Internet Sites for Science Education

Biology

Access Excellence

Access excellence http://www.accessexcellence.org/ is an educational web site developed by The National Health Museum and dubbed the "Site for Health and Bioscience Teachers and Learners".

Although the site emphasis is on health (both personal and public) the site includes a great deal of information on general biological concepts. It is easy to navigate, has some great links and resources, and includes some newsgroup-type resources to increase collaboration among professionals.

My favorite resource from the site so far is a link to an article prepared by Susan Holt entitled 400+ ways to show what you know. A must-read for anyone looking for creative ways to assess students. [reviewed by Ross Ruschman, Fall 2005]

The Biology Corner

The website I have used to create and inform me about my lesson plans is “The Biology Corner” by Shannan Muskopf. I used the worksheet page to supplement my lesson on mitosis and meiosis but the homepage http://www.biologycorner.com/index.php is where I’d start for general info and ideas. Mrs. Muskopf is obviously experienced and learned in her biology and technology skills. An overall excellent resource. [reviewed by Chris Briggs, Fall 2005]

Cells Alive

We are aware that our students have different abilities and needs when it comes to their learning. Being able to not only discuss, but show the students processes and images in the field of biology is a wonderul tool that may enhance a student's learning. The "Cells Alive" website provides images and videos that would not be otherwise accessible in a general science classroom. The webiste offers visual learning aids throught the realm of biology. Students will be able to view many things, from the steps of HIV infection to seeing how an ion channel works. [reviewed by Amanda Popielski, Fall 2005]

Cells Alive

The cells alive site is a great source for teaching cell biology and microbiology. It is run by James Sullivan and has been running since 1994. This site has interactive movies and models that are excellent teaching tools. Once you choose a model, you can then click on the parts of that model and see what each of the parts do. On each of the individual pages, there are vocabulary words and definitions that should be associated with that part. The interactive movies allow students to see cancer cells and bacteria cells reproducing and invading the body. [reviewed by Jen Labar, Fall 2005]

teAchnology (cell biology page)

This site appears to be very thorough. You can find lesson plans and worksheets for any subject. There is a rubric generator, as well as reproducible worksheets and organizers. To enjoy the full benefits of the site you do have to register but you can find helpful information even without registering. There is a section with teacher reviews where other teachers tell you what they think are the best websites, games etc. I think that this will be helpful because you not only get to see what links the site thinks are good but also what other teachers think about the sites and what may or may not have worked for them in their classroom. [reviewed by Jen Labar, Fall 2005]

Biology Corner

I have compiled a listing of Biology web sites that is likely 100 deep by now. I have classified they by how I use them (teaching lessons, information, specific topics in science etc.) I am always visiting these sites looking for new information on how to present topics and find new and current information. I find the Internet an invaluable resource. I think if I had to choose one site today it would have to be this one. This site is great for everyone, students, teachers, parents alike can find useful information and activities here. I will absolutely have at least one computer in my classroom, even if it is mine. Using the Internet for research and classroom activities will be a big part of my lessons in the future. Click here for a list of some other sites I've found to be valuable. [reviewed by Kevin Peterson, Fall 2005]

Chemistry

About (chemistry lesson plans)

The website, About, is helpful to science teachers because it contains great sections that include demos and experiments. The site also contains homework help, tests and quizzes, health and safety projects, lesson plans and employment sections. The lesson plans are focused on grades 3-12, so there are diverse ways of presenting complex subject material. The qualities of these lesson plans are mediocre to something I would follow, but the site provides useful information. The lesson plan page includes suggested readings for students who need or want extra material for support. The website has a variety of links and additional resources available. The site is organized and easy to navigate. There are links for students, which can be very helpful for research or a study guide. The tests and quizzes section allows students to play a number of games to help them prepare and review the material. For the Chemistry teachers: there is a link for worked chemistry problems and a chemical structures archive. The structures archive can be valuable for visualizing 3D rotating molecules. [reviewed by Natasha Chromey, Fall 2005]

American Chemistry Council

www.americanchemistry.com is a different kind of a science education internet site. It is kept up to date by its author, The American Chemistry Council. The ACC represents several business groups. I chose this site because it approaches chemistry from a more realistic and fresh viewpoint for the students. There are many textbook-like sites that can jam down facts. This site, however, can shed some reality on the relevance question.

