Space Science Institute: Curriculum Materials
http://www.spacescience.org/
Researchers and educators of the Space Science Institute are working together to "expand our knowledge of the space sciences and communicate that knowledge to the public." The Curriculum Materials page of the Web site contains three comprehensive lessons, including: The Kinesthetic Astronomy activity that involves teaching basic astronomical concepts through choreographed bodily movements and positions; the Saturn Educator Guide, which chronicles NASA's deep space mission; and, Solarscapes: Sunspots and Rotation lesson which allows kids to explore the phenomena of the Sun by calculating the period of the solar cycle and more. Each well-designed lesson contains all the necessary instructions and downloads needed to complete them. [JAB]
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Water Info For Kids
http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/WATER/watermen.html
The City of Phoenix Web offers the Water Info For Kids page as part of its larger governmental Web site. Six topics are covered including What is water?, What is the Hydrologic (Water) Cycle?, Where does our water come from?, Who uses water?, How can we take care of water?, and Phoenix water and wastewater facts. Each page contains non-technical text and colorful graphics making it especially good for younger students. And, although a "next" link would make the pages flow better from one to the next, the site does a good job of presenting the material in a fun and challenging way. [JAB]
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Mississippi River Adventure [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/MRA_Site/riveradventure.html
The US Army Corps of Engineers offers the Mississippi River Adventure Web site. This interactive multimedia activity lets kids input their names, choose a character, and begin an adventure from the headwaters of the Mississippi to its outlet in the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, users can click on various locations and objects to learn how the river is formed, what takes place on it, how cargo is transported, how locks and dams work, the history of the river, what sorts of animals can be found in and around it, and much more. The video game style of the educational activity does a great job of giving kids a fun way to learn about one of the nations greatest resources. [JAB]
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Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org/div/aon/browse/sci00.00.00/
The Internet Public Library is a learning and teaching service of the University of Michigan School of Information. In part, the library exists to "provide services and information which enhance the value of the Internet to its ever-expanding and varied community of users." The wealth of information provided on the site includes descriptions of quality Web sites in categories such as dictionaries, writing style guides, encyclopedias, education, science, and more. The science category, for example, includes additional subheadings such as astronomy, chemistry, earth science, energy, and physics among others. Educators and students alike will appreciate this helpful and easy-to-use resource. [JAB]
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SciTech Hands-On Museum: Experiment
http://scitech.mus.il.us/
The Experiment page of the Aurora, Illinois SciTech Hands-On Museum includes several quality science educational activities. The first is a lesson plan that lets kids explore what evaporation is and shows it taking place. The Excite an Atom activity includes an interactive model of a Hydrogen atom that allows students to choose various energy states to see how the atom reacts and then returns to the ground state and emits a photon. Additional features of the site include science fair project ideas and other helpful science links, making it a valuable resource especially for grade school science teachers. [JAB]
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Digging into Minnesota Minerals
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/education/geology/digging/index.html
The Digging into Minnesota Minerals Web site is part of the larger Minnesota State Department of Natural Resources site. These fun and interesting pages explain how Minnesota came to acquire its most common minerals over geologic time, what the basic types of rocks are, mining history of the state, the geology found in state parks, and much more. Included are basic descriptions, photographs, illustrations, and even educational activities for teachers related to the minerals. This well-designed site would be a great addition to any grade school or high school science curriculum. [JAB]
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Students and Teachers: Curriculum Materials
http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/Students_Teachers/learnact.htm
From the Commonwealth of Australia Bureau of Meteorology comes the Students and Teachers: Curriculum Materials Web site. Educators will find more than twenty activities and lesson plans related to weather with titles such as: A Pet Cloud, Bottled Pressure, Colors of the Sky, El Nino and Rainfall, High and Low Pressure Systems, and The Ups and Downs of Ozone. The main page includes a description of each lesson, a suggested grade level, and its intended learning outcome. The individual links contain everything needed for the lessons completion including any relevant downloads, animations, and links in a well designed and easy to use format. [JAB]
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The Kids Guide to Science Projects
http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/jtindell/
The Kids Guide to Science Projects Web site is maintained by the Educational Technology Department of the Tucson, Arizona Unified School District. This informative site gives students a host of science fair project ideas, research help, examples of projects, complete project steps, and even online help if any problems or questions are encountered. Project topics include aerodynamics, chemicals, color, energy, environmental studies, light, sound, water, and much more. The Project Steps link does a good job of outlining what needs to be done, and in what order, so kids can successfully use the scientific method in attempting any science research project. Although the site is not extensive, it does provide a good amount of helpful educational material useful to students and educators. [JAB]
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