Shape explorer
This Java applet is designed to allow students to practice visualizing and calculating area and perimeter for figures formed by adjacent squares on a grid. After the student selects a size using a slide bar, the Java applet generates a random closed figure. The student enters values for the figure's area and perimeter, which are checked automatically. The applet limits figures to rectangles and generates two column comparisons of areas and perimeters for multiple figures. From the activity page,
Seasonal Vegetation Changes
In this lesson students discover that measuring the color of the Earth from space can be used as a way to tell how healthy the Earth is. This can be done both to help farmers grow crops and to observe how deforestation has affected the planet. Students will also be able to download the most recent vegetation map, to compare today's data to an average January or July. As they compare vegetation maps, they will see that some regions are green all year long, other regions in the Southern Hemisphere
Better buses
How can city buses be made to run more quietly and produce less pollution? This article, part of a series about the future of energy, discusses the use of hydrogen-powered buses in Chicago and Vancouver. Students read about plans to place hydrogen-powered buses in six of the world's smoggiest cities and the potential for reduced air pollution. Copyright 2005 Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
Units and Cylinder Volume
Find the volume and surface area of a cylindical storage tank with a radius of 15 feet and a height of 30 feet.
Solar heating and cooling
This reading from a site about the future of energy introduces students to passive solar design for homes. The reading describes design elements that are used for passive solar heating and cooling. For example, reflective coatings can be applied to roofs, windows, and exterior walls to help cool houses. The reading recommends that those interested in passive solar design consult an architect. Copyright 2005 Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
Powerhouse
Which dam is the largest hydroelectric producer in the United States? This article, part of a series about the future of energy, introduces students to the Grand Coulee Dam. Students read about the amount of concrete needed to build the dam, the number of dams on the Columbia River, and Lake Roosevelt. The article includes information about the power facilities located at the dam and a photograph of the dam face. Copyright 2005 Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
Stem-and-Leaf Plotter
This activity generates a stem and leaf plot from data that the user enters.
El Nino Returns
This web page is an online companion to CNN's special coverage on El Nino for the 1997-98 season. El Nino is a strange but powerful weather phenomenon; tracker and background reports provide the user with the science behind El Nino, its history and impact. Topics covered include: forecast; ground zero (Peru); strange brew (weather); prediction meter; the wet coast (California); and the trackers. Links to other web sites are provided, and users may access more up-to-date El Nino stories by clicki
Ready to Teach (RTT) interactives library
This web site offers access to four interactive software tools designed to help teachers and students of algebra visualize and experiment online with key concepts related to linear and piecewise functions. Copyright 2005 Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
National Geophysical Data Center: Relief Globe Slides
This set of 20 slides contains 14 global views of the Earth in full color shaded relief, showing land and undersea topography. The planet is seen from vantage points over the poles and each major ocean and land mass. Also included are a rectangular Mercator projection view of the whole Earth, as well as displays of crustal plates and their relation to world seismic activity. The images are computer-generated from a digital database of oceanic bathymetry and land topography.
Mission to Mars
This educational module is designed to teach students about models and data collection and analysis using a Mars Mission as an example. The activities in this module require students to gather observations and data and use this to generate a model that illustrates a real object, in this case, the surface topography of a landing site on Mars. This module allows for students to have increasingly sophisticated experiences with this concept as well as an opportunity to utilize science process skills
Spaghetti Bridge
Civil engineers design and construct structures such as buildings, dams, and bridges. We can explore the field of engineering by making a bridge using spaghetti. This bridge is then tested based on the weight it can carry without breaking.
Trees, soil and water : Journey to Forever
Trees, soil and water: Journey to Forever - healthcare for mountains, trees for deserts, trees for people, forest, forestry, deforestation, erosion, soil conservation, water conservation, desertification This article discusses the interdependence between trees, soil, and water from a biological and conservationist standpoint.
Biology4Kids
This appealing site by Kapili.com has lots of information and neat photos, this is a great site to learn about how to study and classify life forms, ranging from cells and microbes to plants and animals. Visitors can be guided through the site tour, browse, or search for specific topics. The site is interesting and informative.
Biology
Biology is the science of life, the branch of the natural sciences that studies living organisms.
Demonstrations and Animations for Teaching Astronomy
This website is intended for teachers to use these animations in class to illustrate important astronomy concepts like: lunar phases, Keplers Laws, retrograde motion, the Doppler Effect, spectral lines, Kirchoffs Laws, and the seasons.
Sketches of the history of Electromagnetics
This website outlines the history of light, electricity, magnetism and electromagnetic theory, placed in a linked timeline order with corresponding biographical sketches. It includes events from antiquity to 1933.
Superbug Survival is Basic
This on-line news article investigates the question: Can microbial life thrive in the caustic conditions common to floor strippers and baking soda? It reports samples near a landfill in south Chicago that reveal alkaline solutions are basic to certain bacterial superbugs. The article explores the habitat, genetic analysis, and close relatives of these microbial wonders while also conveying that much more research is needed in the area. Useful links are located at the end of the article.
Methods and Strategies : Using Models Effectively
Models are crucial to science teaching and learning, yet they can create unforeseen and overlooked challenges for students and teachers. This article guides students through age-appropriate, critical analyses of instructional models.
Fascinating pickle facts
Each of this feature's nine paragraphs describes a fact about food produced through fermentation around the globe. The facts present a mix of history and science. For example, one paragraph explains how pickles were instrumental in Spain's discovery of America, while another reveals why modern-day outdoor fermentation vats are intentionally left uncovered. Another paragraph summarizes how osmosis and the bacteria involved in pickling can make vegetables more vitamin-rich. In addition, historical
