Online Science Resources

PHYSICAL SCIENCE RESOURCES

Infrared Light Resources and Lesson Plans
http://www.sofia.usra.edu/Edu/materials/edu_materials.html

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has developed a series of lesson plans and other educational materials to assist middle and high school teachers to explore infrared light with students. The hands-on and demonstration activities are designed to complement instruction on the electromagnetic spectrum for middle and high school students and is designed to be completed in one or two classroom periods. A poster about the electromagnetic spectrum is also available

upon request.

 The Physics Front

http://www.compadre.org/precollege/

The Physics Front is an online library of physics and astronomy resources that provide enhanced accessibility to peer-reviewed quality physics teaching resources for all teachers of physics and the physical sciences with special support for new teachers of all levels of science. The collection contains references, lesson plans, activities, labs, assessments, and best teaching practices which are all searchable by subject and course type.

Physics To Go

(www.physicstogo.org) Physics To Go is a collection of more than 550 carefully selected online resources for informal physics learning.   Striking images, with links to related sites that discuss the physics, can be useful as examples of the application of physics concepts.

Robotics Competition Curriculum Framework 
http://nationaltsa-robotics.org/custom.html
The Curriculum Framework provides a starting point and a set of tools to aid high school STEM educators in their efforts to integrate robotics competitions in their classrooms.

What Matters with Matter 
http://www.chem4kids.com 
Need some help with chemistry?  Check out this site.  Offers links to other science areas as well.

Build an Induction Motor 
http://www.qsl.net/ns8o/Induction_Generator.html 
If your students have moved from simple machines to complex mechanisms, here’s a challenge for them - build a squirrel cage or an induction motor following the instructions on this page.

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility 
http://www.jlab.org 
The Jefferson Lab is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to study and understand the detailed structure and behavior of the nucleus of an atom.

The Periodic Table of Comic Books 
http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/ 
Click on an element to see a list of comic book pages involving that element, then go to the full page!

Chemistry Coach 
http://www.chemistrycoach.com/high.htm#High School Chemistry Resources on the Web 
Links to relevant high school chemistry resources available on the web.

Think Quest Programs 
http://www.thinkquest.org/initiatives.html 
This site has resources for teachers and students.

Atomic Alchemy: Nuclear Processes 
http://library.thinkquest.org/17940 
This site explains concepts such as the atom, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, and the history of nuclear events

The Particle Adventure 
http://particleadventure.org 
The National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy introduces students to the theory of particles and forces through an interactive adventure tour.

The Science of Baseball 
http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball 
Designed to look like a 1950’s comic book, this site teaches kids the science behind America’s favorite pastime using RealAudio and video clips of scientists and major leaguers.

Amusement Park Physics 
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics 
A science thrill ride on the influence of physics at amusement parks. An interactive, on-line exhibit from Annenberg/CPB projects.

KISS Institute for Practical Robotics 
http://www.kipr.org 
Extra-curricular and professional development activities and sample lesson plans for improving learning in the field of technology, particularly robotics.

Beakman’s Electric Motor 
http://fly.hiwaay.net:80/~palmer/motor.html 
Here’s a great amateur-science page taken from Beakman’s World on TV. It includes just one project, the construction of a homemade electric motor out of a toilet-paper tube and some paper clips. It would make a serious contender for first prize in any science fair.

Web Elements 
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~chem/web-elements/ 
At last! A neat way of discovering the periodic table of elements. WebElements is fast and easy. Here you can choose any known element (from one to 105) and get the full rundown, from atomic weight to isotopic abundances. Chemistry made fun and easy!

LIFE SCIENCE RESOURCES

Free Native Plant Habitat Resources

http://www.wnps.org/education/resources/middleschool.html

Creating a native plant habitat garden or restoration project provides countless opportunities for learning.  This guide from the Washington Native Plant Society provides student checklists, forms, activities, a school-year flow chart outlining integration of curricular materials, and how-to guides for planning.  

The Elephants of Cameroon 
http://www.nczooeletrack.org 
Track the project of radio-collaring to study the land-use patterns of the Cameroon elephants.

The Bridge 
http://www.vims.edu/bridge 
Ocean Sciences Education Teacher Resource Center connecting marine education to all other fields of science.

Monarch Watch 
http://www.MonarchWatch.org/ 
This site covers the migration of this butterfly as well as promoting conservation of the species.