For example, it details how plastics are made, how they are used, the role they play in our economy, and how you can get involved. They use products that we all use for examples. It's a good introduction to the chemical industry for them. I have seen similar sites successfully used for "internet" labs or "dry" labs. This site nicely brings to light practical applications for the students, and it is probably a nice change of pace for them. The "she" issues (safety, health,and environment) are also tied into their discussion. These topics allow the students to examine how we as a society can responsibly use chemistry. The topics are timely. [reviewed by Lou Pacchioli, Fall 2005]

LearnNet

This site is called learnnet and is specifically designed to provide resources for the chemistry teacher. The site has links to amazing websites including every chemistry site imaginable. It is pretty easy to navigate, but to search for something specific might present a challenge. Anything and everything about chemistry education can be found at this site or through this site. Many of the links offer books, pamphlets, lesson plans, or just interesting sites for students to explore. This site is sure to become saved as a direct link on a lot of chemistry teachers’ computers. This is a highly recommended website. [reviewed by Jeff Wisnoski, Fall 2005]

Chemical Reactions

I found this site have a fairly clear explanation of how to balance simple chemical reactions. It breaks it down so that anyone, whether you know much about chemistry or not can learn how to balance an equation. [reviewed by Lauren Ricci, Fall 2005]

Earth and Space

NASA

One of my favorite sites is the NASA web site. This is an excellent source of information about current astronomical topics as well as an excellent reference for teachers. There are lesson plans for a range of ages and topics...there is even a way to become a NASA explorer school and team up with NASA. This is an integrated math and science program that has thirty schools which work together. The new moon mission is being investigated as well as the information on Voyager. There are specific lesson plans that can be done online or off, with material lists and ideas. [reviewed by Kathy Youshock, Fall 2005]

NASA

Out of the multitude of internet sites that explore scientific topics I chose the NASA site to review. www.nasa.gov I have used this site many times for personal inquiry and I find it overwhelmingly complete. The site is edited and maintained by NASA officials and updated daily. The site covers topics such as Life on Earth which describes current and past weather around the globe. It details the current hurricanes and large fires affecting the planet. Humans in space is another heading covered that details the astronaut program. Another section deals with the exploration of the universe and has pictures and analysis from the telescopes on and off planet.

The site is very informative and can be used by all ages and levels of knowledge. I recommend this site as a source for earth and space investigation. [reviewed by Greg Hoffner, Fall 2005]

Physics

The Physics Classroom (Tom Henderson of Glenbrook South HS)

This web site is a great physics tutorial. I specifically looked at the circuits portion, but if the rest of site is a good as this portion, it is a great general physics resource. The site is a high school physics tutorial covering all aspects of typical high school physics. The information is presented in a logical sequence and is geared for the beginning high school physics students. It avoids unnecessary jargon and is presented from a conceptual standpoint, though it does incorporate some math. The site has good visuals (such as numerous circuit diagrams, etc.) to reinforce the content. Especially helpful are links in the text to other portions of the site for key terms/concepts, allowing the student to refresh their understanding on a particular point. Throughout the text, there are many interactive self checks (determine the equivalent resistance and click the box to check your answer). End-of-section self quizzes allow the student to check their understanding.

