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.
Maximize area
Maximize the area of a rectangle with a given perimeter. Vary the perimeter, base, and height of the rectangle and examine changes to the graph of the area.
The secret life of the brain
This web site was developed to accompany the PBS television series The Secret Life of the Brain, which explores how the human brain develops and changes from infancy through late adulthood. Among the site's features are a timeline of human knowledge of the brain, an interactive three-dimensional brain model, and illustrated descriptions of various brain scanning techniques. There are also sections devoted to each episode of the TV series that provide an overview of the episode, brief video clips
Similarity
In this workshop session, elementary and middle school teachers explore scale drawing, similar triangles, and trigonometry in terms of ratios and proportion. Besides explanations and real-world problems, the unit includes video segments that show teachers investigating problems of similarity. To understand the ratios that underlie trigonometry, participants use an interactive activity provided online. This is session 8 of Learning Math: Geometry, a free online course.
Mortality rate of captive-bred and released carnivores is 70%
This January 25, 2008 entry in the NSDL Expert Voices blog Connecting News with National Science Education Standards deals with survival rates of captive-bred carnivore released into the wild. It points to modifications breeders should make to decrease mortality rates. Additional links to teaching resources related to populations, ecosystems, and diversity are provided
Frequently Asked Questions: Questions About Paleontology
This site asks and answers questions about paleontology, fossils and dinosaurs. Paleontology questions are: What is paleontology? How does paleontology differ from anthropology and archaeology? What are the practical uses of paleontology? How do paleontologists know how old their fossils are? What training is necessary to become a paleontologist? What organizations exist for paleontologists?
Waves, sound and light
Teachers can give demonstrations and students can conduct virtual physics experiments related to waves using the Shockwave simulations at this site. Simulations are designed to explore sound wave frequencies, echoes, a phased array, ultrasound, interference patterns, the doppler effect, and more. Students will need teacher assistance as there is little explanatory material with the simulations.
BBC historic figures : Isaac Newton
This concise biography includes an image of Newton and related links in the right navigation bar including: one to an article Newton papers revealed; The Newton Project; and to a lengthier biography, Isaac Newton.
Sounds of the Sun
The sounds of the sun are the focus of this two-minute episode of the radio program Pulse of the Planet. The episode is available here in text and audio formats, the latter of which features time-compressed sun sounds. The episode's host and his guest, a solar physicist, explain the dynamics that cause our sun to oscillate and produce sound waves. The sound data was collected by the space-based Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). In analyzing the sun's sounds, scientists detected jet stre
Sound Waves Underwater : True or False
This interactive quiz from the NOVA Web site features an array of interesting facts about the nature of sound underwater.
The baby's brain : infant vision
In this feature, the user explorers how a baby's sense of sight develops. By dragging a slider bar to each of six different age markers, the user can see how the same image looks for babies as they get older. There is also a paragraph-long explanation of vision at each of the six ages shown: newborn, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, and adult. These explanations reveal what a baby can and cannot see at each age. They also discuss how a baby's brain and eyes mature, providing improved focus
Genetics
This online tutorial from the TheTech Museum of Innovation focuses on genetics. The interactive topics will initially introduce the user to the DNA, chromosomes, and the make up of human genes. Further topics will examine forensic science, the history of forensics, fingerprinting, and cloning background research and community response to cloning. Finally, the resource provides connections to gallery exhibits, science labs, and a design challenge that engages the learner to write a persuasive let
Antarctic Extreme Jeopardy
This Antarctica activity challenges students to research and create the answers and questions for a game of classroom Jeopardy. They will include hazards to humans, polar gear, and the cold facts. This site also includes a series of inquiry-based questions to get students thinking about Antarctica and guidelines for conducting additional research, illustrated activity directions, and a worksheet that helps students craft their Jeopardy-style answers and questions.
Water reclamation plant
In this video clip, students see how wastewater is treated at a water reclamation plant. One of the plant's operators gives Bob the Vid Tec (a children's programming host) a tour of the plant, describing along the way what happens at each step in the water treatment process. For example, the operator explains that microorganisms are used to consume human waste in the biological nutrient removal step. Bob also talks with another plant operator about why kids should learn about wastewater treatmen
Science News For Kids
This resource is meant to enhance the usefulness of Science News in the middle-school classroom and offer recreational reading and activities for students interested in science. It is comprised of six zones: a weekly brainteaser for those who enjoy solving and inventing puzzles, entertaining science-fiction composition exercises for those interested in writing, and weekly science fair profiles and tips. The GameZone contains a small selection of logic and memory games, implemented as Java applet
Tessellate!
This Java applet enables students to create tessellations, which are patterns on a plane that do not overlap. The student selects a hexagon, rectangle, or triangle to distort by dragging edges and the newly formed corners. Users can select colors for the pattern, and a button displays information in a second window. The window lists the coordinates of the vertices, angle measures, side lengths, area, and perimeter for the shape. From the applet page, What, How, and Why buttons open pages that ex
Science 101 : How Do Microscopes Work?
Microscopes allow scientists to examine everyday objects in extraordinary ways. They provide high-resolution images that show objects in fine detail. This articles includes details on how microscopes work and how they enhance the scientific process.
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
Water reclamation plant (RealVideo)
In this video clip, students see how wastewater is treated at a water reclamation plant. One of the plant's operators gives Bob the Vid Tec (a children's programming host) a tour of the plant, describing along the way what happens at each step in the water treatment process. For example, the operator explains that microorganisms are used to consume human waste in the biological nutrient removal step. Bob also talks with another plant operator about why kids should learn about wastewater treatmen
Scope on Safety : Waste not, want not
Planning chemical use and disposal is critical to a safe laboratory environment. It is irresponsible to simply go out and purchase laboratory chemicals without considering why they are needed and how they will be disposed of when they are no longer needed. An OSHA-based Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) should be adopted by the science department as the first step in this vital process. The procedures and operations for the purchase, use, storage, and recycling of hazardous chemicals are addressed in
