Understanding how the world around us works,
knowing how to reason things out, and understanding the methods and
limits of scientific enquiry are a critically important part of any
person's education.
Yet, despite the clamor by our legislators to help
our school kids "keep up" with those in other nations or regions so
that they can graduate high school and
college ready to take their place in the high tech work force, the
reality is that, all too often, good science curriculum is woefully
lacking -- especially in elementary and middle school.
Tragically, children with real scientific aptitude are left in limbo,
floundering in boredom and apathy that eventually drains their overall
academic achievement and potential.
As if to underscore this point, in May of 2003,
Physics Today published an article announcing that none of the
popular middle school science texts in use are adequate or even accurate
(read,
Middle-School Texts Don't Make the Grade)
. We must all speak out about
this ridiculous state of affairs. And we must all do what we
can to make sure our children, especially those gifted in this subject
area, receive the highest quality scientific instruction -- instruction
that is age appropriate, accurate, and which relates scientific knowledge
to real world issues and experiences and to the child's pre-existent
interests.
To this end, we present the following resources...
Great ideas for some dirt and plant
based science! Gives a brief explanation of how to go
about each project. You can get some library books and/or do
web research to find out more about the principles behind the
project. From the Agricultural Research Service of the
USDA.
Offers over 500 free science fair
projects Great projects like "Does Caffeine Raise a
Person's Blood Pressure?" An awesome resource with lots
of different focus areas so your child is sure to find a project he
or she connects with.
This exercise is designed to help
students observe the life cycle of Drosophila. Students will
learn how to manipulate a large numbers of flies, tell the difference
between the sexes, and identify the different stages of the life cycle.
The intent of this activity is to give the students a fun experience
working with the flies as they investigate a few factors that may affect
their life span. At the end of this activity, students should be
encouraged to design their own experiments to test other environmental
variables that may affect the life cycle of the fruit fly.
Just don't turn any loose in the house or
Mom will not be pleased.
Ideas for fun and easy experiments
about the process plants use to turn sunlight into energy.
Includes great links to help you learn more about photosynthesis.
From Arizona State University.
A very useful site, that can look a
little confusing at first. From its
Table of Contents
you might want to click 512
Printable Science Project Abstracts.
These are then grouped into categories like botany
and zoology. You can click a category to see a list of project
titles in that science category. Then just click a title to read a
brief description of a particular project. It tells the
hypothesis, the method used to test the hypothesis, and the conclusion.
Enough info to get you going on your own project!
Visit the ever-growing, ever-changing
collection of Steve Spangler's favorite science experiments, recipes
and cool science projects. Plenty of free projects, like the
Mentos Geyser (Diet Coke Eruption)
More science experiment fun! Watch
these fun science experiments and then try them at home for yourself.
Be sure to get your parent's permission first!
The magic of air pressure, the role of
oxygen in combustion, and the slippery flexibility of one of our most
basic foods all work together in this classic experiment.
Great resource for science homework, school
reports, or satisfying your curiosity about: Amateur Radio, Biology,
Chemistry, Data Sheets, Electronics, Math, Microscopes, Photography,
Physics, Radio Astronomy, Robots, and more!
This is a fun site where kids can find
answers to common questions of a scientific nature.
(Example:
How do bees
communicate the location of food plants to others?Why do we dream? How do mirrors work?) Best of all, visitors can
submit their own question to Dr. Universe to answer. Any burning
questions out there? Just ask Dr. Universe!
A very snazzy and informative web page
featuring over 40 science experiments you can do at home (with great
explanations of the principles behind each one), plus information
about Bill, a schedule for his science show, and episode guides to
the shows (great for teachers and homeschoolers). Also contains a
large listing of outstanding, recommended books -- in a variety of
scientific fields!
A
very jazzy site by the California Energy Commission. Read the
Energy Story
-- a great online text that explains what energy is, does, and where it
comes from! Also features games, downloadable books and online
articles, science
projects, the history of energy development, tips on saving
energy, and biographies of scientists and engineers who have contributed
to this area of science.
Lesson
plansand online links.
see also....
Energy Ant -- From
the E.I.A., this fun site is a simpler introduction to concepts about
energy.
Earth's Kids own trove of resources and information on habitats,
food chains,
and ways to help the environment. Check here for
more great science equipment,
to explore the outdoors or harness the power of the sun.
The Homepage for the Exploratorium. A hands-on
science museum for kids in San Francisco, California. Sports Science,
the origins of Language, and much more. Check here for online
activities and educational information, as well as updates on their
latest exhibits.
View the germ cam, learn about
deadly epidemics, and discover how many germs you usually leave
behind when you wash! Then learn how to keep yourself safe
with the right technique! Games, crafts, printables, and more.
A great place to look up all sorts of
things! Why does baking soda make a cake rise? How does email
work? What do you need to make a wave machine? What causes a
sun tan? A tons more great stuff. (An excellent resource
for your school science project.)
Learn all about how computer
chips are made! Check out all the online information about
microprocessors, clean rooms, transistors, and memory technology. Info.
on visiting the museum in person.
This website offers a lot to think about --
from pearls to penguins, and Jupiter to jellyfish. Stop on by and
listen to one of their radio shows, or enter their young illustrators contest.
A useful site for anyone curious about
bacteria and all the amazing jobs they carry out. You may have
known that we need bacteria to make yogurt, but did you know we need
bacteria to make chocolate? You may never look at germs the
same way again!
Online science fun. Features... the Rat Cam,
the Salmon Cam, Forest Puzzles, The Millenium Bug, Richard Scarry's
Busy Town, Science Whatzit, Air Travel and Water Works. Send an
electronic postcard while you're there. Check out their
links
page -- links to all sorts of educational and interesting sites
on the Web.
The highly interesting and educational home
page for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Be
sure to check out their
Explore a
Topic section for great online
learning.
Age appropriate astronomy info presented
by NASA and HEASARC. With sections for young kids, a more advanced
version for older kids, plus an area for 14 and older, this site ensures
that every kid interested in astronomy can come away with
treasured insights into the stars, the planets, black holes, and more.
Printable materials for teachers.
From the USGS, the expert on all the
rumblings and tumblings of the Earth's crust. Great articles on
various facets of vulcanism -- including energy sources related to
volcanoes.
Environmental Science
Learn
about biomes, habitats, food chains, & environmental activism
for kids.
Your
Body
Learn how your body
works, and how to keep it healthy!
Grow A
Garden
Learn important principles in Earth
Science by preparing the soil, sprouting seeds, growing
plants to bloom or fruition, and by coping with pests.
Dinosaurs
Great info, links, books, and
educational toys about these favorite prehistoric creatures.
Hand Washing Science
View the germ cam, learn about deadly epidemics, and how to keep
yourself safe with the right technique! Games, crafts, and
printables.
