Cool links sent in after the fact . . . .
http://www.100topscience.com
-
listing of the top 100 science sites.
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/quickndirty/quick.html
- quick and easy science activities (broken up by age levels)
www.sciencemadesimple.com
-
simple explanations for science concepts
Provided by: The Scientists of the American Chemical Society
Information for students and teachers:
1. World news regarding: bioterrorism, medical advances,
chemical accidents, careers in chemistry.
2. Calendar of events for: national meetings and expostions.
3. Magazine and newsletter subscriptions.
Student Involvement:
Students may enter a national contest called Chemagination!
1. Students write an article as if it were a feature in "ChemMatters"
magazine (their magazine for high school students).
2. Design a cover for the magazine.
3. Address the question "What innovation or breakthrough in chemistry
will be important to the lives of teenagers 25 years from now?"
*This contest aligns with California science standards for high school chemistry.
Students and teachers may learn about the following
through the website as well:
recyclable plastics
cleaner burning fuels
Phosphate free detergents
environmental monitoring
There are links to other organizations like:
The National Chemistry Week Task Force
The Committee on Environmental Improvement
The Green Chemistry Institute
I also found some great activities for middle schools that aligned with California middle school science standards:
"How to Make Recycled Paper" "Acid Rain Activity"
and my favorite...
"Rubbing Plants" - an activity that uses the pigments found in plants to draw pictures and then examines how the pigments react to weak acids and bases!
In summary, it took awhile to find the good stuff on this website, but I eventually found some nice activities...for free!
The website conforms to the 9th-12th grade Ecology standards.
The website gives visitors information on animals(their environment,
populations, etc.), type of wildlife habitats(what is characteristic of
each), and where in the world you would find each animal and type of habitat.
The website also provides links to some of the S.D. Zoo exhibits currently
underway. The website also includes a link to conservation of animals,
which explains when animals become endangered and how animals are
protected.
This website is a great resource for student studying the periodic table of elements and beginning chemistry. It would be an ideal tool to use teaching science to eight graders in California since the state standards mandate the instruction of the periodic table this year in school.
California State Standards for eight grade students include: the organization of the periodic table, groupings of elements in the table such as metals, non-metals, and inert gases, the concepts of atomic number and isotopes. All of these ideas are presented on the website about individual elements as well as groupings of elements. Many students study chemistry again in high school and this website would be helpful as a refresher of the periodic table for high school students as well.
Another feature of this website that caught my attention was the information
listed at each page on how to site this website in a scientific report/bibliography.
With the Internet becoming more and more a part of science and research,
it is important to site where information is coming from. This website
does a great job of making referencing the website an easy and important
concept. They also have links to other websites containing information
about a particular element if further
study is desired.
This interesting web site is for teachers and students both. most of its content is based on California Students Science Standards grades (9-12)
WebElements - the periodic table on the web
With over 52 million users every year, "http://www.webelements.com/"
is the foremost educational site in Chemistry anywhere! WebElements
is a periodic table with a difference, click on any symbol and you get
all of the basic information on that element:
· plus graphs relating it to every other element in the periodic
table
· plus pictures of the element
· plus cartoons
· plus movies illustrating many reactions...
In short, you have much of the basics of chemistry encapsulated into
one easy to understand and attractively produced package. Best of all,
it's free - just click and go!
(WebElements comes in two flavours - the Scholar edition is aimed at
pre-university students, with simple quizzes and basic information, the
Pro edition carries more advanced material).
The Orbitron
"http://www.shef.ac.uk/chemistry/orbitron/"
is a gallery of atomic orbitals, featuring:
· Images representing orbitals
· Animated plots of wave functions
· Animated plots of electron density
· "Dot-density" plots of electron density
· Plots of radial distribution functions
ChemPuter - helps with chemistry calculations!
Designed to take the drudgery out of basic chemical calculations, "http://www.shef.ac.uk/chemistry/chemputer/"
can work out:
· Molecular weights
· Elemental analysis
· Isotope patterns for compounds
· VSEPR molecular shapes
· and more...
Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR)
"http://www.shef.ac.uk/chemistry/vsepr/"
is a simple theory that lets us predict the shapes of many molecules quickly
and easily. This online resourse includes an introductory tutorial and
example molecules rendered in 3D.
