Moments of Discovery Even the most cursory explorations into how
scientific discoveries are made reveals that many of these discoveries are tinged with a certain serendipity and
circumstances that are not immediately attributable to a wholly reasoned and logical progression of methodical
experiments.
Eugenics Archive [Macromedia Flash
Reader] Science, a human endeavor, seems to be ever-struggling between the possibilities
of technology and the limitations of ethics. No other single event in the history of science
demonstrates how the use of data and evidence were construed to massage ethics to fuel a
reproductive war against the lower classes. As the introduction to the issue states, "...new
immigrants were seen as troublemakers, and the eugenicists purported to have data showing
that the problem was in their genes. The solution to the problem was simple -- selective
immigration restriction." The somber topic of eugenics is covered exceptionally well in this
website from the Dolan DNA Learning Center, a part of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New
York. A series of links leads visitors to exhibits highlighting such issues as the
scientific origins of eugenics, the social origins that married social Darwinism with
genetics, sterilization and marriage laws, and much more. Another link to a related site,
DNA Interactive, further stresses that while the eugenics movement has since passed, "Coming
to grips with the past failings of eugenics may allow us to move with greater confidence
into the new gene age." Certainly a fascinating look at a troubling era in social history,
this site offers a wealth of background knowledge as well as posing critical questions for
today and beyond.
BIOSIS
Consensus Building This set of interactive World Wide Web pages helps
students to learn about genetic screening and genetics in general. It is
in the form of a 'consensus conference' in which users are asked to make
decisions about what they think are acceptable uses for this new
technology. It also allows them to explore background information about
the new genetics, to place any decision they make in the context of a
real life situation (complete with audio) and to argue their case in an
on-line discussion.
BioTech's Science
Dictionary contains over 8300 terms associated with genetics, biochemistry, biotechnology,
botany, chemistry, ecology, limnology, pharmacology, toxicology and medicine."
Blue Ice: Focus on Antarctica students
regularly interact with Antarctic experts. They just finished talking with explorer Will Steger
and this week are interviewing Antarctic photographer Gordon Wiltsie. They also talk to animal
experts, glaciologists and oceanographers
Chemistry Dictionary This
document contains experiments from the "low cost" science teaching movement, simplified
versions of classical chemistry experiments, experiments using locally available substances
and kitchen chemicals, and environmental chemistry. Some experiments anticipate experiments
usually done in senior chemistry classes, e.g.. Titration with an eye dropper. The
experiments should be "girl- friendly" and "teacher friendly" - there is no overwhelming
technology. Enough theoretical background is included to remind teachers of the theoretical
context of the experiment. Every experiment is based on materials listed in a modern
commercial catalogue of chemicals and equipment."
The Children's Nature
Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating kids, teachers and parents in
the natural sciences and to inspire respect and appreciation for our natural environment.
Cool Science for Curious Kids Fun and
interactive site to help kids appreciate science with five activities adapted from science and
children's museums.
CU-SeeMe
Schools Directory A listing of K12 around the world who have the
ability to participate in CU-SeeMe videoconferencing and an archive of
events schools can participate in.
Dictionary Harcourt and Academic Press has
the largest scientific dictionary ever compiled in the English language to the Web. Search from
over 130,000 terms defined in 130 fields of science
Diplodocus This
slick demonstration of the emerging possibilities of the web will
download a hypercard-like interactive dinosaur program. When you leave,
so does the program. Other interactive demos and samples are located at
Drivers,
Start Your Engines! This Web-based activity helps 8th grade students
see how Science and Technology play a part in developing stronger and
safer cars by collecting data pertaining to the Indianapolis 500.
Earth Climate The Earth is heating up.
The early warning signs of global climate change are in -- heat waves and warmer weather,
spreading disease, earlier spring arrival, plant and animal range shifts and population
declines, sea level rise and coastal flooding, coral reef bleaching, glaciers melting,
Arctic and Antarctic warming, downpours, heavy snowfalls, and flooding, droughts and
fires.
Earth History Resources you will find many
graphic images designed for use in the development of either an on-line Internet or
interactive multimedia project related to Earth History. These images consist of photographs
of dioramas, fossils and models, and computer generated images and drawings.
Science Should Be Edible. Herein lie a
series of experiments demonstrating concepts in different branches of
science. Some may be eaten before, during or after the experiment,
and some definitely should not be eaten at all.
