy: http://hydropower.inel.gov/index.html
This site presents facts & research about hydropower, a history of
hydropower, & diagrams of different types of hydropower facilities.
Environmental Inquiry: http://ei.cornell.edu/
The mission of Environmental Inquiry (EI) is to
support teaching and learning about the environmental sciences through
teacher education, curriculum research and development, and scientific
inquiry by students and teachers in grades 7-16. This site offers resources
to aid development of meaningful research projects in the areas of toxicology,
watersheds, ecology and biodegradation.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School, Adult/Professional
Content Area: Science (Life Science/Environmental Studies), English (Writing),
Mathematics (Measurement)
Calendar sites
Britannica.com: Clockworks: http://www.britannica.com/clockworks/main.html
What is time? Albert Einstein explained that time
as we know is an invention when he said "Space and time are modes
by which we think, not conditions under which we live." Clockworks
explores our notions of time, starting with a history of calendars and
timekeeping. This is an excellent site for middle and high-school students,
sprinkled with dozens of apt quotes from the likes of Einstein, Ben Franklin,
William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams.
Calendars through the Ages: http://webexhibits.org/calendars/
Organized into chapters with a horizontal menu
at the top, and subdivided into topics with a vertical menu on the left,
Calendars through the Ages begins with an in-depth look at the astronomical
basis of calendars. Significant historical calendars (such as the Roman
and Mayan) and currently used international calendars (Jewish, Chinese,
and Islamic) are covered in Various Calendars.
Calendopaedia: http://www.geocities.com/calendopaedia/
"Since the dawn of civilization man has kept
track of time by use of the sun, the moon, and the stars. Man noticed
that time could be broken up into units of the day (the time taken for
the earth to rotate once on its axis), the month (the time taken for the
moon to orbit the earth) and the year (the time taken for the earth to
orbit the sun)." But since a month is not a whole number of days,
nor a year a whole number of months or day, the task is not simple. "The
ways in which these problems were tackled down the centuries and across
the world is the subject of this Web site."
A Walk Through Time: http://physics.nist.gov/GenInt/Time/time.html
"In the 1840's a Greenwich standard time
for all of England, Scotland, and Wales was established, replacing several
'local time' systems. The Royal Greenwich Observatory was the focal point
for this development because it had played such a key role in marine navigation
based upon accurate timekeeping. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) subsequently
evolved as the official time reference for the world and served that purpose
until 1972." This fabulous site, produced by the National Institute
of Standards and Technology, presents both the history of timekeeping
and a peek at its current state. If you want to coordinate your Windows-based
computer clock to the NIST clock, you can download a program to do so
over the Internet (look under NIST Time Calibration).
World Book: Counting the Days: http://www2.worldbook.com/features/features.asp?feature=calendars&page=html/calendars.htm
&direct=yes
World Book editors have created a site for elementary
and middle-school students that answers basic questions about the invention
of the calendar. What I found most fascinating was the brief discussion
of two proposed calendars that would simplify our timekeeping. The fixed
(or thirteen month) calendar inserts the month of Sol after June. Each
month is exactly four weeks long and an extra day (called a year day)
is added at the end of the year. The second option is the world calendar
which has twelve months of thirty or thirty-one days, and also has a year
day at the end.
Ocean Explorer" plumbs the mysteries
of the sea: http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov
Teachers and students can dive deeper into our world's
oceans with this site from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA). "Ocean Explorer" enables teachers and students to follow
along with current government expeditions, learn about oceanographic exploration
technologies, and become acquainted with many of the awe-inspiring life
forms living beneath the waves. Visitors can explore the ocean floor,
learn about creatures that make their home in the sea, and go back in
time to understand how technology and oceanic exploration have changed
throughout the years. There is also a virtual library of reference materials
where students and teachers can further their underwater education. In
the site's "Explorations" section, students and teachers can
follow timelines and underwater images that will take them chronologically
through many of the great ocean expeditions of past and present. The "Gallery"
contains a wealth of underwater images and audio files that bring many
of the sea's mysterious inhabitants to life. Also, an online calendar
lists upcoming ocean-related events. At a time when 95 percent of the
world's oceans remain unexplored, it is NOAA's hope that this site will
encourage students to want to learn more.
Penguin sites
Penguin: http://www.momsnetwork.com/kids/coloring/penguin.shtml
Penguin Arts and Crafts: http://www.preschooleducation.com/apenguin.shtml
Penguin Gallery: http://lwn.net/Gallery/
Penguin Games: http://www.preschooleducation.com/gpenguin.shtml
Penguin Images: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/2211/index.html
Penguin Theme: http://www.childfun.com/themes/penguin.shtml
Penguin Activities: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/penguinactivities.htm
Penguins and Antarctic: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/penguinwelcome.htm
Penguin And Snowman: http://www.kidsbookshelf.com/colorme.asp?id=11
Penguin Songs: http://www.preschooleducation.com/spenguin.shtml
Penguin Cards: http://www.krittercards.com/penguin.htm
Penguin Poems: http://www.track0.com/canteach/elementary/songspoems25.html
Penguin Thematic Page: http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/penguins.htm
Penguin Cam: http://dsc.discovery.com/cams/penguin.html
Penguin Crafts: http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/penguins/
Penguin Poems and Songs: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/penguinpoems.htm
Penguin Species: http://www.crayola.com/educators/lessons/display.cfm?id=46
Room 100 Penguin Page: http://buckman.pps.k12.or.us/room100/penguin/penframe.html
Crazy About Penguins: http://www.members.shaw.ca/epenguin2/games/
Paper Mache Penguins: http://www.kinderart.com/little14.shtml
Penguin Capers: http://members.aol.com/MGoudie/penguincapers.html
Penguin Dance: http://www.angelfire.com/pe/penguindance/
Penguins:
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/dailard/Apenguins/
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/1stGrade/pagel.html
Penguins Unit: http://www.geocities.com/teachingwithheart/penguinsunit.html
Perfectly Penguins: http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/encanto/penguins/
Claypole the Penguin: http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/claypoles/index.htm
Second Grade Penguin Research: http://www.inwave.com/schools/Monroe/penguin.html
I Like Penguins: http://www.pinn.net/~efm/index.html
Chilly Willy: http://www.tetranet.net/taylor/mike/chilly/chilly0.htm
Penguin Games: http://www.penguin.net.nz/games/games.html
Penguins: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/532.html
Pretty Penguin Website: http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/omulligan/wquest.htm
Penny Penguin's Math Bingo: http://www.latticeworksw.com/penmath.htm
Pop A Penguin: http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/winter/pc/pop-peng.html
Tacky the Penguin: http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1129.html
Pattern For Paper Bag Penguin: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/cozycottage/pbagpenguin.html
Penguin: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/cozycottage/penguin.html
Penguin Activity Sheets:
http://www.sunshine.co.nz/nz/kia/actshts/15/15penguin.html
http://www.sunshine.co.nz/nz/kia/actshts/32/penguin4.html
http://www.sunshine.co.nz/nz/kia/actshts/32/penguin.html
http://www.akr.com.au/posters/antartic/antjn.htm
Penguin Craft: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mpenguin.html
Penguin Island: http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/tourism/penguin_island.html
Penguin Pictures: http://www.galactic.co.uk/iainf/pengpics.html
Skating Penguin: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/cozycottage/pskate.html
An Introduction to the Senses: http://www.iit.edu/~smile/bi96m6.html
An introductory activity to the human body.
The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center: http://wildflower.avatartech.com/Plants_Online/Native_Plants/native.html
At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, learners
of all ages can become familiar with regional flora and the natural biological
diversity of the United States. There are great images of the flowers,
as well as detailed information about the habitat and blooming seasons.
Grade Level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle
School, High School,
College, Adult/Professional
Content Area: Science (Life Science), History & Social Studies (U.S.
History)
EuroTurtle for conservation and education:
http://www.euroturtle.org/
Grades: 6 - 12
Synopsis: Europe's first "totally turtle" web site is devoted
to educating the public about sea turtles and promoting conservation efforts
worldwide. In just a few of the sections, you can learn about
the eight different species of sea turtle, examine their skeletal structures,
track the migrations of an endangered turtle named Esmeralda, or play
a game to help a female turtle lay her eggs on the
perfect sandy beach.
Exploring the environment: http://www.cotf.edu/ete/main.html
Grades: Kindergarten - 12
At this site, you can romp through the Florida Everglades, track global
climate change, or grapple with Yellowstone wildfires. Each module incorporates
activities and engaging problems that address the impact of human activities
on the environment.
Science and health: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/subjects/science_index.html
Grades: 3 - 12
A veritable cornucopia of science and health related resources, including
lesson plans, in-depth online explorations, thematic crossword puzzles,
and a selection of news articles culled from recent issues of the New
York Times. Visitors can also view science slideshows on topics such as
Jupiter and Mt. St. Helens.
The Albatross Project: http://www.wfu.edu/albatross/
Grades: 5 - 12
The Albatross project continues as students and scientists join together
to track the travels of albatrosses in the Pacific Ocean. This former
digital dozen pick from 1998 uses real world information
from satellites that are mapping the positions of these birds with transmitters.
Teachers, if you missed this site before, be sure to sign up your classes
for the next tracking cycle!
You try it!: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/
Grades: 6 - 12
Have a blast with these interactive science experiments that don't require
any messy clean-up! Rock the world in the tectonics activity, where you
can smash continents together to see what happens;
zap a human brain to see what parts of the body move; or you can try your
hand at genetic manipulation as you replicate DNA and synthesize proteins.
Background information and related resources are provided with each activity.
Science through food: lessons from teachervision.com
The Ants Have It!: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8488.html
Grade Levels: Primary, Intermediate
Students apply their knowledge of ants to create ant bodies using candy.
Using their ant creations, each student then constructs and is responsible
for an "ant farm."
Chemistry of Cooking: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8482.html
Grade Levels: Secondary
This cooperative, multidisciplinary unit teaches both scientific theories
and the practical uses to which they apply. The unit culminates in the
foods laboratory, where students prepare and enjoy fresh baked goods.
A Chocolate Curriculum: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8497.html
Grade Levels: Middle, Secondary
Studying chocolate is a good example of how an interesting topic can facilitate
the formulation and comparison of new ideas and serve to integrate science
and social studies content.
Electronic Cereal – A Chemistry Experiment:
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8481.html
Grade Levels: Secondary
Using Froot Loops, students work in groups to create electron dot structures
representing various compounds.
Fast-Food Fact Finding: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8484.html
Grade Levels: Intermediate, Middle
Using the Internet, students compare and contrast the nutritional value
of menu items from different fast-food restaurant chains. Students use
a spreadsheet to manipulate the data and study the relationships among
different categories.
Grape Expectations – A Physics Experiment:
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8483.html
Grade Levels: Secondary
In this investigation of the composition of a grape, students design experiments
that contribute to the development of a fictitious new beverage.