Chemdex - find chemical information or specialists - fast!
"http://www.chemdex.org/" provides
links to specialists in Chemistry on a regional or global basis, along
with links to essays and sites on the web that can be used as the basis
http://www.chemicalelements.com/
Title: Understanding Our Planet Through Chemistry
Brief Description: The website, “Understanding Our Planet Through Chemistry” is dedicated to the education of geological principals through the science of analytical chemistry. This website can be found through the search engine located on the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) home page. This website contains educational materials related to the earth’s history involving isotopes and radioactive decay, geological processes such as volcanoes, environmental and global changes, and pollution and the prevention of pollution.
Grade level: 7th grade Life Science
California State Science Standards met:
(After reviewing this website, I felt that the educational materials leaned more to the seventh grade level of middle school life science rather than a Chemistry course.)
7th grade Standards: Earth and Life History
a. Students know Earth processes today are similar to those that occurred
in the past and slow geological processes have large cumulative effects
over long periods of time.
b. Students know the history of life on Earth has been disrupted by
major catastrophic events, such as major volcanic eruptions or the impact
of asteroids.
c. Students know that the rock cycle includes the formation of new
sediment and rocks and that rocks are often found in layer, with the oldest
generally at the bottom.
d. Students know that evidence from geological layers and radioactive
dating indicated the Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old and that
life on this planet has existed for more than 3 billion years
e. Students know fossils provide evidence of how life and environmental
conditions have changed.
The cells alive web site gives diagrams, time lapse photography,
illustrations and facts about eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and a brief
description of viruses. It also covers some of the basics of immunology.
This website therefore matches some of the Biology/Life Science content
standards for grades 9-12.
The site covers topics in the physiology and cell biology portions
of the Biology/Life Science content standards. It provides a basic understanding
of microscopy, animal cells, plant cells, microbiology, and virology to
adress the cell biology portion. Part of the physiology standards are covered
by the site. Basics of Immunology, parts of the immune reaction and HIV(AIDS)
are explained on the site. The site includes many diagrams and photos to
help visualization of the topics.
1. What topic(s) does this module address? Astronomy
2. Which standard does it address? (be specific – grade level and brief description of standard). Grade 8: Motion
1. The velocity of an object is the rate of change of its position.
As a basis for under-standing this concept:
a. Students know position is defined in relation to some choice of
a standard reference point and a set of reference directions.
b. Students know that average speed is the total distance traveled
divided by the total time elapsed and that the speed of an object along
the path traveled can vary.
c. Students know how to solve problems involving distance, time, and
average speed.
d. Students know the velocity of an object must be described by specifying
both the direction and the speed of the object.
e. Students know changes in velocity may be due to changes in speed,
direction, or both.
f. Students know how to interpret graphs of position versus time and
graphs of speed versus time for motion in a single direction.
Forces
2. Unbalanced forces cause changes in velocity. As a basis for understanding
this concept:
a. Students know a force has both direction and magnitude.
c. Students know when the forces on an object are balanced, the motion
of the object does not change.
e. Students know that when the forces on an object are unbalanced,
the object will change its velocity (that is, it will speed up, slow down,
or change direction).
f. Students know the greater the mass of an object, the more force
is needed to achieve the same rate of change in motion.
g. Students know the role of gravity in forming and maintaining the
shapes of planets, stars, and the solar system.
Earth in the Solar System (Earth Science)
4. The structure and composition of the universe can be learned from
studying stars and galaxies and their evolution. As a basis for understanding
this concept:
a. Students know galaxies are clusters of billions of stars and may
have different shapes.
b. Students know that the Sun is one of many stars in the Milky Way
galaxy and that stars may differ in size, temperature, and color.
c. Students know how to use astronomical units and light years as measures
of distances between the Sun, stars, and Earth.
d. Students know that stars are the source of light for all bright
objects in outer space and that the Moon and planets shine by reflected
sunlight, not by their own light.
e. Students know the appearance, general composition, relative position
and size, and motion of objects in the solar system, including planets,
planetary satellites, comets, and asteroids.
