Intergalactic Mobile Learning Center is a set of six mobile apps for use in elementary and middle school collaborative learning situations. The apps include a spreadsheet, word processor, KWL tool, PDF, Flipbook, and a mind mapping tool. Two or more students work together using their own devices to collaborate on any project either face to face or from a distance. In addition to the apps, the site also offers a few starter activities, called Roadmaps for download. Apps use Google logins and work best in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers. The demonstration videos reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): collaboration (87), mind map (26), spreadsheets (23), Teacher Utilities (146)

Find resources to enhance student understanding of groundwater and issues related to its use. Resources include coloring pages and word puzzles, experiments suitable for primary and secondary students, and fun facts and activities to use with your class. Be sure to check out the lesson plans found with the experiments for great ideas for young people of all ages.

tag(s): conservation (83), ecology (100), natural resources (37), pollution (50), water (102), water cycle (22)

Webnode is a free and easy website or blog builder. Create an account. Choose from hundreds of template design options, including personal blogs (scroll to the bottom menu and select "Make your own website or blog." Add many site features: photo galleries, polls, forums, social features, and much more. Webnode saves changes as you make them, so information is stored in real time. Possible uses are only limited by your imagination!
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tag(s): blogs (65), communication (136), social networking (66)

Create a free website in just minutes with Jimdo. Use the drag and drop feature to insert and move content easily. Toolbars offer editing options such as adding images from Flickr, including YouTube videos, files, Google Maps, and formatting your text. Add share buttons to connect your site using social networking. Changes save and publish automatically. Although there are paid options, the free site offers 500mb of storage along with many features useful for the casual website builder.
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tag(s): communication (136), portfolios (21), social networking (66)

Something Fishy educates about water quality, fish, and the environment. Choose from the children's portion of the site or the section for teachers and parents. Children participate in a series of eight lessons beginning with "Water, Water, Everywhere" through "Will There Be Any Left For Me?" Lessons include short stories and slideshows. Teachers and Parents can download a teaching manual and work cards along with an overview and lesson plan for each activity.

tag(s): environment (240), fish (18), oceans (147), pollution (50), resources (88), rivers (13), water (102), water cycle (22)

Looking for some FREE, animated storybooks about science? Here you will find storybooks on electricity, the life cycle, the solar system, technology, weather (such as earthquakes and volcanoes), the rock cycle, the water cycle, and more! The lessons even have a recommended grade level (K-6). Depending on your curriculum, you may find useful materials at other grade levels. Some have audio; others have video; and a few are just simple animations. This is a MUST-SEE site for any elementary (and early middle school) science class.

tag(s): animals (281), ecology (100), electricity (60), environment (240), human body (93), life cycles (22), light (52), plants (145), plate tectonics (20), rocks (36), space (213), stars (66), water cycle (22)

Weebly for Education will be discontinued on August 1, 2022. All Accounts will automatically transfer to Edublogs, reviewed here. Weebly is an easy, free website creator with tons of features for you to choose from. The easy, "drag and drop" elements allow even novice technology users to create their own website. Besides the basic "drag and drop" features for the title, text, text with a picture, etc., the free version allows you to use cool items: photo gallery, slide show, YouTube videos, Google Maps, an assignment form, and lots more. They promise that the free service will remain 100% feature-packed.

tag(s): blogs (65), communication (136), gamification (73), microblogging (18), social networking (66)

Use the resources on Project Wet to create awareness and learn more about water as an important resource for our planet. View resources by topics such as "Programs (Clmate, Early Childhood Education ," "WASH," and "Clean and Conserve," among others. Click on "Use Project WET" or the icons along the bottom to view resources by teachers, student, and parents. View "News and Events," read blog posts, and find a variety of great resources on this site. There are interactive games about hydration and the water cycle in the "Children and Young Adults" area. Advise students to avoid the store link along the top as well as other ads that may appear along the sides of the site.

tag(s): environment (240), sustainability (44), water (102)

Use this tool to "draw" on and label any map available through Google Maps, including maps of the night sky! No registration or email required! Create a colorful, personalized map with added scribbles and labels. Add your choice of placemarker labels for geology locations, people, etc. There are even little icons available to use. Your drawing or "Scribble Map" is then available to share by URL, email, or print. Slightly more savvy users can download, save as a KML file (readable in Google Maps or Google Earth), or embed the map in another site. The tools include sharing the map on Facebook and Twitter, as well. Add images by pasting in their URLs. Drawing tools include lines, circles, place pointers, text labels, and color/size/transparency controls for all tools. Place pointers can be edited by selecting them (arrow tool), then clicking the small pencil. This site does include Ads and all the normal controls of Google maps, including satellite, map, terrain, hybrid views and Night Sky. See a sample Scribble Map created by the TeachersFirst editors (drag the map with your mouse!). Explore the tools and MENU options at the top left when you start out. Try the different Maps views (lower right) and zoom controls. Search for a starter location using the search at the top left, just below the tools. There is no help available, but it is easy to do basic maps. Share, save, etc. by clicking Menu (top left). When you first save a map, it will ask you to create a password for that map to use to edit it later. Note that if you SAVE a map and share it by URL, those accessing it will be able to use the tools and change the map. If you want them to see it without changing it, you will need to embed it in a blog, wiki, or other web site. The map ID can be changed and customized by simply typing in your own choice of ID when you are saving the map.
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tag(s): directions (12), geology (64), landforms (37), landmarks (18), map skills (56), maps (207), space (213)

Find the perfect lesson plan for your grade level as you study water or plan for Earth Day. Each level has a several activities, many hands-on.

tag(s): conservation (83), earth (185), earth day (60), water (102), water cycle (22)

Listen to songs to teach important (and less important) science concepts. This collection of MP3 files was generated from an old set of records (yes, those round vinyl things that had scratches). While the actual copyright holder information is a gray area, you can feel safe in playing the songs from the site. Most likely, these songs from the 1950s and 60s are past copyright at this point. In any case, you can click to play from smaller or larger file versions. Be patient while they load, even over a broadband connection. It will be worth the wait to teach parts of plants, the water cycle, weather, motion, energy, electricity, and MANY other topics with just a computer and set of speakers to help students retain the information. Most of the content is elementary to middle school age, but some is high school level. Learning support teachers seeking alternate study strategies will love this one!

tag(s): animals (281), energy (130), mammals (22), motion (49), plants (145), space (213), water (102), water cycle (22), weather (164)

This is an extensive collection of science lessons and laboratory procedures compiled by the Great Lakes Collaborative and the University of Kansas. The site offers a highly detailed outline of science concepts, and it provides a selection of different lessons and lab resources for each concept. All lessons are available as Adobe Acrobat PDF files which can be downloaded and printed on your printer. The index page groups these by topic, and each page includes instructions and illustrations. Many of the projects are suitable for "do at home" activities. Great resource!

tag(s): experiments (52), scientific method (47)

The EPA created this collection of resources dealing with water cycles, water purification, and water availability. It includes web resources, sample experiments, and explanations of water quality issues. Each topic has several areas to explore and learn from.

tag(s): agriculture (49), conservation (83), ecosystems (73), environment (240), water (102)