Gummy Bear Genetics: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8496.html
Grade Levels: Secondary
Predetermined numbers of different-colored Gummy Bears are placed in numbered
paper bags to represent Mendelian and non-Mendelian ratios. The class
determines the probable modes of inheritance for each bear phenotype.
Gummy Worm Measurements: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8486.html
Grade Levels: Primary, Intermediate
Elementary students use Gummy Worms to learn about estimation and measurement
for science learning.
Rev Up Your Veggies – A Physical Science Activity:
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8489.html
Grade Levels: Intermediate, Middle
Students cooperatively design, build, and race cars made from fresh produce.
This contest offers a creative opportunity to reinforce physical science
concepts, such as laws of motion, through active discovery and inquiry-based
learning.
A Sweet Start to Science: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-8500.html
Grade Levels: Intermediate, Middle
Using inquiry-based activities, students test the dissolving rate of LifeSavers.
Students design their own investigations; state a hypothesis; record observations,
data, and results; and create a mini-presentation.
Science, Tobacco & You: http://scienceu.fsu.edu/fl/content/
The more you learn about the science of tobacco,
the less likely you are to smoke. Florida State University has created
an incredibly rich resource for students and teachers. Start with an exploration
of What is Science? and then move to Tobacco & You. How Does Tobacco
Affect Your Body? and Adsmart (learn to be an educated consumer.) are
for students and for teachers are the Student & Teacher Guidebook
(in Adobe Acrobat format) and the winning teacher/student entries from
the Best Practices 2001 competition.
Kapili.com Cells: http://www.kapili.com/c/cell.html
The imaginary Kapili Islands are home to a variety of research labs
which produce the wonderfully educational Kapili.com. Check out the Topic
List for more biology (biochemistry and ecology,) physics, chemistry and
astronomy.
Fossils: http://www.surfnetkids.com/fossils.htm
A fossil is a window into the history of our world, providing clues about
plants and animals that lived thousands or millions of years ago. And
because fossils are fairly easy to find, many kids and grownups enjoy
the sleuthing that amateur paleontology (the study of ancient life) offers.
Fossil Horses in Cyberspace: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/vertpaleo/fhc/firstCM.htm
The 18-million-year-old Thomas Farm fossil preserve, owned by the University
of Florida, has produced tens of thousands of bones of extinct vertebrates.
This cyber-exhibit explores stratigraphy (the geology and history of the
earth's layers) and the evolution of the modern horse. There are sections
called the Gallery of Fossil Horses, Stratigraphy Layer by Layer and The
Sedimental Journey. Fossils & Fossil Collecting: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/conker/fossils/
"Fossil collecting is a brilliant hobby for
kids and adults -- for a start you are collecting things which are millions
of years old. You can't collect dinosaurs very easily - but you can collect
fossils of creatures which lived at the same time as the dinosaurs."
This English site is a great introduction to fossil hunting, no matter
where you live. Highlights are the sections that explain What is a Fossil?,
How Fossils were Made, How to Collect Fossils, Fossil Care and Fossil
Safety. The authors welcome photos of fossils you've found and will post
answers to readers' questions.
Fossils, Rocks and Time: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/fossils/contents.html
Reproduced from a free print publication of the
U.S. Geological Survey, this online booklet is a marvelous introduction
(in non-technical language) to how geologists study fossils to learn about
the earth's history. "People who study Earth's history also use a
type of calendar, called the geologic time scale. It looks very different
from the familiar calendar. In some ways, it is more like a book, and
the rocks are its pages. Some of the pages are torn or missing, and the
pages are not numbered, but geology gives us the tools to help us read
this book."
Discovery Channel Online: Fossil Zone: http://www.discovery.com/exp/fossilzone/fossilzone.html
Since no one has ever seen a living dinosaur,
scientists use fossil clues to extrapolate dinosaur behavior, color, gait
and even vocalizations. Discovery.com introduces four paleontologists
who are going beyond simply putting together dinosaur skeletons. Don't
miss the dino sounds created by Japanese voice print expert Matsumi Suzuki.
Interested in doing some digging of your own? Check out the map of fossil
sites within our National Parks, and catch up on news of recent fossil
finds.
Royal Ontario Museum: Fossils: http://www.rom.on.ca/quiz/fossil/
"In this exhibit, you will learn about
the fossils of invertebrates -- animals without backbones. Snails, clams,
worms, and insects are all invertebrates. In fact, 95% of all living animals
are invertebrates. This number was even greater in the past." For
elementary students, the Royal Ontario Museum presents the who, how, where,
why and when of invertebrate fossils. An interesting part of the site
is the Fossil Game: "Can you match these fossils with their modern
relatives?"
Temperature Changes Everything:
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/curriculum/physetting/temp_6-8.html
The primary purpose of these activities is to introduce the students to
the concept that temperature causes molecules and atoms to move faster
and farther apart, which in turn causes the change from solid to liquid,
and liquid to gas.
Grade: 6 | 7 | 8
Chem4Kids.com: Matter
http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_intro.html
This Chem4Kids site explains the properties and phases of matter. It discusses
how matter changes with the help of physical forces. It also touches upon
atoms and atomic particles.
Grade: 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
Air is a Fluid: http://wings.avkids.com/Activities/Tennis/tennis/fluid.html
This interactive activity, found in the Aeronautics Internet Textbook,
complements a lesson in fluids and dynamics.
Grade: K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Fluids: http://wings.avkids.com/Activities/Fundamentals/advanced/fluids.html
This interactive activity, found in the Aeronautics Internet Textbook,
complements a lesson in the characteristics of fluids.
Grade: 6 | 7 | 8
Inter-State Matters: Exploring Phase Transitions of Gases,
Liquids and Solids
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19991228tuesday.html
In this lesson, students explore the six phase transitions between gases,
liquids and solids for a variety of elements. Each group of students will
focus on a different element, investigating its physical properties during
each of the six phase transition...
Grade: 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Outrageous Ooze: http://www.thetech.org/exhibits_events/noyce_center/topics/52d.html
Sometimes the best way to understand the difference between liquids and
solids is to get your hands dirty. Follow a recipe to make your own batch
of ooze at The Tech Museum of Innovations Tech Topics, then test to find
whether it is a liquid or solid.
Grade: 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Figures In Radiation History: http://www.orcbs.msu.edu/radiation/radhistory/radfiguresmain.html
How Volcanoes Work: http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/
San Diego State University’s geology department
has created an on-line resource that combines print information, movies,
and interactive quizzes to disseminate scientific information about volcanism.
NASA sponsors the site under the auspices of Project ALERT (Augmented
Learning Environment and Renewable Teaching), and it’s intended for
the education of pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and students
of geology and volcanology. This site is recommended for students just
starting to study volcanoes, as well as advanced students, and it covers
a broad range of topics, ranging form eruption dynamics, volcano landforms,
eruption products, types, historical eruptions, and planetary volcanism.
The site contains photos and descriptions of the many different volcanic
landforms, such as calderas, lava domes, stratovolcanoes, and formations
such as Japan’s Mount Fuji – a shield volcano. The site also
provides text and images depicting lava flow types and features, volcanic
gases, and climate effects. There are descriptions of historical eruptions,
such as the 1980 Mt. St. Helen’s eruption in Washington state, and
a segment titled “Volcanism on other Worlds,” which discusses
ancient lunar volcanoes and volcanic activity on planets like Venus and
Mars.
Periodic Table Adventure: http://web.buddyproject.org/web017/web017/
This website was created in accordance with the
eighth-grade chemistry curriculum at Princeton Community Middle School
in Princeton, Indiana. The goal of the site is to introduce and explore
basic chemistry concepts and to practice these concepts using engaging,
web-based research and activities. In the culminating activity, students
can perform an Element Adventure WebQuest that requires them to research
an element using the Internet. Once students have researched their elements,
they must develop and perform “commercials” for their elements.
This site contains five lessons and activities that introduce the periodic
table. “Inside an Atom” illustrates and discusses the atomic
particles and pieces that make up the building blocks of matter. “Reading
the Periodic Table” helps first-time chemistry students learn how
to examine the information the chart holds. “Metal, Nonmetals, and
Metalloids” dissects the periodic table and divides the elements
into these groupings for classification. “Teachers’ Corner”
provides a starting place for educators, complete with unit plans, lesson
plans, resources, and related web sites.
WhaleNet: http://whale.wheelock.edu/Welcome.html
This interactive educational web site focuses on
whales and marine research. Take the WhaleNet Tour to acquaint yourself
with the resources available at this website, such as the Satellite Tagging
Observation Program and What's It? (an identification activity).
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Life Science/Environmental Studies)[Dewey #570],
History & Social Studies (Geography), Mathematics (Measurement)
Michigan 4-H Garden Tour: http://4hgarden.msu.edu/kidstour/tour.html
This very ambitious project by Michigan State University and Michigan
4-H Children's Garden tries to let users virtually tour their garden,
learning about plants, gardening terms, and even ASL (American Sign Language).
A user tip: when in a virtual reality scene, place your cursor in the
middle of the window to slow or stop the motion. Teachers might just want
to use the activities found at
http://4hgarden.msu.edu/kidstour/credits.html
for more structured class time (the activities by Dr. Norm are very science
oriented).
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School
Content Area: Science (Life Science)[Dewey #570], Vocational Education
(Agriculture), Foreign Language (American Sign Language)
Earth and Sky Radio Series: http://www.earthsky.com/
Scientific Method Scrambled Words: http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/sciencefair-mix.htm
Scientifically Speaking Crossword Puzzle: http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/science2-cw.htm
Science 101 Crossword: http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/science-cw.htm
BrainPop: Scientific Method: http://www.brainpop.com/specials/scientificmethod/
This fun Brain Pop animation has an example of how the four steps of the
scientific method (observation, hypothesis, prediction, experiment) are
used to solve real-life mysteries. "Who's been eating my peanut butter?")
After the movie, try your hand at the quiz.
Earth Viewer: http://www.ameritech.net/users/paulcarlisle/earthviewer.html
shows an animated map of the world (flat or globe format) and the day/night
pattern either daily or seasonally. The latitude and longitude of major
cities are given and you may select one to center on. Although it doesn't
give the time zones or time differences, you can see what areas are light
or dark around the world at any given time based on your local time zone.
Anatomically Correct: The Online Cat Dissection:
http://www.thinkquest.org/library/lib/site_sum_outside.html?tname=15401&url=15401/
BrainPop: http://www.brainpop.com/health/diseases/
This is a good site that shows videos of items you study in Science.
Artificial Anatomy: Paper Mache Anatomical
Models: http://americanhistory.si.edu/anatomy/index.html
Study some of the ways people learned about
the human body in the past. Look at these paper mache models of humans,
animals, and flowers to show students history intersecting with life science
and preservation of the arts. Let students try to identify the close-ups
of parts of one of the models, Jerome.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School
Content Area: Science (Life Science), History & Social Studies (World
History)
"The New Millennium Observatory (NeMO),":
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/nemo/education.html
which studies interactions between submarine volcanic activity & seafloor
hotsprings, offers a unit called "The Case of the Missing Rumbleometer."