3. Is background information for teachers included? If so-
is it sufficient? If not – what key ideas would you need to research
in order to teach this module?
The background information is sufficient for teachers also. There
are links that he could choose to learn more or less about a specific topic.
4. How is it organized for students? For you as the teacher?
For Students: The website incorporated pictures throughout the
text.
It provided hands on activity and experiments for the students.
Activity for children ranged from 3rd to 12th grade
For Teachers: The website provided links to other informative
websites.
It provided standards that it was addressing in a tabular format.
Background information was accessible.
Content was organized in an orderly manner.
5. What is included that makes it accessible to all learners?
What could be added to make it more applicable for diverse learners? (
think second language learners, below grade-level readers, physically handicapped
students, etc)
Content was organized in an orderly manner so students or teachers
could easily search for specific material by clicking on the correct hyperlink.
Pictures are also a great way to peak students curiosity.
In order to assist second language learners or vision impaired students,
an audio version could be available. To be able to display content
in different languages, you must be able to support the Unicode format.
6. What management, safety, and material issues are related to this
unit? (are safety issues clearly outlined?)
Safety wasn’t really an issue.
Materials
WWW access to solar images and rotation movies.
construction paper, string, stopwatch, regular sheets of paper to roll
into simple telescopes for observing
7. What’s your overall reaction to this module?
I thought that the website was very informative. The links gave
you options that you could pursue based on your interest. Some of
the links also provided specific standards that the particular article
was addressing.
One disappointing aspect of the website was that some the links were
still under construction.
While surfing the web, I found http://www.ed.gov/free/s-scienc.html
as a very enjoyable and fulfilling site. The main reasons why I believe
so is that it portrays all the areas of science education that a teacher
needs and science students of all ages can use it. The other reasons
are that it is a federally run website and the resources for information
is free. Not only does the website provides teaching and learning
resources for science, but in all major subjects and it is even broken
down to more subcategories. Within the sites, teachers can research
the curriculum, standards, and benchmarks that apply to the subject.
Overall, I find that the website very beneficial to the teachers’ and students’
needs.
Science Web Site: NewScientist.com
At the NewScientist.com website, the students can find daily news, and also
latest technology news. This web site has special news about oldest human footprints,
knowledge about DNA.. Hot Topics in this web site includes articles about interesting
science matters. For example,
Cars :This article includes about evolution of the car and how car technologies
will be in the future
Cloning and stem cells: This article includes answers to questions about what
molecular magic makes cloning possible? What would it be like an exact copy
of your parent? Who is working towards human cloning?
Alcohol: In this section, students will find past alcohol stories, and knowledge
about the biochemistry structure of alcohol.
Bioterrorism : This article talks about in the last century, terrorists used
violence to try to get power or approval. New scientist has charted the rise
in concern about bioterrorism..
Astrobiology : This article tries to determine if there is any life outside
the world.
Climate : Includes information about a climate change ; the earth warming and
change in pace.
These science units would be enhanced by a visit to this web site: Evolution, Genetics, Structure and composition of the atmosphere, Energy in the earth system, Organic chemistry and biochemistry and Ecology
This web side focus on chemistry; atom, elements and the chemical reactions. It has links to others web sites that has activities and graphics for students to understand the subjects better. It also has links to biology and physics. It is created for 9-12 grades chemistry students. The web site includes these standards; 1- Atomic and Molecular Structure The Periodic table displays the elements in increasing atomic number and shows how periodicity of the physical and chemical properties of the elements relates to atomic structure. 2- Acids and Bases Acids, bases, and salts are three classes of compounds that form ions in water solutions. 3- Chemical Thermodynamics Energy is exchanged or transformed in all chemical reactions and physical changes of matter.
The cells alive web site gives diagrams, time lapse photography, illustrations and facts about eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and a brief description of viruses. It also covers some of the basics of immunology. This website therefore matches some of the Biology/Life Science content standards for grades 9-12. The site covers topics in the physiology and cell biology portions of the Biology/Life Science content standards. It provides a basic understanding of microscopy, animal cells, plant cells, microbiology, and virology to adress the cell biology portion. Part of the physiology standards are covered by the site. Basics of Immunology, parts of the immune reaction and HIV(AIDS) are explained on the site. The site includes many diagrams and photos to help visualization of the topics.
