As an experiment in 2005, Alissa Smith and J.B. McKinnon endeavored to eat only foods grown or produced within 100 miles of their home in Vancouver for an entire year. Their book
Plenty, which chronicles their experience, is full of anecdotes, recipes, thoughts about the current food system, and ideas for "eating with the seasons." This website features an informative interview with the couple, a list of resources for local eating, and a section on creating local Thanksgiving meals, complete with menu lists and recipes. You can even sign on to the 100 Mile Diet pledge.
An overview of significant women scientists, mainly pre-20th century. Find biographies and photographs of female scientists of note, and check in on news of current-day women in science.
A Field Guide to Aquatic Phenomena This site, by the University of Maine, provides a good introduction to aquatic phenomena. Here such questions as: "why is water different colors" and "what are the specks, blobs, and clumps" are answered. The field guide, complete with pictures, can also be printed as a PDF file.
A Sightseer's Guide to Engineering This site is provided courtesy of the National Society of Professional Engineers to spotlight how engineers improve our lives. When planning your next trip or an armchair travel, click on their map of the United States to see and read about featured engineering marvels in the state of your choice. You can also suggest sights for addition.
A Tapestry of Time and Terrain Watch a topographic and geologic map merge into a 3-D portrait of the United States, play Puzzle of Regions, watch the Panorama Movie, or choose Description of Features to access an interactive map and learn about the geologic features of a specific region. Or, download a U. S. Geological Survey map of North America. Some features require QuickTime plug-in. A link is provided to access a free download.
2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, and here is a site to learn about all things Darwin! From a timeline of the events of his life, to photos of his residences and other important locations, to a chronology of the Beagle voyage, complete with maps and journal entries, this site will keep you interested and digging deeper.
Absolute Zero Campaign This website is for students, teachers and those interested in discovering the wonders of low-temperature physics. Through the "Get Involved" link you will find information, activities and experiments, a trivia quiz, and a wealth of resources including downloadable Science Educator and Community Education guides. Other links put you in touch with scientists, a calendar of related events, and explain the content of the documentary. Absolute Zero, a two-part public television special airing in 2007, will demonstrate how civilization has been profoundly affected by the mastery of cold. The documentary is based largely on Tom Shachtman's acclaimed book, Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold.
Airplane, A Virtual Museum of its Invention This is one of the most comprehensive sites on the web covering aviation history. The 1903 Wright Flyer Simulation is based on the well-known work of F. J. Hooven, published in 1987, but goes far beyond Hooven's simulation in representing the scene from the pilot's point of view. "To Fly is Everything..." contains a digital library that includes numerous books and articles, mostly dating to the turn of the century. A photo gallery contains video clips of early craft in flight, and numerous photographs of early planes. The "Tale of the Aeroplane" provides a brief account of how the airplane was invented. The plane database provides details on several early craft. The Inventor's Gallery contains a description of various personalities who worked in the field.
Check out the boreal forest in the United States! This site contains extensive information about the boreal forest, with sections such as Fire, Forest Life, Migration, Rivers, Humans, and Causes, which explores how the boreal forest was formed and the climate that sustains it. Beautiful color photos are abundant and bring the information to life.
Albert Einstein: Image and Impact This American Institute of Physics site provides a great look into the life and work of Einstein. The contents are divided into seven categories: the "Formative Years"; "The Great Works - 1905"; "World Fame"; "Public Concerns"; "Quantum & Cosmos"; "Nuclear Age"; "Science & Philosophy"; and Albert Einstein's essay "The World as I See It."
All About Birds Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology developed this great site about birds with support from the National Science Foundation. The site has six main sections: 1. Birding 1,2,3 provides tips for identifying birds, where to find birds, and how to report your observations; 2. the Bird Guide provides photographs, sound recordings, ID descriptions, full species accounts, cool facts and associated common names of birds. The guide is searchable by common name or taxonomic order; 3. the Gear Guide provides information about binoculars, spotting scopes and digiscoping; 4. Attracting Birds gives advice about feeding, nest boxes and landscaping; 5. Conservation provides information about habitat management, conservation planning, getting involved in conservation efforts, and about recent extinctions and conservation efforts; 6. the Learn About Birds section provides information about understanding bird data, links to Cornell's home study course, and opportunities for citizen science.
Quite a thorough site, explaining the history of Alzheimer's Disease, its symptoms, treatment, warning signs, and much more. Includes an interactive tour of the brain, a quiz about Alzheimer's disease, and a section on clinical trials.
A wealth of information about Alzheimer's Disease, from causes and symptoms to diagnosis and treatment.
Also includes resources from the National Institute on Aging about clinical trials, current literature, and caregiving issues.
This last section is quite extensive, addressing such topics as bathing and dressing, wandering, and coping with holidays.
Includes a "Live Support/Chat" link as well.
Explore the history of telescopes, from Galileo to NASA's great observatories. Travel the timeline and see how telescopes have changed, from early refractors and reflectors, to solar, radio and space telescopes. There's also a great page of Basic Science Concepts that explains the science of light, color and optics as they apply to telescopes. For teachers, there are lesson plans with downloadable documents.
Amelia Earhart - Kids Connect This site provides a wealth of information about Amelia Earhart through links to other sites. The links include among others: Aeronautics: Amelia Earhart, Amazing Americans: Amelia Earhart, Amelia Earhart: 1897-1937, Amelia Earhart: A Timeline, Amelia Earhart Papers, The Earhart Project, The Flight of Amelia Earhart, and Two Legends of Aviation: Lindbergh and Earhart.
Do you really know all the facts about sunscreen and sun safety? Take this test and learn what steps you can be taking to protect you and your family from harmful UV rays. Be prepared for summer fun in the sun!
American Institute of Physics / Global Warming This site supplements the book The Discovery of Global Warming by Spencer R. Weart. You'll find a summary of the history of climate change and sections devoted to climate data, influences on climate, theory, social relationships, and a timeline of milestones. For those interested in the scholarly method used on the site Weart includes information about his methodology and sources.
American Journeys American Journeys contains more than 18,000 pages of eyewitness accounts of North American exploration, from the sagas of Vikings in Canada in AD1000 to the diaries of mountain men in the Rockies 800 years later. Among them are more than 3,000 pages of original manuscripts, rare books, and contemporary illustrations from the Lewis and Clark expedition. American Journeys is a collaborative project of the Wisconsin Historical Society and National History Day, and is funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and private donors.
Amphibian Monitoring Program - Maine Maine Audubon sponsors many citizen science opportunities throughout the state. Check their website to get the most up-to-date list. They also host migratory song bird and owl programs where you can watch scientists at work mist netting and banding birds. For more information about the banding programs call the Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist at 781-2330.
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station This National Science Foundation page gives a brief overview of the history of Antarctic exploration and the current research being conducted at the South Pole. Click the link to the South Pole webcam to view a near-live image that is refreshed every 30 seconds. On the webcam page you?ll find Discover Antarctica links: What's New; About the Continent; the Antarctic Treaty; Researchers & Science Projects; Science Discoveries; Video Clips, Maps & Images; and even Jobs & Opportunities. (Direct link to webcam page = http://www.usap.gov/videoClipsAndMaps/spWebCam.cfm)
Browse the animal kingdom here and you'll find photos, specimen illustrations, recordings of vocalizations, and classification charts. Teaching resources are available for college instructors and K-12 teachers. This site is a cooperative effort of the Interagency Education Research Initiative, the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
Animal Fact Sheets This site, produced by the Defenders of Wildlife, provides fact sheets about more than fifty animals from all over the world. Species are listed by continent with a corresponding color-coded map of the world. The Endangered Species act is well described and each animal's status is listed.
Antlion Pit The Antlion Pit is a collection of resources related to the fascinating antlion, or "doodlebug." Inside you will find exclusive videos of antlion feeding behavior and metamorphosis, as well as information on how and where to find antlions. You can also explore areas not normally associated with entomology, such as the roles antlions and other creatures play in human culture and imagination.
AppleQuest This site will be of interest to educators and homeschool families. Using resources and links on the site, students plan and map out an apple orchard, including planning the site, choosing the apple varieties, making a budget, and lots more. There is a Teacher page, a Student page, and others about Choosing Apple Varieties, Apple Rootstocks, Apple Pollination and more.
Archaeology The web pages at this site lead to sites and projects of specific geographic regions and specific disciplines such as underwater and marine archaeology. There are pages which can lead you to reference material, academic departments, libraries, museums, publications, organizations, and other endeavors. The wealth of information makes this a great browsing site.
Art of Science The Art of Science site is the internet showcase for the annual Art of Science competition held by Princeton University. It is a celebration of the aesthetics of research and the ways in which science and engineering inform art and vise versa. The artwork includes images, videos, and sounds produced in the course of research in the sciences, engineering and mathematics, as well as creative works incorporating tools or concepts from science. Entries were judged based on aesthetic excellence as well as scientific or technical interest.
Asian Elephant Cam - Smithsonian National Zoological Park Plan your viewing: The elephants stay inside overnight at the Elephant House, and spend part of their day hanging out, eating, and resting inside. Every day at 10:30 a.m. EST, the elephants are bathed by keepers.
Astronomy Course This semester of Astronomy, from the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Tennessee, focuses on the Solar System and includes an introduction concerning the historical development of our modern picture of the Solar System. Includes twenty-five astronomy related suggested web links.
Astronomy Daily Click on a map of the world and receive astronomical data tailored to your location on your own astronomy daily front page. You'll then be able to access a chart of each night's sky for your location. (To make this page more accurate you can also insert your latitude and longitude.) Your customized front page also features astronomy alerts, a look back in time through the today in astronomy & space science section, an in the sky guide, and a listing of recent forum topics. This site is free to educators, and provides a 30-day free trial for to all others - just an easy two minute process on their website and a confirmation through your e-mail. It is definitely worth a look.
Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Some pictures taken from the earth's perspective, some from space. You can access the archives and even subscribe to receive each Picture of the Day.
Awesome Library The Awesome Library organizes 23,000 K-12 education resources, for teachers, students, parents, and librarians. It includes a search engine.
Bald Eagle Web Cam - National Wildlife Federation This site provides a live viewing of a bald eagle nest in Maine. Plan your viewing: March through August are the best months to view nest activities: egg incubation, hatching, fledging. In September the young of the year will begin foraging on their own.
Balloon Molecules This site, designed by three German chemists, shows how to make molecule models from modeling balloons - the kind jugglers and magicians twist into animals. Among the illustrated molecules are the diamond, DNA-Helix, and graphite lattice. Written instructions and video clips provide step-by-step instructions of the required knots and techniques.