High school & middle school students learn about locating the epicenter
of an earthquake, identifying evidence of a lava eruption, detecting a
hydrothermal vent, estimating the age of lava based on animal species
in the area, & more. Updates on research expeditions, including teacher
logbooks (from July 14-August 2, 2001), are also provided.
"Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA),
K-12 Education": http://www.nesea.org/education/materials.html
offers resources for learning about earth-friendly approaches to transportation,
including lessons on model solar cars, electric cars, & travel solutions
to global warming.
Project Wild: http://www.projectwild.org/
" The activities found in Project WILD are intended for use in both
classroom and informal settings. The instructional materials are designed
to support state and national academic standards appropriate for grades
K-12. The activities can easily be adapted to meet the learning requirements
for academic disciplines ranging from science and environmental education
to social studies, math, and language arts."
Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics, and
You: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index.html
View the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. Then move
through space towards the Earth in successive orders of magnitude until
you reach a tall oak tree just outside the buildings of the National High
Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. After that, begin to
move from the actual size of a leaf into a microscopic world that reveals
leaf cell walls, the cell nucleus, chromatin, DNA and finally, into the
subatomic universe of electrons and protons.
*Planet For Sale!: http://worksheets.teach-nology.com/science/space/planetsale/
"Students market and advertise a Planet of
their choice. A fun lesson! " The whole lesson plan is here.
Science Alliance
http://www.mtnbrook.k12.al.us/MBJH/webpages/science/Fiskj/webquest2.html
Here come the superheroes to save the day! This website was designed to
engage students learning about the electromagnetic spectrum. Student teams
create a super hero and sidekick using the powers of different waves of
the spectrum.
Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School
Content Area: Science
Biomes of the World: http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/biomes/index.html
TeachersFirst's Biomes of the World unit is an on-line research project
for middle school or advanced upper elementary students.
Stormy Weather:
http://www.educationcentral.org/stormy/
Learn to use the Internet and software tools while
doing atmosphere investigations for the middle school and high school,
Earth/Space Science Classroom. All activities, especially the Weather
Hunt, Storm Sampler and The Perfect Storm Webquest, are designed for use
by cooperative groups and culminate in a final shared presentation. The
Weather Hotlist and the Weather Scrapbook are easily adapted for use by
individual students.
The Green Frog News: http://thegreenfrognews.com/index.html,
is a free educational Web site featuring downloadable and reproducible
science and environmental newsletters, coloring pages and experiments
for students. Each topic-specific issue contains material from such notable
organizations as the United States Geologic Survey/Earthquake Research
Center, Grand Canyon Education Center, the Miami Museum of Science, the
Wisconsin Department of Natual Resources, and many others.
Strange Sea Creatures
Strange Science: http://www.turnpike.net/~mscott/index.htm
is a fun, amateur website that has good, detailed information about some
of the missteps science has taken over the years in the discovery of
new species. Has a great section on the history of ‘sea monsters’.
Discovery Online ‘Sea Monsters’: http://www.discovery.com/news/features/seamonsters/seamonsters.html
is an interactive undersea adventure that takes you back in time 65 million
years to see some of the ancient ‘monsters’ that roamed the
seas.
Discovering the Oarfish: http://www.divernet.com/biolog/oarf198.htm
is a cool page that gives a rare, first-hand account of an encounter with
a live oarfish in its habitat. Has a great photograph of this bizarre
creature swimming vertically.
In Search of Giant Squid: - thttp://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/squid_opening.html
is a really cool website that has pictures of specimens collected and
more interesting factoids!
Enchanted Learning Page on “Megalodon”: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/glossary/Megalodon.shtml
gives some good details about what scientists think about the “giant-toothed”
shark and how it may have lived and looked.
Megamouth Shark Page, Florida Museum of Natural
History: is a thorough online resource (including a bibliography) about
this rare and mysterious species of shark.
General Science links
Bill Nye the Science Guy: http://nyelabs.kcts.org/
Beakman's World: http://www.beakman.com/
NASA's Hompepage: http://www.nasa.gov/
Science "Snacks": http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/index.html
offers tons of quick science experiments for you and your students. It
list all the materials needed, step by step directions, and an explanation
of what is happening and why. These are great to print out and use with
your students.
Bizarre Stuff you can make in your kitchen: http://freeweb.pdq.net/headstrong/default.htm
Cool Science for Curious Kids: http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/
familyplay-science projects: http://www.familyplay.com/activities/actScience.html
Fun Science Gallery: http://www.funsci.com/texts/index_en.htm
Fun Stuff-Science & Technology: http://homes.arealcity.com/K12MathScience/
Hand On Activities: http://www.teachtsp.com/classroom/scicourt/schandson.html
Helping Your Child Learn Science: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Science/Introduction.html
Helping Your Child Learn Series: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/hyc.html
Kids Do It Yourself Science: http://www.halcyon.com/sciclub/kidlink1.html
Magic School Bus Activity Lab: http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/index.htm
Minnetonka Science Center - For Parents and Families: http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/science/parent.html
NASA Aeronautics Classroom Activities:
http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/TRC/Aeronautics/AeronauticActivitiesHome.html
Quick & Easy Activities-PreK-High School
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~coalitn/sciedoutreach/funexperiments/quickndirty/quickneasy.html
Recipe for Science: http://www.teachnet.com/lesson/science/glopgloop.html
The Science Court-Hands-on activities: http://www.teachtsp.com/classroom/scicourt/schandson.html
The Science of Having Fun: http://www.funology.com/
Bats
Bats are the second largest order of mammals with around 934 species,
including three varieties of vampire bats. They are second only to rodents,
with about 1,700 species. There are 40 species of bats in the United States,
and 18 in the state of Colorado. Bats only produce one baby a year.
Bats hang upside down because they can't lay down, and
are actually relaxed when in a gripped position. Blood flows differently
in bats than in humans, which prevents blood from rushing to their heads.
Bat links
Bat Cam: http://bci.batcon.org/
Bat KWL Chart: http://www.abcteach.com/Bats/batsKWL.htm
Bats: http://www.angelfire.com/ma/1stGrade/pagem.html
Bat Shape Book: http://www.abcteach.com/AnimalShapes/batshape.htm
Bat Word Search: http://www.abcteach.com/Bats/batwordsearch.htm
What Do You Know About Bats?: http://www.lads.com/BasicallyBats/kids/xword.html
All About Bats: http://lincoln.midcoast.com/~wps/bats.html
Bat Hangouts: http://www.discovery.com/news/features/bats/bats.html
Bat Lesson Plans: http://avocado.dade.k12.fl.us/projects/bats/lesplans.html
Bat Poet Page: http://www.batbox.org/poetry.html
Stellaluna's Friends: http://www.webcom.com/suealice/stellaluna/
Stellaluna's Teacher's Resources: http://www.schools.ash.org.au/hillview/teachres.htm
Physical Science
Extreme Science: http://www.extremescience.com/
WebElements periodic table of the elements: http://www.webelements.com/
Make Slime: http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/silly.html
Kiwi Web (Chemistry New Zealand): http://www.chemistry.co.nz/
Chemical elements.com: http://www.chemicalelements.com/
Acoustics and vibrations animations: http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/demos.html
Air Travelers: http://www.omsi.edu/explore/physics/air/
Energy Education from California Energy Commission:
http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/index.html
Exhibits Collection--Amusement Park Physics: http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/
Interactive biology sites
NSTA (National Science Teacher's Association) site
http://www.nsta.org/recommendedsites/default.asp?category=2
Access Excellence Activities Exchange
http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/
Chicago Public Schools Professional Development Center
http://www.luc.edu/schools/education/csipdc/sciact.htm#biologyact
Kapili.com
http://www.kapili.com/topiclist.html
American Museum of Natural History OLOGY
http://ology.amnh.org/
Online Science Experiments: http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/sciexper.htm
These experiment, project, and activity sites include objectives, illustrations,
materials, procedures, and additional links.
"Windows to the Universe": http://www.windows.ucar.edu
explores the Earth, planets of our solar
system, & the universe. It includes images, animations, & data
sets, & information about books, movies, scientists, & myths.
(NASA)
Apple Links
A to Z Lesson Plans - Apple Exploration!
http://atozteacherstuff.com/lessons/apple-exploration.shtml
An Apple for the Teacher
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson077.shtml
Apple Theme
http://www.teacherfeatures.com/themes/apple_theme.htm
Apples
http://www.geocities.com/teachermom22/apples.html
CIMC Integrated Units: Johnny Appleseed
http://libweb.uncc.edu/cimc/integration/Units/JApplesd.htm
Happy Birthday, Mr. Appleseed!
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr091.shtml
Johnny Appleseed
http://home.att.net/%7Eelteach/appleseed.html
Johnny Appleseed and Westward Expansion
http://fga.freac.fsu.edu/misc/johnny.htm
Johnny Appleseed Math Activity
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/school/USA/people/Appleseedq2.shtml
Johnny Appleseed Picture Find
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/apples.htm
An Apple a Day (Week of Activities)
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/science/lessonsk1/apple.html
Washington Apples Coloring Book
http://www.bestapples.com/kids/coloringbook/
Apples And Math:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/appmath.htm
Apple Books:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/appleread.htm
Apple Poems And Songs:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/apples3.htm
Apple Snacks:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/apple4.htm
Apple Stories:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/apple5.htm
Apples And Science:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/appscience.htm
Apple Art Ideas:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/appart.htm
Apple Theme:
http://www.richmond.edu/~ed344/webunits/khistory/applelessonplan.html
Apple Unit:
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/apple/appletg.html
Mrs. B's Busy Classroom-Apple Theme:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/4482/apples.htm
Johnny Appleseed:
http://www.richmond.edu/~ed344/webunits/khistory/jappleseedlesson.html
Apple Clip Art:
http://www.waga.org/clipart.pdf
Apple Introduction:
http://michiganapples.com/pg29introa.pdf
Apple Number Dots:
http://www.waga.org/dots.pdf
Apple Pie Slicing:
http://www.aimsedu.org/Puzzle/ApplePie/apples2.html
Apple Senses:
http://www.waga.org/senses.pdf
Counting Apples:
http://www.waga.org/count1.pdf
Apple Language Arts/Reading:
http://michiganapples.com/pg30&31lan.pdf
Apple Math:
http://michiganapples.com/pg58math.pdf
Apple Math, Art, and Cooking:
http://michiganapples.com/pg53&92.pdf
Apple Math Games:
http://michiganapples.com/pg55mathgm.pdf
Apple Tree Worksheet:
http://michiganapples.com/pg54work.pdf
Little Red House:
http://michiganapples.com/pg35&36sto.pdf
An Apple A Day Project:
http://members.aol.com/Apples2nd/
Apple Juice On The Internet:
http://www.applejuice.org/
Apple Pie Order:
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/TM/WS_applepie.shtml
Coloring Book:
http://www.motts.com/kids/fun/fun.htm
http://www.applejuice.org/coloringbook/index.html
Juice Moose Arcade:
http://www.applejuice.org/arcade/index.html
Mott's Online:
http://www.motts.com/kids/games/games.htm
Apple Recipes:
http://www.bestapples.com/recipes/
Apple Songs And Poems:
http://www.track0.com/canteach/elementary/songspoems23.html
Good Food Climb Poster:
http://www.healthychoices.org/treetop/poster3.pdf
Healthy Choices:
http://www.healthychoices.org/ch1/story.pdf
Snack Mat:
http://www.healthychoices.org/treetop/snk-mat.pdf
Apple Corps:
http://apple-corps.westnet.com/apple_corps.2.html
Apple Exploration:
http://atozteacherstuff.com/lessons/apple-exploration.shtml
Apple Unit:
http://www.angelfire.com/ky2/LITTLEPIXEYDAYCARE/apple.html
Johnny Appleseed:
http://appleseed.org/johnny.html
http://www.news-sentinel.com/ns/heartlnd/applseed/part1.htm
Johnny Appleseed Crossword Puzzle:
http://www.marshall-es.marshall.k12.tn.us/jobe/Appleseed.html
Johnny Appleseed Picture:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/apples.htm
Apples:
http://yn.la.ca.us/cec/cecmisc/cecmisc.46.txt
Apples & More Recipes:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples/recipes.html
Apple Certificates:
http://michiganapples.com/pg102invit.pdf
Apple Science Experiments:
http://michiganapples.com/pg89watere.pdf
Apple Stationery:
http://michiganapples.com/pg39poem.pdf
http://michiganapples.com/pg40poem2.pdf
Johnny Appleseed Sentence Strips:
http://michiganapples.com/pg50strips.pdf
Fossils, Rocks and Time
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/fossils/contents.html
Reproduced from a free print publication of the U.S. Geological Survey,
this online booklet is a marvelous introduction (in non-technical language)
to how geologists study fossils to learn about the earth's history. "People
who study Earth's history also use a type of calendar, called the geologic
time scale. It looks very different from the familiar calendar. In some
ways, it is more like a book, and the rocks are its pages. Some of the
pages are torn or missing, and the pages are not numbered, but
geology gives us the tools to help us read this book."
