Resources
The Children and Nature Network
The Children and Nature Network provides the latest information on the benefits of encouraging kids to be outside and interact with nature. There are links to valuable research and news, a tool kit with simple instructions on how to start a local nature club for families, and an e-newsletter to help kids stay informed on the topic. Learning gardens are starting up at schools to promote science, fitness, geography, geology, and literature—along with practice in teamwork and responsibility. In addition to ideas and activities, the website includes twitter and blogs.
Nature field guides on iPod
The National Audubon Society has prepared and arranged Audubon Field Guides for downloading onto an iPod. Topics include birds (740 species and 2300 songs), wildflowers (1800 species), mammals (280 species), and trees (900 species). More topics are being planned such as insects and spiders, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians, fish, and seashells. The field guide on wildflowers, for example, groups flowers by common name, family, or by flower arrangement. All flowers are illustrated, and include descriptions, range, life lists, and sightings. Scientific names are provided. These resources would be useful on field trips around the school yard or in nearby natural areas. Information is available on the website.
How to use a microscope
The Optical Microscopy Primer website is divided into several sections that are available through the links displayed in the left sidebar. To print the entire microscopy primer as a paper document, each link must be downloaded and printed separately, then compiled. The section on "Virtual Microscopy" enables the viewer to see a specimen under the microscope, focus on it, and even enlarge the image. Fluorescence as used in microscopy is explained and illustrated, as is the anatomy of the microscope.
The Earth Portal
The Earth Portal website is a comprehensive resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment. It is free, and contains no commercial advertising. There is earth news, a weekly featured article, and a topic of the week on the environment. The web site has three parts: an Encyclopedia of the Earth (3500 articles), an Earth forum, and Earth News.
Take-Home Physics
Take-Home Physics: 65 High-Impact, Low-Cost Labs is the title of a new book published in 2009 by NSTA Press. Michael Horton has compiled a collection by of sixty-five laboratory exercises that can be done at home by students as part of their homework. The lab exercises are grouped into four sections: motion and kinematics; forces and energy; waves, sound, and light; and electricity and magnetism. Post-laboratory questions follow the exercises; both student and teacher pages are included. Examples of exercises include: how to determine the diameter of the sun, how far can a vehicle go by converting elastic potential energy to kinetic energy, how can you determine the center of percussion or "sweet spot" of a baseball bat, what affects the strength of an electromagnet, and more. Students learn how to keep laboratory notebooks and write formal summaries of the experiment. The total cost of doing all sixty-five labs at home is about $20, and some of the materials may be provided by the physics teacher. Materials needed at home for the labs include aluminum foil, batteries, flashlights, marbles, cooking oil, etc. Purchase the book online from the NSTA Science Store for $22.45, or $17.96 for NSTA members.
Science NetLinks
Science NetLinks comprises a wealth of resources for K-12 science educators. Science NetLinks is a guide to standards-based web experiences for students. It provides articles for the classroom and interactive activities and discussion. Pertinent websites are reviewed. There are weekly updates, currently featuring wastewater drug mapping and asteroid watches.
Online education reference
The Educator's Reference Desk website contains extensive materials collected on the AskERIC site during the past decade. It provides free access to ERIC—the world's largest database of information on education research and practice—including free, full-text expert digest reports. Access the "Teaching" link, and "Science" and "Health" subcategories under the "Subject" link, which provide evaluated, annotated links to lesson plans, archived responses, websites, online communities, and organizations concerning science and health.
Encyclopedia of Earth
The Encyclopedia of Earth is a new electronic reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and the interaction with society. The Encyclopedia is a free, fully searchable, collection of articles written by scholars, professionals, educators, and experts who collaborate and review each other's work. The articles are written in non-technical language and will be useful to students, educators, scholars, professionals, and to the general public.
The Teacher's Corner
TheTeachersCorner.net features K-12 lesson plans, science projects and activities sorted by grade, printable worksheets, and e-learning opportunities. There are also seasonal items, ideas for a bulletin board, tips for teachers, awards, and books for children, teens, and teachers.