A site filled with current events affecting bats and bat populations. From how wind energy facilities are affecting birds and bats, the increasing threat of white-nose syndrome in bat colonies, to how urban development and drought are taking their toll on bats, you can read about it here. Also find useful information on how and where to place bat houses around your home for mosquito control, and how to support bat conservation through their "Adopt-A-Bat" program. You can also view the largest collection of bat photography on the web in their on-line Photo Gallery.
Bat CREW Bat CREW, created in 1999 by California bat rehabilitator Lisa Windflower, hosts this extensive web site about the conservation and rescue of bats. It provides downloadable coloring pages and activities for kids, educational resources for teachers, bat photos and natural history information, and tips on how to humanely remove an uninvited bat from your home.
A rescue and education center for bats in Maine, Bat World Dirigo is part of the larger Bat World Sanctuary organization. From the Maine site, you can link to pages on bat myths and facts, species information with anatomical diagrams and pictures, and even a children's page with lots of cool bat games. Learn about the valuable economic and ecological services that bats provide, in the form of pollination, pest control, and much more.
BBC Science & Nature page This is the BBC's science and nature page. It highlights information from their TV and radio productions. "Take a tour from the smallest atoms, to the largest planets and the most ferocious dinosaurs." - BBC
Bear Org. / North American Bear Research Center Home of the North American Bear Research Center, this site features a kids' area, a bear mini-course featuring bear sign, sounds and bear den cams, and two slide shows: Hidden World of Bears and How Dangerous Are Black Bears
Bear Study / Wildlife Research Institute This is the site of the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely, Minnesota. Read about current research on black bear behavior and ecology, including winter survival and hibernation studies.
Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics This is a NASA site provided by the Glenn Research Center's Learning Technologies Project. Here you can study aerodynamics at your own pace and level of interest. Topic included are: Newton's basic equations of motion; basic gas properties; terminal velocity; forces that act on a glider; and forces that act on a powered airplane.
In 1885, at the age of 19, Wilson Bentley took the world's first photomicrograph of a snow crystal.
This site highlights biographical information about Bentley, his photographic process and the equipment he used, and showcases some digital images of his snow crystal photographs.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Science Join the "Sailing for Ocean Education" expedition on-line and link to the skipper?s weekly journal updates aboard Ocean Planet. You can also read about the lab?s current research, "meet" the scientists involved in the work, and learn about the lifecycle of the lobster through their educational "Hatch to Catch II" game.
Biology of Plants: Pollination This site by the Missouri Botanical Garden provides basic information about plants and pollination and includes games and teacher resources. Topics: starting to grow, plant parts, making food, pollination, seed dispersal, plant adaptations, and plants & life on Earth.
This is a fun website for students, with colorful and interesting information about climate, vegetation, soil, and the adaptations the native trees have made in order to thrive in the boreal forest. There's also a video that amuses as well as informs. This is quite an extensive website, with sections on 20 different biomes, both terrestrial and aquatic. Lessons plans are available for each biome as well.
BirdSleuth / Cornell Lab of Ornithology Students become citizen scientists by first learning to identify birds then partnering with scientists to collect meaningful data, engage in the process of science by carefully observing birds, asking and answering their own questions based on observations and data, and publishing their original research. Curriculum modules can be used as stand-alone units, or they can be completed sequentially and may be matched to teaching objectives and student interests.
The boreal forest is the nesting ground for over 300 species of birds, and for many of these species it is their only nesting place. This site is contains a wealth of information about boreal forests, their role in slowing global warming, and what is being done to conserve large areas of this habitat. There is also a comprehensive boreal bird guide, with photos and detailed information about over 300 species of birds found in the boreal forest.
A friendly, animated brain character named "Cera Bellum" greets you when you enter this site, welcoming you and directing you to the different activities available. Play games that will help you learn about the brain, create your own webpage (with parental permission), and meet a "Brain Whiz", one of many professionals working in the field of brain science whose profiles appear on the site. A fun, colorful site that has lots to offer, including teacher resources.
Breeding Bird Surveys - Maine Maine Audubon sponsors many citizen science opportunities throughout the state. Check their website to get the most up-to-date list. They also host migratory song bird and owl programs where you can watch scientists at work mist netting and banding birds. For more information about the banding programs call the Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist at 781-2330.
Bug Bios Here you will find stunning insect macrophotography and learn how insects play a major role in almost every aspect of human culture.
Butterflies & Moths of North America Butterfly and moth occurrence maps, species accounts, checklists, and photographs are available on this site.
Canadian Hurricane Centre This kid-friendly site provides a glossary of hurricane terms and describes how hurricanes are formed, why they spin, and how they work. The relationship between El Niño and hurricanes is explained. You can also learn what to do in case of a hurricane. The site also includes a section about hurricane names and a hurricane word search. Links are provided to several United States and Canadian hurricane and weather centers and news sites.
This site explores the three "causes" of color: light is made, light is lost, light is moved. Learn about incandescence and iridescence and how they affect perception of color; read how rainbows are formed; find out why the blue morpho butterfly appears blue; and lots more.
Celebrating Wildflowers This colorful and photo-rich U.S. Forest Service site includes games for kids, teacher resources, and sections of general interest about native gardening, wildflower ethics, insects that pollinate, and more.
Census of Marine Life The Census of Marine Life is a growing global network of researchers in more than 70 nations engaged in a ten-year initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in the oceans -- past, present, and future. Visitors will find project descriptions, a baseline report, images and video clips, a list of experts, and news reports about the project.
Centennial of Flight The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission's site is filled with essays, facts of this day in history, and related links.
Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation Here you can read about and see photos from the Center's many different research and conservation projects. Learn about the Great Whale Trail, which tracks the migratory behavior of humpback whales from their breeding grounds in the South Pacific to their feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
Be sure and attend the Cornerstones of Science program on January 13 with Nan Hauser, President of the Center for Cetacean Research and Conservation, at Curtis Memorial Library from 7:00 to 8:00 pm
Center for Nanotechnology at the NASA Ames Research Center The online home of the National Zoo is a good place to learn about animals from around the world. Zoo cams provide a glimpse into the lives of naked mole rats, giraffes, animals along the Asian Trail exhibit, and octopus just to name a few. For learning closer to home, check out the Backyard Biology section.
The Migratory Pollinators Program link provides information about the ecological conditions of the migratory corridors used by pollinators travelling between southern Mexico and the Intermountain West of the U.S. and Canada. The research and specific pollinators of concern (monarchs, white-winged doves, rufous hummingbirds, and lesser long-nosed bats) are described. Be sure to check out the center's complete list of research projects and trips & tours. Kids will enjoy the downloadable Sonoran Desert Fact Sheets.
CERN - World's Largest Particle Physics Laboratory Educational links at this website include teacher resources, virtual tours, a trip to the Big Bang, and games. The LHC Game, for budding particle physicists to try their hand at operating the most powerful accelerator ever built to investigate on particles proprieties. It is available in english, french, german and italian. CERN is the European Organization for Nuclear Research, the world's largest particle physics centre. Here physicists come to explore what matter is made of and what forces hold it together. 40 000 visitors, mostly schoolchildren, visit CERN's Microcosm each year. Entertaining and interactive, the exhibition is also educational with computer games and hands-on experiments that have been developed with the help of local physics teachers.
Challenger Learning Center of Maine This is the online home of the Challenger Learning Center of Maine where students participate in space-based mission simulations that develop and test their decision-making skills. They solve problems, communicate alternative options, and work as a group to achieve common goals...all while using the power of applied math and science.
On the website students can take a photographic tour of the mission experience, learn about summer camps, and download desktop images. Teachers will find a comprehensive mission tour, learning results, workshop information, and all the forms necessary to begin a classroom mission experience. Funding ideas and learning results are provided for school administrators
Chandra X-Ray Observatory This is the online home of the Challenger Learning Center of Maine where students participate in space-based mission simulations that develop and test their decision-making skills. They solve problems, communicate alternative options, and work as a group to achieve common goals...all while using the power of applied math and science. On the website students can take a photographic tour of the mission experience, learn about summer camps, and download desktop images. Teachers will find a comprehensive mission tour, learning results, workshop information, and all the forms necessary to begin a classroom mission experience. Funding ideas and learning results are provided for school administrators.
Chemical of the Week: Fall Colors Here you'll learn the science behind the autumn colors including the basics of photosynthesis. From this link return to the Science is Fun homepage to see all the great links produced by University of Wisconsin-Madison Chemistry Professor Bassam Z. Shakhashiri. They include experiments you can do at home, a list of recommended reading and websites, an archive of the Chemicals of the Week, and a handbook of chemical demonstrations for teachers.
College Park Aviation Museum Site of the College Park Aviation Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian. Of most interest are the links to Inside the Museum and Fun with Aviation.
Color Matters At this site you can explore the science and art of color: the way color affects the brain, our actions and reactions, our vision, and its impact on art and design. Suggested for older youth, teens and adults.
Colorado State University / Insects Have you ever wondered how insects survive the winter? This page of Colorado State University's Cooperative Extension gives a good, concise overview. It includes discussion of various survival factors including insect size, stage and growth, moisture content, nutritional status, and environmental temperatures.
Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization CSIRO is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. Here you will find information about new technologies, www.csiro.au/business/NewTechnologies.html, and their on-going involvement in Sci/Tech: astronomy & space, energy, environment, farming & food, health & well being, information & communication technology, manufacturing, materials, mining & minerals, and transport & infrastructure.
Community Health Information Partnership (CHIP) CHIP makes it easy to search health care topics at Brunswick's Curtis Memorial Library, or to access quality Maine and national healthcare websites. You can find healthcare classes taught by two fine Maine hospitals - Parkview Adventist Medical Center and Mid Coast Hospital. And just like the "real" Curtis Memorial Library, you can ask a reference librarian for help and guidance. Simply click on any "ask a librarian" link, and we'll do our best to help you find the healthcare information you're looking for - in Brunswick, across Maine or beyond.
Cool Science The Howard Hughes Medical Institute invites curious kids to explore biology. Featured investigations include plants, butterflies, dust, and how to focus on small details.
As you are out and about this summer exploring backyards and wild places, be sure you know which plants are poisonous to both humans and pets. This comprehensive guide from Cornell University is complete with color pictures and the ability to search by both common and scientific names. There is also a section about medicinal uses of plants. (Although the primary focus of this site is for livestock and pets, there is also information on the plants' toxicity to humans.)