Endangered Species & Wetlands
report "Done by a former student of mine, this is an independent print
and online newsletter covering the Endangered Species Act, wetlands and
regulatory takings."
Epact is an electronic catalogue of medieval
and renaissance scientific instruments from four European museums: the Museum of the History of
Science, Oxford, the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florence , the British Museum,
London, and the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden. Together, these museums house the finest collections
of early scientific instruments in the world. Epact consists of 520 catalogue entries and a
variety of supporting material. All European instruments from the four museums by makers who
were active before 1600 have been entered in the catalogue. They include astrolabes, armillary
spheres, sundials, quadrants, nocturnals, compendia, surveying instruments, and so on. Examples
range from ordinary instruments for everyday use to more extravagant and often lavish pieces
destined for the cabinets of princes.
Exploring the Environment
This site, supported by NASA, presents environmental earth science
modules that make use of remote sensing and information technology with a
goal of engaging high school students in collaborative scientific inquiry
and analysis.
Exploratorium Science Snacks are
miniature versions of some of the most popular [Science] exhibits at the Exploratorium. A
science snack is a miniature science exhibit made from easily obtainable and inexpensive
material to be used by teachers in the classroom.
Nature's Genome Gateway is a comprehensive
web resource devoted to genomics." Access is free and the Gateway provides a library of
original research papers, a news service from Nature and Nature Genetics, a post-genomics
section and a set of links to the most useful and informative genomics sites on the web.
Genomes The objective of this site is to be a
one stop location where one can find most of the freely available internet resources
related to genomics and bioinformatics. Although lots of free resources are available on
the web, hunting for a desired application often takes time, frustrating and probably
don't find the best one you are looking for.
Global Warming: Early Warning Signs Created by
a host of organizations (Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra
Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, US Public Interest Research Group, World Resources
Institute, and World Wildlife Fund), this site seeks to provide evidence of the "fingerprints"
and "harbingers" of global warming. A clickable map of the world enables users to take a
closer look at geographic regions, at specific examples of "fingerprints" (e.g., heat waves,
sea level rise, melting glaciers, and Arctic and Antarctic warming) and "harbingers"
(spreading disease, earlier arrival of spring, range shifts and population declines in plants
and animals, bleaching of coral reefs, extreme weather events, and fires). While it is unclear
that any specific event may be explained by global warming, the combination of events
highlighted at this page provides powerful fodder for further thought.
GlobeXplorer is similar to Terraserver in that you can view Satellite
Photos of just about any place on earth; however, the GlobeXplorer
Viewer allows you to simply type in an address which makes finding
Satellite photos of your own house even easier. Take a look!
Goodall got her start studying
chimpanzees in the jungle of Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park. Learn about how her
groundbreaking research into chimp behavior is still inspiring scientists today. And for
further information on Jane Goodall, chimpanzees, and Tanzania, don't miss our Resources
section, featuring both Web sites and books.
How Stuff Works ...a great site to help
you and your students with how just about anything works-- from serial ports to dieting,
and everything in between; even includes a section on "how things will work" in the future
K12 Opportunities A
central location to post announcements about free software, contests,
conferences, training opportunities, and educational WWWeb sites.
Look Inside Human Body An
educational site designed for school children that explains how some of the major systems in
the Human Body operate. This site has been operational for nearly 3 years and has attracted
over 800,000 hits. Give your children the opportunity to experience this valuable site.
Click on the banner above to go to "A Look Inside the Human Body". It's ideal for school
projects or homework.
Marine sanctuaries -- how they were
established, how they're managed, their scientific and educational programs, and the many
exciting events that occur in them throughout the year."
Mars: Life
Signs? An ancient meteorite discovered in Antarctica may indicate
that a primitive form of microscopic life existed on Mars some 4 billion
years ago. Some are calling it the "biggest discovery in the history
of science." CNN Interactive takes a multimedia look at Mars with
movies, related sites, Mars in the arts and much more.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE
TEACHERS' WEBSITES Education World interviewed seven science teachers who have created
dynamite websites for students and other educators. Most are middle grades teachers. Check
out the story and the links to these outstanding cyber-science outposts. The teachers also
recommend their favorite sites!
The Department of Mineral Sciences is
dedicated to the study of minerals, gems, rocks, volcanoes, and meteorites: their origin and
evolution.