Journey North: A Global Study of Wildlife Migration 
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/ 
This project presents methods to track birds and butterfly migrations, reports migration progress with maps, gives weather forecasts for migrating birds and provides classroom lessons for tracking migration.

Wildflowers in Bloom 
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wildseed/wildflowers.html 
Click on a wildflower’s name to see a picture and to see if it will grow in your area.

School Gardens 
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/nutrition/schoolgardens/schgard.html 
A complete guide for planting a school garden along with ideas and curricula to go with it.

Animals of the Rainforest 
http://www.animalsoftherainforest.org 
Visit this site for photos and information about habitat, diet, and enemies of some of these vanishing species.

Gene School 
http://library.thinkquest.org/28599 
Students will find an overview of the genetics field and a starting place for finding out more about genetics.

Bugscope 
http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu 
Magnify learning in a whole new way. Using a microscope controlled over the internet, K-12 students around the country can get a close-up view of bugs.

Iowa State University’s Tasty Insect Recipes 
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/misc/insectsasfood.html

“Sci4Kids” 
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids 
Great site from the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service(ARS) that proves “science is everywhere you look”. Also has a section called “Dr. Watts” where kids can e-mail their questions to ARS scientists.

Seeing, Hearing and Smelling the World 
http://www.hhmi.org/senses 
This site, from Howard Hughes Medical Institute, features current research to help you make sense of the senses. Contains articles and graphics.

JASON Project 
http://www.jasonproject.org 
An integrated, multimedia, science education program based on the National Science Standards. Follow the exciting adventures and learn how to become a part of this project. Winner of the Computerworld Smithsonian Award in Education and Acadenia.

National Wildlife Federation 
http://www.nwf.org 
A web site full of good information for environmental education. Also, access photos and articles from several popular nature magazines. Cool place for kids to play games or go on virtual tours.

The Albatross Project 
http://www.wfu.edu/albatross 
Join Biologist, David Anderson of Wake Forest University, in the satellite tracking of two species of albatross, a type of seabird. Research opportunities targeted for students in grades three - seven. Participation is absolutely without charge.

Honolulu Community College Dinosaurs 
http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/dinos/dinos.1.html 
What child (or adult) can pass up the opportunity to learn more about these giant creatures. Nice graphics and links to enhance any unit on dinosaurs.

Carl Hayden Bee Research Center 
http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/ 
This multimedia wonderland may have you dressing up like a beekeeper to hunt the elusive virgin queen bee. Find out how to handle the swarming African honey bees, a.k.a. the dreaded “killer” bees.

Access Excellence (Biology) 
http://www.accessexcellence.org/ 
Access Excellence is a national educational program sponsored by the biotechnology industry pioneer, Genentech, Inc., that puts high school biology teachers in touch with their colleagues, scientists and critical sources of new scientific information through an online network.

In Search of Giant Squids 
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/squid.html 
Follow the Smithsonian scientists in their quest for the elusive giant squid. There will be a special pilot program with the Smithsonian Institution and Northeast Mississippi students to become intimately involved with this program.

TheYuckiest Site on the Internet 
http://www.yucky.com 
Did you know that if you’re ever stung by a sting ray, you can apply scrunched up cockroaches to he wound to make it heal faster? On this page, you can find out all sorts of things about the cockroach and other bugs, besides what you think you know of them already.  The best place for science entertainment.

Virtual Frog Dissection Kit 
http://www-itg.lbl.gov/vfrog/ 
Ugh! Yeck! How about a unique way to dissect a frog without destroying the frog population or having your students accidentally cut themselves.

The Interactive Frog Dissection 
http://curry.edschool.Virginia.EDU/~insttech/frog 
Just how many ways can you cut up those poor frogs??? Another site for dissecting the frog.

Cells Alive! 
http://www.cellsalive.com 
Short paragraphs with pictures, movies and animations makes this investigation of blood cells exciting.

Neuroscience for Kids 
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html 
The nervous system is explained in text and illustrations designed for children. Activities and experiments are provided.

Welcome To Steve’s Ant Farm 
http://www.stevesantfarm.com 
This page houses a relatively live picture (updated every five minutes) of Steve Chambers’ ant farm. It’s now available 24 hours, so you can peek in on the industrious little fellows any time. There’s also a movie file of the ants here, so you can get the creepy-crawlies even when you’re not connected..