Cryptokids This site, by the National Security Agency, is designed to teach children about codes and ciphers through games and activities. A cast of colorful animal hosts act as guides in the Flash* version of this website. Included is information for parents and teachers, sections devoted to student resources, careers, and related links.*You may download Flash Player at their home page or choose the text-only option.
Darwin On-Line This site houses all of Darwin's publications and thousands of his private papers; also includes a bibliography and manuscript catalogue.
Head to this site to finally understand all the ins and outs of Daylight Saving Time - when and why it was started, the history of and opposition to the idea, which countries have adopted DST throughout the world, and more.
Dinosaur Extinction / UC Berkeley This UC Berkeley site provides a wealth of information about the sceintific study of the extinction of the dinosaurs. It provides good descriptions and visuals of the geologic record through links from each first mention of a geologic era. It describes the "K-T extinction" and other mass extinctions, and discusses research complications: the fossil record, the nature of extinction, time resolution, reconstruction, the Signer-Lipps Effect, falsifiability, and current arguments about the extinction of dinosaurs.
Dolan DNA Learning Center This is the site of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's Dolan DNA Learning Center. The site is divided into three main sections: Classical Genetics, Molecules of Genetics, Genetic Organization and Control. The science behind each concept is explained by: animation, an image gallery, video interviews, problem-solving activities, biographies, and links.
Droplet-Microscopy Droplet-Microscopy of the Protozoa is a site created by Piotr Rotkiewicz, PhD to share his passion for observing these tiny organisms. The site includes a gallery of 184 photos, a collage of 45 protozoa, a glossary, a section on microscopes, recommended reading, a listing of related websites, and a discussion forum.
Earth Observatory This NASA site provides stunning images and amazing information about the earth. It is divided into six main sections: Data & Images, Features, News, Reference, Missions, Experiments.
Earth Science Picture of the Day Each day a different image or photograph is featured, with an accompanying caption, that deals with various topics in Earth Science.
"The world's top scientists heard 15 million times a day." Follow links in many different topic areas, including Health, Water, Energy, Biodiversity, Space, and Human World, and read what leading scientists in that arena are saying. Listen to interviews by leading scientists on emerging topics. Find out more about the Butterflies in Space program from primary investigator Nancy Moreno. This is a well-organized, visually pleasing site that can keep you interested for quite a while.
Earthwatch InstituteEarthwatch Institute Earthwatch is a world leader in the field of experiential education providing opportunities in the field and on-line for volunteers to broaden their understanding of sustainability and support of conservation research. There is no experience necessary to be involved and hundreds of teams worldwide that need support.
http://www.cornerstonesofscience.org/COSprograms/sea.turtles.htm
Jocelyn Hubbell's log from the field from her Earthwatch fellowship (March 16-24, 2005) to help research Florida's endangered sea turtles. Wiscasset High School math teacher Karen Abbey will travel to Isles of Shoals in May to research aggressive interactions between the Great Black-backed gull and the Herring gull, analyze the increasing gull population and the resulting impacts to islands and coastal areas.
http://whs.wiscasset-hs.wiscasset.k12.me.us/gulls/pages/daily-journal-from-the-field.php
Karen's log from the field from her Earthwatch fellowship (May 9-13, 2005).
Ever wanted to take a vacation where you visited somewhere new and did something good at the same time? This site allows you to search by location or by species of animal you'd like to work with, and lists programs all over the world that can use your help. Always dreamed of working with elephants in Africa or Toucans in Brazil? This is a great site to help you explore the possibilities!
Education with New Technologies ENT, developed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is a networked community designed to help educators develop powerful learning experiences for students through the effective integration of new technologies. You can take a tour of the website, but full access to networking, forum discussions and member curriculum designs are only available through a free registration process.
Eeko World EekoWorld is designed to help children between the ages of 6 and 9 learn about the important role they can play in taking care of the earth. EekoWorld (Environmental Education for Kids Online) features an engaging and interactive format that invites children to explore, experiment, and collaborate as they learn about conservation and the environment. Through two interactive games, children can create their own unique land-, air- or water-dwelling EekoCreature, help the creature overcome environmental issues, and explore their own EekoHouse, a simulation resembling their real home life that shows how decisions they make affect the environment and their EekoCreature.
Einstein Archives Online View a collection of digitized manuscripts and an archival database of 43,000 Einstein and Einstein-related writings and professional and personal correspondence. Choose the ?gallery? link to tour manuscripts that reveal major aspects of Albert Einstein?s life and work.
Einstein's Annus Mirabilis This Johns Hopkins University site provides a guide and makes readily available the primary and secondary sources pertinent to Einstein's Annus Mirabilis.
Einstein's Big Idea This PBS / NOVA site by WGBH (Boston) is a companion website to the NOVA television program "Einstein's Big Idea" scheduled to air on Tuesday, October 11, 2005.
At this site you will find a wealth of information including: a teacher's guide, interactives and audio, Einstein quotes, articles, interviews with young physicists, and a resource list.
This site is a new electronic reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and their 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, as well as to the general public.
This site houses a biodiversity encyclopedia - a constantly growing database of all life on earth. Contributors include scientists and interested individuals from all over the world. Species pages include a description, photos, occurrence maps, ecology & distribution, and cultural relevance.
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy - U.S. Dept. of Energy Connects visitors to various DOE research programs that are mandated to provide energy that is clean, abundant, reliable and affordable. Included are links to their work on biofuels, building and geothermal technologies, solar, wind and hydropower. Grants and research awards to cities, companies and universities as well as conferences and events are posted. The quicklink to the kids' site, www.eere.energy.gov/kids/ provides information, games, a quiz, and resources for parents and teachers.
Energy Hog With entry portals for adults and kids, this site provides tips to improving home energy efficiency. Includes an energy checklist, energy audit, a link for educators, and fun educational games for children. Kids that master all five games are awarded a printable Energy Hog Buster certificate.
Energy Quest Intro to Wind Energy for Kids Learn how wind energy works and how it is being used successfully in California. Links to energy games, jokes, and science projects. This page is part of the larger Energy Quest site which explores energy, electricity, and many alternative and renewable sources of energy. Includes extensive lists of related educational books and websites
EPA Global Warming Site This is the Environmental Protection Agency's Global Warming Site. It provides a good overview of the science of climate change. You'll find sections about climate, emissions, current news and events, and resources. A link is provided to their "Global Warming for Kids" site where children can learn about climate and weather, the greenhouse effect, about the scientists that study climate, and play half a dozen games to test their knowledge. An educators' page provides a directory to the education and outreach resources available on the site.
Eureka Science: I Can Do That! Eureka Science offers the award-winning I Can Do That! web pages as a painless way to find fun facts about DNA, RNA, cells, protein and cloning. They provide pages 'for parents and teacher' as well as 'Ask Dr. Pat' and 'Science News'. The 'for parents and teacher' pages include a more adult approach to the science material as well as links to helpful websites for further information.
Everyday Mysteries The Library of Congress solves everyday mysteries at this site. Read the question of the day, archived questions, research a subject, or ask a question of your own.
Evolution Evolution is the companion website to WGBH Boston's Public Television seven episode series which examines evolutionary science and the profound effect it has had on society and culture. Each episode has a companion link on the website: Darwin's Dangerous Idea, Great Transformations, Extinction!, The Evolutionary Arms Race,Why Sex? The Mind's Big Bang, What About God? A link to their excellent Evolution Library provides Web access to more than 150 multimedia resources, including video, animation, primary source documents, and still images, all designed to enhance learning and teaching about evolution. The complete TV series and a teacher's guide is available through WGBH Boston.
Exploratorium Developed by the Exploratorium, San Francisco's museum of science, art and human perception, founded in 1969 by noted physicist and educator Dr. Frank Oppenheimer. This site contains over 15,000 web pages exploring hundreds of different topics.
If your budget doesn't allow for exotic travels this summer, this site can help you "get away" while watching some stunning documentaries from locations around the globe. Although there are 12 destinations from which to choose, including China, Tibet, New Orleans, and India, there are three in particular that deal with environmental issues. Visit the Arctic and learn how global warming is affecting the region's people and their traditional ways of life; learn about Costa Rica's EARTH University and how they are teaching sustainable development in the tropics; and get to know several pods of Orca whales in the Pacific NW as they are being studied.
Extinction / PBS - WGBH WGBH, Boston's site provides broadcast links to their series about extinction and provide related web activities: "What Killed the Dinosaurs" and "A Modern Mass Extinction". You will also find an FAQ about evolution.
Extreme Science Here you'll find world records in natural science: who holds the records and the key science concepts used to explain the story behind the record. The site is divided into five main sections: Animal Kingdom, Earth Science, Space Science, Technology, and Resources.
Fermi Lab This educational site from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory provides on-line instructional material, teacher resources, data, and links.
Field Trip Earth Connect to field-based wildlife conservation projects taking place around the world. Read researchers' field diary entries, ask them questions, listen to their recorded satellite telephone calls, and watch video taken in the field. Current projects ? those with researchers actively in the field - are featured, past projects and those without active field components are archived. Tools for teachers are also available.
Fireworks - National Geographic Kids View photos and read how fireworks are made, watch a short fireworks video, and
Play the "Name That Boom" game. Make sure you have your computer's audio turned on so you can hear the fireworks. Howstuffworks.com also has a good section about fireworks, see http://www.howstuffworks.com/fireworks.htm
FoodRoutes Network This site provides information about buying local food, supporting local growers, and relevant topics from the news. The FoodRoutes Network is "dedicated to reintroducing Americans to their food - the seeds it grows from, the farmers who produce it, and the routes that carry it from the fields to their tables."
Foresight Foresight is a nonprofit educational organization formed to help prepare society for anticipated advanced technologies. Here you can learn about nanotechnology, keep apprised of the latest nanotech news, research and public policy; find a calendar of nanotech meetings and events, and look into nanotech careers.
FrogWatch USA is a Citizen Science Monitoring Program that gives YOU the opportunity to help scientists conserve amphibians! Being a FrogWatch volunteer gives you the opportunity to gather information that will help increase awareness of nationwide amphibian declines that can ultimately lead to practical and workable ways to help conserve these important species - all while helping you learn more about the wetlands in your community and the calls of frogs and toads in your community!
Learn why December 21 is the shortest day of the year! This site has a good basic explanation of equinoxes and solstices and the observed motion of the sun across the sky in different seasons. The site is quite extensive, with pages exploring the solar system, latitude and longitude, Keppler's Laws of Planetary Motion, and more.
From Cornell University, this site provides parents and educators with "quick & easy" gardening activities, downloadable publications, and on-line lesson plans for teaching children & youth. Includes traditional three sisters (corn, beans & squash) gardening, heirloom gardening, produce marketing, landscaping, plant dyes and textiles, musical instruments, recipes and crafts.