Discovery Channel Online: Fossil Zone
http://www.discovery.com/exp/fossilzone/fossilzone.html
Since no one has ever seen a living dinosaur, scientists use fossil clues
to extrapolate dinosaur behavior, color, gait and even vocalizations.
Discovery.com introduces four paleontologists who are going beyond simply
putting together dinosaur skeletons. Don't miss the dino sounds created
by Japanese voice print expert Matsumi Suzuki. Interested in doing some
digging of your own? Check out the map of fossil sites within our National
Parks, and catch up on news of recent fossil finds.
Royal Ontario Museum: Fossils: http://www.rom.on.ca/quiz/fossil/
"In this exhibit, you will learn about the fossils of invertebrates
-- animals without backbones. Snails, clams, worms, and insects are all
invertebrates. In fact, 95% of all living animals are invertebrates. This
number was even greater in the past." For elementary students, the
Royal Ontario Museum presents the who, how, where, why and when of invertebrate
fossils. My favorite click is the Fossil Game: "Can you match these
fossils with their modern relatives?"
Fossils: http://www.surfnetkids.com/fossils.htm
A fossil is a window into the history of our world,
providing clues about plants and animals that lived thousands or millions
of years ago. And because fossils are fairly easy to find, many kids and
grownups enjoy the sleuthing that amateur paleontology (the study of ancient
life) offers.
Fossil Horses in Cyberspace
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/vertpaleo/fhc/firstCM.htm
The 18-million-year-old Thomas Farm fossil preserve, owned by the University
of Florida, has produced tens of thousands of bones of extinct vertebrates.
This cyber-exhibit explores stratigraphy (the geology and history of the
earth's layers) and the evolution of the modern horse. Best fossil clicks
are the Gallery of Fossil Horses, Stratigraphy Layer by Layer and The
Sedimental Journey. "Animal remains are most likely to be fossilized
if their hard parts are covered by layers of sediments soon after death.
Therefore, most fossils are found in sedimentary rock, like sandstone,
shale, limestone and coal."
Fossils & Fossil Collecting
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/conker/fossils/
"Fossil collecting is a brilliant hobby for kids and adults -- for
a start you are collecting things which are millions of years old. You
can't collect dinosaurs very easily - but you can collect fossils of creatures
which lived at the same time as the dinosaurs." This English site
is a great introduction to fossil hunting, no matter where you live. Highlights
are the sections that explain What is a Fossil?, How Fossils were Made,
How to Collect Fossils, Fossil Care and Fossil Safety. The authors welcome
photos of fossils you've found and will post answers to readers' questions.
Geological Epochs Word Search
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/fossils-ws.htm
Dinosaur Concentration
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/dino-c.htm
Dinosaur Coloring Book
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/dino-cb.htm
Dinosaur Word Search
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/dino-ws.htm
"Earth from Space": http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/
presents selected photos of features & processes
of the earth, including cities, as seen by astronauts from space. Photos
are from the NASA Space Shuttle Earth Observations Photography database,
which contains more than 375,000 images.
"A Global View From Space": http://sdcd.gsfc.nasa.gov/ISTO/dro/global/
is an interactive display of real-time satellite imagery from around the
globe.
"NASA Earth Observatory": http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
provides new satellite imagery &
scientific information about Earth's climate & environmental change.
It features stories about the atmosphere, oceans, land, life, heat &
energy, & remote sensing. Visitors may build & view animations
showing changes in population, vegetation, precipitation, & other
phenomena.
"Oceanography from the Space Shuttle":
http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/CAMPAIGN_DOCS/OCDST/shuttle_oceanography_web/oss_c
over.html is a pictorial survey of oceanic phenomenon visible to the
naked eye from space. Originally
published in 1989, it is now out of print & available only on this
website.
"SeaWiFS Project" (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view
Sensor): http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html
provides data on global ocean bio-optical properties for the earth science
community. Resources for teachers include a tutorial on ocean color &
slides suggesting how SeaWiFS data can be incorporated into the curriculum
for grades 5-12.
Teachers can request a free CDROM called
"Medicines: The Inside Story":
http://www.medicines-inside.com/ep.html
which is best suited for high school students.
Seven free science
posters: http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_posters/posters_toc.html
are available from NASA.
The StarChild:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
site is for children under 14 years of age and Imagine the Universe!
site: http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/homepage.html
is intended for students age 14 and up. Both are intended for anyone interested
in learning about our universe.
The Planetary Puzzle Search:
http://members.aol.com/kcstarguy/camp/pp2.htm
is really two puzzles about space to solve using many sources, including
the internet. There are many clues given at the site to help solve the
puzzles. Be sure to read the whole page. Many clues are at the bottom
of the page.
Astronomy Picture
of the Day: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
shows a new picture and information about something in the universe
each day.
Ocean Surface topography from Space: http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
Projects, lessons plans, latest news from the Jet Propulsion Labratory.
StarDate Online:
http://stardate.org/ tells about the
stars as seen in the night sky on this day and has the answer to a frequently
asked question about the planets and stars that changes daily.
There is a magazine and other information about space at this site.
ScI-Journal
- publishing kids' science work on the Web
Project Summary:
ScI-Journal is an award-winning site that gives school and college students
the chance to publish work they've done in their science classes so that
other students around the world can read about it. A discussion list allows
messages about each article to be posted on the site.
(The project is ongoing, with no end date envisaged)
Project Level: Basic
Curriculum Area: Science
Technologies Used: Email, Web Based Discussion Forum Full Project Description:
The main part of ScI-Journal consists of articles written by science students.Associated
with each article is a discussion list for readers of the journal to write
about their thoughts and comments on article. In this way the journal
is intended to generate a lively and interesting discussion between science
students and other readers about the work here - both in terms of interpreting
and understanding results, and in terms of how the work might be developed
and used.
Objectives:
We believe that ScI-Journal can enhance young people's science studies
in two ways.
The first of these is to stimulate young people to write about the work
they are doing in science so that they can tell other science students
around the world about it. Corresponding with students from other
schools around the world and sharing ideas about science using the Internet
can add a new dimension to learning about science which students find
highly motivating.
Second, we believe that using the Internet to discuss science investigations
and the interpretation of their outcomes can help young people to understand
their own work better, and should also help them to reach an improved
understanding about the nature of scientific knowledge and the way in
which real scientists "do science".
Project Registration Information
Project Email Address: plf@soton.ac.uk
Number of Classrooms: lots!
Age Range: 5 to 19 years
Target Audience: Anyone
Project URL: http://www.sci-journal.org
Registration Instructions: Just visit the site.
Project Contact Information
Patrick Fullick - mailto:plf@soton.ac.uk
Lecturer - University of Southampton
http://www.sci-journal.org
Southampton,UK
The World Carrot Musuem: http://website.lineone.net/~stolarczyk/
Bugscope: http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu
offers magnified images of specimens of beetles,
spiders, & other insects & arthropods viewed through an electron
microscope.
For Kids Only: Earth Science Enterprise:
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/
helps students learn about aerosols, ozone, air pressure, tropical rainfall
& hurricanes, plate tectonics, earth science careers, & more.
From A Distance: http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/ltp/
features more than 50 lessons that rely on remote sensing to help students
follow a whale or the life of a star, observe population density on a
map, participate in a scavenger hunt from space, & more. The lessons,
developed by teachers, are organized by grade clusters: K-4, 5-8, &
9-12.
NASA Oceanography: Learning: http://oceans.nasa.gov/learn/index.html
provides online field trips; remote sensing tools for monitoring ocean
changes; information about reefs, carbon, & phytoplankton; & other
resources. This website is based on NASA research & satellite missions
focused on global ocean science.
Teaching Earth Science: http://earth.nasa.gov/education/index.html
describes earth science education programs & resources across NASA
for elementary grades through college. The website lists products recommended
by NASA as outstanding for teaching earth science. It also offers past
issues of "ESE Education Reports" -- an email update on NASA
earth science research & education activities.
TOPEX/Poseidon: Educational Resources:
http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/education.html
presents activities for learning about oceans, oceanography, earth science,
& related topics. This is the education website of a partnership between
the U.S. & France to monitor global ocean circulation, discover ties
between the oceans & atmosphere, & improve global climate predictions.
Mad Sci Network: http://www.madsci.org/
"The 24-hour exploding laboratory" has answers to science questions
that have been sent in.
Yahooligans'
Kids' Almanac: http://www.yahooligans.com/content/ka/
An easy-to-use almanac geared for younger readers. It's a must-surf resource
for your kid's next school paper — and grown-ups will also learn plenty.
Cool Science for Curious Kids: http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/
Check out this collection of activities that require little or no equipment.
Learn about plants by building a virtual salad, or make an airborne junk
detector that examines air quality. Includes papers to print so
that students can go away from the computer to do experiments.