As a supplemental tutorial to the classroom presentation, this is an excellent resource. There is probably not enough here for the student to learn physics without the classroom, but it is a great resource for students to use for practice and refresher. [reviewed by Eric Overholt, Fall 2005]

General or Multidisciplinary Science

PBS Science Section

This site has over 4,500 lesson plans. Lessons can be searched using specified criteria. The Science section of the site has lesson plans for grades K-12. The Science lesson plans are listed by topic. In general they cover Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Geology, Earth Science, and Physics. This site includes extremely detailed lessons that include references to National Science Standards, links to interesting websites and Cross-curricular extensions for each lesson. This site has does not have method for teachers to submit lesson plans. It does give educators the ability to create a personal folder with individual search criteria. The lesson plans that I reviewed were excellent and l could have spent a few more hours browsing this site. This site is Public Broadcasting Service product. It was wonderful to navigate a well structured site that did not have annoying pop-up and flashing banner advertisements. [reviewed by Michele Fogarty, Fall 2005]

Directory of Science Education Websites

A website that is actually a directory of science education websites. It is very in-depth and comprehensive. There are 14 major headings with numerous entries under each heading. Examples of some links are: "Sites for "cool" science" and "Science for Girls". This page is a large resource of links and helpful sites for information on science education. I browsed the biology section briefly and it has wonderful, colorful pictures and links. [reviewed by Julie Evans, Fall 2005]

BBC

The site that I looked at was http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/subjects/science.shtml. This site has links from the BBC. These links include information about biology, chemistry, and nature. There is an astronomy picture of the day. There is a link to Medtropolis which gives a virtual tour of the human body. The site also has a link to a science radio station with science and health related discussions. There are links to interactive games and information on the latest in science news. If you click on the science link on this page it takes you to another page with information about animals, prehistoric life, the human body and mind, space, and hot topics in science. The site is easy to navigate and seems very user friendly. [reviewed by Kristina Carone, Fall 2005]

Walch

This site is for a commercial publisher of supplemental educational publications which included lesson plans. Materials can be searched by grade level and subject. The lesson plans could not be viewed before purchasing. Therefore, no determination of the quality of plans could be made. This site was easy to navigate. This site is maintained by Walch Publishing.[reviewed by Michele Fogarty, Fall 2005]

Discovery School

This is a site that offers a wide array of teaching tools It even has its own teacher's store. It offers lesson plans for all areas of sciences as well as math, history and chemistry just to name a few. There is a favorites section where you will find "Brain Boosters", "Puzzlemakers" and few other tools to help teach a lesson. You can also look up what is playing on television and it will tell you what subject the show will cover and for what age group it is geared toward. I found this site to offer many tools a new teacher (and an experienced teacher) could use. It was very easy to get around and it didn't cost anything. [reviewed by Marilena Carranza, Fall 2005]

Science Spot

This site is funded by Mrs. Tracy Trimpe who is a science teacher in Illinois. It covers all areas of science including chemistry, physics, biology and astronomy just to name a few. There is a puzzle corner for the "what if" times, an idea factory which includes ideas for the first day of school, birthdays, classroom management etc., and a reference desk which includes links to other education sites. The lesson plans are great and most include links to online worksheets and even online activities. [reviewed by Jen Labar, Fall 2005]

Why Files

This site has a huge selection of excellent science images. Most of the images are extreme close ups obtained by an electron microscope. These types of images will help students to actually see what they may not be able to imagine (like the snout of a butterfly for example). They also deal with real life issues and examine why they happen. The main question at this time: Is hurricane Katrina a result of global warming? Examples like this help students connect science with what's happening in the world around them. [reviewed by Jen Labar, Fall 2005]

Science Net Links

This is a site with lessons that are specifically designed to the education standards. They cover grades K-12 and can be viewed according to specific benchmarks or grade range. There is a resources section that is sectioned by benchmarks as well as grades which provides links to other websites that are appropriate for that benchmark. There is a science update section which consists of brief, 90 second updates on current scientific topics. Overall this looks like it will be a very informative and useful site. [reviewed by Jen Labar, Fall 2005]