Media resources
The Teachers' Domain website offers more than 1,500 media resources in science, engineering, and technology as well as standards-based professional development courses in physical, life, and earth sciences. In addition to resources, lesson plans are available for each section. Major funding for this resource comes from the National Science Foundation.
PISA SCIENCE 2006
PISA Science 2006: Implications for Science Teachers and Teaching is the title of a book published by NSTA Press in 2009 and edited by Rodger Bybee and Barry McCrae. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) includes information to measure reading, mathematic, and science literacy of 15-year-old students every three years in 65 countries, and represents a collaborative, international effort. It was first implemented in 2000. The book is divided into four parts. Part One is an introduction to PISA and an overview of the program, an assessment framework for scientific literacy, test development and design, and answers to frequent criticisms. Part Two covers international comparisons, Part Three has implications for science teaching, and Part Four relates PISA to science education. An appendix presents several scenarios for students that involve current policy issues in science. The chapters are amply illustrated with graphs and charts as well as a list of references. An index is provided. Different authors wrote specific chapters, including ones written by the editors. The 286-paged, paperback book sells for $23.95 or $19.16 for NSTA members. It is suitable for K-12 and college teachers, and can be ordered from the NSTA Science Store.
Cosmic Matters magazine
The W. M. Keck Observatory, located at the summit of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii, publishes a newsletter online featuring current topics on astronomy. The newsletter, Cosmic Matters, appears about three times a year. Each issue comprises several topics; the archives retain back copies for reading. The website includes a gallery that shows and explains the use of Keck telescopes, the Milky Way, the Solar System, the universe, and more. The news and outreach section covers Jupiter, supernovae, Enceladus (Saturn moon), and exoplanets, among other topics. The current issue features articles on Mars burps methane; activities of women astronomers at Keck; and viewing Nature's coolest, faintest objects. This is a good resource for keeping up-to-date on the cosmos.
Resources on plant stresses
The Plantstress website reveals the many types of stress that plants undergo, with listings of online resources and reference databases. Some stresses include: drought, heat, cold, waterlogging, salinity, mineral deficiency and toxicity, and oxidation. Biotechnology issues are also discussed. Methods used in research reveal how scientists go about their investigations.
2009 Technology Grants
The Technology Grants for Rural Schools program was created to help meet the growing need for innovative technology in the classroom. The grants are funded by a donation from Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative, and strive to help public schools in rural areas served by Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO). Members bring modern computers to every classroom, connect schools to the information superhighway, and make sure that effective and engaging software and online resources are an integral part of the school curriculum. The website lists the cities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and other eligible states. Scholarships are also offered at this website. The deadline for application is September 14, 2009. For more information and to download an application, go to the Foundation for Rural Education and Development website.
Information about Charles Darwin
The Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online includes the publications of Charles Darwin such as Origin of Species, Voyage of the Beagle, Descent of Man, Zoology of the Beagle, and others. There are also private papers and manuscripts, such as notebooks, diaries, and articles. Obituaries and recollections about Darwin can also found on the website which includes a wealth of information and illustrations about Darwin.
Connect science with other subjects
Activities Linking Science with Math, 5-8 is the title of a new book published in 2009 by NSTA Press. The book follows the work of the same title and author (John Eichinger) except this book is for grades 5-8 instead of K-4. This 223-paged, paperback book includes twenty activities under categories such as general science, physical science, chemical science, earth science, and life science, with some overlap. "Science and math reinforce each other" writes Eichinger. Goals, background information, safety issues, step-by-step procedures, discussion questions, and references accompany each activity. The amount of time needed to complete each activity is estimated. The value of keeping a journal is stressed with suggestions for entries. Interdisciplinary and internet resources, and an index end the text. Purchase the book online from NSTA Press - just click on New Releases. The book sells for $27.95, or $22.36 for NSTA members.