The National Arbor Day Foundation: http://www.arborday.org/
Available at this is a wealth of educational materials about trees.
The National Audubon Society: http://www.audubon-center.com/
Speed of Light: http://www.what-is-the-speed-of-light.com/
This site has facts about how light is measured and has been measured
through the ages. It also has quizzes for grades 4, 5, 6, and 7.
1001 Periodical Table Quiz Questions:
http://www.1001-periodic-table-quiz-questions.com/
Over 1100 free science and chemistry questions per age and topic for school,
college and university students, starting with grade 3.
Whales: A Thematic Web Unit: http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/Whales/
This web document provides a thematic unit for cooperative learning across
an integrated curriculum which is an interactive resource for teachers,
students and parents. It was designed as a model unit for educators, students
and parents to demonstrate the use of the WWW as an educational resource.
Animal Skull Collection" at: http://www.d91.k12.id.us/www/skyline/teachers/robertsd/skulls.htm
The brain needs a home...your skull! DeLoy Roberts, a biology/zoology
teacher at Skyline High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho, has put together
the "Animal Skull Collection" web site with an amazing collection
of skull photographs. Mr. Roberts has more than 200 pictures of mammal,
bird, reptile, amphibian and fish skulls that can be used to learn about
comparative anatomy. There is also information about how to prepare skulls
for display. The real skulls are all on display at Skyline High School.
Mr. Roberts invites schools to visit the skull exhibit as long as he gets
a few day's notice.
All the World's a Stage ... for Dust: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast26jun_1.htm?list73662
Tune in to a NASA website and watch giant dust clouds as they ride global
rivers of air, cross-pollinating continents with topsoil and microbes.
This story, which you can hear read to you, includes movies of an African
dust cloud blowing westward to North America in June. It also addresses
questions like: Where does topsoil for Caribbean islands come from? And,
are sneezes in Florida triggered by allergens from other continents? The
answers may surprise you!
Radio Meters at the Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville, AL: http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/nasameteorradar.html
You can listen to audio signals from "forward scatter meteor radar"
systems that allow you to "hear" meteors entering the earth's
atmosphere.
Minnetonka Elementary Science Center
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/science/lessonsk1.html
Take a tip from the teachers of Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnesota.
Colleagues there have compiled a group of grade-level lessons for K-1
students that focus on science.
U.S. Department of Education: Helping Your Child Learn Science
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Science/Introduction.html
Why stop the science lessons when the school day ends? Help parents
satisfy curious kids with the suggestions on this site. Parents will want
to pay special attention to the "Questioning and Listening"
section, which includes a story by a Nobel Prize winner. Then follow the
"forward" arrows at the bottom of the pages for a list of home
and
community science learning activities.
Elementary School Lesson Plans
http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/hex/visit/lesson/lesson_links1.html
Plan lessons from the lesson plans on this list of over 200 ideas, presented
by the Rutgers University Department of Physics and Astronomy. This extensive
group includes ways to teach students about force, motion, energy, sound,
and electricity.
TIMSS Test Items:
http://merlin.bethune.yorku.ca/trek/assessment/timss.html
This site contains a number of released test items from the Third International
Mathematics and Science Study, TIMSS 95, and the repeat assessment, TIMSS-R,
1999. Each test item is linked to specific curriculum outcomes.
Teachers can use the material on this site to enhance existing assessment
tools or develop new ones.
Bill Nye the Science Guy's Home Demos: http://nyelabs.kcts.org/homedemos/index.html
Bill Nye's big list of home demos will help keep the kids busy this summer.
All you'll need to turn kids into scientists are household items, parental
supervision, and lots of curiosity!
PBS TeacherSource: Science and Technology: http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/sci_tech.htm
Combine a colorful layout, easy-to-use search features, and trustworthy
content, and what do you get? This PBS TeacherSource site. Search by grade
level and topic for
a list of lesson plans, many of which include additional links to other
helpful online resources.
Science Links: http://science.kennesaw.edu/~thowick/sciencelinks.htm
Log on for hundreds of science links to keep the mind and the computer
active. A labor of love, the site is maintained by Dr. Tom Howick of Kennesaw
State University.
GeologyLink: http://www.geologylink.com/
Although the Houghton Mifflin College Division sponsors this site, you
can easily use its content in middle-school geology classes. Make sure
to scan the section on virtual
field trips for direct links to specific agency or event sites that house
more information on the topic.
Multimedia Activities: http://www.explorescience.com/activities/activity_list.cfm?categoryID=11
Put science theories in motion and to the test with this ExploreScience.com
site. Try over 40 multimedia science activities that demonstrate theories
about force, prisms, magnetism, density, and more. You'll need the Shockwave
plug-in to view these activities.
NOVA Science in the News: http://www.science.org.au/nova/index.htm
Combine current events and science studies into one lesson by exploring
the real-life science and technology issues presented by this NOVA site.
Each issue is framed for
discussion, with corresponding glossaries, activities, and links for further
research. For even more topics, click on the "Back to Basics"
link on the right side of the home page.
The Catalyst: Chemistry Resources for Teachers: http://www.thecatalyst.org/
Chemisty teachers, don't miss this site. Filled with resource links, a
Q&A section, and a Teacher's Forum, the site puts teaching tools at
your fingertips. Try out the links to other high-school chemistry
programs to see what your colleagues are doing in their schools.
What Tree Is It?: http://www.oplin.lib.oh.us/products/tree
Trees can be identified by leaf, fruit, or name (common or scientific).
Students answer questions about the leaves, fruit, etc. to identify the
tree. Fun to use, too!
In 1996, the Mars Global Surveyor was launched
to map the landscape of Mars and gather information about Martian weather.
The Daily
Martian Weather Report compiles maps and images from the project.
You can find out what the weather was like in different areas of Mars
on any day between 1998 and 2000 and see images of cyclones, sand dunes,
volcanoes, and even the Martian sunset.
Taking a Stand: Pros and Cons of Forest Fires:
http://www.thirteen.org/wnetschool/origlessons/fire/index.html
In this interactive and multi-disciplinary lesson, students learn about
forest fires and the positive and negative effects they have on the ecosystem.
Students will look at real-time
data and primary source documents.
Presenting Ecology through Rodent Control
http://www.thirteen.org/wnetschool/origlessons/fire/index.html
Acting as members of the Health Department taskforce, students will evaluate
the impact of the growing rat population on the neighborhood. They will
research the problem and
make recommendations to local officials about possible resolutions.
Many kinds of ants communicate with sounds,
in addition to their better-known use of chemical pheromones. The most
obvious ant sounds can be heard by humans who disturb a colony of the
large red ants found in the American southwest. These ants stridulate,
making noise by rubbing segments of their abdomens together in a manner
similar to the sounds produced by crickets. Pick up a red ant (carefully,
since they can bite!) and you may be able to hear its high squeaks. Some
kinds of ants that carve their nests out of dry wood knock their bodies
against the wood very rapidly, making short bursts of sound. These
sounds are thought to be a kind of communication, although no one knows
what the ants are saying. Other kinds of ants that live in earth
make sounds when they have been buried in a cave-in. Other ants,
hearing these sounds, are able to dig out their buried nestmates. Listen
to the sounds of black fire ants: http://home.olemiss.edu/~hickling/
More about ant sounds: http://www.sciencenews.org/20000205/bob2.asp
Some kinds of ants know how to swim: http://features.LearningKingdom.com/fact/archive/1999/05/26.html
Check out the terrifying world of tarantulas
at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/tarantulas/intro1.html.
This National Geographic site offers descriptive notes on the tarantula's
anatomy, its feeding habits, and the lifecycle of various different species.
The site also includes lesson plan ideas and suggests books for further
reading.
DNA: The Instruction Manual For All Life:
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits_events/online/genome/
is an online exhibit on how DNA works in the human body. It helps
students understand the importance and physical size of DNA by offering
phased visual zoom-ins.
eSkeletons Project: http://www.eskeletons.org/
offers access to the osteology database of the University of Texas at
Austin. Biology teachers and students can view virtual human, gorilla,
and baboon skeletons by selecting specific bones that may be viewed from
all angles in high-resolution 3-D images. Check out the comparative study
of the bones of these species, too!
Discovery School's A-to-Z Science: http://school.discovery.com/homeworkhelp/worldbook/atozscience/index.html
Brought to you by World Book and DiscoverySchool.com, A-to-Z Science is
a wonderful resource to fulfill the demands of your scientifically curious
students. It works
just like an encyclopedia, but with the Web's convenience and speed. Your
students simply choose a letter and easily sift through dozens of scientific
articles that are comprehensive, yet simple to understand. There are even
links to DiscoverySchool.com's other online scientific resources.
Global Change: http://www.usgs.gov/education/learnweb/GC.html
This month spring arrives, just one example of the global changes that
we regularly notice. But what alterations occur to the Earth over extended
periods of time, and how
do scientists track changes that occur over as much as several lifetimes?
This site covers some basic concepts that underlie the science of global
change and provides information on the techniques used to measure and
determine changes in the Earth's cycles. With its
informative teacher's guide, you can initiate discussions on issues regarding
the protection of the Earth.
This site it has every system in the body
to look at and take virtual tours: http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
Science: Dinosaur Extinction - Enchanted
Learning Software
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/extinction/
Although dinosaurs have long been extinct, they truly remain alive today
in movies and museum exhibits. And modern science is still trying to figure
out exactly how dinosaurs died off nearly 65 million years ago. At this
site, your young dinosaur enthusiasts can find reasons for why extinction
occurs, what scientists today think about how dinosaurs became extinct,
and why this mystery remains unsolved.
Invent a Critter: http://horizon.nmsu.edu/ddl/critter.html
Looking for an interesting way to teach ecology and evolution? Consider
this activity that allows kids to exercise both their imagination and
their understanding of science. By allowing kids to design an animal by
analyzing habitats and their environmental constraints, they can build
an understanding of scientific thinking while nurturing creativity.
Space: http://www.sprocketworks.com/topics/default.asp?topic=1
Stargazers can get the best view of the solar system without being in
orbit by logging on to this Sprocketworks site. Taking interactivity to
the next level, Sprocketwork's space site allows your students to do a
number of engaging activities like finding constellations,
inspecting the surface of the moon at different magnifications, and arranging
satellite space traffic.
The Earth's crust is a complex mixture of
many chemical elements, but only a few of them are very abundant.
In the solid outer crust of our planet, almost all the mass is accounted
for by only eight elements. The most abundant element is oxygen, which
also makes up 20% of the molecules in the air. By weight, 47% of
Earth's crust is composed of oxygen atoms. Next is silicon, which
combines with oxygen and other atoms to form hundreds of different silicate
compounds. Silicon makes up 28% of the crust. Third is aluminum,
a silvery metal that never occurs in pure form yet makes up 8% of the
Earth's crust. Of the remaining mass about 5% is iron, which gives many
landscapes their reddish-brown color. Almost 4% of the crust is
calcium, one of the main components of limestone. Sodium and potassium
each weigh in at less than 3%, and magnesium comes in just under 2%.
