Science - Middle & High School
Updated: April 8, 2002
Ask Dr. Universe - Washington State University - Grades 3-12 (can be read to younger children) - Put this site up on your classroom computer for students to browse for hours and learn amazing things to satisfy anyone’s curiosity. Submit a question of your own, read the question (and answer) of the day, choose big or small questions: Who do people need sleep? Why don’t spiders stick to their webs? Why does hair turn gray? Answers come from the graduate schools at WSU and are presented in a beautifully designed format to please the eye and tease the mind. Non-science questions are also welcome. The question of the day would be a great start for your class each morning.
Classroom Compass - Southwest Consortium for the Improvement of Mathematics and Science Teaching- Grades 5-8. This site is an on-line version of Classroom Compass, a quarterly publication. Instructional activities are linked to TIMSS and include excerpts from the National Science Education Standards and the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. A good site for teachers looking for interactive science or math ideas to illustrate abstract concepts. A great source for daily problem solving questions.
Climate Research Division of Scripps Institution of Oceanography - Grades 6-12. Click on "ECPC" to find material on Scripps’ climate prediction program. Click on "El Nino" to find up to the minute information on its impact. Interesting site to show how models and forecasts are made. Have class compare predictions against actual weather events.
Collaborative International Boiling Point Project - Grades 6-12 - This real-time project seeks to enlist students around the world in comparing data on the process of boiling a pot of water in their laboratories. At this writing, the next phase of the project starts in mid-September, 1999. Registration information is provided on the site.
Earth Day '98 Online - Grades 4-8 includes information on both the history of Earth Day and Earth Day 1998 Events. Schools and communities can add their own events. Includes a timeline of what led to the first event.
The Endurance - Kodak offers a highly visual site about an ill-fated Antarctic expedition. Learn about the scientific inquiries at the turn of the century and the circumstances that led the ship Endurance to its sorry fate. It's a great scientific adventure.
Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues in Science - Grades 7 to 12 - This site is a pilot project of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, dealing with ethical, legal and social issues of scientific research. The site is well organized and includes a great deal of information. At present there are six areas covered, Basic vs. Applied research, Breast Cancer Screening, Air Pollution, Genetic Patents, Medical Privacy, and Sustainable Development. A brief synopsis of each topic is given. There are links to background information, followed by discussion questions and a link to respond with your reactions. An excellent site for developing higher level thinking skills in older students!
Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century - Grades 6-12 - Creating by a professional engineering society, this site provides a short narrative and time line for 20th century engineering achievements in more than a dozen different categories. The site highlights both the accomplishments and the people who made them happen, and it often includes simple explanations of the engineering principles behind those achievements. Great supplement to an invention unit, or as a brainstorming tool for engineering or science competitions.
Evolution Theory and Teaching - Grades 6-12 - This site from the Museum of Paleontology at the Universit of California, Berkley, offers an introduction to evolution, along with its application in systematics, dinosaur discoveries, and explorations of vertibrate flight. The site also includes several references specific to teaching evolution in schools. It could be helpful to those who need additional scientific background before introducing this topic in the classroom.
Exploring Leonardo - Grades 4 - 12 - This site is sponsored by the Museum of Science, Boston, Mass. - An excellent site approaching Science through Leonardo DaVinci. Site includes The Inventors Workshop, (showing Leonardo’s inventions), Leonardo’s Perspective, a Biography and a section about his habit of writing from right to left! There are 4 pages with interactive elements and 5 lesson plans including hands on activities. Students can comment and send their ideas electronically to the Museum staff. Four stars from our reviewer!!
The Galapagos Islands - NSTA - Grades 4-12 - The National Science Teachers' Association developed this elegant site about the Galapagos islands, Darwin, and the abundance of species still found on the island. In addition to good maps and excellent photography, there are lesson and study ideas, explanations of geological features, and leads for further exploration of the topics presented. Great site for a study of ecology or natural science.
History of Technology - Grades 6-12 - This is a visually engaging, informally written multimedia history of technological innovations - from 10,000 BC to the present. There are scores of animations, lots of spoken narration, and instructive text. The audio tracks can be a little much at times but the visual impact more than makes up for it. Well worth a look - especially as a research site.
How Things Work - Complete Computer Solutions - Grades K-12 - Read a text explanation of how a fountain pen works or how a pneumatic hammer works. This would be a great reference for students of physics or inventions. It would also go well in a unit on inventions for any age, though the reading level is middle school or above.
The Invention Dimension - The Lemelson-MIT Awards Program - Grades 6-12 - Learn about inventors by reading the biographies of the current inventor of the week or browsing through the archives of past weeks' choices. This could be a great resource for student research or a classroom bulletin board (simply print each week's candidate). Bios have links included, so you can click to other places on the Internet to find out more.
Inventure Place - The National Inventors Hall of Fame, Akron, Ohio - Grades 5-12 - Read brief biographies of inventors who are in the hall of fame. The site is indexed and searchable. Students could easily use these biographies to start a research project, or you can post them on a bulletin board.
MicroScapes - The Microscopic Gallery - AT & T and Len Stern - Grades K-12 - This site brings to life things too small for the human eye to pick up. The site contains a series of pictures taken through high power microscopes. The exhibition of pictures explores art and technology working together. Very user-friendly, loads easily and quickly!
Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Nye Labs Online - Grades 6-12 - This site is an extension of the famous TV show by the same name. It is dedicated to helping young scientists understand concepts from the show and research their own science questions. It contains information for parents to use to help reinforce show concepts. Very up to date and colorful, it is entertaining and easy to understand! Special features include episode guides and TV listings, links to science sites, sounds, and video clips. (You'll need the QuickTime Player for the video.) From National Science Foundation and Boeing Company.
Operation Webfoot - Grades 3-8 - This is one of those "crazy like a fox" sites that actually teaches experimental procedures by doing something that, at first, sounds silly. Learn how classes in eight states conducted an experiment and compared their results. Your students can do it too! See how your results compare, and discuss why the data may differ. (The duck and the frog are cute, too.) Site and concept were created by the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia.
Principia Cybernetica - Grades 9-12, Educators - This rich and complex site investigates systems science and cybernetics in an attempt to integrate technology into an organized philosophy. The site solicits contributions on cybernetic epistemology, process metaphysics and even asks and discusses the meaning of life! This is a thought-provoking, challenging yet quite lucid source of information. Suggestion: Let the "techies" in your class loose to wander around this bit of ether!
Questacon: Canberra, Australia - The National Science and Technology Centre, Grades K-12. Requires Java and Shockwave to get the most out of this site. Students can take a virtual 3-D tour of Australia’s most fascinating interactive museum and explore the hands-on exhibits without ever leaving the classroom!
Raising the Titanic - Grades 6-9 - This site from the Discovery Channel traces efforts to dive to the Titanic wreck, examine the remains of the liner, and determine precisely how and why the "unsinkable" ship sank. This site is an intriguing combination of history and state-of-the-art science. There are plenty of photos, as well as detailed explanations of both the ship and the high-tech effort to reach and explore the wreck. TeachersFirst offers an exclusive student web activity to accompany this site.
Sandlot Science - Grades 4-12 - This site offers a collection of optical illusions and puzzles that challenge students to explain why the brain perceives images and motion in the way it does. The puzzles are great illustrations of perception problems, and they also could work well as "stumpers" for students who need an addition challenge now and then. Many of these puzzles require a Java-capable browser.
Science Fair Resources - Grades 6-12 - This site from Discovery School offers a large collection of ideas, tips, and resources for students interested in creating science fair projects. While any science fair project will take some work, the tips here will help students plan ahead, stay organized, and use their time productively. A nice starting point for students trying to select a project or strategy.
Science Fair Guide - Teachers - This project from Genentech's outstanding Access Excellence site offers an on-line guide to structuring successful science projects. In addition to advocating for good science, the site considers organizational and administrative aspects of science fairs and how to make them work effectively. This site would be particularly helpful for teachers who are involved in a science fair for the first time.
Science Explorer - Grades K-12. This site is a comprehensive collection of natural science resources for teachers. Teachers can use this site to browse through the outline format to research a specific area of natural science. This site takes some time to go through and lesson plans are not easily available; however detailed bibliographic information is provided and all material is based on national science standards.
Science Friday Kids Connection - Grades 6-12 - This hands-on site was designed for the user to have a science experience like no other. You can participate in many different activities that can enhance the learning experience, and make science fun and easy. The site includes a live science show, chat rooms, and a science desk for questions. It’s easy to use. Science links and mentors are also available. There are experiments to try and an online library for users. From National Public Radio, Samanna Productions, and Kidsnet.
Science Learning Network - Grades 6-12 - This site contains easy to understand reports on weather oddities and mysteries of science. This would be a great tool for hard-to-research topics. It also takes you step by step through a dissection and gives hints and suggestions for better results and learning experiences. It has a library full of downloadable files of shared researched information. This site has a section that follows a high school class on dissecting and gives viewpoints from both students and teacher. Sounds and clips, flashing animation, lesson plans and resources including a dissection with colorful layouts, glossary and tips add to the site, which also has many science links. Very up-to-date and well designed. From the National Science Foundation.
Science and Sports - Grades 4-12 - from the Exploratorium. A high-tech look at the physics involved in hockey, baseball, and other sports. Younger kids can grasp the concepts; older students can learn the details. Includes sound and video clips, but they aren't essential to using the site.
Nikola Tesla, Inventor - Grades 5-12 - Bogdan R. Kosanovic, University of Pittsburgh - This site features Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla, inventor of a telephone repeater, rotating magnetic field principle, polyphase alternating-current system, induction motor, alternating-current power transmission, Tesla coil transformer, wireless communication, radio, fluorescent lights, and more than 700 other patents. It is a small site, but includes a biography and quotes from the scientist as well as links for student researchers to learn more.
Tornado Project Online - Grades 3-8 - This site is full of tornado resources. It lists the Top 10 tornadoes and explains the Fujita Scale well and in color. There are several topics to choose from, all very interesting. They have information from over 60,000 tornadoes. The site includes interactive games and is easy to use. Tornado links are also available.
USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory - Grades 6-12 features information and research on volcanoes. Included are volcanic images, terminology, and monitoring of active volcanic sites. Excellent site for students, very text intensive.
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