Biology/Mammals
About Marine Mammals
http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml
This site provides an excellent resource for students researching mammals from the sea. It
provides information about whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, walruses,
manatees and dugongs. Students will find information on scientific classification and tips
on writing science reports.
Adventures of Echo the Bat
http://imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/echohome.html
The Adventure of Echo the Bat is a program with both online and classroom components. It
teaches "understanding light" and the "electromagnetic spectrum" as a
foundation for Remote Sensing. The site is supported with a teacher's guide that includes
lesson plans, classroom activities, and reproducibles. A joint project with NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center and the U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division.
Animal Cams
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/WebCams/
From Washington, D.C.'s excellent National Zoo (part of the Smithsonian) comes this site
offering 20 live animal cams, including cams of the Amazon River Fish, Black-footed
Ferret, the Cheetah, the Elephant, the Flamingo, the Naked Mole-Rat, the Octopus, and
more. In addition to the live cams, there's lots of information on each critter.
Animals of the World: An Internet Scavenger Hunt!
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson068.shtml
Where in the world do some animals live? Celebrate National Zoo and Aquarium Month by
sending your students on an Internet scavenger hunt! They'll learn about the natural
habitats of ten of the world's animals -- including some animals they've never heard of!
Two versions. One for beginners and one for experienced surfers.
ASPCA Animaland
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=kids_home
Animaland helps students understand the different ways in which you can help prevent
injustices on pets. They can learn many interesting facts about animals in general, ask
questions about their pets and find out about careers related to the care of animals.
There are also cartoons and other interactive activities. (Click the volume icon if you
want to mute the sound on the main page.)
Becoming Human
http://www.becominghuman.org/
This well designed, multimedia website includes a flash documentary and much more to
educate about human origins and the unique qualities that make us different from other
creatures. The evidence in the fossil record, comparative anatomy, theories about
lineages, and cultural adaptations are all very well presented.
Creature Feature
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals/CreatureFeature/
Learn about animals like hippos, cheetahs, koalas, and more at this great National
Geographic site. You'll find lots of fun facts on each animal, plus pictures and videos.
Dolphins (Scholastic)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/dolphin/
This site from Scholastic has something for everyone, whether you are a teacher or a
student in grades 1 through 8. Begin with All About Dolphins, where your host Dan Odell, a
research biologist, introduces the topic by answering some basic dolphin questions. Next
try your hand at the Cetacean Relations Game. Cetaceans are the order of marine mammals
that includes all whales, dolphins and porpoises. With all this under your belt, now you
are ready to join the virtual field trip (Dolphin Watch) to study bottlenose dolphins in
the Indian River Lagoon in Florida.
Field Trip Earth: Elephants of Cameroon
http://www.fieldtripearth.org/div_index.xml?id=3
Field Trip Earth focuses on field-based wildlife conservation research projects
ongoing around the world. Some of the projects are "live," meaning that research
activities, and one or more research scientists, are currently active in the field. This
link explores the Elephants of Cameroon project.
Games for Kids: What Kind of Animal is This?
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/kidscorner_games.htm
In these games, students need to be able to tell the difference between mammals, reptiles,
birds, fish, amphibians, and other kinds of animals. Each game is full of animations,
sounds, and fun!
Giant Pandas
http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=1
This article focuses on the Giant Panda, which exists only in the mountains of southwest
China. The site covers habitat, diet, lifecycle and reproduction. It provides extensive
information on panda babies and the contrast between life in the wild and life in
captivity. It also discusses Panda social structure as well as the impact of humans on
pandas and their habitat. Be sure to check out the cute videos!
Gray Whale
http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Eschrichtius_robustus/
This colorful, impressive digital archive features nine short movies and nineteen still
images of the beautiful, graceful gray whale. It provides a wealth of facts on status,
description, range, threats, biology, and conservation. There are also links to related
species by family group, habitat, and conservation status.
Humane Society Index
http://www.humaneindex.org/
Created by The Humane Society of the U.S., this clever and entertaining site discusses
many of the aspects of being humane to animals, from eliminating poor pet store conditions
to appreciating the suffering of chickens in factory farms. One fascinating feature allows
users to see how a particular city rates on its basic 'humane-ness' compared to the
national average and to other cities. The site will prove valuable for social studies and
language arts classes.
