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...

Designed to complement the redesigned Traits of Life exhibit at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, this fine site allows visitors to view a photo gallery of the new exhibit, investigate some provocative online exhibits, and explore a host of links that are germane to the nature of biology. The exhibits constitute the core of the material available at the site, and are divided into four thematic...

"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...

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...

The Australian Broadcasting Company recently aired Life Changing Science, "a four-part series examining innovations that have transformed our lives." This companion Web site offers fantastic interactive features to go along with each of the four radio broadcasts. Three of the four interactive "labs" focused on the life sciences. They include Virtual Open Heart Surgery, in which users can conduct a...

This Web site from the American Museum of Natural History (last mentioned in the October 4, 2002 NSDL Life Sciences Report) provides an introduction to microbes, covering the three major types -- bacteria, viruses, and protists (protozoa). The site contains very brief but colorful and effective descriptions of each type of microbe. The use of animation in the Size-O-Meter feature help relate the...

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...

Developed by New Hampshire Public Television and the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, NatureWorks offers teachers an excellent resource for biologically related subjects geared for students grades 3-6. Sixteen topics are included, ranging from species diversity to fresh water communities. Each subject has a one page description for students to read and a short quiz for them to take. A teacher's...

Produced by NOVA and PBS Digital Studios (previously featured in the 06-12-2020 Scout Report), the aptly named Gross Science YouTube series provides a variety of short videos and DIY experiments ideally suited for classrooms and other formal and informal educational settings. Answering questions many of us have wondered about, such as why vultures do not get sick from eating rotting meat, this...