Brief Description:
This CD is a comprehensive yet easy to follow tutorial on the anatomy
and function of the human body. It shows the human body at various
levels to teach the student about the systems viewed with or without labels.
The student (parent) can choose either a female or male subject.
It also has parental controls available to use a figleaf for discretion.
As you click the cursor on different parts of the body such as skin,
muscle, bone, organs or locations, it gives details of the area and offers
you the option to investigate that system such as the nervous system when
clicking on the spinal column.
This program also uses videos to teach processes such as the conception
and birth of a baby. (A personal note: During the summers I home-school
my seven and nine-year old daughters. I used this program to teach
my, then, eight-year-old about the reproductive system. It was delivered
very well and at a good pace and degree of frankness.)
It covers things such as sun damage to the skin, blocked arteries,
causes of snoring, calcium's effect on bones and other amazing subjects.
It's got a dictionary, puzzles, and animation. Not only is it
a good tutorial, but it's also a great reference tool.
What would students learn from this CD? All about the human
body.
Was it enjoyable learning? Very!
What skills are required to be successful? Mouse control. Some
simple understanding of computer operating systems to install it otherwise
it's easy to use and understand. There are buttons to
What skills are learned along the way? More understanding
than skills.
What is the purpose of this CD? To teach about the
human body.
Would you recommend this to others? Definitely!
California State Science Standards met: Although
it seems as though educationally directed to fifth-graders, it's really
quite useful and enjoyable for all ages.
Grade Three (age 8)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
3.a.) plants and animals have structures that serve different
functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
Grade Four (age 9)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
3. d.) that most microorganisms do not cause disease and that many
are beneficial.
Grade Five (age 10)
Students know:
Life Sciences:
2. a.) many multi-cellular organisms have specialized structures to
support the transport of materials.
b.) how blood circulates through the heart chambers, lungs, and body
and how carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) are exchanged in the lungs
and tissues.
c.) the sequential steps of digestion and the roles of teeth and the
mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon
in the function of the digestive system.
d. the role of the kidney in removing cellular waste from blood
and converting it into urine, which is stored in the bladder.
Brief Description: This CD is really geared for the younger student. It uses a lot of music, animations, colors and simplistic pictures. It is laid out in a the format of a book. As a student chooses a subject (or page) the words appear and are read by the mascot teddy bear. There are various ways to navigate; the student can look at a large selection of pages and diagrams depicting the subject of that page, or they can just go along with the flow of the book.
What would students learn from this CD?
This CD answers questions such as "what happens to the food I eat?",
"what is a bellybutton?" There is a bear-house that has lots of things
to click on to learn about. Examples are: a photo album that takes
the student through a memory game; information and diagrams of x-rays;
a wig with a comb to choose new hairstyles for the characters; choose which
of the twelve individuals (both animals and people) have teeth; Bearobics
(which the student can participate in); causes of sneezing; a food pyramid.
Was it enjoyable learning? For the younger student.
What skills are required to be successful? Not much
at all other than mouse control.
What skills are learned along the way? Just understanding
of the human body.
What is the purpose of this CD? To teach about
bodily functions.
Would you recommend this to others?
For younger students.
California State Science Standards met:
Grade Kindergarten (age 5)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
2. a.) how to observe and describe similarities and difference in the
appearance and behavior of plants and animals.
b.) stories sometimes give plants and animals attributes they do not
really have.
c.) how to identify major structures of common plants and animals.
Grade One (age 6)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
2. d.) how to infer what animals eat from the shapes of their teeth.
Grade Three (age 8)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
3. a.) plants and animals have structures that serve different functions
in growth, survival, and reproduction.
This is a very entertaining and somewhat educational CD. Drawn in the form of a comic book, it follows the adventures of the alien "bumptz" as they search for their spaceship. They are aided in this by "Moe", who, utilizing various principles of physics, helps them overcome several obstacles. The story flows along nicely. The music, voices, and dialogue certainly hold the viewer’s attention. I have little doubt that children of the recommended ages, 8-12, would be captivated by it.