Geology - Properties of Rocks module This interactive unit, produced by R.J. Lee Education, allows students to explore sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks using the interactive optical microscope (iOPT) simulator. Students learn about magnification, how to use the iOPT to describe properties of grains, and then use these properties as clues to discover the processes by which each rock type formed. Three mystery rocks are presented at the end of the module for students to test their knowledge.
To reach the module description, scroll down to the bottom of the page after viewing the introduction.
To try out the technology, visit the link to the National Science Foundation's article about R.J. Lee Education's scanning electron microscope technology. Click the "view video" link under the iSEM picture, then click on the "play video" link to operate a demonstration version of the iSEM and examine specimens in sharp detail. For information about internet access to this module for your classroom contact Kristy Anderson at R.J. Lee Group.
Global Footprint Network is an international think tank working to advance sustainability through use of the ecological footprint, a resource accounting tool that measures the resources we have, how much we use, and who uses what. Learn about the ecological footprint of nations, cities, businesses, and individuals.
GLOBE GLOBE is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program. It encourages students to become actively involved in research. Students gain experience by: taking scientifically valid measurements, reporting their data through the Internet; creating maps and graphs on the interactive web site to analyze data sets; collaborating with scientists and other GLOBE students around the world. To fully participate in the program, teachers and educators may attend training workshops.
Google Earth Google earth combines satellite imagery and maps in a 3-D search-the-globe format, placing you in the pilot's seat. Type in a city or address and soon you will be flying in from space. You can tilt and rotate the view, zoom in and out, search for specific locations such as schools and parks, save your favorite searches, and add your own notations. This armchair globetrotting is both educational and fun. Plan plenty of time for your first journey. NOTE: Requires download of the free Google Earth program. The program is not compatible to all computers.
Gulf of Maine Research Institute Gulf of Maine Research Institute brings alive the work of the NASA-funded Maine Biological Nanotechnology Effort (MBNE) grade 7 ? 12 students, teachers, and the general public. This site uses illustrations, photographs, animations, and interactive virtual microscopes to help visitors understand nanotechnology, biomimicry, and MBNE?s research into how oysters and algae assemble calcium and silica to build incredibly strong shells and scales.
This page on the Gulf of Maine Research Institute's site is a fun one for both children and adults. It contains information about lobster history, the lobster life cycle, lobster boats, lobster tales and trivia, and lobster-related games. There's even a fully illustrated guide to eating a lobster, answering such questions as "What's the green stuff?" and "What's the most humane way to cook a lobster?"
Here you can choose recipes by season, ingredient, course, or type of recipe. Helpful, no-nonsense videos demonstrate each recipe. This site is dedicated to a "lifestyle of cooking and eating seasonal foods, a method that has been practiced for centuries around the globe." Great inspiration for the winter months when local food selections seem small.
Search for women scientists by name, time period, or career/research type. This easy-to-navigate site is nicely organized, with a rich mix of both recognizable and more obscure female scientists.
How Everyday Things Are Made If you've ever wondered how things are made - products like candy, cars, airplanes, or bottles - or if you've been interested in manufacturing processes, like forging, casting, or injection molding, then you will enjoy this site by the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing at Stanford University. This website is for kids and adults shows how various items are made. It covers over 40 different products and manufacturing processes, and includes almost 4 hours of manufacturing video. It is targeted towards non-engineers and engineers alike. Due to the video content of this site, it is best viewed with a high-speed connection.
This site mirrors an exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum. Click on any area of the exhibit you're interested in - Spacecraft, Animal Flight, Balloon Flight, Airplanes, and Can You Fly? - and you'll be guided through pages of text and diagrams that are short and quite digestible. Many interesting links to projects you can do at home, information about aerospace careers, and much more.
How Things Work This site, hosted by the University of Virginia, is dedicated to explaining the physics of everyday life. You can ask a physics question or search the archived questions & answers by date or topic.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Cool Science The Howard Hughes Medical Institute invites curious kids to explore biology. Featured investigations include plants, butterflies, dust, and how to focus on small details.
International Polar Year The International Polar Year (IPY) begins March 1, 2007 and will involve over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics related to the Arctic and Antarctic. It is also an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate, follow, and get involved with, cutting edge science in real-time. Their website, www.ipy.org, includes pages for educators and participants, an events listing, and web pages about the areas of IPY focus: atmosphere, ice, land, oceans, people, space.
The IPY is organized through the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In order to have full and equal coverage of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, IPY covers two full annual cycles from March 2007 to March 2009.
This IPY is actually the fourth polar year, following those in 1882-3, 1932-3, and 1957-8. View the IPY brochure in PD
Jeepers Peepers - Plant Watch - Maine The Jeepers Peepers Spring Watch program was developed in 2000 by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to help students track the coming of spring. Geared towards primary school children, Jeepers Peepers has focused on observing Robins, Dandelions, Spring Peepers, and Maple Budburst. The success of the program has inspired this more extensive list of plants to observe each spring.
Journey North This site is dedicated to the global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change through Citizen Science. Migration maps, pictures, standards-based lesson plans, activities and guidelines for making local observations and fitting them into a global context are provided. Designed for K-12 students to track the coming of spring through the migration patterns of monarch butterflies, robins, hummingbirds, whooping cranes, gray whales, bald eagles, and other birds and mammals; the budding of plants; changing sunlight; and other natural events. The general public is welcome to participate as well.
JungleWalk.Com This website bills itself as a site for "animal lovers" where you can search for animal pictures and videos by name or by category. Teachers can sign up to receive sample questionnaires for specific animals at the site. One frustration is the download time. You?ll get one photo right away, but you'll need patience to wait for the complete list of photos and videos available for each animal. Links to download QuickTime and other media players are provided for the videos.
Kids' Health - All About the Heart Kids can learn not only about their heart, but also their bones, brain, eyes, muscles, teeth, hair, and internal organs as well. Available in English and Spanish.
Kinetic City Kinetic City is a collection of science experiments, games, and challenges created by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) with the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF). To play is free but you need to log in and create a password. Adults will find information about how to start a science club for kids using the Kinetic City materials.
What are the causes of climate change? Find out about the impact of climate change through interactive science activities and museum exhibits. The mission of the Marian Koshland Science Museum is to engage the general public in current scientific issues that impact their lives, and this site has a nice collection of online galleries representing the exhibits on display at the museum.
Library of Congress / Wright Brothers Flight This is the Library of Congress online presentation of their collection of the Wilbur and Orville Wright papers and digital images.
LiveScience This site by Imaginova, the same people that created space.com, provides information about the latest research in eight categories: Animal World; Human Biology; Forces of Nature; Environment; Technology; Science of Fiction; History; Other News. The site also features a Daily Spotlight.
This site is not about how to buy or cook lobster, rather it is about the animal, its behavior, how it is harvested, and a way of life for those individuals who rely on them for a living. It is for anyone, anywhere who would like to know more about lobsters and how they are harvested.
A site dedicated to farmers' markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), good food, and building community. Find a list of local farms and farmers' markets in your area, look for recipes, read their monthly newsletter, and even support family farms by shopping on-line for items you can't find locally. There is a forum for discussion of relevant issues, and a page with links to Local Harvest in the news. This site is a great resource for those just beginning to think about eating local foods, as well as those who want to make greater strides in that direction.
Maine Archaeologicla Society October is Archaeology Month for the state of Maine*. Programs are being hosted around the state and include: "The Rediscovery of the Popham Colony: History and Archaeology, 1888-2005" at Bowdoin College on Oct. 10; "Maine Native American Stone Tools" at the L.C. Bates Museum on Oct. 11; "The Archeology of N'tolonapemk: An Ancient Native American Village on Meddybemps Lake, Maine" at Acadia National Park on Oct. 22. For more program listings and information visit the Maine Archeological Society website. *For other state Archaeology Months and events go to the Society for American Archaeology website, http://www.saa.org/public/resources/ArchMonth_2005.html
Maine Audubon: Maine's Endangered Shore Birds Provides tips on how to help, a 100-year history of Piping Plovers and Least Terns in Maine, and link to the Piping Plover and Least Tern Newsletter. A related site is: MaineBirding.net: Piping Plovers, http://www.mainebirding.net/birds/PipingPlover Provides a synopsis of the plight of the piping plovers in Maine and information about birding in Maine.
Maine Butterfly Survey Maine is home to over 115 species of butterflies. This site provides species lists, photographs, and distribution maps as well as occurrence, abundance and flight period information. A short list of recommended butterfly guides and related reading is available, as is a PDF file of the Maine Butterfly Survey (MBS) Baseline Report. You can get involved by attending a MBS volunteer training session.
Making the Modern World Making the Modern World features stories about science and invention from the eighteenth century to today. It explains the development and the global spread of modern industrial society and its effects on all our lives. The site expands upon the permanent landmark gallery at London?s Science Museum, using the Web and dynamic multimedia techniques to go far beyond what a static exhibition can do.
Maple Sugaring and Technology Here you will find a maple syrup lesson plan, project diaries of Massachucettes teachers, and a maple syrup timeline from prehistoric / Native American times to today.
MARS Dead or Alive This the companion website to the PBS "MARS Dead or Alive" television program; a behind the scenes look at NASA's Mars rover mission. You 'll find great photos, videos, interviews, and interactives. Resources include a list of links and books, a teacher's guide, and a program transcript.
Mars Rovers / NASA This site provides information about NASA's Mars exploration rovers mission. Find out where the rovers are, when they are scheduled to land and what the scientists hope to learn.
Math Academy This is a browser's mathematics encyclopedia. From abacus to Zeno, curious kids and adults will find hours of great browsing.
Math Cats Math Cats was created by teacher Wendy Patti for children to promote open-ended and playful explorations of important math concepts. This award-winning site provides many creative and engaging activities for youth of all ages: math games, math crafts, micoworlds, an interactive multiplication table, a virtual oscilloscope, weather around the world, and much more. Kids can become Math Pals. Adults and teachers will find resources to help them teach math in the "4 Older Cats" section and can subscribe to an electronic newsletter.
Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center This is the maple sugaring site of the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, Goshen College, Indiana. It includes Interactive pages for weather and sap flow prediction, tips for sugar maple tree identification, and an article about the physics of sugaring.
Learn about the four pillars of brain fitness: exercise, diet, cognitive training, and stress management. Read blogs on related brain topics. Find links to free on-line brain "training" games and exercises. All this and more can be found at this most interesting site, authored by Dr. Ray Ownby, psychiatrist and neuropsychologist in South Florida.
