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Websites from National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
NASAexplores provides free weekly K–12 educational articles and lesson plans on current NASA projects. Printable and downloadable, these supplemental curriculum resources meet national education standards. For grade specific resources, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html.
NOAA's many educational activities are distributed across the agency. This site has been designed to help students, teachers, librarians, and the general public access the many educational activities, publications, and booklets that have been produced. Click on "Primarily for Teachers" to explore offerings by topic: weather, climate change and our planet, oceans and coast, and satellites and space.
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) unites experts and resources from both inside and outside the government in an effort to preserve, sustain, and restore coral reef ecosystems. To accomplish these goals, the CRCP administers this website with much to offer teachers and students alike, including free resources. Remote Sensing and Coral Reefs, a curriculum for grades 4–6, explores such topics as satellite monitoring of the coral reef environments, phytoplankton and ocean color, and coral bleaching; its lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations are available for free downloading. Access the curriculum at http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/education/reef_remote_sensing.html.
• EPA Kids
This interactive website offers a range of educational activities, including individual and group project ideas; information on awards, careers, internships, and scholarships; and numerous links to related resources. Children in grades preK–4 may also join the Kids Club, which fosters interest in the environment and guides students in doing environmental projects. Membership is free and includes a membership card, certificate, and access to games, pictures, and stories.
Educators and students will find easy access to reliable tools, resources, and classroom materials about the link between the environment and human health.
Lesson plans, science visualizations, and more are available in the science section of the FREE website. This easily accessible information is provided by federal organizations and agencies such as the Library of Congress, National Archives, National Park Service, Smithsonian, NSF, and NASA.
This site from the Departments of Education and Labor help students explore career options in advanced manufacturing, automotive, construction, energy, health care, information technology, and transportation industries, as well as in emerging industries such as biotechnology, geospatial technology, and nanotechnology. Follow the link, "Still in elementary school?" on the "Students" page, or go to http://www.careervoyages.gov/students-elementary.cfm for information for younger students, including videos and links to other career-oriented websites.
This program originated in San Quentin State Prison, where Matthew d'Alessio, a scientist with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Team in Menlo Park, California, taught geology to inmates. After discovering how the prison yard could become a geological field site, d'Alessio developed Schoolyard Geology, which explains how to conduct a geologic field trip in a schoolyard or backyard. Activities include mapping a schoolyard using USGS's The National Map, locating and identifying rocks, and learning geologic concepts such as glacial striations, layers, and sinkholes.
The National Wetlands Research Center (NWRC) conducts research on the losses of wetlands in coastal systems, the changes in fresh and estuarine systems due to changes in water quality, and the resulting effects on birds. The NWRC also investigates related inland issues, such as bottomland hardwoods and the health of neotropical birds. The data collected by NWRC serve the needs of interested state and government agencies and can play a part in legislative initiatives. The NWRC website includes fact sheets and other background information on hot topics, such as Hurricane Katrina and radar ecology, a searchable publication database, and The Fragile Fringe: A Guide for Teaching About Coastal Wetlands. The Fragile Fringe guide offers ideas for teaching elementary through high school students
about wetlands issues. Access it at http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/fringe/ff_index.html.
Looking for maps to help illustrate your lessons? The National Atlas of the United States website allows you to create maps and illustrate them with various "layers" of data from various categories, including agriculture, geology, topography, and biology. Visitors can also print a preformatted map, play with interactive maps, or read the articles that further explain what the atlas maps show. In the atlas chapter on water, for example, text explains the science of hydrology, and map-layer options include levels of arsenic in groundwater, general water-use levels, and the presence of aquifers.
The BLM Adventures in the Past website presents the BLM's existing cultural resources in an organized and interesting way. The site's Heritage Education section includes material for teachers and students, with links to "History Mysteries" (a series of archaeology investigations with a detective theme), Junior Explorer programs, and career information. The site also lists volunteer opportunities, provides access to research and collections, and offers virtual tours of archaeological, historic, and fossil sites.
Free for All for Teachers of Science
Some of the biggest sources of energy waste can be found in our own homes, in everything from old refrigerators to drafty windows. A website created by the Alliance to Save Energy offers fun and innovative ways for students in grades 3–6 to locate these so-called energy hogs in their own homes and take practical steps to reduce their own energy waste.
The U.S. Green Building Council has launched a website for students, parents, teachers, school administrators, elected officials, and community members. The site offers information on the benefits and costs of green schools, includes profiles of schools that have already gone green, an extensive list of resources and links, and a social networking forum.
The American Society for Microbiology produces this daily, 90-second podcast series designed to increase public understanding and appreciation of microbiology and the life sciences. The podcasts highlight the process of discovery, historical changes in research, and a variety of scientific careers in industry, academia, and government. Recent features addressed efforts to eliminate tuberculosis, the use of HIV drug therapies to treat malaria, and the effectiveness of old-fashioned dish washing. Archived programs are available in a searchable database.
The New York Times' daily lesson plans are developed in partnership with the Bank Street College of Education. The lessons are linked to current news and features and aligned with national standards.
This ocean-science website—developed by Texas A&m University for students, teachers, and the general public—contains information about many important processes in the ocean, as well as links to teaching material and sources of real-time data that can be used in the classroom. K–12 material is tied to national and Texas standards for teaching science and mathematics.
• Rabies
Get the scoop on a disease that affects wild and domestic animals with this kid-friendly site for elementary/middle school from the Centers for Disease Control. Access facts and statistics about the transmission and spread of rabies, activities such as games, coloring pages, a quiz, and more.
Need elementary-age information about the astronaut spacesuit? This website lets students click different parts of the suit to find out how each works.
Visit this website for indexed, alphabetized weather topics, from acid rain to Zulu time, in an easy to read format, with many graphics and animations. (Scroll down to "Learn About Weather, Climate.")
Science teacher/writer Paul Doherty won NSTA's Faraday Award for science communication. His website offers hundreds of scientific explorations for all grade levels, indexed alphabetically and by topic.
Musical Plates is a multidisciplinary project that challenges students to tap into real-time earthquake data, interact with experts online, and publish their investigative work a special website. Four core activities (45 minutes each) teach students how to access and interpret online earthquake and volcano data and use this information to solve real-world problems.
This resource page at the Kenton, Kentucky, school district website has an array of science resources for all grade levels, as well as resources for other disciplines and technology tips.
CSE's staff members comprise a diverse group of professionals—scientists, science educators and administrators, curriculum writers and developers, policy analysts, journalists, social and educational researchers, and educational program evaluators. They develop and support projects and programs that are internationally recognized for their innovative approaches to the teaching and learning of science.
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