National Science Teachers Association
The National Science Teachers Association has over 130 initial links that are very well organized by sections such as Developing Teaching Skills, the disciplines of science from Anthropology to Zoology, expeditions, museums, organizations, news groups, and journals.Inside each of these initial links are many more specific links which give a very broad and diverse view of what science is. The all encompassing diversity makes this a valuable site. Teachers may find human anatomy pictures and lesson plans or gather information on standards or encouraging women in the sciences. Students may go to the expedition site of MayaQuest 97 or Alive on Everest or visit the Earthquake of the Day. If one needs information on video programs or lesson plans Newton's Apple, Scientific American Frontiers, PBS Scienceline schedules and plans are available. .
Discover is a wonderful science magazine that presents very current science information in a non-textbook style. Students and adults love the fascinating and entertaining articles. The Discover web site has the same attention getting graphics and articles. In addition to the current and past articles, it has science news, search the site features, technology awards, Picks of the Web (arranged by discipline) and is soon to have a gallery of its award winning scientific images. Their Current Pick of the Web is the Internet Psychology Lab, a series of interactive multimedia lessons about cognition, memory, visual, and auditory perception developed in conjunction with the University of Illinois. (The review warns that you need a very fast modem which I don't have with our rural phone lines.) The Discover site is the place to send students for the latest science information on very current problems and theories in science and math.
BioTech Life Science Dictionary
BioTech's dictionary has 7300+ terms dealing with biochemistry, biotechnology, botany, cell biology and genetics. In addition, it has a long list of links to other databases such as the World Fish Database, U.S. Plants National Database, and the Endangered-Extinct Animal Database. This is a reference for teachers and the advanced students.
Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center
This site is an example of a community working together, using technology, to understand, educate and to possibly solve some very complex problems with water. The Edwards Aquifer runs 160 miles through San Marcos, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas. It is the only source of water for many communities and water conservation and protection is essential for that area. The site has a lot of information including education, regional weather and its affect on the amount of water available,endangered species, agricultural information, and ecological information. It is a site that shows students how many different human and environmental factors affect water supplies and their attempted regulation. The site is updated weekly.
Nine Planets has an overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets and moons on our solar system including text, images, sounds and movies. This site is valuable for interdisciplinary units because it links science, history, and mythology. The visual display of the planets makes it easy to find the information and reinforces the students knowledge of the planets order from the sun since the links are displayed on a graphic illustrating the arrangement of the planets from the sun.
Bill Nye, The Science Guy, has a student engaging site that has a science demonstration of the day. His site also includes facts, information on the TV program and a web search geared for students. In the search area students choose physical science, life science, or other areas. Categories then pop up such as chemical reactions, flight, etc. The links are interesting information at the student's level such as the Chemicool Periodic Table with enough information, but not too much to be intimidating even for the below grade level student.
The Faces Of Science:African Americans in the Sciences
This site profiles hundreds of African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science and engineering. It also includes the first to receive a Ph.D in many fields and includes pictures, biography and a bibliography. The people are organized in tables under eighteen categories by professions such as oceanographers, engineers, inventors, computer scientists, geneticists, etc. This is valuable for science teachers who wish to integrate information about African American scientists throughout their year as they study different areas of science. This site includes people who have made valuable contributions in protozoology which may be important in our water quality project.
Department of Natural Resources
This site has wonderful information, but the sites that would probably be best for our water quality project are the Illinois Species Database, the EcoWatch Network, and the Critical Trends Assessment Program which is designed to monitor and restore ecosystems.This site would help students identify species and get more specific information on problems specific to Illinois. One of the ways that students monitor water quality is by the species that are found during the sampling of water. It is often hard to identify larval or immature forms of macroorganisms and this would help them find resources if they were having trouble.
National Wildlife Federation Water Quality
This site also has abundant information on such topics as The Clean Water Act, Water Quality Threats, the Great Lakes Projects, Water Quality Resources, and Special Reports on what is new or happening in the news. This is more of a resource for large bodies of water in the United States although they do have some regional information. Often when student see the large amount of trash dumped in the stream, they ask shouldn't that be against the law. This gives information on the history of the The Clean Water Act and how it has evolved over time.
This is a national watershed education program designed to involve students in local environmental service projects. The site is directed toward students and includes guides on how to study water issues and how to take action. This site is easy to read and uses little technical language which is good for the student who has difficulty in reading.
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