"Major attractions" at this website, designed to introduce youngsters to the world of microbes, include Dirt Land, Space Adventure, and Water World. Part of the Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology; created by Comm Tech Lab, the Center for Microbial Ecology, and Michigan State University.
The Migratory Pollinators Program link provides information about the ecological conditions of the migratory corridors used by pollinators travelling between southern Mexico and the Intermountain West of the U.S. and Canada. The research and specific pollinators of concern (monarchs, white-winged doves, rufous hummingbirds, and lesser long-nosed bats) are described. Be sure to check out the center's complete list of research projects and trips & tours. Kids will enjoy the downloadable Sonoran Desert Fact Sheets.
MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change This interdisciplinary organization conducts research, independent policy analysis, and public communication on issues of global environmental change. The Program's work is focused on the integration of natural and social science aspects of the climate issue, to produce analyses relevant to ongoing national and international discussions. It combines the capabilities of two pre-existing MIT research centers: the Center for Global Change Science (http://web.mit.edu/cgcs/www/) and the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (http://web.mit.edu/ceepr/www/).
MIT Open Course Ware Free lecture notes, exams, and other resources from more than 1800 courses spanning Massachusetts Institute of Technology's entire curriculum.
Monarch Watch This site by the University of Kansas Entomology Program provides a wealth of information about monarch butterflies and opportunities to get involved with monarch research. Included are tips for creating a butterfly garden and a monarch waystation, about raising monarchs, and how to join in on the monarch migration / tagging research. You?ll also find a gallery of monarch photos, drawings and essays.
Stay informed and up-to-date with the progress of the monarchs on the International Space Station (they arrived on 11/18/09 as caterpillars) and compare their progress with the control groups on earth. You'll find daily entries on this site, links to NASA sites and videos of the butterflies, as well as links to some of the schools and libraries who are rearing control groups of monarchs. Movies of the monarchs can be found at http://www.youtube.com/monarchwatch. Cornerstones of Science at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, ME was sent six 4th instar monarch caterpillars so that we could participate in this experiment, and they are on display on our COS kiosk.
Mount Washington Observatory Developed by the Mount Washington Observatory, this site is great for avid weather watchers. You can check out the weather at the summit of Mount Washington or check the forcast for the White Mountains, New Hampshire or Maine before your next outdoor adventure. You can also read up on current research: ground winds, GPS-IPW, snow gauge, and sonic anemometer projects.
Mount Wilson Observatory You can take an on-line tour of the observatory, learn about their research and education programs, and read about the history of the observatory.
Nanooze - Nanotechnology News for Kids Designed to get kids excited about science, especially nanotechnology, this site's features include weekly reports about scientific developments, stories about scientists and their work, and a nano game.
NASA Quest NASA Quest Challenges are Web-based, interactive explorations designed to engage k-12 students in authentic scientific and engineering processes. The solutions relate to issues encountered daily by NASA personnel. NASA Quest offers a wide range of free online tools and resources for teachers, students, parents and others including Web and print lesson plans, educator guides and workbooks.
Watch NASA missions live on the internet, visit the image & video archives, access articles, link to NASA's other sites to read about the astronauts and future missions.
NASA's Kids Science News Network http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/home.html Animation and video are featured on this site to introduce science, technology, engineering, math, and NASA concepts to children. Content is divided into two sections, grades K-2 and 3-5. For grades K-2, animated characters, Barkley and Ted Tunes, introduce students to such concepts as magnetism, states of matter, graphs, and time. For grades 3-5, video newsbreaks featuring children, investigate such questions as "What makes popcorn pop?" and "Why are bubbles round?"Sections are provided for educators and parents.
NASA's Planetary Photo Journal This is NASA's online photo archive of downloadable photos of the planets, the universe, spacecraft and telescopes. It also links to the technology being developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA's STS-114 Mission: Discovery launch, July 2005 NASA returned to flight with the launch of the shuttle Discovery. This site will provide you with the mission objectives, challenges, and accomplishements.
Here you can use the map maker to customize your own map for printing or viewing,
investigate the layers that you can mix and match when making your own map,
print pre-formatted maps on a variety of topics, play with interactive maps, read articles on a variety of topics, or order wall maps. Mapping professionals can download information for GIS application.
National Center for Atmospheric Research This is the site of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Many links are available to its various research divisions. The CGD, Climate and Global Dynamics Division, link provides information about their work to develop an accurate model of the Earth's climate system, and the capability to predict its evolution. The ESIG, Environmental and Social Impacts Group, link provides information about research on the societal impacts and policy issues related to climate and weather.
National Geographic - 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics This site incorporates the science, history, and geography of the Olympics. Learn how the Olympic flame stays lit, about Beijing - its people and ecology, explore the human body to see how it works, visit the photo gallery to view great past moments at the Olympics, or click on the kids' section to play animal-animated Olympic games.
Incredible video of a whale pod off the coast of Alaska, showing the whales working together to catch fish. See how the "critter cam" is attached to a whale, and how the footage helps researchers learn about the habits and environment of the whales.
National Geographic Society - Kids Developed by the National Geographic Society, this site for kids has activities, experiments, creature features, a kids' news page, a Print "n" Go Coloring Book and a Bookmark Factory.
National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) This is the website of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), a federal research and development program established to coordinate multiagency efforts in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Not only will you find current nanotechnology news and research updates, but also nanotech facts, educational pages for k-12 students and teachers, and a page devoted to students looking for universities that offer degrees in nanotechnology.
National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration Site A visit to this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration site will provide a glimpse into the wide array of research that is currently underway in the world?s oceans. View photos, slide shows, videos and logs of current exploration team research.
National Park Service: Nature & Science National Park Service: Nature & ScienceAccess information about scientific research, searchable by state, and calls for research: "sabbaticals in the parks." Or, check out the environmental contaminants encyclopedia, fire science research, and other interesting links.
National Science Foundation Digital Library (NSDL) NSDL is the Nation's online library for education and research in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics. Browse the site by Science Literacy Maps, a tool for teachers and students to find NSDL resources that relate to specific science and math concepts, by topic, or by the NSDL collections list. The site includes resources for k-12 teachers, college & university faculty, and librarians. The link for First Time Users provides a good overview of the site. Other links include publications, news, and the Blogoshere, a forum for collaborative STEM conversations among content experts, scientists, teachers, and students from key NSDL audience groups: K12 teachers, university faculty, librarians, and library builders.
National Weather Service View national and regional weather satellite maps, weather radar maps, river conditions, graphical forecasts, and current warnings and forecasts at the National Weather Service home page. Their weather safety page includes winter, seasonal and regional tips.
Answer some simple questions, get an idea of how much water you use on a daily basis, and see how that compares with worldwide averages. Then learn some tips to decrease your personal water usage. Help conserve one of the planet's most valuable resources.
National Zoo The online home of the National Zoo is a good place to learn about animals from around the world. Zoo cams provide a glimpse into the lives of naked mole rats, giraffes, animals along the Asian Trail exhibit, and octopus just to name a few. For learning closer to home, check out the Backyard Biology section.
Native Tech Native Tech is an internet resource for indigenous ethno-technology focusing on the arts of Eastern Woodland Indian Peoples, providing historical & contemporary background with instructional how-to's & references.
From ants to earwigs, dust mites to mosquitos, this site has some ideas to help you control them around your home without the use of pesticides. Also links to Natural Garden Pest Control and Natural Flea Control. With simple recipes using items commonly found around the house, as well as hints about controlling the immediate environment, this site offers some handy, down-to-earth advice.
Neuroscience for Kids Neuroscience for Kids has been created for all students and teachers who would like to learn about the nervous system. This award-winning site is very comprehensive. Plan plenty of browsing time for your first visit and be sure to sign up for the free neuroscience newsletter. You can ask a question at the Neuroscientist Network, check out games and activities, explore the nervous system, read the latest neuroscience news, and browse a listing of internet neuroscience resources. You'll find great activities and resources at their companion page, http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/baw.html
Learn about your brain by viewing the parts of the brain and what they do. A video tour allows you to see how it functions each day. Then delve into the many brain teasers and riddles on this site - over 20 to choose from! (Answers and explanations are provided for each of the puzzles.)
NOAA Marine Debris Program This site, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), features educational materials about marine debris including its sources and impacts, a glossary and photo gallery, news from around the world regarding marine debris and updates on projects throughout the U.S., funding opportunities for new programs, and information about how to become involved. Includes maps of post-Katrina marine debris and a link to the Gulf of Mexico Marine Debris project, http://gulfofmexico.marinedebris.noaa.gov/
North American Bear Research Center Home of the North American Bear Research Center, this site features a kids' area, a bear mini-course featuring bear sign, sounds and bear den cams, and two slide shows: Hidden World of Bears and How Dangerous Are Black Bears?
Learn about the tiger moth, a species of moth that makes ultrasonic sounds of its own which jam the bat's sonar. Read the story and see a fascinating video here.
This helpful site provides a list of local foods that can be found at any time of year, in any state. Type in "Maine" and choose "early March", and you'll get a list of what's available locally; click on "See Full Year" and see what your choices are for each month of the year. Recipes for cooking with what's in season are also provided. Follow the link at the bottom of the page ("Miles to California: How Far Has Your Food Traveled?") to find out which foods have traveled farthest en route to your table.
Oceanic Research Group Get free on-line ocean related educational resources and watch ocean film clips at this site. Their film SHARKS: Predators With A Purpose won an award from the International Wildlife Film Festival. An annual scholarship for marine study is also available to undergraduate students entering their junior or senior year and to graduate students; downloadable application provided.
Ology - American Museum of Natural History OLogy, the American Museum of Natural History's web site for kids ages seven through twelve, is based on the premise that "everyone wants to know something," and is designed as a place for kids to explore, ask questions, get answers, meet OLogists, play games, and see what other kids are interested in.
With age-appropriate content in archaeology, astronomy, biodiversity, genetics, marine biology, paleontology, and physical science, OLogy makes science learning rich and engaging. Educators can find suggestions and tips on how to use the OLogy Web site in the Educator's Guides. They can also use the index to sort by grade, title, type, and topic; while kids can explore the Web site itself.
Olympics: Science of the Sporting Life - the Why Files Includes information about biomechanics, the role of computers in analyzing athletes' performances for training, mind/body connections, sports psychology, and exercise & aging.