The remaining 1.4% of Earth's crust is composed of the other 84 naturally
occurring elements. The Earth's crust: http://www.robinsonresearch.com/EARTH/CRUST/crust.htm
Illustrated lecture notes on the composition of Earth's crust: http://www.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/geog140/lectures/crustmaterials.html
The most common mineral is aluminum silicate (feldspar): http://features.LearningKingdom.com/fact/archive/1999/08/05.html
Earth's crust is a very thin layer: http://features.LearningKingdom.com/fact/archive/2000/03/07.html
SimScience: http://simscience.org/
Sometimes science can't be fully explained without demonstration, but
getting access to appropriate equipment to learn about the finer points
of science is not always possible. A great substitute for discovering
the workings of life and physical sciences is to observe this site's fabulously
rendered and animated computer simulations of science magic at work.
Alien Empire: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/alienempire/,
from the PBS show, "Nature," tells you everything you ever wanted
(or perhaps didn't want!) to know about bugs. Visitors can solve
bug-related puzzles, watch videos, or make an insect mask. The site also
includes links to other related resources.
The United States Geological Survey Learning
Web: http://www.usgs.gov/education/
offers online activities and classroom lessons for science teachers and
students in grades K-12. Among the topics covered are caves, maps, fossils,
volcanoes, and fault lines. The
site includes lesson plans and ideas for classroom activities.
Classroom FeederWatch: http://birds.cornell.edu/cfw/,
a project designed by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, aims to enhance
student observation skills, support core science content, and promote
creativity and inquiry. By joining CFW, middle-school students can learn
what it's like to be an ornithologist by collecting and analyzing bird
data, publishing their findings, and accessing an interactive bird research
database.
Nature: Triumph of Life: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/triumphoflife/
Log on to the Web site companion of this PBS television series to learn
about the four billion-year-old story of evolution. Your students can
learn how scientists believe
life on Earth began. Find access to evolutionary timelines, download video
clips that demonstrate scientific concepts, or log on to the filmmaker's
diary to discover how this educational series was produced.
National Agricultural Library Kids' Science
Page: http://www.nal.usda.gov/kids/
offers information about science, with subcategories including animals,
environment, food and nutrition, and plants. This website, created by
the National Agricultural Library, also links to sites with information
about the scientific process and science fairs, with special links to
information on the ethical treatment of animals in science. Teachers can
use the links to find recommendations for book purchases for their school
libraries.
Grade Level: Elementary Middle School High School Content Area: Science
(Life Science), Vocational Education (Agriculture), Health & Physical
Education (Nutrition)
Dinorama: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/dinorama/frame.html
As you'd expect from National Geographic, this information-packed site
supplements its chronology with intricate digital images. Each page of
the site, describing the ancient life forms in each geological era, also
includes interesting factoids about that era and links to other Web sites
with relevant projects for kids. The interface is user-friendly,
including the geological timeline on every page of the site.
Discover Engineering Online: http://www.discoverengineering.org/eweek/default.asp
It's never too early for kids to think about what they want to be when
they grow up, and this site will pique their interest in pursuing a career
in engineering. Kids can read about different types of engineering and
how "cool gadgets" are designed. The site makes a complex discipline
accessible to kids by providing comic strips on how to build a car or
design a jet. Students can also play puzzles and games, as well as absorb
some cool factoids included on each page.
Dive and Discover: http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/
This exploration of the sea floor introduces students to oceanographic
tools, the background of the formation of elements on the sea floor, and
the history of the earth. The site follows a daily expedition, giving
a blow-by-blow account of the trip, and explaining technical terms like
"sonar" along the way. Good supplementary links on plate tectonics,
vent biology, and other related disciplines help give students a broad
understanding of the sea floor.
Douglas Henderson's Earth History Illustrations: http://gallery.in-tch.com/~earthhistory/index.html
This site is for your students who can't get enough of Jurassic Park.
Accompanying a chronology of the history of the earth are detailed illustrations
of what the time period might have looked like. Each era, for instance,
is highlighted by depictions of the various dinosaurs that existed in
each period. The history, too, is marked by detail: the major eras are
divided up into the periods and epochs. The write-up of the Cretaceous
period is
especially comprehensive.
eNature.com
http://www.enature.com/
This all-encompassing nature site offers beautiful photos
of everything from amphibians to mammals to wildflowers.
Students can discover the flora and fauna in their areas
with help from the habitat guides. The site concentrates
especially on bird-watching, presenting an exhaustive
look at various birds (including several kinds of falcons)
and some birding basics for the novice. Students can also
ask an expert about a bird they've spotted to find out
what it is.
Find out why: http://www.findoutwhy.org/findoutmore.htm
Disney characters Timon and Pumbaa might be known for their roles in The
Lion King, but at this educational site, they are making a cameo appearance
in order to help young students explore a variety of scientific topics.
Not only does this site contain answers to questions like "Why do
airplanes fly?" and "Why do we sneeze?", it also has ideas
and instructions for elementary scientific experiments that allow your
students to see science in motion.
National
Agricultural Library Kids' Science Page: http://www.nal.usda.gov/kids/
Offers information about science, with subcategories including animals,
environment, food and nutrition, and plants. This website, created by
the National Agricultural Library, also links to sites with information
about the scientific process and science fairs, with special links to
information on the ethical treatment of animals in science. Teachers can
use the links to find recommendations for book purchases for their school
libraries.
Grade Level: Elementary Middle School High School
Content Area: Science (Life Science), Vocational Education (Agriculture),
Health & Physical Education (Nutrition)
Popular Science Five-Year Guide to Space
Exploration
http://space.popsci.com/space/
The new millennium may usher in a wealth of technological innovations,
which will certainly change the way we live life here on Earth, but high
technology is also altering
mankind's forays into space and beyond. With this Popular Science guide,
your students can learn about space-bound missions that will take place
over the next five years.
Students can also discover the missions of previously launched capsules
such as Galileo and they can pore over the details regarding the launches
of future probes such as the Mars Express.
Gander Academy Weather Theme: http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/weather.htm
The New Year has ushered in a strange display of weather patterns across
the nation. Have your students explore topics on weather by logging on
to this site maintained by
the Web-savvy fifth-graders at the Gander Academy in Australia. This weather
portal for kids lets students research weather forecasting and read stories
on weather lore across the globe. It even has links on building weather
equipment in the classroom.
How do bees decide where to nest?
A swarm of bees looking for a new hive site is faced with a decision.
Out of all the possible locations, they must determine the best, and agree
on their choice. In a non-swarming state, bees share the locations of
good flowers by performing elaborate rituals called "waggle dances."
A very similar dance ritual is used in the hive-seeking process during
a swarm. Several hundred scout bees take off from the swarm and find possible
hive sites. Each successful scout returns to the hive and does a
waggle dance telling the others about the distance and quality of the
site. After a day or so and the sharing of many dances, the best
site emerges when all the dancers are in agreement. Then the swarm
lifts off and moves into the new home.
Watch a QuickTime movie of a waggle dance: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/danceswagg.html
Tales from the hive: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/
More about the waggle dance: http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ma_marsz/waggle.html
There are actually two kinds of waggle dances for flowers: http://features.LearningKingdom.com/fact/archive/1997/12/15.html
Every Wednesday, local guides and naturalists
in Monteverde, Costa Rica post a brief lesson about an animal, plant,
or other interesting thing that they saw on a recent trip into the cloud
forest: http://www.cloudforestalive.com/tour/
At this site there are also live web cams of bats: http://www.cloudforestalive.com/tour/batcam/
and butterflies: http://www.cloudforestalive.com/tour/hcam/
For Kids Only: Earth Science Enterprise:
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/
Just because this site is brought to you from the smart folks at NASA
doesn't mean that this Web site is just for rocket scientists. In fact,
they have provided a place for kids to explore land, water, air, and natural
hazards. This site examines how the scientists at NASA study different
aspects of the earth, giving students a wonderful lesson on scientific
principles in the process
The Kids' Guide to Science Projects: http://setmms.tusd.k12.az.us/~jtindell/
Unlike some sites which simply feature science-project ideas, this online
resource helps students learn basic research skills, provides a thorough
understanding of the scientific method, and offers links to great science-learning
locations. Have your students follow a step-by-step approach to finding,
exploring, and executing answers to scientific questions. Then inspire
them by browsing projects completed by other students their age.
Chembalancer: http://www.dun.org/sulan/chembalancer/
is an online game that teaches students how to balance chemical equations.
Students type numbers in front of given elements until the same number
of atoms exist on both sides of the equation.
Cool Science for Curious Kids: http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/
offers a great way to
explore biology and provides fun, inquiry-based activities for elementary-school
children. It helps students appreciate science in a fun, practical, and
realistic way.
Sharks and Their Relatives: http://www.seaworld.org/Sharks/pageone.html
examines
shark biology, behavior, diet, reproduction, hydrodynamics, and life span.
The site includes classroom activities for middle-school grades. Some
parts of the site may require Flash.
Tarantulas: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/tarantulas/frameset.html
introduces a few of the hundreds of species of tarantulas in existence
around the world today. This site includes descriptions of the tarantula
anatomy and life cycle. The resource section offers lesson-plan ideas
and further readings.
Animals: http://pittsford.monroe.edu/Schools/Jefferson/Animals/AnimalsFrame.html
This site takes the pains out of learning how scientists organize the
animal kingdom with an assortment of primers on the subject. Students
can find quizzes, projects, links, and
information on all types of animals and how they are classified. They
can also learn about the various features and functions of animals.
The Exploratorium: Frogs: http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/mainstory/index.html
features exhaustive, easy-to-understand information about frogs, their
physical features, their habitats, habits, and much more. This site includes
RealVideo and RealAudio presentations from a "frogkeeper."
The Wonderful World of Trees http://www.domtar.com/arbre/english/start.htm
**** Lots of information on a year in the life of a tree, uses for trees,
and how trees can be protected, and the importance of biodiversity. Activities
and glossary are available at this site created by the Canadian company
Domtar. Grade Level: Elementary, Middle School Content Area: Science (Life
Science) Dewey #570 Resource Type: Resource, Activity webmaster
cima@pagebleu.com
North American Drought: A Paleo Perspective
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/drought/drght_home.html
Global climate change is a topic of interest to all. This site,
created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, looks
at droughts in North America. Weather data is collected by using fairly
modern technology, and by paleoclimatologists, which gather information
about climate by studying the rings of trees and sediment. Grade Level:
Elementary, High School, College, Adult/Professional Content Area: Science
(Earth Science) Dewey #550 Resource Type: Resource webmaster paleo@ngdc.noaa.gov
People who live near the shores of quiet
bays where whales visit can sometimes hear their beautiful songs even
above water. At times, the whale songs can be loud enough to be
heard indoors. The songs of humpback whales have been measured at 170
decibels underwater, which is equivalent to 144 decibels in the air (every
10 decibels represents a 10-fold increase in sound intensity.) This is
louder than a jet engine, which blasts 140 decibels at full throttle.