The science in the CD is given as solutions to problems encountered
by the characters. They must utilize physical principles such as density,
levers, pulleys, etc. I believe that this works well, as children are learning,
without being lectured to. They are allowed to "participate" in the discovery
and use of these principles. Also included in the CD, is something they
call, Offline Activities. These are written instructions to experiments,
which further demonstrate the principles of physical science. I would certainly
recommend the use of this CD in the appropriate classroom, or for individual
usage. It covers quite sufficiently many of the topics as given in the
California State Science Standards.
The CD I reviewed was called "Exploring Aeronautics". It
was a very simple program not really having a lot to it. It was mostly
about how airplanes fly and the factors that make it possible. It had a
library of aeronautics terms where one could learn the history of flying,
some glossary terms, and books and websites to go to. It had an activity
part where one can test different wing shapes to see which had the most
drag or lift. There was a unique airplane section that talked about some
special aircraft of our time and what makes them unique. Lastly, there
was a section of the tools of the trade that aeronautic engineers use to
design aircraft. This cd I think is pretty low level in content and
age group. Fourth graders and maybe even 3rd, could follow along pretty
easy and grasp the concepts it gave forth.
This educational CD is suited for children in the first through
fifth grade. The CD best addresses the National Science Education
Standards under the Life Science category. Within the
K-4 grouping, the CD matches the standards of knowing characteristics of
organisms and organisms and environments. Among the 5-8 grouping,
the CD addresses the standards of diversity and adaptations of organisms.
This CD-ROM is targeted toward Elementary aged children. It provides a fun format for learning facts about animals through exploration, quasi-experimentation, and games. The Magic School Bus travels through 7 different ecosystems, teaching the child about the animals that can be found there and why. It also introduces the concept of endangered species, camouflage, natural selection, competition, and environmental awareness.
Using the California Science Standards, this CD-ROM addresses
Life Sciences standards for grades 2 through 4 in the following manner:
2nd Grade:
Animals reproduce and have offspring that resemble their parents3rd Grade:
There are sequential stages of life cycles
There are adaptations in physical structure or behavior that may improve an organisms chance for survival;4th Grade:
There are examples of diverse life forms in different environments
There are "producers" and "consumers" in the animal world (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) and they are related in food chains or food webs.
Students will find this program very easy to use and requires no
training or reference materials. In fact, the program actually encourages
and rewards exploration and experimentation. Because the program
automatically saves the child’s game, the child can play and learn on multiple
occasions without having to duplicate efforts. There are games to
encourage the child to collect clues or use information. There are
some games without any content that use animals (not behaving like animals)
just for a reward or for entertainment / attention purposes. Children
could potentially just play those games and not learn anything. The
information about a wide variety of animals is given in very small quantities.
It is really just a survey of the animal world - the child will not learn
any content in depth. Because it has difficulty settings, it can
be challenging for different age groups and different learning abilities.
The program uses mainly cartoon drawings of animals and might be made more
exciting by photographs of animals more often. There is a good use
of video when a child accesses the notebooks on a particular animal subject.
I think this CD-ROM is an entertaining way for students at the 2nd - 4th grade level to be introduced to the wide world of animals and their habitats.
Evaluation:
This project is so simple to do and requires so little equipment that
it could be done at any level. The only difference would be that the student
drawings might be expected to improve for the older students, but then
again maybe not. The web is a great way to meet students in other countries.
The site never said if there were significant differences in the microinvertebrates
found in the other two sites. Maybe they had email communication back and
forth to describe the different microinvertebrates they found. I have been
thinking of doing a similar project here, but one that might encompass
plants, birds, soil, silt, water quality, and of course "microinvertebrates."
My subject for the study would be the "San Gabriel River" and through the
use of the net, I could invite the participation of all of the local area
schools (even the parochial schools!). We could exchange drawings and pictures
the same way and email our data and reports. This would be a great project
to pursue because of the central importance the San Gabriel River has in
the ecology of the local region. The river flows through about a dozen
different cities in its path to the sea, from Duarte, to Long Beach. Water
Quality alone is one of the most important political issues confronting
our local elected officials, the so called, "Super Fund" was created so
that local governments could so toxic waste cleanup. The students need
to know about it. Someday they might need to vote for somebody because
of it. Since the river plays an important role in controlling and
directing rain run off, it is a serious subject of study that can mean
millions of government dollars to cities and districts locally. Even the
data collected by elementary school classes can be used in making a determination
concerning how Super Fund monies will be used.