General or Multidisciplinary Education

Public Broadcasting Service

This website is run by the Public Broadcasting Service. Users can utilize a search feature to find lessons and information, browse by subject, or select their preferred grade range and topic. The science listing has 31 different topic areas to choose from and each of the those offers numerous lesson ideas, additional resources, and links. The site provides access to over 3,000 lessons and activities. Other site features include links to TV for Teachers, Technology and the Teacher, a newsletter, PBS products and services, and current events that can be integrated into classroom lessons. There are also recommended books and links and a featured lesson/activity that are updated regularly. Users can personalize the site and organize materials and information by creating their own user profile which can be accessed through a login name and account. The site offers numerous useful lessons/activities on a wide range of topics related to science and relates them well to the broader picture of learning. All lessons are connected to national standards and suggest media that would be useful to the lesson. [reviewed by Megan Morgan, Fall 2005]

The Educator's Reference Desk

Recently, in Sem 1, I had to review many internet sites related to my field (Biology) and I think the best one I found is called The Educator's Reference Desk. It's run by the Information Institute of Syracuse. The URL for it is http://www.eduref.org/. It is comprehensive for almost every aspect of teaching as well as all subject areas and grade levels. It features a resource guide with information on everything from planning to assessment. It also has an archive of questions asked by teachers and the responses to them which are arranged by subject. There are lesson ideas on the site which can be viewed by subject or you can use their search engine. I think this website will be prove to be useful to me and I hope you can all find something worthwhile there too. [reviewed by Megan Donovan, Fall 2005]

Columbia Education Center

This site has over 600 lesson plans, all submitted by teachers. Lessons can be searched by grade level and department. All the Science lesson plans are contained in one long list. The lesson plans that I reviewed were of varying quality. This site has a method for teachers to submit lesson plans. It is a very primitive site. This site was a "plain jane", no bells and whistles and very little detailed organization. All lesson plans were presented as .txt files. This site was easy to navigate since its architecture was not very deep. This site is maintained by The Columbia Education Center (CEC), which is a private educational service non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon. This site was not sponsored by commercials. [reviewed by Michele Fogarty, Fall 2005]

Lesson Plans Page

This site has over 2,500 lessons posted. Lessons can be searched using specified criteria. The Science section of the site has lesson plans for grades K-12. The majority of the lessons were for Elementary levels. The Middle and High School Science topics included; Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Geology, Earth Science, Physics, and Psychology with some cross-connected references to Computers, Health and Mathematics. This site included a Weekly Science Experiments section. This site has a method for teachers to easily submit lesson plans. It provides educators with a method of communicating with each other through Discussion Forums. The lesson plans that were listed for Chemistry were almost exclusively for laboratory sessions. The lesson plans that I reviewed were very good and certainly would capture a student's interest. However, I was hoping to find more lecture type lessons with relevant or unique methods described. This site was extremely easy to navigate and contained a plethora of links to some fabulous resources. The Lesson Plans Page is a collection of lesson plans that were developed by Kyle Yamnitz, students, and faculty at The University of Missouri. More recent lesson plans were submitted by the users of this website. This site is sponsored by many web based businesses so one has to deal with banner and pop-up advertisements. [reviewed by Michele Fogarty, Fall 2005]

Education World

This site contains teacher submitted lesson plans, a message board, a resource center, access to articles archives, a worksheet library, and a newsletter. Lessons can be searched by subject area. The Science section of the site has lesson plans for grades K-12; however, they were not categorized by grade level. The Science topics included; Agriculture, Life Science, History of Science, Chemistry, Physical Sciences, and Space Science. There were a minimal amount of lessons posted for Chemistry. The lessons posted were all quite good. There was a nice mix of lessons for laboratory work and for "desk" work. This website was easily navigated. It had minimal links to outside sources. This site is operated by EDmin.com, a consultant for learning management. This site is sponsored by many web based businesses; so there are the usual pop-ups and banner advertisements. [reviewed by Michele Fogarty, Fall 2005]

National Geographic

[recommended by Chris Briggs, Fall 2005]