EARTH AND SPACE RESOURCES

The Educator Resource Center
http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/workshops.asp
The Educator Resource Center (ERC) at Stennis Space Center provides educators with opportunities to receive free educational materials and to attend professional development workshops. The ERC contains a vast collection of materials for educators, including videotapes, software, printed materials and lesson plans that reflect the most recent scientific discoveries about space and the Earth.

Geoscience Education
http://www.dlese.org/ 
The nation’s most extensive collection of digital learning resources for geoscience education is now based at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO.  The Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE), developed with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), focuses on the special needs of K-12 educators and has tips for finding resources for K-12 classrooms.

Miss Magggie’s Earth Adventures 
http://www.missmaggie.org 
A free educational resource for elementary and intermediate level teachers and their students.

Genesis 
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov 
A search for the origins and make-up of the bodies in our solar system.

United States Space Foundation 
http://www.spacefoundation.org 
Information as well as professional development opportunities.

Nearctica 
http://www.nearctica.com 
There is a little bit of everything on this site, from environment and outdoor related recreation to paleontology and geophysics.

Natural Disasters: Destructive Forces of Nature 
http://library.thinkquest.org/16132 
This site provides an enormous amount of information about seven natural disasters, a quiz game, and interactive links.

FEMA for Kids 
http://www.fema.gov/kids/index.htm 
The Federal Emergency Management Team has added new activities to its website to help elementary and middle level students learn about and be prepared for natural disasters.

The Space Center 
http://www.zianet.com/space 
An online museum of space artifacts, rockets, missiles, astronauts, Sputnik and more.

Auroras: Paintings in the Sky 
http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/index.html 
This site explains what the Aurora Borealis are, how they are created, where they can be found and what they look like from space.  A teacher’s page also gives ideas on how to use this information in the classroom.

EARTHSHOTS: Satellite Images of Environmental Change 
http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/earthshots/slow/tableofcontents 
A collection of Landsat images and text designed to show environmental changes and to introduce remote sensing.

PCs in Space 
http://pcsinspace.hst.nasa.gov/ 
FREE software for classroom use.

The GLOBE Project 
http://www.globe.gov 
Interactive, real-life scientific data collecting. Learn about the project and to become a part of it!

Cloud Boutique 
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html 
From Plymouth State College, this site offers classifications of clouds including text and images.

WeatherNet 
http://cirrus.sprl.umich.edu/wxnet/ 
WeatherNet, the Internet’s premier source of weather information provides access to thousands of forecasts, images, and the Net’s largest collection of weather links. WeatherNet is one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date resources on weather data and is sponsored by the Weather Underground at the University of Michigan.

The Weather Channel 
http://www.weather.com/homepage.html 
Get up to date weather forecasts from around the United States.

Center for Ocean, Land and Atmosphere Studies 
http://grads.iges.org/ 
Offers sophisticated climatology resources as well as current forecasts, research papers, and links to research scientists.

Kennedy Space Center 
http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/ksc.html 
Find updates, information and images of shuttle missions on the KSC homepage.

NASA/ Montana State University CERES(Center for Educational Resources) Project 
http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/ 
An extensive library of interactive K-12 materials for teaching astronomy, including classroom ready lesson plans, NASA data search engines, and distance learning courses for in-service K-12 teachers.

United States Space Foundation 
http://www.spaceconnection.org 
The ultimate space website. There is a little bit of everything here.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ 
A different image everyday of our fascinating universe along with a brief description written by a professional astronomer.

NASA Spacelink - An Electronic Information System for Educators 
http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov/ 
A really great site for following the NASA space program. Unique resources for teachers and students. Coordinators with Spacelink accounts can sign on and benefit from special services.

Environmental Protection Agency 
http://www.epa.gov 
The best overview site for environmental issues! Wonderful links—a “one stop site”

Volcano World 
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/ 
Everything that you might want to know about volcanoes. Almost like being there!

United States Geological Survey 
http://www.usgs.gov/ 
Offering more than just maps, the USGS provides Earth science data, images and curricular resources for K - 12 teachers and students.

Views of the Solar System 
http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/ 
At this site, you’ll find clearly presented images of all the planets, of asteroids, comets and the sun. This site has well written accounts of the solar system, the history of space exploration and useful scientific data.

Rainforest Action Network 
http://www.ran.org/ran/ 
Although rainforests cover less than two percent of the Earth’s surface, they’re home to nearly half the planet’s known life forms. And rainforests are being destroyed at the rate of 214,000 acres per day. Find out what you can do to save our planet earth!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

Free Inquiry-based Instruction Resource:  WISE
http://wise.berkeley.edu/welcome.php
WISE is a simple learning environment where students examine real-world evidence and analyze current scientific controversies. Curriculum projects are designed for grades 5-12. Students do most WISE activities on a computer, using a web browser. WISE (in this free online software environment) provides tools for data visualization, causal modeling, simulations, and assessment.

