Resources
PBS for kids and teachers
The PBS Kids website includes free pre-K resources available to support learning at home and at school. Learn about the literacy initiative funded by the US Department of Education. The PBS Teachers website includes multiple PBS resources and professional development and lesson plans.
K-12 education at iTunes U
Several state agencies along with the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA) have launched a website for K-12 teachers using Apple's iTunes U. States participating thus far include: Arizona, Florida, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Utah, as well as some museums. According to SETDA, the purpose is to provide nationwide and global access to educational content, curricula, learning materials, and other technology-based resources to supplement core curricula in use by K-12 teachers. All content within iTunes U is free and based on using Macintosh computers. One suggested project is to construct a modern high school lab for use with this curriculum. To learn more about this program visit the Apple website.
Seed biology
Major aspects of seeds are covered in The Seed Biology Place website which includes information on topics of seed structure, germination, dormancy, ecology, water relations, seed technology, research projects, and more. There are explanations for each topic as well as links to pertinent references. The site was prepared by the University of Freiburg, Germany.
Earth science acronyms, glossaries, and gazetteers
The Global Change Master Directory is a database that holds more than 25,000 descriptions of Earth Science data sets and services covering all aspects of earth and environmental sciences. It was created by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Bioscience educational network
The BiosciEdNet (BEN) collaborators offer a variety of tools and services to support teaching. Links include the DNA Interactive website which has a suite of tools including lesson plans and a Teacher Guide. The National Science Digital Library provides news for science educators. Planting Science is a resource created by the Botanical Society of America that covers topics such as carnivorous plants, careers in botany, image collections, and classroom plant talking points. Access all these links from the BEN website.
Science games and activities
If you are looking for activities this summer to feature the fun side of learning, check out Education.com, and choose "activities." Use the selector and search by grade and subject. Projects vary from making a "City" of Bags to learning how matter transmits sound by using simple materials such as sand, water, and air.
Hands-on experience on earth system topics
The Big Back Yard at the Science Museum of Minnesota provides a one-of-a-kind resource for a class to experience multiple earth system topics, especially "source to sink" and "river system dynamics". The resource will be available for eight days in September for school groups. Designed as a mini-golf course, students will experience the effects of various surfaces on storm water, investigate river meanders, putt around wing dams, analyze the erosive effects of quickly flowing water, and more. Availability is from September 16-19 and September 23-26, 2008. Find more information and make reservations on the website.
The biology of worms
Watch a fifteen-minute video of the biology of the annelids online on the SciVee website. Annelids are segmented worms that include earthworms, lugworms, and leeches. Get ideas for lab demonstrations from watching the video. Videos on related topics also available on this website.
Everyday Science Mysteries
Published in 2008 by NSTA press, Everyday Science Mysteries is a 188-page, paperback book of fifteen stories that illustrate science concepts in an inquiry-based approach. There are three sections, each with five stories, for biological sciences, earth and space sciences, and the physical sciences. The hands-on activities are aimed at grades K to 8 and do not require high technology equipment. Some concepts illustrated are periodic motion, thermodynamics, temperature and energy, and sound transmission. The teacher first tells a story and then students discuss the story and seek answers to the science behind the story. This leads to the experiments to find some of the answers to questions raised by the story. Students are encouraged to keep a journal of their observations and findings. In addition to the stories in the book, teachers can make up their own stories. The book includes a list of guidelines to follow in creating a story and what can be learned from the story. Indexed and referenced, Everyday Science Mysteries was prepared by Richard Konick-Moran, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts. The book sells for $19.95, $15.95 for NSTA members. It can be purchased online at the NSTA Science Store, or by phone at 703-243-7100.
Using notebooks in grade school
Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms is a book by Michael Klentschy published by NSTA Press in 2008. This 126-page, illustrated paperback includes sixteen chapters and is designed for grades K to 5. Chapters explain what a science notebook is; its components; how to use data, charts, graphs, drawings, and illustrations; what evidence is; how to draw conclusions; feedback; and references. There is a discussion of what is known about writing and science. The book has good background information and gives students experience in using a notebook which will be valuable later for high school and college science courses. Good notebook habits attained in early grades can enhance preparation for later laboratory experiences as well as enrich classroom discussion. The book sells for $23.95, or $19.16 for NSTA members. Purchase the book online at NSTA Science Store, or by calling 703-243-7100. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is located at 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201.
Activities on the evolution of concealment
A new book published in 2008 by NSTA Press titled Animal Coloration: Activities on the Evolution of Concealment is designed for use in grades 4-8. The book was published originally in 1966 by the University of California and has now been revised and updated by Professor Judy Diamond and Judy Scotchmoor. The book includes eight chapters, each one focusing on a single aspect of animal coloration. After the background information, activities intended for an approximately one hour class session are desribed. One early chapter discusses the evolution and functions of color, another covers the vision of animals. Learn what disruptive color means. What is the concealment of give-away parts? Five appendices cover field trip instructions, a glossary, common and scientific names, references, and notes on earlier editions. This paperback book has 174 pages, is indexed, and sells for $19.95 ($15.96 to NSTA members). Purchase the book online at NSTA Science Store or by calling 800-277-5300.