Osher Map Library The Osher Map Library (at the University of Southern Maine, Portland) and Smith Center for Cartographic Education is the only separately established rare map library in northern New England. The Smith and Osher collections comprise fine examples of original maps, atlases, geographies, and globes spanning the years from 1475 to the present. Online are descriptions of the library's collections, exhibits, teaching kits, and 19 lesson plans under the theme Charting Neptune's Realm: From Classical Mythology to Satellite Imagery. They also provide a short list of suggested web links.
People & the Planet This site provides a global review of the issues of population, poverty, health, consumption and the environment. It is published by Planet 21, an independent non-profit company and a registered British charity recognized by the United Nations. Topic links include: Population Pressures, Food & Agriculture, Reproductive Health, Health and Pollution, Coasts and Oceans, Renewable Energy, Poverty & Trade, Climate Change, Green Industry, EcoTourism, Biodiversity, Mountains, Forests, Water, Cities, and Global Action.
Physics Quest PhysicsQuest is a story-based activity that exposes middle school students to the fun and relevance of science. The American Physical Society (APS) provides a free PhysicsQuest kit to registered 6-9th grade physical science classes, home school groups, science clubs, and after-school programs. The kit includes a user's manual and materials for four physics experiments. PhysicsQuest began as a World Year of Physics 2005 project with a kit based on Albert Einstein. The deadline for the current 2006 quest about Benjamin Franklin is March 11th. But, even if you do not have time to get involved this year, log on to see all past activities and bookmark this site so you can get in on the fun next year.
Physics: Moments of Discovery This multimedia site by the American Institute of Physics tells the story of two great moments of discovery: nuclear fission and the detection of the first optical pulsar. Audio clips from those responsible for these discoveries include: Enrico Fermi, Arthur Compton, Otto Hahn, Philip Morrison, John Cocke, and Michael Disney. Downloadable teachers' guides offer supplementary materials and ideas for classroom use.
Just in time for spring cleaning, here's a site to help you go at it in an environmentally responsible way. With homemade alternatives to toxic cleaners, green cleaning techniques, lists of green cleaning products, and reviews of books on safe and healthy cleaning, this site is the perfect place to start your spring clean-up projects.
PlanetDiary Produced by Prentice Hall, PlanetDiary records the events and phenomena that affect Earth and its residents. Every week, this site presents geological, astronomical, meteorological, biological, and environmental news from around the globe. Sections include: the Calendar shows upcoming astronomical and other Earth events; Current Phenomena highlights the week's events affecting the planet; Phenomena Backgrounders provides background information and classroom activities; Universal Measurements helps students convert times and distances by providing links to conversion, mapping, and time resources; the Archive allows for browsing of past PlanetDiary reports by the month.
Plant Watch - Maine Plant Watch is intended for a larger audience, including secondary school students and adults.
When you sign up as a volunteer you will receive a free plant guide.
Polar Bear Project Read an essay by Scott L. Schliebe, Polar Bear Project Leader,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/MMM, Anchorage, AK, about the findings of recent polar bear research as posted on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration web site.
World Wildlife Foundation and Canon have teamed up for this site, with lots of information and videos about how and why they track polar bears, the current threats to polar bears, and profiles of the researchers working on this project. There's also a really cool "Canon Kids Zone" with an animated family of polar bears and a series of adventure/learning games about how they try to affect change and save their environment.
This is quite an extensive site, with information about polar bears, color photos, a web cam, teacher resources, and an interesting section with student journals and blogs by young people who are involved in Polar Bears International's Leadership Camps. There is an ice loss video, and short clips from the tundra during polar bear migration in and around Churchill, Manitoba. There are many layers to this site, so keep clicking for more and more information about polar bears and the challenges they face.
Pollinator Partnership Home This site has a wealth of information and resources that include free educational materials and media resources for National Pollinator week (4th week of June), downloadable Eco-regional planting guides, a digital library, pollinator status reports, and bee keeping resources.
Pollinators - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service This site includes a downloadable PowerPoint presentation, podcasts, a featured pollinator page, links to educational resources, and National Pollinator Week (4th week of June) activities. Podcast topics include native bees, endangered butterflies & plants, backyard habitats, and pollinator gardens; available as audio or transcript.
Artful Assessment is a teacher resource site through the Portland Museum of Art that shows how the visual arts can be integrated with other areas of study, such as language arts, social studies, and science. Maine author/artist Dahlov Ipcar's painting "Blue Savanna" is the focal point for lesson plans and activities relating to the study of biomes, energy cycles and food chains. Teacher reflections, connections to Maine Learning Results, examples of student work and more can be found at this excellent site.
Join thousands of others in gathering valuable environmental and climate change information from across the country. Project BudBurst engages the public in making careful observations of the
phenophases such as first leafing, first flower, and first fruit ripening of a diversity of trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses in their local area. Get outside and contribute your data!
Project Feeder Watch Cornell University manages an annual winter survey of birds that visit feeders November through early April. Adults, children, school classes, scouts, and other groups are encouraged to participate. Their website will provides all the information you'll need to sign-up and get started.
Public Library of Science The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a non-profit organization of scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and medical literature a freely available public resource.
Pumpkin Nook A fun site bursting with pumpkin information! How to ripen green pumpkins, anatomy of a pumpkin, history of jack-o-lanterns, photos of world record-holding giant pumpkins, and even a Teacher's Page with lesson plans can all be found here.
Purple Comet! - Online Math Meet Purple Comet! hosts an annual on-line mathematics meet every April for middle and high school students. The meet is open to teams of students from anywhere in the world enrolled in middle school or high school (or local equivalent), or home-schooled students who are at a comparable level. The website provides previous math meet questions and answers, team registration (free) and rules, and lists of past winners. Site is maintained by the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.
Pyramid Web Camera Take a virtual trip to the pyramids. This webcam is hosted by the SIAG Pyramids Hotel in Giza, Egypt, approximately 1.5 kilometers ENE of the Pyramids Plateau.
Real Climate RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. The site aims to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion is restricted to scientific topics and they will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science.
RealClimate RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. The site aims to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion is restricted to scientific topics and they will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science.
Roofus' Solar & Efficient Home This site lets children tour the home of Roofus, the solar energy dog, to find out what makes a home energy efficient. There is also a word game, coloring page, and directions for making a very simple sundial.
Satellite Tracking - NASA's J-Track 3-D Visit this page and J-Track 3-D appears in its own window and begins loading a database of over 900 satellites (your system must be able to support JAVA applet). You will see a plot in 3-dimensions showing the satellites positions. Be sure to use the "Satellite - Select" pull-down menu to choose which satellite you wish to view. If you don't have Java, here are some of the most popular satellites for tracking that you can still view: Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, NOAA 12, 14 and 15 by clicking the Live 3-D Snapshots link on the main page. Be sure to check out the other links as well. When viewing J-Track 3-D, select the satellite position from the "View" pull-down menu and you will get the latitude, longitude, altitude, velocity, period, and inclination of your selected satellite. Note: This website is also available in Spanish.
This site for children puts a world of fun and interesting science information at their fingertips. The home page is a landscape of different objects and natural features that link to stories about science. Linked topics include insects, nutrition, outer space, weird science stories, research to help small towns, and science careers. Check it out, and leave yourself plenty of time!
Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge Visuals can communicate research results and scientific phenomena in ways that words cannot. That's why NSF (National Science Foundation) and AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) developed this award. View the winners' works: an Egyptian mummy, glass surfaces, a graphic of Hawaii, flight patterns, and cerebral vasculature of conjoined twins. Works are being solicited for next year's competition. Categories and submission information is available at this site.
Science & Math Song Database The MASSIVE searchable database contains over 1700 science and math songs. The collection is filled with both silly and serious songs that will be of interest to 2nd graders through tenured professors. You will also be directed to the companion site, MASSIVE radio, an Internet radio station devoted entirely to science/math songs (requires a connection speed of at least 64 kilobits per second). MASSIVE is part of the National Science Foundation's National Science Digital Library.
Science Friday Science Friday® is a science talk show which can be heard each Friday afternoon, 2-4 pm Eastern Time over public radio. SciFri is hosted by veteran NPR science correspondent Ira Flatow. The web recording is typically available the Monday after the radio broadcast.
Science magazine: Top 125 Questions for Scientific Inquiry Science magazine, July 2005, complied a list of the most important questions that face scientific inquiry over the next quarter-century in honor of the magazine's 125th anniversary.
Science News for Kids Get "the weekly scoop", read article archives, enter the many zones: Puzzle, Game, SciFi, SciFair, Lab, and Teacher. Also, sign up for the weekly newsletter by e-mail or RSS. This site is by Science Service, a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance public understanding and appreciation of science among people of all ages through publications and educational programs.
Science World This site is a tremendous math and science resource. It is divided into five main sections: Astronomy, Biography, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. Start your journey at the math section, a comprehensive and interactive mathematics encyclopedia intended for students, educators, math enthusiasts, and researchers. This will give you an idea of what the other sections, which are still under construction, will become. Don't miss a visit to the interactive math page.
Science, Art, and Technology This site was developed by the Art Institute of Chicago to assist science teachers in promoting the exploration of the relationship between science and art in a museum setting. The online exhibit features six main sections: Introduction to Science and Art; Perception, Light, and Color; Art and Astronomy; Conservation: Light in the Making and Viewing of Art; The Chemistry and Physics of Light and Color; Careers in Science, Art, and Technology.
Science.gov This site provides links, arranged by topic, to science information provided by U.S. Government agencies. Topics include: Agriculture & Food; Applied Science & Technologies; Astronomy & Space; Biology & Nature; Computers & Communication; Earth & Ocean Sciences; Energy & Energy Conservation; Environment & Environmental Quality; Health & Medicine; Math, Physics, & Chemistry; Natural Resources & Conservation; and Science Education.
ScienceAGoGo Current science news and hot topics: global warming; health; nature & the environment; particle physics & nanotechnology; and space are featured at this site through articles and chat.
ScienceResearch.com This free, publicly available web portal allows access to numerous scientific journals and public science databases. Students, teachers, professors, researchers, and the general public can access pertinent science information quickly and easily.
Secret Worlds: The Universe Within / Molecular Expressions Experience the Powers of Ten. 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. Site includes student activities, interactive Java tutorials, and teacher resources.
Sense of Smell Institute This site features fun facts, sense of smell basics in Smell 101, information about sense of smell disorders, possible careers, and related resources and science sites.
Shodor Education Foundation This site is produced by the Shodor Education Foundation, Inc. whose mission is to advance science and math education through the use of computational science, modeling and technology. The site provides student and teacher resources with activities and lessons in math and science for 3rd through 8th graders.