Science Matters
http://www.medtronic.com/foundation/community-ed-science-matters-form.html.
Science Matters is a free 24-page booklet sponsored by the Medtronic Foundation, was designed as a tool for parents and educators to help K-6 students unlock the world of science and discovery at home and school. With a blend of ideas, activities, and profiles of scientists and their inventions, Science Matters reinforces the important role of nurturing a child’s natural curiosity and demonstrates that “science is everywhere.” It also provides families with an understanding of what science is, and what it is not, and explores careers in STEM subjects.

Free Educational Resources

http://www.free.ed.gov.

More than thirty federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find.

Women Are Scientists

http://science.education.nih.gov/women. 

Several free DVDs that profile women scientists are available upon request from the National Institutes of Health. The “Women Are Scientists” series showcases successful female scientists in their respective specialties, and inform students about educational requirements, rewards, and challenges of careers in the biomedical sciences. This series is designed to motivate students to take more challenging advanced science and math courses and to enable them to successfully direct their own career paths.

Electronic Slideshows

http://www.msnucleus.org/membership/guide/slideshowk6.html

Math/Science Nucleus has developed electronic slideshows that transform scientific subjects into pictorials.  The templates can be used to teach science and math concepts to children and adults.  

Dragonfly TV

http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/

Dragonfly TV offers podcasts, interactive games, lessons, and activities designed for elementary students.

Exploritorius:  Science Snacks by Subject 
http://www.exploratorium.edu/educate/index.html

The website includes a diverse selection of “Science Snacks” to involve students in grades K-12 in hand-on activities, webcasts, and science news.

Frank Potters Science Gems

http://www.sciencegems.com/index.shtml

Frank Potters Science Gems include content-specific lesson plans, experiments, and activities for students in grades K-12.  There are images, slide shows, and additional links to educational resources.

Middle School Science Lesson Plans

 http://www.middleschoolscience.com/

This site provides a searchable database of lesson plans and activities for students in grades 5-8.

Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

http://www.iit.edu/~smile/index.html

The Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement

The SMILE program is designed to enhance the elementary and high school learning of Science and Mathematics through the use of the phenomenological approach.

Flinn Scientific 
http://www.flinnsci.com 
Good ideas for Lab safety, contact numbers for FREE Reference Manual.

BIGChalk.com-The Education Network 
http://www.bigchalk.com 
All sorts of stuff for the up-to-date educator!

Extreme Science 
http://www.extremescience.com 
This site by a former NASA scientist profiles extremes in the natural and animal worlds as well as the scientists who study such phenomena.

High School Science Fair Ideas 
http:// www. stemnet.nf.ca/science fairs/senior.html 
Choose your area of interest then click on the subtitle for a wealth of ideas.

Science Fair Central 
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral 
This site is designed to encourage interest and participation in science fair competitions across the country.

Discovery Channel School 
http://school.discovery.com 
Lesson plans, discussions and lots more on this site.

Project 2061 
http://project2061.aaas.org 
Project 2061’s materials are available on this site as well as ratings for various curriculum materials.

The ENC Inquiry and Problem-Solving Site 
http://www.enc.org/focus/topics/inquiry/index.htm 
Inquiry and problem solving are central to standards-based teaching of mathematics and science.  Articles show how classroom teachers all over the country encourage their students to become inquirers and problem-solvers.

Mineral Information Institute 
http://www.mii.org 
FREE teaching materials including lesson plans, poster packets, even a FREE Periodic chart!

Free and Nearly Free Stuff 
http://www.worldbank.org/worldlinks/english/html/free.html 
This site from the World Links for Development Program offers information that is free or nearly free for schools.

FREE Federal Resources for Educational Excellence 
http://www.ed.gov/free 
New science education activities listed on the US Department of Education website.

Explore Zone 
http://explorezone.com 
Cool Science made EASY!  This site’s creators scour the world of science and zero in on the latest innovations, the coolest discoveries, and the hottest events, putting them together in a combination of words, images and animations.

The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) 
http://www.thegateway.org 
Announced by U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, this is a site designed for teachers to type a topic, grade level, and other information into a search screen that then retrieves -from more than 140 websites- lessons, instructional units, and other free educational materials on that topic for that grade level.

