This extensive collection of activities from the American Museum of Natural History offers middle school students "an exciting and creative context for involving students in the scientific process while introducing them to the rich diversity and beauty of their local ecosystem." Lesson plans, Web-based interactive activities, useful Web links, profiles of AMNH scientists and staff, and other...

The Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) has developed this online project to allow students around the world to compare the organisms found in water samples they collect from local ponds. This year's project will run from March 15 - June 1. Classes will develop a hypothesis, collect data to be shared with other participants, analyze the shared data, and complete a final...

The Elementary Science Program (ESP) Homepage is sponsored by BOCES, whose mission is to provide quality, cost-effective educational services in partnership with school districts and the community in a manner that supports excellence and equity for all learners. The site offers a number of good educational materials including the ESP Units, which contain links to over thirty subjects areas...

"To know a plant, grow a plant" is the motto of the Wisconsin Fast Plant Program, a science education outreach program from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fast Plants are members of the mustard family bred specifically for use in the classroom -- small, easy to grow, affordable, and with an incredibly short life cycle of about 35-45 days. While the classroom activities provided in this Web...

The Smithsonian Institution National Zoological Park presents this extensive curriculum guide focused on the giant panda, one of the zoo's most famous denizens. Three sets of multidisciplinary lesson plans -- for grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 -- "contain all necessary background information and explore giant panda biology, habitat, zoo science, and conservation efforts." For example, the curriculum...

Part of the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), this site was developed by the University of California, Berkeley, and the International Wolf Center. It offers an online learning curriculum that introduces students to the "social, biological, cultural and economic issues of wolf survival." Students read, discuss, and make their own observations about this real world controversy. Teachers...

Lesson Plan Central -- a free lesson plans, WebQuests, worksheets, student link and clipart Web site -- has a great collection of science specific links. Categorized by subject and grade level, the listed sites are are briefly described, and any new site is labeled as such. Links to just the new, cool, and clipart sites are also provided. This collection is a great way for kids and educators to...

Visit this Web site from the National Teacher Training Institute (NTTI) for a set of engaging lesson plans for middle and high school students. The latest life science offerings address DNA and RNA, pika camouflage, environmental issues, and adaptation. A number of older lesson plans are available as well. In addition to providing detailed instructions, each lesson plan includes a variety of...

This Web site is just one of the many lesson plan categories available through the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies. Designed for grades 3-8, three pollination lesson plans are available for online viewing or .pdf download, along with a page of further teaching resources. Objectives include identifying the parts of a flower, describing the complimentary relationships between...

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...