10 science links for classroom use
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/fun-fly-stick
Steve Spangler Science
This site features hands on toys to enhance learnig and a range of prices - some as low as $7.00. The site has a top 10 list and a link to sections for new products and best sellers. I like the product description here answers the questions of "How does it work?" and "What does it teach?". This will be very helpful for lesson planning. I would use this site for stocking my classroom with science toys for a learning center or possibly manipulatives.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/
Science Kids
This is a really COOL site! It has so much to see and offer. The experiments do not have to be purchased and this site gives a wide variety of tabs for learning tools and opportunities. When you click on the experiments tab and then choose one you will get a list of what you will need, instructions, and what is happening. The tabs include home, experiments, facts, lessons, videos, images, projects, games, and quizzes. I would use this site to design lesson plans and find engaging experiments for students.
http://ocean.si.edu/
The Smithsonian Institution: Ocean Portal
This is a FANTASTIC! science website - it has videos and magazine type articles with beautiful, vivid, and engaging photos. There are tabs with topics such as ocean life & ecosystems; planet ocean; ocean overtime; conservation & human connections. I would use this site to engage students in research and ocean lessons. It would be a great place to find a "hook"!
http://www.eia.gov/kids/index.cfm
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Science Kids
This is a great site that is designed for older kids - maybe 3rd grade and up. It includes things such as games & activities, teacher's guides, lesson plans, and science fair experiments. The site also offers a teachers guide and poses research questions such as "What is energy?", "What are energy sources?", and facts about the history of energy. I would use this as a space to find facts for energy lessons and research topics.
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/ir_zoo/
Infrared Zoo
Wow! This site uses species facts combined with infrared technology to show how animals look with body heat. This allows you to see the difference between warm and cold blooded animals. It has categories for birds, mammals, reptiles & amphibians, and insects & arachnids. I would use this to spark a lesson and conversation on the different types of animal body insulation such as fur, feathers, and blubber. This would be great to include within an energy unit.
http://www.planetpals.com/
Planet Pals
This website uses cute graphics to hook and engage students to learn about the planet, weather, and conservation. They provide links to research journals and mailings for teachers and parents. There are global facts on topics such as global warming, recycling, and "pre"cycling. (Taking your own bags to the grocery so you don't have to recycle them). I would use this site to facilitate critical thinking skills and a larger conversation on environmental problem solving. This will empower students to see that they can make a positive impact on their planet.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/
The Science Explorer: An Exploratorium-At-Home Book
This is a fun and engaging little site. It shows viewers a step by step process for conducting experiments using common household items. The book contains over 25 experiments such as Bubble Bomb, Go With The Flow (water), Geodesic Gumdrops, and Salt Volcanos. They seem easy and fast so kids could do them on rainy day recess if needed. The site also includes a section on variables for each experiment titled "Other Things to Try". I would use this in the classroom to fill a science requirement or as a substitute activity.
http://www.brainpop.com/science/
Brain Pop
This site is done in an animated grid system. It provides interactive activities and I would use this at the older grades because of some advanced reading (although the words such as primatology are defined. The activities ask critical thinking questions that can spark a larger and deeper conversation. Some of the categories include Diversity of Life, Matter & Chemistry, Weather, and Space. There is also a video section with movies. Those titles included Jane Goodall, Mars, and Wind Energy. This would be a great site to use with students who may finish work early. They will not feel punished by being given more work and they will still be able to learn interesting facts, concepts, and ideas. Successful for kiddos who just can't sit still and read a book for a long period of time.
http://sciencenetlinks.com/esheets/a-touch-of-class/
AAAS Science NetLinks: A Touch of Class
This website is actually a classification game. Students are given a class such as plants and then they select all species shown that belong in that class based on characteristics that they would already know or have had a lesson with that information found in the Learn More section. They can also answer critical thinking questions using the grouping option. This was basic but fun so students that may not want a game that has a "busy" screen will be able to complete this activity. Simple can be engaging too! I would use this as another activity to reinforce the concept of scientific classification. This is designed for about 3rd grade.
http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/
Recycle City
This game is FANTASTIC! It is animated and gives students a great opportunity to see what the benefits are through sustainable programs to the health of the environment. The town is called Dumptown and students are able to click on City Hall and choose the programs to use. There are 10 and some of them include Grasscycling, Reuse Center, and Home Recycling. A definition of the program and benefits of the installation are provided. Once the programs are activated there is a graph that will show how many tons of waste are recovered and the impact to the city. These games can be played to supplement any environmental lesson and promote critical thinking skills and problem solving. Students can email any ideas, suggestions, or questions to the EPA.
Nellie's English Projects
I like this webquest because it gives you a multitude of topics and a rough outline of lesson plans. There are several that provide a good foundation for building a lesson. There are sections ranging from Kindergarten to High School Seniors. For example, I really like the facts and photos in "Splash Into An Aquarium" and "Decomposers or Destroyers". These were designed for third grade and contained an introduction, activity, facts, photos, and guided questions. These activities could stand on their own for a supplemental activities (if you needed something quickly) or they could be successfully worked into a unit plan. I did not encounter any registration requirements for this webquest.
Ahoy Matey, come join the Pirate scavenger hunt!
This is a really cute webquest! It is designed for kindergarteners to introduce or review the basic 2D shapes: circle, triangle, square, and cone. It also explores pyramid, cylinder, cube, sphere, rectangle, and oval. There is a section for patterns as well. The webquest begins and ends with a cute song and video that can double as an opening and ending transition. It includes a teachers page (my link will open to this first) and a student page complete with interactive tasks (set up like games) and the theme is of Pirates on a treasure hunt. There are printable worksheets at specific stages to use as assessment and the kiddos get a printable treasure map at the end. This can be used as a "stretch it" tool to have students find shapes, patterns, geometric configurations, and introduce the concept of angles and measurement. The video tutorials have music and singing so forms of movement could be introduced with arm and hand signals - YMCA style. I did not encounter any requirements for registration regarding this webquest.
An Exploration of Ancient Egypt
This webquest is designed for students from 3rd to 5th grade. It is more of a research quest that incorporates the ideas of compare and contrast (ancient to present) Egyptian life and compare and contrast their own lives to that of current Egyptians. There are also guiding questions about the culture, region, and challenges surrounding life in Ancient Egypt that can be used to facilitate a larger conversation regarding cultural issues. This would be a great way to incorporate art and music into this curriculum. There is a great deal of reading so this should be done in groups where students can take turns reading. I would use this as an entire unit because it has sections for science (crops and food), math (building and maps), art (sculpture and jewelery), and reading/writing (hieroglyphics). Students can create an exciting research portfolio filled with their own artwork to share with their family.