Molecular
Expressions Here's a cool Java animation. It starts by showing the earth at 10
million light years distance, then successively magnifies the view by a power of 10
until finally you see subatomic particles. It's just a small part of a website called
Molecular Expressions, put up by Florida State University.
Neuroscience for Kids This home page has been created for elementary
and secondary school students and teachers who would like to learn more
about the nervous system. Includes activities and experiments, basic
information, and lists of additional resources for teaching neuroscience.
Nikola Tesla was the genius who lit the world,
whose discoveries in the field of alternating polyphase current electricity advanced the United
States and the rest of the world into the modern industrial era.
Nikola Tesla had 700 patents in the US and Europe. Tesla's discoveries
include the Tesla Coil, fluorescent light, wireless transmission of
electrical energy, remote control, discovery of cosmic radio waves and
use of ionosphere for scientific purposes.
Ocean Colors In this online activity, students (grades 9-12)
interpret graphics by drawing conclusions and making predictions,
identify causes of plant production in the world's oceans, identify
patterns in ocean and land plant productivity, and compare and contrast
ecosystems. Includes a teacher guide, online reference material, and
activity directions.
PlanetSave, the online source for the top
environmental news stories; a green living portal helping to save the environment -- earth
friendly resources.
Science Made Simple Kids learn
science the fun & easy way with Science Made Simple! Great science projects &
experiments, clear detailed answers to children's science questions, and more."
Science research including questions qnd
quizzes. Includes internet guide for pupils, parents and teachers.
Skyscrapers including scale diagrams,
news, discussion forum, construction listings, skyline photos and lots of links
Snowflakes A falling snowflake may
take up to 2 hours to reach the ground, and even the heaviest snowflake falls at only one mile
per hour."
SpaceLab If
you're working on space craft in your class, this is an interesting site. You can click and
hold on the map, to display the date and time that the spacelab will be overhead (or at least
maybe visible, depending on altitude in the sky and the cloud cover) at your location.
Teacher teams from around the
country learn how to apply state-of-the-art simulation and modeling techniques in the
classroom to standards-based science and mathematics concepts.
Teacher-Developed
Earth and Space Science Lessons and Classroom Activities Topics for
these online lessons include Doing Astrophysics Research with an
Artificial Earth Orbiting Satellite, Sine Waves, The Electromagnetic
Spectrum, Images of the Universe in Different Wavelengths, Satellite
Communications, Satellite Dishes, Constellations and the Zodiac, Solar
System Objects, Earthquakes, and More!
Science Toys You Can Make With Your Kids This
individually-hosted Web site invites users to "make toys at home with common household materials,
often in only a few minutes, that demonstrate fascinating scientific principles." Instructions for
dozens of toys are available, and what's more, these instructions are accompanied by clear and
accessible explanations of the scientific concepts associated with each project. The Web site is
organized into eight chapters: Magnetism, Electromagnetism, Electrochemistry, Radio, Thermodynamics,
Aerodynamics, Light and Optics, and Biology. Each chapter provides recommended reading titles for
further learning.
Virtual
FlyLab Virtual FlyLab, an educational activity for learning the
principles of genetic inheritance, allows the user to play the role of a
research geneticist.
Weather
Activities and resources for K-12 learners and teachers. Instructional
activities include Hurricanes, Observing Clouds, Weather Charting, Storms
from Space, Observing the Weather, and Keeping Track of Precipitation.
Weather Forecast Page Get
information on weather specific to your area using this National Weather Service map.
Reading Weather
Maps How do you read a weather map? Take a look at this site to learn the basics of
weather forecasting.
The Weather Classroom The Weather
Classroom is a comprehensive exploration of the hows, whys, and wonders of weather.
World Weather Watch This
interactive weather project pairs up your class with another to record and share weather
data.
Weather Dude This friendly site includes weather
terms, information on today's weather, satellite images, weather phenomena, and songs about
weather.
Whales of
the World This site, created by The International Wildlife Coalition,
includes a set of activities for kids in grades 2-5.
Whelmers These science
activities will catch the eye and mind of even the most indifferent student.
The Wild World site is
designed bring the wonders of biodiversity and the urgency of conserving it. The Educator's
Guide that accompanies the maps offers lesson plans and activities on subjects like map
fundamentals, biodiversity, and ecoregions."