But the loud-song champions are the blue whales, whose earsplitting melodies
can reach 188 decibels underwater (162 db in air), more than 100 times
louder than a roaring jet engine. These ocean leviathans are the
world's champion loud noise making animals. Listen to the whales: http://www.abc.net.au/oceans/whale/song.htm
http://www.oceanmammalinst.org/songs.htm
http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/whale/
Another large mammal that sings loud, complex songs: http://features.LearningKingdom.com/fact/archive/1997/06/02.html
Oceans Alive: http://www.mos.org/oceans/
provides information on the physical features of the ocean. Study the
earth's water cycle, profiles of our oceans, ocean
life, the wind and waves, currents, and underwater exploration. Links
to other oceanography-related sites are also available here.
For Kids Only: Earth Science Enterprise:
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/
Get a behind-the-scenes peek at how NASA studies air, natural hazards,
land, and water. From each of these four key areas, you can link to other,
more specific sections to explore tropical twisters, air pressure, plate
tectonics, and more. For interactive fun, have your kids visit the "Games"
area. To help educators make the most of this site, there is a "Teacher's
Guide" section with links to companion publications available for
purchase.
If you hear a cricket chirping and you
have a watch, you can estimate the temperature where the cricket is. If
you can hear more than one, you can tell whether they are experiencing
different temperatures. To calculate the "cricket temperature,"
count the number of chirps in a 14-second period. Add forty to the result,
and you have a rough estimate of the Fahrenheit temperature of the cricket.
This method works best with the snowy tree cricket, whose song sounds
like gently ringing sleigh bells. Depending on the species of cricket,
you might have to adjust the counting time by one or
two seconds, up or down.
Why does it work? Because crickets are cold-blooded creatures, the rate
of their metabolism is strictly determined by temperature. The warmer
it is, the faster they move and the faster they chirp.
The same method would work equally well with other insects if they
had the regular chirping habits of crickets.
More cricket lore, and how to keep them as pets: http://freeweb.pdq.net/headstrong/cricket.htm
Another Cool Fact about crickets: http://www.cool-fact.com/archive/1997/02/23.html
The largest known nebula (cloud of gas
and dust) is the Tarantula Nebula, named for its shape. More than 1000
light years across, it is one hundred times larger than the famous Orion
Nebula. The Tarantula Nebula is about 165,000 light years from Earth,
in a small, nearby galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. It's the
only extra-galactic (outside of our galaxy) nebula that can be seen without
a telescope. If it were as close as the Orion Nebula (about 1500 light
years) it would be as wide as 60 full moons, and bright enough to cast
shadows. Nebulas like the Tarantula are the birthplaces of new stars,
which collapse at the center of swirling whirlpools. Our solar system
was probably born within such a nebula.
Pictures of the Tarantula Nebula:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991026.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991027.html
http://www.aao.gov.au/AAO/local/www/dfm/aat044.html
The Mars Millennium Project (http://www.mars2030.net/)
challenges students to "Imagine creating a village for 100 transplanted
earthlings on Mars in the year 2030." It will "inspire
debate, in-depth research, and the quest for new ideas revolving around
the White House Millennium Council's central theme. Honor the Past
- Imagine the Future." The project, an official White House
Millennium Council Youth Initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Education, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its Jet
Propulsion Lab, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Paul Getty
Trust, is an interdisciplinary learning project for kindergarten through
high school which students to design a community for the planet Mars.
The students work in teams with educators, community leaders, and professionals
in an exploration of their own communities to apply what they learn to
their community of the future. Although the project does not begin
until late fall, participation kit mailings are now being accepted.
In the Spring/Summer of 2000 designs will be showcased at community events
and the on-line interactive display of outstanding projects. The
following components will be available to students. Through Kids
Central students will interact with experts on science, the arts, and
space, and telecollaborate with other kids. The Virtual Gallery
will offer an online catalog of ideas and visual representations of each
team's finished community. some of the ideas will even be put on
microchip and sent to Mars! The Artists, Scientists, Astronauts
link will provide information on experts who will help in the project,
and the Mars link will offer an interactive information guide to Mars.
In order to successfully hit a pitched
ball traveling at 95 MPH, the batter is pushing their reaction time to
the limits. Here's the website: http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/biobaseball.html
A similar project can be found at: http://www.ncsu.edu/science_house/StudentsFolder/bwsports/reaction.html
Here is an online reaction time calculator. Is your reaction time
color dependent? http://www.suffixrecords.com/funstuff/games/reactiongame.htm
Five week lesson
plan for creating multimedia animals lesson in Power Point or other presentation
programs
Preplanning: Information will be arranged into five categories or
folders, representing the movement, homes, eating, body coverings, and
fantastic facts. Each folder except for the Fantastic Facts folder
will contain four subfolders. The teacher may want to pick the animals
first, making sure to include at least one animal in each subfolder.
Week 1: Approximately 45 minutes a day learning about a variety
of animals, reading nonfiction books, classifying animals based on their
body coverings and using descriptive words to analyze each example.Using
fiction and nonfiction books, art experiences, observations, videotapes,
the internet, and encyclopedias, the students compare animals. The
students then design their own animals, describing where the animals lived,
what and how they eat, how they move, and what type of body covering they
have.
Week 2: Groups of 3-4 student each are assigned to research an animal.
The students are told they will use many different sources of information
to find out about their animals and then create a project to share with
each other and other students what they learn about animals. It
is also explained that the final project will be similar to five different
"chapter books." One book will be about movement, one
about eating, one about homes, one about body coverings, and one about
fantastic facts, describing anything interesting they discover about the
anima.. Each book will have four chapters. The movement book
will have these chapters; walking, flying, swimming, and crawling.
The polar bear would have a page in the walking chapter, the snake in
the crawling chapter, so on. Each animal would have one page in
each book, for a total of five pages per animal. The student and
teacher create a research form together that includes all the information
they will need to know about each animal.
Week 3: The research groups find the information they need to record
on the research form by visiting the media center, using available software,
and searching the internet. Students are directed to write only
what is necessary to answer the question and to take notes rather than
write in complete sentences. After the research has been completed,
the notes on the research forms are written in separate paragraphs about
each aspect of an animal. Group members divide the responsibilities,
assigning one person the movement page, one the eating page, and so forth.
After a student writes the information for a particular page, they read
the page to someone in the group to see if it makes sense. The
final product is then edited and checked for spelling and punctuation.
After the children write and edit their paragraphs, they discuss
what type of illustrations would best accompany the text. They create
illustrations, each focusing on a different distinguishing feature of
the animal as described by the students. For example, the parrot
page may simply have a picture of a feather from clipart, or pictures
from books, magazines, the internet, or student drawings may be used.
Week 4: Students complete their work, entering text and amending
their illustrations as necessary. The folders are linked by graphical
menus and buttons (hot links) so that students can freely move within
and among the folders.
Week 5: The students look at their own pages and those of
their classmates. They then share their work with other classes
and their parents. Extension: When the site is completed,
a scavenger hunt, can then be created. The scavenger hunt includes
fill-in-the-blank and short-answer questions that can be answered by using
the project.
Firsts in space:
On March 16, 1926, Robert Goddard launched the first successful rocket
using liquid fuel. This and his other discoveries are the basis
for today's space flights. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union
set up the first human-made object to orbit the Earth, Sputnik 1.
This was ht true beginning of the Space Age. On January 31, 1958,
the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, led to the discovery of belts of
electrically charged particles high above the planet. These particles
affect radio and electrical activity on Earth. On April 1, 1960,
the U.S, launched the first successful weather satellite, Tiros 1.
It sent back the first photos of Earth's cloud cover. On April 12,
1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person in space.
He orbited the Earth once. On May 5, 1961, the first U.S. astronaut
to go into space, Alan Shepard Jr., went up but did not orbit. His
spacecraft was the Mercury Freedom 7. On February 20, 1962, John
Glenn Jr. was the first American to orbit the Earth, in the Mercury Friendship
7 spacecraft. On July 10, 1962, Telstar 1, a U.S.-made satellite,
sent the first live TV broadcast between the United States and Europe.
On December 14, 1962, the U.S. probe Mariner 2 was the first spacecraft
to fly over a planet other than Earth and send back information.
It flew past Venus. On June 16, 1963, the first woman in space Soviet
cosmonaut Valentine Tereshkova, orbited the Earth 48 times. On
March 18, 1965. the first person to leave a spacecraft and take a walk
in space is soviet Cosmonaut Alexia Leon. He stayed outside for
12 minutes. On July 20, 1969, people landed on the moon. Neil
Armstrong, the first man on the moon, took a picture of fellow astronaut
Buzz Aldrin. This historic event was the first time humans set foot
on a world other than our own. Altogether, 12 people have walked
on the moon. On November 13, 1971, Mariner 9 was the first successful
spacecraft to orbit another planet. While orbiting Mars, it mapped
its entire surface. On July 17, 1975, the docking of America's Apollo
18 and the soviet's Soyuz 19 marked the first international mission in
space. On September 3, 1976, the Viking 2 Lander touched down on
Mars. It and the earlier Viking 1 tested for life on Mars and sent
back more than 1,400 pictures. On April 12, 1981, the first manned
space shuttle, Columbia, orbited the Earth for more than two days.
On June 19, 1983, Sally Ride was the first U.S. woman to journey into
space. On February 20, 1086, the Soviets launched the main unit
of the space station Mir. On December 4, 1996, the Mars Pathfinder
was launched with a low-cost lander and rover. It sent back more
than 2 billion bits of information. On October 29, 1998, john Glenn
went up a second time and became the oldest person to travel in space.
What Chemistry
Is All About: Everything is made of substances we call the elements.
Elements are the simplest forms of anything, or the basic stuff on Earth.
A chemist is a person who works with elements and studies how they react
with each other.
Chemists use symbols to stand for the elements. They often use the
first letter as the symbol. O is the symbol for oxygen. When
two elements begin with the same letter, a second letter is added.
Ne is the symbol for neon. Some of the symbols are based on old
words that we do not use today. Au is the symbol for gold.
Ag is the symbol for silver.
By using the periodic table, chemists keep records and write simple recipes,
or formulas, to tell: if one substance will react with another,
how much of a substance to mix to get another substance, or what will
happen when they do mix and react.
A Russian scientist named Dmitri (duh-MEE-tree)Mendeleev (men-del-LAY-uv)
was a college professor and scientist. His interest in cards and
chemistry helped him come up with a brilliant idea that is still used
by chemists today. He wrote the symbols for the elements on cards
and spread them all out on a table. He found that he could group
them together in a pattern based on how each one behaved when compared
with each other. He made a chart that we call the "periodic
table." Today, no chemist would be without one.
Most of the elements in the periodic table are metals. The bold
line divides the metals from the non-metals. When the Russian scientist
made this discovery, he knew about only 63 elements. Since that
time, scientists have discovered new elements. Today there are
112. All of the elements in the up-and-down rows are alike in some
ways. The numbers at the top are called atomic numbers. The
letters are symbols for the elements.