Science Club Kids' science projects
A list of science projects of medium difficulty is available on the Kids' Science Projects website. Projects include: doorknob sparks, simple electric generators, solar furnace, lemon battery, oil film colors, and a tornado generator box. For example, there is a discussion of the lemon battery and why it may not work. Other projects of simpler or greater difficulty are available from this same web site.
Science linked with math activities
Activities Linking Science with Math K-4 is the title of a book published in 2009 by NSTA Press. The twenty activities in this 212-paged, paperback book were prepared by John Eichinger. The book includes five parts: General Science, Physical Science, Chemical Science, Earth Science, and Life Science. Some of the topics covered are science and math on television, what makes a boat float, surface tension and soap, sorting rocks, fingerprints, and making prints from fruits and vegetables. Each activity lists the materials needed, objectives, steps in procedures, background material, discussion questions, and safety issues. There are also activity sheets for reporting data, and references, both printed and on the Internet. It is indexed. The book sells for $27.95 , or $22.36 to NSTA members. To order, go to NSTA Press and check out the "Recent Releases."
Watershed Investigation Laboratories
"Watershed Investigations" is the title of a book published in 2009 by NSTA Press. It comprises twelve labs for students in grades 9 -12 and is written by Jennifer Soukhome, Graham Peaslee, Carl Van Faasen, and William Statema. Lab topics include: modeling glacial features with sand and glacial features of a watershed, plant identification by leaf characters, wetlands, allelopathy, stream channel morphology and stream discharge, river floods, phosphates in streams, aquatic invertebrate identification, eutrophication, and ground water contamination. There are two appendices: one on a specific watershed and one on parts of a lab report. An index and references are provided. Illustrations, tables, questions to answer, and forms to report data accompany each experiment. Suggestions for preparation for the labs, teacher information, and student hand-outs increase the value of the investigations. To obtain a copy of this 175-paged, paperback book, order it from NSTA Press. Go to NSTA Science Store website; search under "New Releases." It sells for $27.95 or $22.36 to NSTA members.
Lesson plans using laptops
The Toshiba Laptop Learning Challenge prompted teachers to prepare lesson plans that used laptops for implementation. These lesson plans have now been collected and made available online for teachers of elementary, middle, and high school. Lesson plans are categorized either by grade or by subject matter. A teacher preparation guideline is included. Access the lesson plans through the NSTA website.
All about bees
If a school or class is interested in a project on rearing bees, The Bee Lab website of the University of Minnesota Extension Service provides much information. Topics covered include beekeeping manuals, videos, bumble bee rearing guides, and information of research and activities at the University of Minnesota. There is also a listing of courses for the public during March and April, 2010, as well as academic and online courses.
Frozen: Science on a Sphere
NASA presents the new movie Frozen that depicts the changing Earth. This film shows our home planet in ways that have never been seen before. Frozen brings Earth to life, projecting images of our planet onto completely spherical movie screens hanging in the center of darkened theaters. Turning in space, images on the screen become a portal onto a virtual planet, complete with churning, swirling depictions of huge natural forces moving below. Frozen showcases the global cryosphere, those places on Earth where temperatures don't generally rise above water's freezing point. As one of the most directly observable climate gauges, the changing cryosphere serves as a proxy for larger themes. Frozen is now showing on the Science Museum of Minnesota's Science on a Sphere. View a trailer of the movie on the NASA Frozen website.
Learn Earth from space
ISS EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) is a NASA education program which enables students, teachers and the public to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. At the core of the program is a spectacular collection of digital images of Earth. The image collection and accompanying learning guides and activities are extraordinary resources to support classes in Earth science, space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications, and even art. ISS EarthKAM images are unique because they are taken by middle school students. All the resources are available on NASA's ISS EarthKAM website.
John Hawks weblog on paleoanthropology
John Hawks started his weblog to discuss genetics, evolution, and interesting issues in paleoanthropology that are not well covered in the mainstream science press. He is an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) who studies bones and genes of ancient humans. Hawks summarizes current scientific papers and posts them as weblogs in an interesting style. This is a good resource for keeping up-to-date in this field.