“Bio-Link.org”
offers resources for biotechnology instructors. Find online
courses, lab equipment, information on biotech in high school,
& more. A biotech news roundup includes articles on genes & a
range of topics — anxiety, addiction, acne, cystic fibrosis,
depression, muscles, sudden oak death, prostate cancer, &
others. (NSF)
“ChemTechLinks”
features resources for training chemical technicians:
instructional materials, industry standards, professional
development opportunities, chemical technician careers &
salaries, molecule of the week, chemistry in the news, a
newsletter, & answers to questions such as “Why are some
schools considering a ban on soda machines?” (NSF)
New Jersey Center for Advanced Technological Education
“New Jersey Center for Advanced Technological Education”
provides two instructional modules that integrate mechanical,
computer, & electronics technology: a golf course module & a
fairground rides module. The Center also offers a curriculum
model for engineering & science technology disciplines,
professional development for teachers, competitions for
students, & course descriptions. (NSF)
South Carolina Advanced Technological Education
“South Carolina Advanced Technological Education”
features resources for students considering engineering
technology as a career: frequently asked questions, facts on
engineering technology, salaries & job openings, information
on creating a resume & cover letter, interview tips, & a
streaming video featuring women engineers. (NSF)
Quake: 1906 San Francisco Quake
“Quake: 1906 San Francisco Quake”
tells why the April 18, 1906, earthquake along the San Andreas
Fault was “one of the most significant earthquakes of all
time.” See photos, eyewitness accounts, the 1906 seismogram,
& casualty & damage statistics. Learn about the flurry of
scientific investigation unleashed by the quake & the advances
that followed. (USGS)
SpaceTEC
“SpaceTEC”
is a focal point for educators of aerospace technicians.
Aerospace curricula, exams, professional development, & other
resources are provided. (NASA & NSF)
“The Space Weather Center”
explores the solar cycle, solar wind, Earth’s magnetic field,
the ionosphere, auroras, states of matter, plasma (which makes
up 99% of visible matter in the universe), & other sun-earth
topics. Online games let students launch solar particles at
Earth, bowl with protons, & watch charged particles move in
magnetic fields. Information is provided on space weather
research, space weather modeling & forecasting, & the National
Space Weather Program. (MA)
“NeMO Explorer”
allows students to explore a seafloor observatory
geographically or by topic. Learn about seafloor animals,
hydrothermal vents, mid-ocean ridges, axial volcano, lava
flow, & technology & tools. Operate (remotely) a vehicle that
takes you to the seafloor near an active submarine volcano.
Explore black smoker vents, new lava flows, & unusual life
forms. (NOAA)
“Tsunamis & Earthquakes”
uses animation & virtual reality to show how tsumanis are
generated by earthquakes. Learn about tsunami research &
mitigation efforts — how sediments are transported by a
tsunami, how researchers decipher the geologic record of
prehistoric tsunamis, & the seismograph network of the west
coast tsunami warning system. (USGS)
“Brighten Up the Classroom”
provides papers on the aurora & ionosphere, scales for
measuring space weather, & a textbook for high school teachers
& advanced students — “Solar Physics & Terrestrial Effects.”
The textbook examines a range of topics: the evolution &
structure of the sun, sunspots & solar flares, the corona &
chromosphere, solar-terrestrial interactions, building a
spectroscope, measuring the solar constant, & seeing at
different wavelengths. (NOAA)
“Classifying Galaxies”
is a lesson plan on the Hubble system of classifying galaxies.
Students learn what a galaxy is, how the galaxy classification
system of Edwin Hubble assigns galaxies to different groups
according to their shapes, & how that system can be used to
categorize unknown galaxies. (NASA)
“Cosmology 101″
is a primer on scientific efforts to understand the origin,
evolution, & fate of the universe. Among the questions it
explores: What types of matter & energy fill the universe?