There are also lots of newspaper stories in the local press concerning
these matters, so that there’s always a new reason for performing the experiment
and plenty of research material and best of all its serious science.
Zane Home Library has published several educational CD’s, ranging from history to life science. This one, Ecosystems, gives the student an overview of the various ecosystems that are found on the planet, how the ecosystems work, and how the organisms within an ecosystem interact with each other. This CD is designed for students 13 and older.
The CD contains a presentation that is about 15 minutes long. It can be accompanied by a voice reading the text as it appears on the screen. The presentation shows photographs and graphics that represent the topics being discussed. An index and library are available on the CD to help the students understand the words used in the presentation. The words that may be new to students are hyperlinked to the dictionary so that the student can immediately find the definition.
This CD can be linked to the California Science Standards in several grade levels. Grade Six is the first time that ecology and ecosystems are addressed as an individual topic and this CD might serve as an introduction to the topic. At this level, the Standards say that students should understand how organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. In high school (grades nine through twelve), students are introduced to more life science. At this level, students should be able to understand that stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. This CD can be used to introduce and summarize the topics at hand.
This CD is best addressed for younger students, not for advanced students
as the material is presented rather simply. I would not recommend
this CD for high school students though it will be well received in middle
school.
Brief description of CD: This is a narrative CD that is found in the back of the textbook. Since the CD can either be narrated or not, students then are able to control the pace of the CD by a control panel. The content is simple to understand because it is in an outline form.
What would a student learn from this CD? The supplemental CD covers the following topics:
1) Earth Materials
2) External/ Internal Processes
3) Geologic Time
4) Landforms in the United States
Each section is then explained so that the student can have a better understanding of concepts presented in lecture or by the CD. This is done by narration or reading accompanied by slides, pictures, or short movies.
A glossary of terms is also available by choosing the glossary option. The student is then taken to an alphabetical list of terms in which they will click on, and then the definition will appear.
Was it enjoyable learning? Yes, because students can look at pictures and listen to narration and be interactive at the same time.
What skills are required to be successful? Students can succeed by:
1) Being interested in Geology
2) To get a better understanding of concepts
3) Wanting to earn an "A" in class
What skills are learned along the way? Besides learning to use an interactive CD, students learn how to identify minerals and rocks outside of class. They also learn about the different places in the United stated that contain geological landforms such as plate boundaries, mountains, etc…
What is the purpose of the CD? Students can basically use this CD as a supplemental learning tool to their geology class.
Would you recommend this to others? First
I would rather recommend students to take a supplemental instruction class
for their geology lecture if it is available. This CD can be useful
to certain topics in geology that need visuals to aid in lecture.
Brief Description: Very interesting approach to teaching
students about physiology of the human body. Very gross. Addresses
subjects such as: zits, boogers and snot, spit and saliva, burps and belching,
barf, poop, diarrhea and farts, pee, scabs, wounds and blisters, B.O.,
sweat and smelly feet. It also offers other forms of delivery
such as the sound lab, a sing-along, developers lab (text processing) and
when a student has completed the program, a Gross Out certificate.
It might be a little too much "gross" for students under seven years
of age. But it's up to the parent.
What would students learn from this CD? Explanations to
all the gross things people do with their bodies.
Was it enjoyable learning? Quite.
What skills are required to be successful? Not much
at all, just a curiosity and strong stomach.
What skills are learned along the way? Understanding
of human physiology.
What is the purpose of this CD? Explain bodily
functions.
Would you recommend this to others?
Only if I thought they could handle it……
California State Science Standards met:
Grade Three (age 8) Life Sciences:
Students know:
3.a.) plants and animals have structures that serve different
functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
Grade Four (age 9) Life Sciences
Students know:
3. d.) that most microorganisms do not cause disease and that many
are beneficial.
Grade Five (age 10)
Students know:
Life Sciences:
2. a.) many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to
support the transport of materials.