Kids for Tigers
http://kidsfortigers.org/
Many of us did not know that there are only some 2,000 tigers left in all of India. Some
estimate that poachers kill as many as one per day. This staggering news has encouraged
many concerned citizens to help wild tigers and those kept in captivity. Learn about the
current state of the tiger and what you can do to help protect this wild creature in it's
natural habitat.
Mammals
http://www.bear-tracker.com/mammals.html
This site features tracking information on 28 featured mammals, including the natural
history of the animal, personal notes by the site's author, and close-up picutres of its
tracks.
Natural History Museum
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/mammals/index.html
From tiny shrews to enormous whales, mammals are the most diverse group of animals ever to
live on our planet. Equipped with wings, fins, horns and spines – they have evolved
to fill many niches and roles. Discover more about this complex group, which of course,
includes us.
North American Mammals (Smithsonian)
http://www.mnh2.si.edu/education/mna/
North American Mammals contains over 425 mammal species and thousands of photographs,
watercolors, scientific illustrations, range maps, weights and measures, descriptive text,
references, links, and the conservation status of each species. The site is a virtual
encyclopedia on North America's furred inhabitants. Searches and navigation are available
for every knowledge level. There is even a family tree that cleverly unfurls genetic
relationships. The site also contains vignettes on adaptations, and QuickTime movies.
Using a GIS map of North America, explorers can click on any location and find out which
species of mammals can be found at that location. Another click and a Field Guide is
produced.
Project Elephant (Indianapolis Zoo)
http://www.indyzoo.com/content.aspx?cid=292
Indianapolis Zoo has become the leader in the campaign for survival of the African
elephant. Currently, the Indianapolis Zoo is home to five female and one male African
elephants. You'll find information on: elephant anatomy; kinships; reproduction;
communication; range; relationship with humans; difference between African and Asian
Elephants; and downloadable Lesson Plans. If you have videoconferencing capabilities, you
can even schedule an interactive electronic field trip presented by Zoo staff.
Science & Nature: The Life of Mammals
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/mammals/
Students can watch vivid pictures change before their eyes, from lions to monkeys to
dolphins and other animals. Authors provide interactive games that aid in learning the
behavior of animals. Continue to explore by investigating the habitat, diet, and
interesting features of selected mammals. Join the authors through the Big Cat Diary, a
feature that will engage students in the lives of these magnificent creatures.
Stellaluna's Friends
http://www.kids-learn.org/stellaluna/index.htm
Two Faced Sheep Skull
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/virtual-wonders/vrsheepskull.html
As a part of the Virtual Wonders exhibit at the Natural History Museum, this site examines
a strange sheep skull that looks as if it has two faces in a 3-D format. The picture can
be clicked on and dragged to view all sides of the fossil. Click on Virtual Wonders on the
left to view other exhibits.
Wandering Wildlife
http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/wandering_wildlife/
The United States Geological Survey has documented the migratory patterns of Arctic
wildlife in this interactive site. Learn where each species migrates and how climate
changes can impact their survival. The methods for conducting these experiments are also
explained.
Whale Museum
http://www.whalemuseum.com/
This is a great site for whale education. The actual museum is located in Friday Harbor,
Washington. The main goal of this site, and probably the museum, is to "promote
stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research."
In the "Education" section you can learn about: the issues facing orcas, how you
can help, whale watching, and much more. You can also learn how to help, or if you want,
how to adopt an orca. You'll probably also be interested in the "In the News"
section. There you'll learn that a new species of baleen whale was possibly discovered,
and that Keiko died in Norway. Keiko was the whale that starred in "Free Willy"
and was later released.
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).
Whale Times
http://www.whaletimes.org/
This web site takes you on an ocean adventure where you can find out about your favorite
marine animals. Sections include Fishin' for Facts, Colossal Dictionary of Whale Words,
Kids Page, and Sea of Books.
You Wouldn't Want To Sail on the Whaling Ship Essex
http://www.salariya.com/web_books/whaling/
Find out what life as a whaler would be like with this interactive Web book.
Zoo Atlanta
http://www.zooatlanta.org/home.htm
This is a good site to learn all about the newly born baby panda. Click on It's a Girl! on
the right for daily updates on Lun Lun and her new cub. Click on Panda and Cub Photo
Gallery for cute pictures! Click on Video of Lun Lun and Cub for several videos viewable
in Quicktime. There are also other links where students can learn about pandas.
Zoobooks
http://www.zoobooks.com/
Zoobooks online has a Virtual Zoo, an Animal Directory, a Guess Who I Am game, and other
games and activities about animals.
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