Healdsburg Junior High School

Great science websites

WEB WONDERS: SUPER SCIENCE SITES FOR STUDENTS --
compiled by Carolyn Pool

To study science is to study how the world works and how people work in the
world. But so often students lose interest in scientific exploration
sometime between 3rd grade biology experiments of sprouting soybeans and 9th
grade chemistry discussions of atoms and ions. Here are some Web sites to
entice your students to take a renewed interest in the wonderful and wacky
world of science.

FOR THE BUDDING SCIENTIST

The JASON Project
http://www.jasonproject.org/
If trekking through the tropical rain forests of Peru and studying organisms
in ocean environments are your students' ideas of fun, then this site is for
them. The JASON Projects are year-round expeditions that combine distance
learning and scientific exploration. Students can read journals and look at
pictures from past expeditions or sign up for e-mail updates from Hawaii,
where researchers from JASON XII are exploring volcanoes.

Bill Nye the Science Guy
http://nyelabs.kcts.org/openNyeLabs.html
The Science Guy has his own Web site. Here students can conduct experiments
>from the popular television show, read facts from each episode, or e-mail
The Science Guy a question. Check out "Demo of the Day"! Teacher, find
Episode Guides in the "Teachers' Lounge."

Science Fair Central
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral
If your budding Marie Curie or Albert Einstein is having difficulty dreaming
up a project for a science fair, stop by "Science Fair Central." The
"Project Ideas" section has questions that can inspire even the most
unmotivated student. A handbook tells students what a science project is and
how to create an award-winning project. Also on this site are an organizer
for teachers and advice for parents about how to help their children
complete their projects. Search for "Edison" to find an intriguing "Sitting
Bull/Thomas Edison Link" game.

Women in Science
http://library.thinkquest.org/20117/
Girls and young women who wish to pursue careers in science can feel
isolated by their interests. Here they can find inspiration by reading
biographies of past and present female scientists or by contacting a female
scientist to inquire about her field. Click on "Online Interviews" to read
how different female scientists answered the same eight questions, or go on
an Electronic Field Trip to see photos of different female scientists at
work. Students at Craigmont High School in Tennessee submitted this site for
the 1998 ThinkQuest Internet Challenge. By the way, back up to the "library"
at ThinkQuest to find other fascinating student work--for example, another
1998 site that begins with a question: "Are mites little monsters . . . ?"

IT'S A BRAVE NEW WORLD

How Stuff Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/index.htm
How does a tattoo work? How is sea level determined? How do compact disks
work? Are you plagued by questions like these? Search for information about
carbon monoxide--you might even save your own life! How Stuff Works is an
online magazine that explains in plain English how things work--everything
>from light sabers to refrigerators to hurricanes. Browse though the list of
>articles, organized by subject, or search for the topic that interests you
most.

The Why Files
http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/
The media are expert at creating controversy about the latest scientific
discovery without conveying the scientific information behind the fad. At
the Why Files, students can uncover the truth behind the headlines. Visit
the Environmental subsite under "More Stories" to read why ecologists love
wildfires, or visit the Health subsite to learn why millions mourned when
Princess Diana died. Click "Cool Science Images" to see pictures and
explanations of scientific phenomena at work in our world.

The Lab
http://www.abc.net.au/science
Karl Kruszelnicki, Julius Summer Miller Fellow at the University of Sidney,
is the host of this science site brought to you by the Australian
Broadcasting Company. Explore the cosmos at "In Space" or read about how
solar energy is powering the 2000 Summer Olympics in "Love That Planet."
Educators can join the Teaching Science e-mail list to discuss issues in
teaching science. [Warning: Due to its mature content, we strongly recommend
that educators use this site with older students only.]

Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling the World
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/
Everything that we learn has to first be perceived by the senses and then
interpreted by the brain. What is the biology behind the learning? From the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, this site explains how the brain sees,
hears, and smells. Articles are written clearly for the general reader, but
are not "dumbed down." Read about how the nervous system makes sense of its
environment.

EXHIBITS ONLINE

The Smithsonian Institution
http://www.si.edu/
Composed of 16 museums, numerous galleries, research centers, and the
National Zoo, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., USA, offers a
vast variety of information for young scientists. View "what's New" to learn
how the National Air and Space Museum celebrated Space Day (May 4), or visit
"Museums and Research Centers" to take a virtual tour of all the facilities
that comprise the Smithsonian. Educators can click "Education & Outreach,"
then click on "Resources for Educators" for online exhibits and professional
development especially for them.

The Annenberg/CPB exhibits
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/
Discover the physics behind roller coasters and other amusement park
adventures at the Annenberg/CPB exhibits. These and other interactive online
exhibits are inspired by the Annenberg/CPB educational video series. In the
Weather exhibit, click on "Forecasting" to learn how meteorologists
calculate wind chill factors, or take the test in the "Personality" exhibit
to learn how others see you (click on "Reputation"). Stroll through the
Copan Valley and Choco Canyon to discover why the Mayan and Anasazi
civilizations collapsed. Educators should be sure to visit the "Teacher's
Lab" for activities that teachers can use in their classrooms.

The Exploratorium
http://www.exploratorium.edu
The Exploratorium is a San Francisco-based museum of 650 interactive
exhibits. Among them are instructions for mummifying a dead fish (click on
"Revealing Bodies: Beneath the Mummy's Shroud") and for building a scaled
solar system on a roll of toilet paper (Click "Observatory," then "Build a
Solar System"). Scroll down the home page, and click "Science Explorer" for
a list of activities that can be done at home or in the classroom, or read
about the science behind a curve ball in "Sports Science." In the Digital
Library find an archive of past exhibitions, Web casts, digital images, and
more.