Science
Web Resources for Science Classes
General
100 Free Science Documentaries |
All online, a collection of 100 free, full-length science documentaries covering all areas. |
Access Excellence Resource Center |
Very full set of resources to use in science education – great activities and interactive sites. |
Chronology of Events in Science, Mathematics, and Technology |
Links to short timelines on many technologies and the discoveries of laws and concepts in math and science. |
Collier Classification System for Very Small Objects |
Interesting site that is great for teaching the process of nomenclature. |
Encyclopedia of Science and Alternative Energy |
A pair of fully indexed pair of online encyclopedias covering general science topics and alternative energy & sustainable living. Also has current science news articles. |
Exploratorium Education |
Online exhibits, podcasts, videos, and interactive lesson ideas. |
Extreme Science |
A large number of student oriented activities and videos in all areas of science. |
History and Geography of Inventions |
When and where is was invented – from before 10,000 BC through the present. |
The Franklin Institute Teacher Resources |
Collection of lesson plans, teacher resources, and exhibit info from the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia for teaching in all areas of science using their exhibits as models. |
Museum of Ancient Inventions |
Fascinating online exhibit of many ancient technologies and inventions from before 7000 BC through 1700 AD. |
My Science Box |
Complete, scaffolded lessons for all areas of science from K-12 with activities, projects, and even field trip ideas. |
The Naked Scientists Podcasts |
Podcasts and videocasts on a wide variety of science topics from Cambridge University. |
NOVA |
From PBS – searchable index of hundreds of video clips and full episodes of the long-running television show. |
Scale of the Universe |
Run the slider to see the relative sizes of objects from the whole universe, to the theoretical strings of strong theory. |
Science Bulletins |
From the American Museum of Natural History – Superb interactive data and visualizations as well as information on new discoveries and technologies. |
Shodor |
Online activities for teaching a wide variety of science concepts. |
Universcale |
See the relative sizes of objects arranged on a single scale. This lets you grasp the sizes of things that you cannot compare side by side in the real world. |
The Why Files: The Science Behind the News |
Funded by the National Science Foundation – a great collection of all kinds of science information with lots of interactive content and teaching activities. |
Biology
Amazing Cells |
3D animations and interactives showing different processes and workings of cells. Includes teacher resources. |
Animal-a-Day |
Fabulous informational blog that highlights a different animal every day! All kinds of great information and links are available. |
BioInteractive |
Lots of interactive resources both online and in print for teaching biology, medicine & health, and the diversity of life. |
The Biology Corner |
Sets of links for lessons, Webquests, images, and student projects in biology and science. |
Biology in Motion |
Interactives and videos to teach the basics of biology. |
BioVisions |
Multimedia presentations from Harvard University (including animations and lectures) on cell biology. |
Cells Alive |
Great videos and interactives with quizzes and worksheets for learning about viruses, bacterium, parasites, and other one celled organisms. |
Cell Biology Animation |
Simple animations that explore a variety of topics in studying the biology of one-celled organisms. |
Daily Mammal |
Original art and facts about a mammal a day. Great for cross-curricular work with art and science. |
Discover Life |
Provides free on-line tools to identify species, share ways to teach and study nature’s wonders, report findings, build maps, process images, and contribute to and learn from a growing, interactive encyclopedia of life that now has 1,253,691 species pages. |
DNA Interactive |
Beautiful multimedia materials, lesson plans, and other interactive tools to teach DNA and genetics. |
Extract DNA from any Living Thing |
Step-by-step instructions for completing a simple experiment to extract DNA from anything using household supplies and groceries! |
The Featured Creature |
Every day a new and fascinating animal is highlighted. |
The Human Heart |
Interactive simulations and activities from the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. |
Molecular Movies |
Portal for cell and molecular visualizations – includes lots of multimedia resources for seeing biology on the cellular and molecular level. |
Monterey Bay Aquarium Webcams |
Watch live webcams of sea otters, penguins, the open sea tank, Monterey Bay, and more. |
Natural History Notebooks |
Find fascinating facts about more than 250 animal species. Don’t overlook the interesting information in the Resources section. |
Net Frog |
Virtual frog dissection labs – great for SmartBoards! |
Neuroscience for Kids |
Interactive games, activities, lessons, and other resources for teaching neuroscience to all ages. |
Scitable |
From Nature Publishing, this is a free online resource library and learning tool where you can contribute content, connect to experts and set up online classrooms. The focus is primarily genetics and cell biology. |
Teach Genetics |
A wealth of resources and information aimed at helping educators bring genetics, bioscience and health alive in the classroom. |
What Does It Mean to Be Human? |
Interactive exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution that examines evolution and the meaning of humanity. |
Chemistry
Chemistry Freeware |
Links to dozens of freeware programs to use in chemistry instruction including molecular viewers, sample problem sets, and virtual experiments. |
Chemistry Teaching Resources |
Comprehensive list of resources for teaching various topics in and levels of chemistry from Umeå University. |
