Linear Function Machine
This activity allows the user to explore simple linear functions. This Java applet requires a Java-capable browser. If you don't see the applet Java may not be functional in your browser or on your machine.
Water Properties
This simple description of the chemical and physical properties of water was produced by the U.S. Geological Survey. It includes a brief quiz to assess prior knowledge, diagrams of water molecules, and important numerical data about water.
Wisconsin Fast Plants Program
This is the homepage of the Fast Plants organization. Fast Plants are inexpensive seeds which take approximately 2 weeks from planting to flowering. The website includes seed ordering, growing directions, and activities.
Water Tower
This website describes how water towers work. It includes colorful photographs of water towers and a diagram of how water travels through them.
Polar Bears International Photo and Video Gallery
This page links to video intervews of the researchers and photographers, videos of polar bears taken with the polar cam, and images of polar bears.
Critical Evaluation of a Web Site : Middle School Level
This is a checklist designed to help middle school users critically evaluate web resources. By answering the questions in the checklist, students can then assess if the site would be a good one to use for their science research projects. There is a series of How does it look? questions and a series of What did you learn? questions that challenge students to think critically about what they are looking at and then summarize the effectiveness of the web site.
Tortoise and Hare Race
users step through the tortoise and hare race, based on Zeno's paradox, to learn about the multiplication of fractions and about convergence of an infinite sequence of numbers.
Solving a problem
This informational piece, part of a series about the future of energy, introduces students to a three-stage process for problem solving. The three stages are identify the problem, test the solutions, and evaluate the results. A student tip sheet explains each stage and enables students to work through the processes in a step-by-step manner while seeing how the information is tied together. A graphic organizer provides students with an opportunity to evaluate the problem-solving solutions they ha
T.P. Away
What's a quick way to unroll a roll of toilet paper? This material is part of a series of hands-on science activities designed to arouse student interest. Here students use Bernoulli's principle and an electric leaf blower to force air over the top of the toilet paper to quickly unroll it. The activity includes a description, a list of science process skills and complex reasoning strategies being used, and a compilation of applicable K-12 national science education standards. Also provided are c
Who Was Charles Darwin?
In this lesson, students will learn firsthand, by reading his journal entries and letters, how Darwin arrived at his theory. They also will gain a better sense of Darwin's journey and the role it played in his scientific career. In the first activity, Darwin's Great Voyage of Discovery, students will read his account of his voyage on the Beagle and see how this experience inspired him to devote the rest of his life to developing and refining the theory of natural selection. The second activity,
Plate Boundaries
This site provides information on plate boundaries, which are found at the edge of the lithospheric plates and are of three types: convergent, divergent and conservative. Wide zones of deformation are usually characteristic of plate boundaries because of the interaction between two plates. The three boundaries are characterized by their distinct motions which are described in the text and depicted with block diagram illustrations, all of which are animated. There are also two maps that show the
Observe solar eclipses
This Earth science animation helps students compare three types of solar eclipses: total, partial, and annular. The introduction explains how the type of eclipse is determined by variations in distance and alignment between the Earth, sun, and moon. The animation follows the events of all three eclipses concurrently. Movie controls allow students to repeat, pause, or step through the animation, which can give students more time to compare the eclipse sequences. Copyright 2005 Eisenhower National
Interactive atmosphere lab
The ozone layer makes up an important part of our atmosphere. This informational activity, part of an interactive laboratory series for grades 8-12, explores changes in ozone concentration with altitude. Students view a diagram that shows the layers of the atmosphere with a temperature scale running from the surface of the Earth to the outermost reaches of the atmosphere. After reading introductory material, students are presented with nine questions about the layers of the atmosphere and intera
Fractal Musicand Fractal Music Lab
This first website offers a collection of fractal music using images created by G.W.F. Albrecht. The technology and mathematics which this presentation draws on is described on the second website. The second website, developed by David Strohbeen, offers some basic information about fractals and fractal music. He has also posted some samples of his music and invites visitors to download software for creating fractal music and to submit their own compositions.
Racing Game with Two Dice
Two players each roll a die, and the lucky player moves one step to the finish. Parameters: what rolls win and how many steps to the finish line.
Beginner's guide to aerodynamics
This resource is a guide to aerodynamics that defines aerodynamics and it principle applications. The resource provides an in-depth overview of equations of motion, free falling, air resistance, motions, gas properties, and atmosphere. Aerodynamics affects on airliners, model rockets, and a beach ball is discussed.
Graphing for Area
Middle School, difficulty level 2. Graph six points and find the area of the resulting hexagon.
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
2.14 Summing up
This unit is concerned with macroevolution – the patterns and processes of evolution above the species level. A crucial consideration in macroevolutionary studies is that of the evolutionary relationships (phylogeny) of the organisms in question. The unit begins with an introduction to the scope of macroevolutionary studies and illustrates methods of reconstructing phylogeny, from both morphological and molecular data.
Compare Human-made Objects with Natural Objects
In small groups, students will experiment and observe the similarities and differences between human-made objects and nature. The students will compare the function and structure of hollow bones with drinking straws, bird beaks, tool pliers, bat wings and airplane wings. A classroom discussion can be held to discuss similarities and differences that were observed along with follow up assessment activities such as journal writing and Venn diagrams.