Brief Description:
It starts off in the classroom where there's always lots to do.
In comes Miss Frizzle and the adventure begins. They take a trip through
Arnold's body. One of the tools is a television where the producer
comes on and makes it clear that this is not really possible. Another thing
he points out is that white blood cells actually do chase after germs and
destroy them like the example of a police car.
Although it can be very entertaining for the younger student
such as showing dancing lunches and milk cartons, it can be very informative
for many ages of students.
Displays and animations include: a weather vane, model of DNA, a thermometer, a hamster in his habitat, the growth of a new bud on a cactus, an animated poster of the weather cycle, recycling, the cycle of a tree. As with all the programs in the Magic School Bus series while you're in the bus, there's several tools available: a location system (where in the body you are on a map); you can choose whether or not you want the music on; a piece of information about what part of the body you're in, such as the mouth ? adult product up to 1 1/2 quarts of saliva every day; a monitor with facts such as the different tastes on the tongue; by turning to the back of the bus and clicking on all the different characters, they have various pieces of information about the location that you're at.
What would students learn from this CD? All about the function
of the human body.
Was it enjoyable learning? Yes!
What skills are required to be successful? Just
mouse control.
What skills are learned along the way? Understanding
of the function of the human body.
What is the purpose of this CD? To teach the
human body functionality.
Would you recommend this to others?
Yes!
California State Science Standards met:
Grade Kindergarten (age 5)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
2. a.) how to observe and describe similarities and difference in the
appearance and behavior of plants and animals.
b.) stories sometimes give plants and animals attributes they do not
really have.
c.) how to identify major structures of common plants and animals.
Grade One (age 6)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
2. d.) how to infer what animals eat from the shapes of their teeth.
Earth Sciences:
Students know:
3.a.) how to use simple tools (e.g., thermometer, wind vane) to measure
weather conditions and record changes from day to day and across the seasons.
Grade Three (age 8)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
3. a.) plants and animals have structures that serve different functions
in growth, survival, and reproduction.
Grade Four (age 9)
Life Sciences:
Students know:
3. d.) that most microorganisms do not cause disease and that many
are beneficial.
Grade Five (age 10)
Students know:
Life Sciences:
2. a.) many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to
support the transport of materials.
b.) how blood circulates through the heart chambers, lungs, and body
and how carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) are exchanged in the lungs
and tissues.
c.) the sequential steps of digestion and the roles of teeth and the
mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon
in the function of the digestive system.
d. the role of the kidney in removing cellular waste from blood
and converting it into urine, which is stored in the bladder.
To get to this site, go to the science resources page under the Chemistry Related Sites, and click on the Physical Science Activity Manual (PSAM) heading. This is the actual web address: http://cesme.utm.edu/resources/science/PSAM.html
This program requires downloading either the individual lab or the set onto your computer; both Mac, Windows and PDF are available. I downloaded the entire set and was delightfully surprised. The PSAM is designed for teachers only. The format is based on Piaget theories that students must experience a scientific concept firsthand before they can grasp the information being discussed. In addition, once the student has experienced the concept, they are much more receptive to sharing their own ideas and explanations. Greater learning occurs, and less "teaching" happens. I loved the concept, as well as the two labs I looked at.
1) The "Definition of Matter" lab allows students to investigate and
find that air has mass through 2 basic lab stations. The standards addressed
are multiple. A) investigation of states of matter. B) investigation and
experimentation; students evaluate data to form their own conclusions.
2) The "Density" lab I shall use this week. Various amounts and
sizes of a few objects (silly putty, rubber stoppers, etc) are wrapped
in foil. The students must measure density to determine which objects are
the same material, and which are different. These standards are addressed:
A) Density is mass/volume. B) how to predict whether an object will float
or sink. C) investigation and experimentation: applying simple mathmatical
relationships to determine one quantity. D) periodic table: substances
can be classified by their properties, such as density.
Once again, this is an AWESOME resource for a teacher who wants to take the extra time on allowing scientific experiences to happen before a lecture.
This activity, a lesson in the biogeochemical cycling of oxygen through the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere on earth, was developed here at CSULB for the ALERT program. Ron Morris, a geology graduate student, developed the module.