Ask an expert
The Scientific American website includes an "Ask the Experts" section where visitors can submit questions online and receive an answer from an expert on the subject. Answers to other people's questions are available for viewing, including: "Why does food get stale over time?"; "Where do viruses come from?"; and "Why are different breeds of dogs all considered the same species?" Read comments about the questions and answers, and post your own thoughts on the webpage.
Science for kids
Check out the forensicsciencecourses.info website which features a collection of resources on educational sites for children, science projects for kids, help with science, careers in forensic science, and more.
Class activities on the water cycle
The earth has a limited amount of water, which keeps going around and around and around and around and (well, you get the idea) in what we call the "Water Cycle." This cycle is made up of a few main parts: evaporation (and transpiration), condensation, precipitation, and collection. Find projects for preschool through fourth grade on the Kidzone website.
Staff Development Video Programs
The Bureau of Education & Research offers video training programs designed to strengthen classroom instruction by demonstrating and explaining strategies and techniques in classroom settings. They can be used for training as part of a comprehensive staff development program, or training focused on specific topics. Each video training program includes a Resource Guide with training outlines, blackline masters, and all the handouts and resource materials needed for training. The programs are useful for individual educators who want to learn teaching strategies through self-study. Graduate credit is also available.
Smithsonian education resources
More than 1,500 educational resources are available at the Smithsonian Education online resource library. From now until April 30, every educator who writes a review of any one of the online resources will receive free Smithsonian educational materials. Contact the center at learning@si.edu or visit the website.
Embryo development activity
The Gale Schools.com website provides details for a lesson plan to study embryo development in chickens to compare with embryo development in humans. The class can obtain fertilized eggs from a farm, place them in an incubator, and examine eggs at different stages of embryo development. Additional lesson plans are available on the website.
A kingdom of chemistry resources
The Chempire website is designed to help teachers and students of high school chemistry. In addition to its simplified textbook, it contains interactive chemistry practice exercises. These provide an active study technique for students, as well as a viable alternative to busy work for teachers.
Rising Tides—new journal for high schools
Rising Tides is an oceanographic education journal developed with high school science teachers and students in mind. The journal focuses on the biological aspects of coastal oceanography with an emphasis on research technology. A collection of cutting-edge research articles as well as classroom and laboratory activities, scientist interviews, further reading, and links to a plethora of oceanography topics can be found in this journal. An advanced section is designed to challenge even the most gifted high school science students. The first issue is available online.
Resources for teaching evolution
Books, position statements, articles, and other sources on evolution, education, and research are available on a web site designed by the The National Academies. The site is updated and expanded periodically. For example, there are reports on Science, Education, and Creationism, Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science, National Science Education Standards, and The Search for Life's Origins. Find a series of statements, articles, and podcasts on the website.
Cells: The Basis of Life
The National Science Teachers Association Science Objects are one to two-hour discrete learning experiences teachers can use to quickly enhance their understanding of a particular scientific concept. Teachers can access any topic "on demand" at any time from via the internet. Topics are based on the science literacy goals in the national standards (NSES, Science for All Americans, Benchmarks, and the Atlas of Scientific Literacy) and tied to state standards. Each Science Object provides an understanding of the science content that supports curriculum requirements by providing a structured set of learning experiences through simulations and practice assessments. Science Objects challenge teachers to explore and explain real world phenomena rather then simply delivering the content in text or presentations. Science Objects are founded on the principle that learners must be challenged with a problem, observation, data, etc., to develop scientific understanding. Cells: The Basis of Life, recently published, is the first of four Science Objects in the Cell Structure and Function SciPack. It explores the difference between living and non-living things as it looks at the many different types of cells. It is free, and is geared for Elementary and Middle School students.
The physics of sailing
Sailing illustrates interesting physics. Sails and keels, like airplane wings, exploit Bernoulli's principle. Aerodynamic and hydrodynamic insights help designers create faster sailboats. Sailing starts with the force of the wind on the sails. Did you know that downwind is not the fastest direction for sailing? A keel works only if the motion of the boat is not exactly in the direction in which it is pointed, that is, the boat must be moving somewhat sideways. One has to consider the effects of waves, eddies, and turbulence in the water. Learn about wind power, keels, resistant forces, hull speed, and predicting speed, and their physics at physics.org.
Teaching Science to English language learners
A 199-page, paperback book titled Teaching Science to English Language Learners has recently been published by the NSTA Press. Edited by Ann Rosebery and Beth Warren, it is aimed at K-8 classes. The chapters comprise essays, case studies, teacher's perspectives, references, and an index. Do students need to be fluent in English language before they can understand science? Does a cultural background affect the way to learn science? Learning takes place through language but imagination and experience are relevant and essential in science. One has to learn to think the way a scientist thinks. For students to learn science when English is their second language is challenging to teachers, and this topic receives ample treatment. Sometimes a student has to learn scientific vocabulary in two different languages—a bilingual proficiency. The book is available from NSTA Press, National Science Teachers Association, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 2201; the stock number is PB218X.
Static electricity demonstration
Create static electricity using a plastic comb, wool cloth, puffed rice, and a large plastic bag with a tie; for instructions, see Frankenstein's Lightening Laboratory, a webpage of the Miami Museum of Science. The activity is most applicable to grades K-6 classes. For an explanation of how static electricity works, go to the ElectroStatics, Inc. website.