The Lab Safety Workshop 
http://www.labsafety.org/ 
Site dedicated to making health and safety an integral and important part of science education. 
Free copies of Lab Safety Guidelines available on request.

Educational Funding Research Council 
http://www.grantsandfunding.com 
The authoritative resources you need to find, win and manage federal and private funding for your education programs.

Magnolia Database 
http://nt.library.msstate.edu/magnolia 
Mississippi Alliance for Gaining New Opportunities through Library Information Access, a collection of databases for elementary children to adults.

Scientific American Frontiers 
http://www.pbs.org/safe/ 
PBS science series hosted by Alan Alda that shares the newest discoveries of real-life scientists.

Scientific American On-line 
http://www.sciam.com/index.html 
Past and current articles from this periodical available on-line.

National Science Teachers Association 
http://www.nsta.org/ 
Offers visitors a wealth of information about the organization itself, programs, convention information and dates, publications, awards, and competitions.

Museum of Science in Boston 
http://www.mos.org/ 
Offers resources for local and global communities, including a series of scanning electron micrographs.

National Science Foundation WWW Server 
http://www.nsf.gov 
The National Science Foundation World Wide Web Server has lots of resources and reference materials for science education. The site is designed to quickly guide viewers to information in grant and research opportunities, science trends, statistical information, news and media reports, science education, and international activities.

Eisenhower National Clearinghouse 
http://www.enc.org 
THE national site for Science and Math programs. Excellent resources.

Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park 
http://www.si.edu 
Why wait to go to Washington D.C. to visit our National Zoo?? Discover the excitement of a field trip to the zoo without the lines, spilled drinks and sore feet!

The Franklin Institute 
http://sln.fi.edu/ 
Visit the publications library, where you’ll find other science news, activities, and resources. Use their units of study to support your science curriculum. Sample some interesting science programs and demonstrations. Wander through the museum. It’s not quite the real thing, but a visit to this online museum should satisfy your yearning for learning about science.

The Exploratorium Science Snacks 
http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/snackintro.html 
Pages full of snacks - but not the kind you eat!  Minature versions of some of the most popular exhibits at the Exploratorium.

Exploratorium Home Page 
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ 
In this virtual Exploratorium, visitors can discover the wonder of genetics and DNA coding first-hand from a throng of mutant fruit flies. Site visitors will find plenty of suggestions for putting together their own experiments and exhibits at home with excerpts from two Exploratorium books, Hands-On Science and The Science Snackbook.

National Air and Space Museum
http://www.nasm.si.edu/ 
A very informative web site from the Smithsonian Institution. Information about the exhibition galleries and a calendar of events, along with a “clickable” floor map of the whole building make these pages invaluable to those who are planning to visit the museum and great pictures from the museum make this an interesting site for “armchair” travelers.

Project Learning Tree 
http://www.plt.org 
This is their national home page. Site visitors will find sample activities, a calender of events, and PLT’s curriculum.

National Science Resources Center 
http://www.si.edu/nsrc 
Operated jointly by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academy of Sciences.

Legislative Information 
http://thomas.loc.gov 
A “one stop site” for searching legislation on any topic!

Science NetLinks 
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com 
Designed specifically for teachers, parents and Liberians, Science NetLinks is a detailed guide to the best science resources on the internet.

The John F. Kennedy Center at Vanderbilt University 
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy 
Research and information on what the Kennedy Center is doing to prevent and treat disabilities.

The Annenberg/CPB Channel 
http://www.learner.org/channel 
Information about the mathematics and science network.

The Science Daily 
http://www.sciencedaily.com 
A free online science newsletter that touches on the latest information in every field of science in a classroom-friendly style.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 
http://www.highwaysafety.org 
Source for educational videos dealing with physics and car crashes.  Find out about safety facts, news release and more.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Involvement in a professional organization in your field offers many benefits to you as an educator. Here are some organizations you may be interested in investigating.

Science Professional Organizations:

American Association for the Advancement of Science

www.aaas.org

American Association of Physics Teachers

www.aapt.org

Mississippi Association of Middle Level Education

www.mamle.org

Mississippi Science Teacher’s Association

www.ms-scienceteachers.org

National Association of Biology Teachers

www.nabt.org

National Science Teacher’s Association

www.nsta.org

National Earth Science Teachers Association

www.nestanet.org

National Middle Level of Science Teachers Association

www.nmlsta.org