The material covered was very broad and interdisciplinary in nature, covering biology (photosynthesis and cellular respiration as sources and sinks of oxygen), chemistry (the reactive nature of oxygen due to it’s high electron affinity and the thermodynamics that drives the reactions) and geology (oxidative weathering of rocks as an oxygen sink). Specific topics included sections discussing the origin of free oxygen in the atmosphere as a waste product of early life, carbon burial through tectonic cycling and its effect on atmospheric oxygen concentration, feedback controls on the oxygen content of the atmosphere and ocean, the marine cycling of oxygen, stratospheric photochemistry of oxygen and more.
The interactive portion of the activity was limited to a multiple-choice quiz after each section that highlighted the important points discussed in that section. When a wrong answer was selected on the quiz, the student was encouraged to select another answer before moving on.
Overall, this exercise was pretty interesting. Although it doesn’t go in to too much detail in any one area, it covers a lot of material for one sitting in front of a computer. (It’s truly global in scope.) I think the same material, including the quizzes, could be more comfortably digested in paper form without any loss in effectiveness. This may be a personal bias, but if an activity doesn’t use the capabilities of a computer to advantage (e.g., animation), I’d rather read it in print form.
This activity would best be used in a high school Earth Sciences program.
The Science Content Standards for California Public Schools lists two units
within the Grades 9-12 Earth Sciences standards where this exercise would
fit in nicely: Biogeochemical Cycles and Structure and composition of the
Atmosphere. (Actually, I think the ALERT program exercises were designed
for prospective and in-service teachers, so some of the detail content
might need to be modified slightly for actual high school students.)
This website offers students and teachers the opportunity to take a field trip, "Without the bumpy buses, long rides and cold lunches". Plus it allows students the chance to visit places they otherwise may not be able to. Students can take virtual field trips to places like the desert or rainforests and learn about things like hurricanes and sharks. The virtual field trip is actually a collection of websites that have been put together sequentially to tell a story. Each page offers links to find out more about the topic being studied. Navigation was made easy with a panel of buttons with easy directions on how to use them.
Although I found the organization of the website a little confusing at first, I chose to review the salt marsh field trip. This activity was rated for grades 4-12. The first page, of the Trailhead, offered Terms to Learn and Concepts. It also included options for Teacher’s resources, which listed objectives, study guides, lesson plans, and several links to related sites.
A student could easily grasp the concepts and objectives of this field trip given a little guidance with questions to answer or a paper to write after the field trip was over. According to the California Science Teaching Standards for the 4th grade, students should gain an understanding of how living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival. This includes the study of ecosystems, adaptations, and animal and plant interactions. All of this would be satisfied by the field trip, as this is one of the main concepts. In California, Grade 6 students study ecology directly with the learning objective being that organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. These concepts could easily be explained through the salt marsh field trip with explanations of the food chain. Students in grades 9-12 would have no problem with any of the information on the field trip. The field trip would satisfy standards emphasizing the food web, ecosystem stability, and the nitrogen and carbon cycles.
This CD-ROM consists of interactive exercises, which display graphics
of proteins and nucleic acids that can be interactively rotated, enabling
the learner to see and understand molecular forms and functions
in 3D graphic models.
A great graphic display and animation about this CD-ROM is the section
dealing with DNA, it shows step by step the process of transcription and
replication in an animated very well order manner, it makes it
more easier for the learner to understand such a difficult topic.
I would recommend this CD-ROM, I think is great, it reinforces the concepts
learned in the classroom in biochemistry as well as genetics.
It's easy to navigate the CD, it has a good table of contents,
and the sounds effects are also good. In addition, it has interactive
review exercises in some sections so the learner can review the concept
learned and comprehension.
This CD-ROM is not just great for the students but teachers a well,
because teachers can use it as a teaching tool in computer presentations
as well implementing technology in the classroom.
This CD-ROM is appropriate for high school and college students where
science concepts and material is more difficult and more in depth.
In addition it connects to the following standards: the standard
for planning instruction and designing learning experiences for all students,
the standard for understanding and organizing subject matter for student
learning, and to the standard for engaging and supporting all students
in
learning.