What is the age & shape of the universe? How rapidly is it
expanding? The website examines the Big Bang theory, as well
as tests & limitations of the theory. (NASA)
“Eyes on the Sky & Feet on the Ground”
“Eyes on the Sky & Feet on the Ground”
provides hundreds of hands-on astronomy explorations for
Grades 2-6. Topics include earth’s rotation & orbit, earth’s
tilt, shadows, seasons, time zones, the moon, calendars, maps,
the solar system, & tides. Activities help students
understand the scientific process. Suggestions are included
for discussions before & after explorations. (SI)
“National Science Digital Library”
“National Science Digital Library”
invites students to try its “ask an expert” service to get
answers to questions about math, science, technology, &
engineering. A portal for middle school math & science
teachers features hands-on experiences with measurement, how
energy moves & changes, & the basics of aerodynamics. (NSF)
“NOVA scienceNOW”
“NOVA scienceNOW”
is the companion website for a TV show on science
breakthroughs & personalities. Learn about a frog that
freezes solid in winter & comes back to life in spring. Watch
videos about robot “swarms” that work together on a task, a
newly discovered system in the brain, tools for predicting a
hurricane’s intensity, & why some sand dunes burp, sing, &
croak. A teacher’s guide & transcript are included. The
show is hosted by Robert Krulwich & airs five times a year.
(NSF)
“Biodiversity”
provides resources for learning about genetic diversity,
species diversity, & ecosystem diversity. Explore databases
on amphibians, birds, corals, fish, fires, invasive species,
plants, oceans, watersheds, & wetlands. Examine genetic
information on flies, worms, mice, & trees. (NBII,USGS)
“Botany for Kids”
offers activities for learning how leaves change color, how
flowers grow, how plants fight disease & insects, why plants
come in so many colors, tips for growing plants, & facts about
fungi. Learn about seeds, composting, endangered plant
species, fire, lichen, & “plant hunters” — scientists who
collect plant samples from around the world to trace a plant’s
evolution. (NBII,USGS)
“Earth Explorers Series”
profiles an atmospheric scientist who flies through
hurricanes, an engineer who operates a spectro-radiometer (an
instrument on a satellite), an ocean scientist, high school
students whose science fair project took them to Croatia, &
other “Earth explorers.” (NASA)
“Earth’s Magnetic Field”
is the focus of the POETRY website, which explores solar
storms & how they affect us, space weather, & the Northern
Lights. A 64-page workbook of hands-on activities examines
Earth’s magnetosphere. Create a classroom magnetometer.
Solve the space science problem of the week. (NASA)
“Gravity Probe B”
is a “relativity gyroscope” experiment designed to test two
unverified predictions of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity (1916): that the presence of a mass in space, such
as the Earth, would warp local spacetime, creating a dip or
curve in spacetime, & that the rotation of a mass in space
would twist or drag the local spacetime frame around it. An
educator’s guide & space science activities are included.
(NASA)
“Infrared Astronomy Tutorial”
examines infrared light, how it was discovered, infrared
astronomy, atmospheric windows, & more. An infrared astronomy
timeline is included, along with links to news & discoveries,
images, & classroom activities. (NASA)
“Magnetic Field Activities for the High School Classroom”
“Magnetic Field Activities for the High School Classroom”
helps students understand the vector nature of fields, the
ubiquity of fields in the environment, & the 3-dimensionality
of fields. Activities include mapping the magnetic field of a
room, making a magnetometer, & studying plasma. (NASA)
“Radio JOVE: Planetary Radio Astronomy for Schools”
“Radio JOVE: Planetary Radio Astronomy for Schools”
helps students & amateur scientists observe & analyze natural
radio emissions of Jupiter & the Sun. Through the study of
their magnetic fields & their plasma (charged particle)
environments, we are better able to understand the Earth.
(NASA)
“Solar Storms & You”
is a series of 6 workbooks on solar activity & sunspots, solar
wind, magnetic storms, aurora, & satellite design (Grades 7-
9). (NASA)
“Timeline of the Universe”
is an online tutorial that traces the 15-billion-year history
of the universe. It starts with the Big Bang & discusses the
formation of elements in stars, planetary systems, Earth-like
planets, & Jupiter-like planets. The “chemistry of life” is
also examined. (NASA)
Acronyms
LOC — Library of Congress
NCC — National Constitution Center
NEH — National Endowment for the Humanities
NPG — National Portrait Gallery
NSF — National Science Foundation
SI — Smithsonian Institution