Gas molecule motion
This page describes the relationship between kinetic energy of molecules and temperature.
Observe an animation of metamorphic rocks forming
This interactive Earth science resource for middle and high school students demonstrates how heat and pressure beneath the surface of the Earth change igneous rocks into metamorphic rocks. Photographs accompanied by a short animation and text boxes illustrate how the igneous rock diorite is transformed into the foliated metamorphic rock gneiss. The mineral components of each rock are labeled. Students are able to use control buttons to play, pause, and move forward and backward through the simul
Your sense of taste
This brief illustrated resource about the sense of taste is part of a feature that explores how humans experience flavor. The five taste qualities--including umami--are mentioned. The resource also corrects the misconception that humans can only taste certain food qualities at specific regions of the tongue. A set of connected, labeled diagrams of the tongue, taste buds, the brain, and facts about taste are noted in a sidebar. One fact compares the average number of taste buds in humans, chicken
Teaching Box: The Feeding Frenzy, Seasonal Upwelling
This teaching box is designed to teach students about the biotic and abiotic factors that drive the process of upwelling in the oceans. Students will deepen their understanding of the dynamics that create a seasonal abundance of marine life in coastal upwelling zones by exploring marine food webs, primary food production in the ocean, density and wind-driven currents, and seasonal changes in resources. By working backwards, students will discover that wind-driven upwelling supplies phytoplankton
Science Sampler : Correcting student misconceptions
Before learning any formal science, children try to make sense of natural phenomena on their own. However, several studies have shown that it can be difficult to convince a student to give up a long-held misconception in favor of an accurate scientific explanation. Misconceptions can be confronted through hands-on and minds-on activities. The strategies outlined in this article will foster a climate of inquiry within the classroom.
Idea Bank : A Big Bang Lab
The authors of "How Far are the Stars," featured in the February issue of The Science Teacher, showed how the measurement of parallax permits scientists to infer astronomic distances. Give your students the chance to make similar inferences through a free module available online that allows students to scale sizes and distances, and then create models from which they calculate inferences that, in simplified form, give results that astronomers obtained similarly in recent times.
Zookeeper
Teachers can direct students to this material to help them investigate a career as a zookeeper. Having students review this page can be an excellent precursor to a job-shadowing activity. The discussion board's set of questions and answers can be a helpful resource for an activity in which students produce a number of pertinent questions that should be asked of a zookeeper when investigating this field of work.
Meter : Metre
This article gives detailed scientific information related to the creation of the meter. The material connects the scientific theory behind the metric system to the practical efforts of Mechain and Delambre, including the historical times in which they worked. Information includes further definition of the meter, first as a bar and then as a specific distance measured by light.
Quick take on factors
Factors and their multiples are so important to students in their work with fractions and number theory. These concepts come under the NCTM Numbers and Operations Standard for the middle grades. The online resources here are all hands-on, if only virtually. Important to their success is the classroom talk that the resources generate.
Matter: Atoms from Democritus to Dalton
This web page provides an overview of atomic theory from Democritus to Dalton and reviews John Dalton's 4 basic theories on matter. The page is also available in Spanish.
Frames
Students build, test and compare square and triangle frames.
Observe common objects made of minerals
This interactive Earth science resource lets students first see six images of minerals and then, by placing their cursor over each image, an image of an everyday object made from that mineral. Quartz, gypsum, and fluorite are among the minerals shown, with the corresponding familiar objects being glass, drywall (Sheetrock), and toothpaste. Copyright 2005 Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
All About Sea Ice
Launched by the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the All About Sea Ice website is designed as an introduction to sea ice: what it is, how it forms, how it is studied, how it affected historical expeditions in the polar regions, and what role it plays in the global climate. The site contains over 80 pages of information on sea ice, including a glossary of sea ice terms and links to more information. The primary focus of the site is as a resource for the general public, educators and students in
Bat talk
This video clip, viewable in RealPlayer, introduces students to the research that Maryland biologists are conducting to assess the status of bat populations in their state. Technologies are discussed that help scientists study the often elusive bats. The clip shows that when researchers descend into a cave to survey the number of hibernating bats there, they discover fewer bats are present than in previous years. The clip also notes that efforts to conserve bat populations are needed. Bats contr
Reading online
This informational piece, part of a series about the future of energy, introduces students to a four-stage process for reading material online. The process includes getting started, reading, rereading and reviewing, and finishing. Each stage comes with a student tip sheet to enable students to work through the processes in a step-by-step manner. Students examine, summarize, review, and then use their new information. A graphic organizer provides students with an opportunity to evaluate the infor
EdWeb
This hypertext book by Andy Carvin includes chapters on the role of the Web in education, a crash course in HTML, history and explanations of the Internet, educational reform and information technology, successful case studies, and K-12 resources on the net.
Observe the retreat of ice sheets from North America
In this Earth science animation, middle and high school students observe the retreat of ice sheets in North America for the past 18,000 years. Students are instructed to observe the animation carefully to see how the sea level changes as the ice sheets retreat. The animation presents images in 1,000-year increments from 18,000 years ago to the present. Movie controls allow students to repeat, pause, or step through the animation, which can give students more time to analyze how the shape of the
Pretzel Predictions
Can students predict how many pretzels they can eat in a minute? This material is part of a series of hands-on science activities designed to arouse student interest. Here students learn that pretzels contain a saliva-absorbing compound and are asked to take that fact into consideration when predicting how many pretzels they can eat in a minute. The activity includes a description, a list of science process skills and complex reasoning strategies being used, and a compilation of applicable natio
Degrees Kelvin: A Tale of Genius, Invention, and Tragedy
LORD KELVIN. In 1840, a precocious 16-year-old by the name of William Thomson spent his summer vacation studying an extraordinarily sophisticated mathematical controversy. His brilliant analysis inspired lavish praise and made the boy an instant intellectual celebrity. As a young scholar William dazzled a Victorian society enthralled with the seductive authority and powerful beauty of scientific discovery. At a time when no one really understood heat, light, electricity, or magnetism, Thomson fo
Exploring Earth : explore the world of Earth science
This site could be a powerful supplement to textbook-based teaching and learning. By using this site, high school students can visualize and interact with Earth science concepts in an active, engaging manner. If teachers are looking for online resources that promote inquiry- or discovery-based learning, they could draw from the more than 70 investigations on this site. Specific resources could also be used to introduce a topic, to supplement a reading assignment, or to continue student learning
