BITS & BYTES
Websites last viewed 28 August 2004
General science
Earth and beyond
Life and Living
GENERAL SCIENCE
ScienceLynx
www.curriculum.edu.au/science
A new portal to science resources for teachers is now live at ScienceLynx. The development of the site was funded by the Department of Education, Science and Training to provide annotated links to useful sites, access to professional development resources and a news page that is updated monthly to which all users may contribute. Mark this as a favourite!
CSIROnline education
www.csiro.au/index.asp?type=educationIndex
CSIRO operates a range of exciting science education projects. Students are encouraged to participate in scientific activities, especially those related to the applications of science and to consider science as a career choice. A must for all Australian science teachers.
ABC Science Online
www.abc.net.au/science/
Keep abreast of science on our national broadcaster. The site includes an email alert facility and breaking news in science. Visit Dr Karl's Self Service Science, click onto Planet Slayer for fun and games and the answers to all your enviro-dilemas or 'Talk it up' for the latest information from health experts about teens, their health and wellbeing. There is so much more here at ABC Education resources.
BBC Science and Nature
www.bbc.co.uk/sn/
This site provides a wonderful introduction to all that students might want to know about general science under the current menus of Animals, Prehistoric Life, Human Body and Mind, Genes, Space and Hot Topics. Also includes an email alert facility.
Games and quizzes
www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet
There are tonnes of games, quizzes, video clips and information about the ocean at the BBC's Blue Planet website.
Award winning site
www.goamazing.com
This is the place where you can find out 'how to spot the look of love', 'the future of mobile phones' and 'what your email font says about you'. It's designed to engage teenagers in science but there's a lot here to interest both primary and secondary students, such as the science of skateboarding and optical illusions. Most articles have related classroom activities and teacher notes. There are also tips on thinking skills and how to run a debate. This site won the ATOM award for best educational website in Australia.
Changing your ecological attitude
www.powerhousemuseum.com/ecotude
Eco'tude allows students to consider their school's environmental impact, empowers them to take action and change their school's attitude towards resource use. The eco'tude calculator asks students questions about their school and uses the answers to make an estimate of their school's ecological footprint‹the total amount of land disturbed by activities at their school. Students can save their results and track the school's progress towards becoming a sustainable school.
Email discussion lists
http://lists.topica.com/lists/krampf/read
Check this site for numerous science experiments. Robert Krampf sends out to an email list a description of a simple science experiment, usually utilising easily obtainable items. Subscribe and be fascinated.
The Scientist
www.the-scientist.com/
The Scientist is an international news magazine published in print and on the web. It reports on and analyses the issues and events that impact the world of life scientists. The Scientist provides a unifying forum for discussion of the topics‹news, research, profession and technology‹that drive scientific progress. Comprehensive and topical, it serves as an ally and a guide in today's exciting and competitive research environment. Requires free registration.
Science teacher education
www.ed-dev.uts.edu.au/teachered/science/k12teach.html
Established for undergraduates, this site invites science teachers and students to participate. Here you will find information about science education professional associations, the science chat room, science education resources, K12 Student Learning Units, pictures, sounds and video links.
topEARTH AND BEYOND
The Minerals Council of Australia Education Program
www.minerals.org.au/education
The Education Program places a priority on continuous learning and the professional development of current and future teachers. The National Education Program offers a range of professional development options, including: workshops, site visits to industry operations, online learning, briefings, short courses and seminars.
Soils and their conservation
www.waite.adelaide.edu.au/school/Soil/index.html
Teach students about the value of soils and issues relating to the conservation of soils in urban, rural and native environments. Visit the Soils Zoo, a virtual zoo that shows different types of animals and organisms that live in soil. You could find some of these if you looked carefully into your garden or compost heap. Some are so small, they can only be seen using the most powerful microscopes.
Dinosaurs
www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/
All you could ever wish to know about dinosaurs can be found at this site. There are fact sheets on over 80 different dinosaurs, classifications, anatomy and behaviour, extinction; a list of the Top Paleontologists and Dinosaur Hunters of All Time; Dino printouts; a geologic time chart; classroom activities and more. If you are looking for information about a particular dinosaur or other paleontology topic, click on the Dinosaur Dictionary at www.zoomdinosaurs.com.
Biology
http://sunflower.bio.indiana.edu/~rhangart/plantmotion/starthere.html
With few exceptions, plants grow and change on a time scale that is too slow for us to observe in real time. Time-lapse photography has been utilised at this site to allow us to see the movements of plants and clearly demonstrates that plants are living and capable of some extraordinary things. Budding plant biologists will be captivated here.
Australian astronomy
www.astronomy.org.au/ngn/engine.php?SID=1000009
Make learning fun while using the latest online resources and information. Presented here are links to interactive tutorials and worksheets, general educational links and public astronomy courses. Slow to load, but a wonderful website for budding astronomers of any age!
The Nine Planets
www.nineplanets.org/nineplanets.html
The Nine Planets is an over-view of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets and moons in our solar system. Each page has text and images, some have sounds and movies, and most provide references to additional related information. An excellent website for all aspects of astronomy.
Science at NASA
www.nasa.gov/home/index.html
The one-stop astronomy and space travel shop. Slow lines can be a problem due to the use of flash and many images. It's best to navigate the website and work out where you want your students to go before class.
topLIFE AND LIVING
Spiders at Australian Museum Online
www.amonline.net.au/spiders/
Everything you never wanted to know about spiders is contained in this excellent website for student research. Links include spider diversity, a spider's life, spiders and culture, dangerous spiders, a spider toolkit, and resources for all age group with FAQs, spider biology information and fact sheets. AMO is a website to watch!
Rainforests and frogs
www.ncmoa.org/costarica/
Discover the art and biology of the Costa Rican rainforest and solve a mystery with clues from ancient treasures. You will need the free Flash Player.
Fungimap
www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fungimap/
Fungimap is a collaborative project between professional and amateur mycologists and naturalists to gather information about the distribution of fungi throughout Australia. This website will introduce you to the basics of mushrooms and toadstools (always popular with the juniors) plus the fungimap project, in which your school could become involved.
Bugasaurus explorus!
www.bugsurvey.nsw.gov.au/index.html
This site was set up in 2000 by the NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources for the NSW Water Bug Survey. Students will find information relevant to freshwater environments Australia-wide, including the Buglopedia, an illustrated guide to freshwater life with printable fact sheets.
Classroom Antarctica
http://classroomantarctica.aad.gov.au/
This wonderful site introduces the uniqueness of the continent, its history through Antarctic heroes, people who live and work in the community, services that support the program and environmental qualities of the Antarctic ecosystem. Units of work mix and match activities that address learning objectives. These activities can be adapted to the range of student abilities and their particular interests. Some activities are designed around Expeditioner Profiles. There are hundreds of useful web links throughout and a wealth of support material listed in the Classroom Resources.
topEQ Spring 2004 © Curriculum Corporation