ChemReference |
Interactive periodic table with a wealth of information and resources about the elements. |
Hi-Res Images of Chemical Elements |
Click on the links on the periodic table for great photos and information about the elements in their natural states. |
Periodic Table of Videos |
Fun and informative videos that highlight every element on the periodic table. |
WebElements |
Interactive periodic table that allows students to discover the properties of the elements, how they interact with each other and the roles they play in biology and geology. |
Earth Science
Breathing Earth |
Shows simulations of current CO2 emissions, birth and death rates, and a running world population total. |
Digital Library for Earth System Education |
Lesson plans and resources for teaching various aspects of Earth Science. |
Earthquake Hazards |
The latest information on seismic activity in the US and the world from the USGS. |
Earth Science World |
Investigate careers, an image bank, and up-to-date information with interactive games. |
Ocean Planet |
Interactive exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution with lots of environmental information and multimedia resources. |
PALEOMAP Project |
Shows the plate tectonic development of the ocean basins and continents, as well as the changing distribution of land and sea during the past 1100 million years.” Includes 3D movable maps and animations showing plate movements. |
Strange Science |
Learn about how scientists learned to reconstruct fossil remains, and some mistakes along the way, leading to some unusual creatures. |
Teaching Geoscience with Visualizations |
Lots of visuals as well as lesson plans and tools for creating your own resources. |
The Tornado Project Online |
Excellent pictures, current information, and myths about tornadoes. |
University of California Museum of Paleontology |
Excellent set of online exhibits and lots of resourced for both teachers and students. |
Volcano World |
Interactive lessons, multimedia activities, games, and more to learn about geology and all kinds of volcanoes. |
Weather Channel Storm Encyclopedia |
Wealth of information about severe and extreme weather systems. |
Where Does Your Water Come From? |
Use interactive maps to find the nearest source for your drinking water, as well as multiple links to teach about water conservation. |
Physical Science & Astronomy
Cool Cosmos Collection |
Huge collection of images of the universe from Cal Tech. |
Einstein Archives Online |
Containing over 20,000 documents, fully searchable and indexed collection of Albert Einstein’s “scientific writings and correspondence, non-scientific writings and correspondence, family letters and travel diaries.” |
Explore Mars Now |
Great exhibit and interactive simulation of a potential colony on the planet Mars |
Exploring the Planets |
Online exhibit from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum that travels throughout the solar system. |
How Many People Are in Space Right Now? |
Quick snapshot of the number of people in space and their nationalities. |
Hubble Heritage Project |
Archived images from the entire career of the Hubble Space Telescope |
Impact Earth! |
Change the parameters from speed to asteroid composition, to angle of impact to see how a collision would affect life on Earth should it happen. |
Inconstant Moon |
A site dedicated to both Earth’s moon and other satellites in the solar system. Explore lunar maps, take a tour of the surface or calculate moon phases. |
Inside Black Holes |
Falling into a black hole. See diagrams and animations, based on scientific research, that show what it would look like to cross the Event Horizon. |
Interactive Map of the Moon |
Explore the craters and seas of the moon’s near and far side with this interactive map. |
Interactive Science Simulations |
Fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena from the PhET™ project at the University of Colorado |
NASA |
The main portal for access to a massive about of information, videos, and interactive material about space and space travel. |
Nine Planets |
An interactive, multimedia tour of the solar system. |
PhysClips |
Great set of multimedia materials, animations, and videos to teach physics. |
Physics Central |
Articles, interactive activities, multimedia presentations, and printable books and experiments covering a wide range of physics topics. |
The Physics Classroom |
Lots of tutorials, multimedia options, interactive lessons, and simple quizzes to teach or supplement physics instruction. |
Physics Database |
Collection of full text and free samples of books on physics, mathematics, and astronomy. All are copyright free, or have liberal reproduction rights. |
PhysLink – Physics and Astronomy Online |
Click on “Education” for a great list of links and resources for teachers. |
Sixty Symbols |
Videos about the symbols used in physics and astronomy. |
Solar Beat |
“Play” the orbits of the planets on a turntable to see their relative years. |
Solar System Scope |
Interactive 3D models of planetary orbits & night/day cycles |
Space Shuttle Discovery |
3D, 360 degree interactive panoramic of the Space Shuttle Discovery’s flight deck. |
Space Sounds |
Spacecraft communications and natural sounds that travel through space |
Tesla: Master of Lightning |
Links to the PBS biography of Nikola Tesla and includes many resources and lesson plans for teaching about electricity and radio. |
Universe Sandbox |
Free download that allows you to study the solar system, and also is a fantastic gravity simulator for testing astrophysics. |
Views of the Solar System |
Almost 1000 images and video clips of our solar system. |
Visible Earth |
A catalog of NASA images and animations of our home planet. |
Where is Cassini Now? |
NASA site dedicated to the Cassini mission to Saturn. View images and listen to sounds from the moons and rings. |
World Sunlight Map |
Map of the world showing current sunlight and cloud cover. Views in both rectangular and hemispheric projections. |
NJBiblio 