Miscellaneous Science Sites
American Field Guide
http://www.pbs.org/americanfieldguide/
This is a great site for video guides on Animals, Ecosystems, Human History, Livelihoods,
Earth and Space, and Plants. Each of these sections is further divided into categories.
There are Teacher Resources and plenty more to make you return to this site.
Antarctic Conservation Blog
http://piclib.nhm.ac.uk/antarctica/
From London's Natural History Museum comes this fascinating look at the mysterious
Antarctic with text, wonderful photographs, and many informative links. Especially
interesting are the discussions of Shackleton's expedition and a look at his actual camp.
Art of Science Competition
http://www.princeton.edu/%7Eartofsci/gallery/
This assembly of images presents a fascinating and beautiful cross section of the arts and
sciences at Princeton. It celebrates the aesthetics of research and the ways in which
science and art inform each other.
Atmospheric Optics
http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/atoptics/phenom.htm
Scientific overview of light playing on water drops, dust or ice crystals in the
atmosphere thus producing a host of visual spectacles - rainbows, halos, glories, coronas
and many more. Some can be seen almost every day or so, some are once in a lifetime
sights. Find out where to see them and how they form. Most sections are pretty indepth.
Includes photos.
Backyard Nature
http://www.backyardnature.net/index.html
This is a great nature site with sections including 101 Nature-orientated Things to Do
this Fall; 3 Steps to Discovering Nature; and Plants, Animals, and Fungi in Your Backyard.
This is a great guide to some outdoor fun this fall. You can even get the kids involved in
an identification hunt!
COOL Cosmos: The Infrared Universe
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/
This is a clever, imaginative site from which to learn about infrared light through fun
games, movies, images, and more with classroom and individual activities. Lesson
plans/activities correlated with National Science Standards.
Darwin
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/?src=e_f
There are many fascinating things to learn about this remarkable scientist on this
engaging and visually appealing website created by the American Museum of Natural History.
Designed to function as an online counterpart to a recent exhibition, the site is divided
into small sections that contain information on some of his activities, including his
voyage on the HMS Beagle and his initial thoughts about a theory of natural selection.
What is truly remarkable about this site are the audio and visual features that are woven
seamlessly into the essays and photographs.
Eric Weisstein's World of Science
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/
Eric Weisstein's World of Science contains "budding encyclopedias" of astronomy
(587 entries), scientific biography (1,069 entries), chemistry (495 entries), physics
(2,695 entries), and math (11,364 entries). Includes a search engine, cross-references,
figures, and occasional animated graphics or Java applets. Sponsored by Wolfram Research.
Exploratorium Online Exhibits
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/nf_exhibits.html
These experiments are on the Learning Studio section of the Exploratorium site. Explore
categories called Seeing, Matter/World, Mind, Life Science and Hearing. Read the
descriptions of the exhibits in English, Spanish, French or Italian.
Exploring the Nanoworld
http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/index.html
This site provides information that every level of science student can understand. The
authors promise that students will be able to investigate the "frontiers of the
nanoworld" and learn about everything from DNA to semiconductors. There are some
great resources: You'll find a cineplex of movies, a nanoscale video lab manual, a
nanoworld slide show library, a LEGO nanobricks booklet, and more. There is a section for
K-12 students, K-12 teachers, college students and college faculty. One section for
teachers is called "How can I incorporate this into my science classroom?" There
are lots of good ideas.
Eye of Science
http://www.eyeofscience.de/eos2/index2.html
The first option you want to make is to view the site in English. This site is best viewed
at Full Screen. You can use the keyboard shortcut of F11 to make you browser Full Screen.
Press F11 again if you need your page back at regular viewing size. Eye of Science is an
interesting site dedicated to Scientific Photography. The sections you can check out are
along the bottom of the screen, on the navigation bar. Sections include EOS, Equipment,
Gallery, News, and Awards.
FT Exploring
http://www.ftexploring.com/
Look at the basic principles controlling how things work in nature. From photosynthesis to
working catapults, the site uses stories and science to help you "follow how the
energy flows."
Gizmo Catalog (ExploreLearning)
http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspResourceCatalog
Browse for Gizmos (virtual manipulatives for math and science) by Grade and Topic, by
State Correlations, by Textbook Correlations, or by a List of Collections. The Gizmos
appear to be fully functional; although the site offers a for-fee membership which
includes additional features such as assessment tools and document creation tools. Gizmos
are flash-based and interactive. Each one has an Exploration Guide that contains specific
instructions on how to use the Gizmo and a guided activity for students.
Grid on TryScience
http://www.tryscience.org/grid/home.html
What's "grid computing" and how can it solve huge problems like finding a cure
for cancer? You'll learn through several online and offline activities available on this
site.