Here are some everyday things and some of the elements from which they
are made:
Table salt; sodium [Na] and chlorine [Cl]
Fluoride toothpaste; fluorine [F]
Glass; silicon [Si] and oxygen [O]
Pencil points; carbon [C]
Matches; sulfur; [S]
Water; oxygen [O] and hydrogen [H]
People are quite a mixture of elements. Your body is a wonderful
chemical plant made up of elements. For example, your hair and fingernails
are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Your
skin is made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus.
Even the books you read are made up of the elements carbon, oxygen, and
hydrogen.
One way to tell an element is by its color. Color helps chemists
tell one element from another. Iron [Fe] is gray. Chlorine
[Cl] is yellow-green. Some forms of carbon [C] are black.
Sulfur [S] is yellow.
Signs glow in different colors because they contain different elements
in gas form. When electricity passes through neon gas, it glows
bright red. Mercury lamps glow blue-purple. Sodium lamps give
off a yellow light.
When the color of a substance changes, it probably means that a chemical
change has taken place. A new substance has been produced.
Iron, which is gray, turns to a red substance when it rusts. White
sugar turns brown and then black when heated. When certain rays
from the sun strike the skin, chemicals in the skin change to form a substance
called melanin, a dark-colored chemical that gives skin a tan.
Color changes tell us when to eat a banana. In the store, they might
be green. Most people like to eat them when they ripen and turn
yellow.
from The Mini Page by Betty
Debnam, Times Herald-Record, Saturday, October 31, 1998
guyot (GEE-oh) noun: A flat-topped submarine mountain: named
after Arnold Henri Guyot (1807-1884), Swiss-born American geologist and
geographer.
The story of the discovery of guyots, also known as tablemounts, is one
of serendipity. Harry Hamond Hess (1906-1969) was a professor in the geology
department at Princeton University. Called for active duty during World
War II, Hess served as commanding officer of USS Cape Johnson. During
his
expeditions in the Pacific Ocean he continuously used echo sounders to
scan the waters beneath him. Understandably, looking for a seamount was
the last
thing on his mind at the time -- he was more interested in signs of the
presence of Axis submarines that could torpedo his ship. However,
later analysis of mountains of data of the ocean floor profile so far
collected revealed the existence of the flattop seamounts. Hess named
them guyots in honor of Arnold Henri Guyot, his predecessor at Princeton.
And that's how we got the word for these underwater mesas. Some other
above-water geographical landmarks named after Guyot are: Guyot Glacier
(in southeastern Alaska), three Mt. Guyots (in the White Mountains, the
Great Smoky Mountains, and the Colorado Rockies), and Guyot Crater (on
the moon).
Most objects appear
a certain color because of the colors in the light that strike and reflect
off the object. You can see how different-colored light can change
the way colors appear. You will need: 2 sheets of white unlined
paper, 4 clear plastic cups (8 to 10 ounces), food coloring (red, blue,
green, and yellow), cotton swabs, pencil, metric ruler, flashlight, and
an adult partner. Fill each of our cups to about 3cm
high with water. Add 3-5 drops each of red, blue, green and yellow
food coloring to separate cups. These are your colored filters.
Carefully place a few drops of red food coloring on one end of a cotton
swab. Use the swab to make a dark red dot about 2 cm in diameter
on a white piece of paper. Use separate swabs to make the same size
dots of blue, green and yellow food coloring. On your other sheet
of paper, make a chart like this:
| |
Dot Color
|
| Filter
Color
|
|
Red |
Blue |
Green
|
Yellow |
| Red |
|
|
|
|
| Blue |
|
|
|
|
| Green |
|
|
|
|
| Yellow |
|
|
|
|
Ask your adult
partner to turn on a flashlight and to turn off all the other lights in
the room to make it as dark as possible. Ask your partner to shine
the flashlight straight down on the red dot. As you look at the
dot, your partner should mover the red water cup, or filter, beneath the
light so that red light shines on the red dot. Does the color of
the dot look different? Write down the color you see in the blank
on the chart where the red dot color and the red filter color intersect.
Next, your partner should shine the light directly on the blue dot and
then move the red water cup, or filter, under the light as before.
Does the color of the dot seem to change? Record the color you see
in the chart where the blue dot color and red filter color intersect.
Next, use the flashlight and red water cup, or filter, as before on the
green and yellow dots. Repeat the activity with the remaining colored
filters and each different-colored dot. Record all of your results.
Which filters seemed to cause the greatest change in which colored dots?
Did any filter seem to make a dot very faint or even disappear?
What else did you notice?
from The Mini Page by Betty
Debnam, Times Herald-Record, Saturday, October 31, 1998
This is a colorful experiment
for you to try. You will need an adult partner to help you with
this experiment. Before you begin, read the manufacturer's instructions
and precautions on the package of food coloring. You will need coffee
filters, food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow), cotton swabs, pencil,
tape, small plastic cup (3 ounces), clear plastic cup (8 ounces), and
scissors. Cut a strip from a coffee filter that is about 10 centimeters
(cm) long and about 2 cm wide. Place one drop of two different food
colors together in a small cup so that they mix. Even though the
colors are mixed, a little chemistry can make them come apart again.
Use your cotton swab to soak up the food color from the cup. Touch
your coffee filter strip with the cotton swab and make a dot of color
about 2 cm from the bottom of the strip. Place a little water in
the bottom of your clear plastic cup. Wrap the top of the strip
around a pencil and tape it down. Place the pencil on the cup, but be
sure that only the very bottom of the paper strip touches the water.
Watch the color dot as the water moves up the strip. What do you
notice? How many colors do you see? If you see more than two
colors, what do you think could cause that? If you mix three or
four colors, do you think you could see them all as they moved up the
strip? Try it and see! Rinse the contents of the cups down
the drain and throw the cups into the trash. Wash your hands when
you are finished.
from The Mini Page by Betty
Debnam, Times Herald-Record, Saturday, October 31, 1998
LOST ON THE MOON.. .. exercise developed
by NASA.
You must role-play the situation as if the decisions had life or death
implications.
"Your spaceship has just crash landed on the lighted side of the
moon. You were scheduled to rendezvous with a mother ship 200 miles away
on the lighted surface of the moon, but the rough landing has ruined your
ship and destroyed all the equipment on board, except the twelve items
listed below. Your crew's survival depends on reaching the mother
ship, so
you must choose the most critical items available for the 200 mile trip.
Your task is to rank the twelve (12) items of their importance for survival.
Place number one by the most important item, number two by the second
most important item, and so on through number
twelve, the least important. After you have made your decisions,
work within the group
structure to arrive at the group's rankings. Remember to work toward consensus
by
explaining your choices as fully as possible while listening intently
for the logic and feasibility in other group members positions.
When the group has decided on an order of priority, list it under "Group
ranking".
Things to look for: Did the suggestions make sense? Which group
members did I listen to and why? Were all the members active in
finding solutions?
(Sunlit temp. on moon is 212oF. Can you see the stars at night, on the
moon?)
Twelve items that survived the crash.
1. 50' of nylon rope
2. 5 gallons of water
3. Stellar map (of the moons constellations)
4. Self-inflating life raft
5. Box of matches
6. 2 100 lb tanks Oxygen
7. Parachute silk
8. Food concentrate
9. 2 .45-caliber pistols
10. Solar-powered portable heating unit
11. Magnetic compass
12. Solar -powered FM receiver-transmitter
Animals of the Arctic
Reindeer have broad , flat hooves that give them
support in winter snows and in summer mud. They have side dewclaws
that keep them from sinking into the snow and mud. Their hooves
act like snowshoes. A dewclaw is a toe that does not reach the ground.
When reindeer walk, you hear a click, click sound. This is caused
by the snapping of a tendon in each foot. Their ears and nose are
covered with thick fur to protect them against the cold. Their hearing
is not very sharp, and their eyesight is poor. Their sense of smell,
however, is very strong. Female reindeer are the only female deer
with antlers. Males lose their antlers around October, when mating
season ends. Females keep their antlers until around May.
During the winter antlers help females protect the calves they are carrying.
When they begin growing, reindeer antlers are covered with a soft, furry
membrane called velvet. The velvet carries blood to the antlers.
While the antlers are growing, reindeer are very careful not to bump or
damage them. But within days after their antlers stop growing, male reindeer
start rubbing their antlers on trees and bushes to scrape off the velvet.
Antlers are very hard and bonelike. They can weigh 22 to 32 pounds.
Males use their antlers to fight off other males during mating season.
Reindeer have a double coat of fur. They have a thick outer coat
with hairs that are like hollow tubes. These hairs make them better
able to float in water. The undercoat has short, dense hairs.
Wild reindeer might migrate more than a thousand miles each year.
In the spring they travel north. When the weather grows colder,
they travel back south. Reindeer eat grasses and woody plants in
the summer. In the winter they eat moss and lichen, little flat
plants that grow underneath the snow. Reindeer can eat may
plants that would be poisonous to other animals. Chemicals, or enzymes,
in their stomachs break down the poison. Reindeer herds are on the
move all the time looking for food. They also are excellent swimmers.
Musk oxen have lived on the treeless, windswept slopes of the
arctic region for more than a million years. Like the reindeer,
they have a two-layer coat. The undercoat is a woolly fur.
The outer coat is long, coarse hair that nearly sweeps the ground.
They can weigh as much as 1,300 pounds.
Arctic foxes travel across hundreds of miles in search of food.
They eat the leftovers of animals killed by polar bears or wolves.
They also eat small animals, birds and fish. They eat more fruit than
any other type of fox. Females, or vixen, can have from 2 to 25
pups in a litter. Most of the year their fur is colored in shades
of blue and white. During the summer, their fur grows shorter and
turns brown. This color change enables them to blend in with their
surroundings. Their fur can keep them warm in temperatures as cold
as 94 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. Long fur on the bottom of their
paws helps them gain traction on the snow.
Polar bears might travel as much as 19 miles a day in their search for
food. People native to the arctic regions call polar bears Nanook,
which means "always moving." They need to eat enough food
to provide them with about four pounds of fat a day. They have a
thick layer of fat under their skin to help them stay warm. Their
favorite food is the ringed seal. They also eat berries, plants,
whale meat, reindeer, birds and other animals they catch. They do
not really have white fur. Their fur is made up of clear hairs that
reflect the sun onto their bodies. This
helps keep them warm. Polar bears can weigh up to 2,200 pounds.
from The Mini
Page by Betty Debnam, Times Herald-Record, December 12, 1998
Bulletin Board Aquarium: Cover
a board with blue paper, then cover it once again with blue-tinted plastic
wrap. Frame the board with a 4" border of aluminum foil.
Students search in magazines for pictures of fish. Then each student
uses permanent markers to draw his fish on an old plastic overlay.
After cutting it out, the student staples his fish to the board.
Add new fish to the "aquarium" regularly. It is a great
resource for writing and an eye-catching addition to the room.
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