Sky Maps This site, developed and maintained by John Walker, founder of Autodesk, Inc. and co-author of AutoCAD, allows you to create custom maps of the sky for any location on Earth and any date from 4713 B.C. into the distant future. Other interesting science links available by clicking on the "home page" (http://www.fourmilab.ch/ link include consciousness studies, mathematics, nanotechnology and eschatology, and physics.
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum - Wright Brothers This is the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum site commemorating the Wright brothers. It includes interactive links where you can experiment with pitch, roll, and yaw, links to classroom activities, and provides an opportunity for you to send an E-card.
Create and e-mail your own snowflake or catch those that others have made. This interactive program provides and folds a virtual piece of paper then hands you the scissors. As you cut (via your mouse) your design is revealed. You may also add a message for others to read when they "catch" your snowflake out of the gallery. This artistic site is a great way to add creativity to a class about snow. Two books about snow and snow crystals that are Cornerstones of Science nominees are a great compliment to this site:
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and W.A. Bentley's own book of photographs of snowflakes,
Snow Crystals.
Learn all about snow crystals and snowflakes - what they are, where they come from, and how they are created. View beautiful pictures of snow crystals in three different photo galleries. There's also a guide to snowflakes and their different shapes (simple prisms, stellar dendrites, triangular crystals), as well as a discussion of growing snow crystals in labs using different methods and temperatures. Lovely pictures of frost crystals as well, and an explanation of how they differ from snow crystals.
Snowtastic Snow This site was created in 1998 by then 4th graders at Mountain View Elementary in Kenai, Alaska as their entry into that year's Think Quest Junior Contest. You'll find information about glaciers, icebergs, avalanches, frost, the water cycle, animals in the snow, plus health and sports, games & activities, historical facts, and suggested reading. You can also post a message on their message board.
Choose "Maine" and "Fall" or "Spring", and see a county-by-county listing of different bird species and their approximate arrival/departure dates in that area during spring and fall migrations. Other pages on this site help with bird identification, explain bird taxonomic classification, and explore different habitats and the species they contain.
Sunrise Sunset Calendars and Local Time This site provides sunrise, sunset and local time. You can print your own custom sunrise and sunset calendar for anywhere in the world. Moonrise and moonset time and moon phase information is also available.
Here you'll find a short slide show with color photos and basic information about the taiga (boreal forest), what grows there, and why. A good introduction to this important biome.
Teacher Planet This site for teachers features over 150 theme based resource pages. This is not a science-only site. Search the site by topic or browse the alphabetical index. A calendar of the month provides links to related resources and activities for each month's holidays and observances.
The Adventures of Herman the Worm This site, designed to teach kids about worms and why they are beneficial, is produced by the University of Illinois Extension Urban Programs Resource Network. Here kids will find out the origin and history of earthworms, learn about worm anatomy, fascinating worms facts, and how to set up a worm composting bin. Brief descriptions are also provided of the creatures that share a worm's habitat at the "Come Live with Me / My Neighborhood" link. They can also send in worm jokes and pictures that will be posted onto the website. They will also find links to other worm websites. Teachers will find this site a great resource for lesson plan ideas or follow-up activities.
The Atoms Family Visit "Frankenstein's Lightening Laboratory" to learn about different forms of electricity and electrical safety. Check out the "Phantom's Portrait Parlour" to learn about the principles of atoms and matter. In "Dracula's Library" you'll learn about the properties of light, waves, and particles. At "The Wolf Man's Ghostly Graveyard" you'll learn about fuel conservation and energy transfer. In "The Mummy's Tomb" learn about energy conservation, kinetic, and potential energy. This creative site by the Miami Museum of Science provides activities and information for kindergarteners to 12th graders.
The Brain Museum This site provides images and information from one of the world's largest collection of well-preserved, sectioned and stained brains of mammals. Viewers can see and download photographs of brains of over 100 different species of mammals (including humans) representing 17 mammalian orders. The University of Wisconsin, Michigan State University, and the National Museum of Health and Medicine collaborated to produce this website.
The Darwin Center London's Natural History Museum opened the Darwin Centre in 2002 to showcase their collection of 60 million animal, plant, fossil and mineral specimens. This website allows a virtual experience of the Darwin Centre through its three portals: "Live", "In-site", & "Phase Two." Live features presentations by scientists on-site and live online broadcasts, plus an archive of over 200 events. In-site allows the on-line visitor to discover more about the Darwin Centre and the Museum's Life Science collections and research, available in 12 languages. Phase-Two describes expansion plans for both the collections and the Centre.
Pictures, diagrams, and thorough but easy-to-follow explanations of how birds achieve flight are featured at this site. Wing shape, lift, thrust, drag, as well as the difference between flying and gliding are all explained.
The Edge This site hosts several forums. The two originals are 'Digerati' and 'The Third Culture.' Digerati is an attempt to gather on one site, in an ongoing conversation, the cyber-elite, the critical mass of the doers, thinkers, and writers, connected in ways they may not even appreciate, who have tremendous influence on the emerging communication revolution surrounding the growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web. The third culture consists of those scientists and other thinkers in the empirical world who, through their work and expository writing, are taking the place of the traditional intellectual in rendering visible the deeper meanings of our lives, redefining who and what we are.
The Elephant Sanctuary - Elecam The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN, founded in 1995, is the nation's largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered African and Asian elephants. It operates on 2,700 acres just 85 miles southwest of Nashville. The sanctuary is haven for old, sick or needy elephants who have been retired from zoos and circuses. The webcam is the general public's only access to the elephants unless they become VIP patrons.
The Engines of Our Ingenuity The Engines of Our Ingenuity is a radio program that tells the story of how our culture is formed by human creativity. Written and hosted by John Lienhard, it is heard nationally on Public Radio and produced by KUHF-FM Houston. This website houses the transcripts for every episode heard since the show's inception in 1988. Streaming audio is available on each of the posted episodes. Classroom materials are also available.
A project through Rice University which aims to provide information about Galileo and the science of his time. Use the site map to find information about his life, his family, the scientists who were his peers, the scientific tools they used, the invention of the telescope, and much more.
The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth Astronauts have used hand-held cameras to photograph the Earth for more than 40 years. Beginning with the Mercury missions in the early 1960s, astronauts have taken more than 700,000 photographs of the Earth. At this site you can search the photographic collection and purchase copies of the photos. You may also download screensavers for free.
The Genographic Project Courtesy of National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation you can now explore your genetic lineage while helping to support the research of geneticist Dr. Spencer Wells. DNA analysis includes a depiction of your ancient ancestors and an interactive map tracing your genetic lineage around the world and through the ages. Cost is $100. Visit the Genographic Project website for complete details. The website includes a genetics overview, an atlas of the human journey, a section for educators, and project updates.
The Greatest Moments in Materials Science & Engineering View a list of 100 accomplishments in materials science and engineering from 28,000 BC to 1991 then cast your vote for the top ten Greatest Materials Moments of all time. The top ten will be announced during the annual meeting of the US Minerals, Metals & Materials Society meeting in February2007 at Walt Disney World. The list will then appear on the material moments web site and in the March issue of the society's journal JOM.. Vote deadline is December 31, 2006.
The Heart: Things to See Here you can watch a short movie of an open-heart surgery, compare the x-ray images of two hearts, learn five ways to take your pulse, and take an animated trip down a coronary artery.
The Heat is On This is Ross Gelbspan's companion site to his book The Heat is On. You'll find current news about global warming and sections that discuss weather, science, disinformation and solutions.
The Lobster Conservancy The Lobster Conservancy (TLC) trains volunteers
in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts in a rigorous scientific methodology to census intertidal lobster nursery sites as part of the
Juvenile Lobster Monitoring Program. Volunteers census once per month April through November.
The Owl Pages Here you will find species lists with associated photos, sound clips, and life histories, information about owl physiology, a gallery of owl photos, articles, art and folklore.
The Particle Adventure Here you can explore the fundamentals of matter and force by taking an interactive tour of quarks, neutrinos, antimatter, extra dimensions, dark matter, accelerators and particle detectors with the Particle Data Group of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The Pumpkin Patch Learn all about pumpkins: where they originated, what the word "pumpkin" means, and how they have been used through history. Links to pumpkin cuisine, pumpkin jokes, varieties of pumpkins, growing your own, and more.
The Royal Society Guide to Climate Change Controversies The Royal Society has produced this overview of the current state of scientific understanding of climate change to help non-experts better understand some of the debates in this complex area of science. The Society - as the UKss national academy of science - responds here to eight key arguments that are currently in circulation by setting out, in simple terms, where the weight of scientific evidence lies. The Climate Change Controversies guide is available in PDF at http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/downloaddoc.asp?id=4085.
The Science of Color in Autumn Leaves Site of the U.S. National Arboretum. Thorough explanation of the color change process, with topic-specific words highlighted and definitions included (abscission layer, tannins, etc.) Be sure to check out the link to their Fall Foliage Gallery of photos.
The Science of Leaf Change This site is full of basic information about how and why leaves change color. Includes links to related topics. Highlights include time-lapsed movies of both an individual leaf and a forest changing color over a perod of months; a leaf wave model explaining the three primary waves of color in hardwood forests and when they occur; and a section reviewing leaf color by tree species.
This website is based on the PBS series by the same name and includes some video clips from that program. Broken into sections - The Baby's Brain, The Child's Brain, The Teenage Brain, The Adult Brain, and The Aging Brain - this site makes it easy to search for the information you're interested in most. There are also sections on the history of the brain, mind illusions, and five of the most important technologies that have allowed scientists to peer into the workings and structure of the living human brain.
The State of the Birds - 2009 Report As we eagerly await the return of spring migrants, it's a good time to focus on the state of birds across the country. This first-ever comprehensive report on bird populations in the US, released March 19, 2009, shows that nearly a third of the country's 800 species are endangered, threatened, or in significant decline. Check out the report, view an amazing six-minute video, and see photos of birds from across the country. Learn what you can do to help turn the tide and protect these valuable and vulnerable parts of America's heritage
Big, colorful pictures are the highlight of this site. Contains information about the indicator species of both plants and animals in the boreal forest, as well as a photographic tour of boreal habitat.
This site is chock-full of information and amazing photographs of whales, dolphins and seals. Pages include Amazing Facts, Recent Sightings, Strandings of Marine Mammals, Species Information, and the 33-page Photo Album.
The Whole Brain Atlas Not for the squeamish, this website by Keith A. Johnson, M.D., Harvard Medical School, and J. Alex Becker, MIT, provides amazing images of the human brain under both normal and diseased conditions (Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and Multiple sclerosis to name a few.) You can look at the brain slice-by-slice and over time in many of the views, watch short motion pictures, and read the Neuroimaging Primer.