Hoover Dam
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hoover/
This comprehensive site about the Hoover Dam is the online companion to the PBS
"American Experience" documentary film produced about the dam. It includes
historically significant documents and photos, a timeline, maps, and more. The site covers
the engineering challenges faced by the builders and explores the dam's cultural
significance for a country struggling to come out of the Great Depression. It also looks
at the environmental impact of large-scale construction projects.
I Was Wondering...
http://www.iwaswondering.org/
This site is a project of the National Academy of Sciences intended to showcase the
accomplishments of contemporary women in science and to highlight for young people the
varied and intriguing careers of some of today's most prominent scientists. Follow Lia as
she meets important women in science, plays fun games like Make a Robot and Gorilla Quest,
and travels through the timeline of scientific breakthroughs.
Learning Zone
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/thezone/index.htm
The Learning Zone features a great series of interactive lessons for kids on fossils,
animals, insects, rocks and minerals. Various characters (such as "Megan the
Megalosaurus") help to guide students through the learning proces. From the Oxford
University Museum of Natural History.
Living Things
http://www.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/
If it's alive, it's in here. Anatomy, classification, ecosystems, and life cycles.
Sponsored by the Franklin Institute Science Museum.
Museum of Science, Boston
http://www.virtualfishtank.com/main.html
Park Net: The National Parks Service
http://www.nps.gov/
This is a great site, whether you want to visit a national park or do a report or some
research. Sections include Visit Your Parks, Links to the Past, NatureNet, LearnNPS and
Info Zone. The feature of the month in the LearnNPS section is Thomas Edison.
Pearson Prentice Hall
http://www.forgefx.com/casestudies/prenticehall/
This Web site is filled with interactive simulations you can play and learn with. There
are ten activities to choose from, all with a different subject to teach you about. The
activities are: Design and Test, Topographic Maps, Pheromone Trails, Eclipses, Seismic
Waves, Ocean Waves, Solar System, Plant & Animal Cells, 4-Stroke Engine and Biomes.
Rader's Kapili.com
http://www.kapili.com/topiclist.html
Looking for a specific topic? Chemistry? Physics? Everything on this site is broken down
into categories. If you just want to learn about a topic for fun, try one of the guided
tours!
Resources for Science Learning
http://www.fi.edu/learn/
Visit this site from The Franklin Institute for science activities, science headlines, and
other resources. It includes separate sections for Learners and Educators. Read the daily
Braindrop to improve your science vocabulary!
Serious Arctic
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/wild/arctic/
One of a series of BBC-sponsored sites (others include Serious Amazon, Serious Desert)
this site focuses on a 2004 Arctic expedition made by 8 teenaged explorers. The site
offers their written diaries, video reports, plus facts aboout Polar Bears (now an
endangered species due to global warming), and an amusing-but-noisy game.
Sightseer’s Guide to Engineering
http://www.engineeringsights.org/
The National Society of Professional Engineers created this site to help students
understand how engineering affects their lives. Click on a state to find the sites listed
(there are just a few for each state). Learn why a particular site was chosen, whether for
architectural design, manufacturing processes, or geologic formations. Think of a site in
your area that might qualify; you and your class can suggest new additions. This is a
perfect introduction to engineering that ties in with 5th grade Social Studies.
Silicon Zoo
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/creatures/
This site was set up to show microscopic images found on silicon chips created around the
world. But then, go into the microscopy section to see what other things look like when
viewed through a microscope. This site is a great resource for students to explore before
their own work on microscopes, or after using microscopes to figure out how the images are
captured.
Skyscraper Page
http://skyscraperpage.com/
By learning about skyscrapers, students can integrate the use of athematics (comparing
heights), mapping skills (chart the location of skyscrapers on a world map), and design.
Students can see if a city in their area has a skyline photo on the site, or draw the
skyline in their community.
Sport Science
http://www.exploratorium.edu/sports/
Check out this Exploratorium site for the science behind home runs, skateboarding,
surfing, cycling, and hockey. Click on Hands-on Activities for many activities in a
variety of categories.
Strange Matter
http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/
Learn about the Strange Matter that makes up the world around you by investigating four
critical areas of materials science: structure, properties, processing and performance.
Strange Matter also features experiments that can be done at home or in the classroom,
resources for further exploration and video interviews with the people behind materials
science.
Walk in the Woods
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/woods/
At this site from the University of Illinois Extension, students can take a virtual walk
in the woods and listen as someone describes what they are seeing. There is also a Spanish
version of the walk. Be sure to check out the Index, Teacher's Guide, Nature Notes,
Getting Ready, and Fun Place.
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