The Why Files Based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this site delivers the science behind the news in a weekly format. Links include Virtual Science where you will be able to control a tornado, play with lightening, or make a snowflake or a rainbow. Several teacher activities with the related article and lesson plans are available. Topics include coronary bypass surgery, hurricanes, and sports. Browse the Why Files Education link by grade level, 5-8 or 9-12 to find even more information. An Archives link is provided that can be searched by subject or theme.
Think Like Einstein This NOVA site explores time travel. It includes an audio of Carl Sagan speaking about time travel, a teacher's guide, resources, and a program transcript.
Think Quest - A Virtual Journey into the Universe Travel through the universe with your computer "spaceship" as your guide. Select a planet and the journey begins. As the "pilot", visitors to this site control where they go and what they would like to learn about: the selected planet surface, interior, exploration information, or interactive movies of the selected location.
From a photo of a busy outdoor scene on the home page, you can click on any object and be taken to more information and links on that topic. The links are to activities, suggested reading, related topics, and observations from other site users. This site seems boundless in its possibilities, and easily navigated by young people. There is also a section called "Theme Clusters" where you'll find different ideas and links gathered by topics such as Shapes, Tropical Rainforest, Air, Students as Designers, and Books You Can Use.
Time Travel This NOVA site explores time travel. It includes an audio of Carl Sagan speaking about time travel, a teacher's guide, resources, and a program transcript.
Tree of Life (ToL) web project The ToL project was originally designed for biologists. Teachers, k-16 learners, and the young at heart will find the Treehouses link a good place to start their exploration of this site. The information complements the scientific core content of ToL and provide links to investigations, stories, fun & games, art & culture, teacher resources, webquests, biographies, and portfolios. You can also build and contribute your own treehouse...perhaps a good class project for the adventurous.
Which cars we choose to drive, how we maintain them, and how we drive them all affect how much gas we use. This site discusses driving habits that will improve your car's energy efficiency, as well as maintenance tips to keep it running at top efficiency. An interesting video under "Gas Mileage Tips" compares two identical cars driven over the same route but with different driving habits, and shows the dramatic difference our driving styles can make in a car's fuel efficiency.
Head to this site for information about saving energy on heating and cooling, water heating, lighting, driving, and more.
Also useful links to information about energy-saving appliances, windows, and renewable energy possibilities.
Check out the "Energy Tip of the Month" section aswell.
This site includes a downloadable PowerPoint presentation, podcasts, a featured pollinator page, links to educational resources, and National Pollinator Week (4th week of June) activities. Podcast topics include native bees, endangered butterflies & plants, backyard habitats, and pollinator gardens; available as audio or transcript.
United States Geological Survey This is the United States Geological Survey source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment. You'll find news, popular topics, a library, career opportunities, and products. The Students and Teachers link provides project ideas and homework help for students, lesson plans and activities for teachers, an opportunity to get involved with science through Frogwatch USA, a national frog and toad survey project. In the Explorers section you'll find coloring pages, printable bookmarks, clipart, a map wizard for making your own map, E-cards, and desktop wallpapers.
US Army Corps of Engineers Education Center Designed for students, teachers, librarians and other educators, this site provides access to many educational resources. Included are a list of topics, navigation lessons and games, science experiments, Corps stories, and related links for adults and children.
Phenology is the study of recurring plant and animal life cycle events: leafing and flowering of plants, the emergence of insects, the migration of birds. The USA National Phenology Network brings together citizen scientists, government agencies, non-profit groups, educators and students of all ages to monitor the impacts of climate change on plants and animals in the United States. Learn about the natural world while you help the planet!
Virtial Skies: Aeronautics This on-line tutorial by NASA provides an introduction to aeronautics and seven short information packed sections: The Forces of Aeronautics, The Work of Wings, Parts of an Airplane and Their Functions, The Use of Coordinate Axes in Aeronautics, Tools of Aeronautics, and Calculating Aeronautical Forces. Written for adults, this site is recommended for would-be pilots and all who would like to know more about airplanes and flight.
Volcano World Keep track of current volcanic eruptions, view film clips and photos, and read the adventures of volcanologists from around the world. The Kids Door provides links to virtual field trips, legends, games, and a volcano art gallery where children can learn how they can submit their own artwork. The Teaching and Learning section provides teacher to teacher information, lesson plans, a LANDSAT-7 teacher's kit and other resources. Visitors can search the site for specific volcanoes. A glossary is provided.
WannaLearn Over 350 categories of free, quality-screened online tutorials, guides, and instructionally oriented websites are listed at this site. The URL listed here will take you to the science section. Topics include astronomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, meteorology, physics, psychology, and robotics. View the complete topic listing at the homepage, www.wannalearn.com. Music buffs will want to check out the crafts and hobbies/woodworking section where instructional materials are provided for making instruments; flute, banjo, and classical guitar to name a few. This is a great browsing site. Give yourself plenty of time.
Another good resource for water-saving tips in the home and in the garden. Small, easy steps can make a big difference in cutting down on our water usage. There is also a Kids page with games that teach children about water conservation while they play.
Wellcome Images Browse or search the vast and unique image collection of the Wellcome Library, UK. Themes range from medical and social history to contemporary healthcare and biomedical science and document two thousand years of human culture. They are available on demand in digital form. Collection includes rare books and manuscripts.
Whales: Discovery Education A complete lesson plan about whales that includes: objectives, materials list, teaching procedures and adaptations, discussion questions and an evaluation rubric, extensions, a vocabulary list, suggested readings, related websites, and alignment to academic standards. Links are also provided for all the Discovery Education lesson plans; divided by grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 and by topic.
What Tree Is It? This student-friendly site provides simple multiple choice keys and diagrams to guide tree identification by leaf or fruit. Or, select common or scientific name and you'll be guided to color photos and descriptions of not only the tree but also its flower, fruit and leaf. This site was created by the Ohio Public Library Information Network and the Ohio Historical Society.
Wildlife Research Institute This is the site of the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely, Minnesota. Read about current research on black bear behavior and ecology, including winter survival and hibernation studies.
This is a wonderful site full of great information and amazing photos. You'll find information on tracks, scat, and other signs used in animal tracking. There are sections about tracking molds, techniques, gait, measurements and path deviation. Several seasons of the Algonquin Winter Tracking Expeditions are documented with beautiful photos of the scenery and wildlife, as well as the tracks that were found. This site will inspire you to head out on your own tracking adventures!
This site, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides winter preparedness information along with general information about snow, ice, cold and wind & wind chill. Forecasts, warnings and the weather outlook for the current winter are available through links. A list of the "billion dollar storms" with associated satellite and radar images and narrative about each storm is also provided.
Wolfram/Alpha is a long-term project to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable by anyone. Enter a question or calculation and the site uses built-in algorithms and a growing collection of data to compute your answer. If you're still not sure what this is all about, there are some ideas on the site to get you started, and once you get started.....it may be hard to stop!
Women in Chemistry This site showcases the contributions of women to science and technology. Here you'll meet Rosalind Franklin, Florence Siebert, Dorothy Crowfoot, Ellen Swallow Richards, and so many others who have made significant contributions through chemistry to medicine, health & safety, environmental protection, fashion, food and the computer sciences. A career section introduces exciting opportunities and biographical sketches of contemporary women who are pursuing careers in chemistry. An index of names is provided. Companion to the Chemical Heritage Foundation?s traveling exhibition, Her Lab in Your Life: Women in Chemistry.
This site is full of excellent resources for both aspiring and established female scientists. There is a searchable list of women scientist mentors in different fields, with e-mail addresses for contacting them directly. An Online Interview section asks the same eight questions of 34 female scientists, involving their childhood interests, fields of study, and advice to up-and-coming women scientists. And you can add your own information as well in the Future Scientists section, where users are encouraged to write about their plans to affect or change science in the future.
Women in Science: A Selection of 16 Significant Contributors Provided by the San Diego Supercomputer Center, www.sdsc.edu, this compilation of biographical sketches about notable women in science is available on-line and as a downloadable PDF; Rosalind Franklin, Maria Goeppert-Mayer, May Edward Chinn, Annie Jump Cannon, Helen Sawyer Hogg, and Sophie Germain are among them.
Women's History Month - Gale CENGAGE Learning Here you will find free downloads: a March 2008 women's history calendar and photos for your computer desktop. Also available are activities, a quiz, selected reading, related links, a timeline, and biographies. Abigail Adams leads the list of women's biographical sketches. They include women from a variety of professions and backgrounds; Clara Barton, Murie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Georgia O'Keefe, Mother Teresa, and Virginia Woolf among them.
Wonderful World of Weather Wonderful World of Weather is a standards-based Real Time Data Module created by the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) for use by students in the elementary grades to allow them to investigate weather phenomena both locally as well as in other places around the world. By using hands-on activities and real-time data investigations, the students will develop a basic understanding of how weather can be described in measurable quantities, such as temperature, wind and precipitation. The lesson plans which make up this module have been designed to allow teachers to select the ones which fit into their curriculum to allow for flexibility in implementation. The Teacher Area contains detailed, printable lesson plans for each of the sections; Introductory Activities, Real Time Data Activities, and Language Arts Activities. Also in the Teacher Area is a list of curriculum standards that are satisfied by the projects as well as other related project information. Students and teachers are welcome to submit work for publication in the Student Area. The Reference Material section features links related to weather and the Online Help section contains a list of online experts you can contact with weather questions as well as contact information for the CIESE project leader.
World Atlas Click on the globe and you will open up a wealth of information about our world: population data, latitudes & longitudes, world maps, a water body locator, the suggested travel book of the week, and currency conversions.
World Year of Physics This MIT site will allow you to stay up to date on World Year of Physics activities at MIT and around the world. Look for the weekly Physics Puzzle Challenge to test your skill and win prizes.
Worm Spit A site about silkworms, silkmoths, and silk providing information about domesticated silkworms, wild silkmoths, silk work & projects (including a few patterns), and connection to a digital library about weaving, basketry, lace and related topics.
LEGEND:
= identifies a teaching resource. These websites often include lesson plans or items specifically to help teachers.
Cornerstones
of Science
A National Science Literacy Initiative
Originating from Brunswick, Maine
PO Box 955 Brunswick, ME 04011
Executive Director Jocelyn Hubbell
copyright 2010. all rights reserved.
Cornerstones
of Science
A National Science Literacy Initiative
Originating from Brunswick, Maine
PO Box 955 Brunswick, ME 04011
Executive Director Jocelyn Hubbell
copyright 2010. all rights reserved.
