Lab Safety, Scientific Method, General Science Skills
Reinforce information
- Scientific Method- Have questions about the steps of the scientific method? What about how to conduct your own experiment? This link will walk you through how to make a science fair project. Feel free to explore the rest of the site- it's great!
- Scientific Notation- Instead of writing 300000000, why not shorten it? Scientific notation is used when dealing with very large or very small numbers. This link will show you the basics of how it is done.
- Experiment Mad Lib- Fill in examples of the parts of speech and read your funny story about a class science experiment
- Inventor Mad Lib- Fill in examples of the parts of speech and read your funny story about an inventor having a bad day
- Scientific Notation Game- Solve the problem and then move the spider over the correct color bug to see if you got the answer correct
- How to calculate density- Ever wonder what makes something more or less dense? Use a simple math computation to see if something will sink or float!
Minerals and Rocks
Reinforce information
- Rock cycle animation- How do rocks change through the rock cycle? Through a series of pages, you will see animations showing how rocks change through the rock cycle.
- How do igneous rocks form?- Use the "next" button on the bottom of the page to learn more about how igneous rocks form.
- How do rocks undergo change?- Use the "next" button on the bottom of the page to learn more about how rocks undergo change.
- Metamorphic rocks forming- View an animation of how metamorphic rocks form.
- Sedimentary rocks forming- View an animation of how clastic sedimentary rocks form.
- Rock cycle song- The video will provide visualizations and the lyrics so you can sing along- it's a catchy tune!
- Rock and mineral characteristics- Using many pictures and visuals, this site will breakdown the characteristics of both minerals and rocks
- Interactive rock cycle- Go through the steps of the rock cycles one-by-one with animations
- Crystal shapes- Want to know more about crystal structure? This site will show you the different shapes and their properties.
- Minerals in our environment- This will show you what minerals are in everyday objects we use in our homes.
- Minerals database- A list of over 100 minerals is provided with a link to pictures with more information for each.
- Rock cycle animation- Check out exactly where rock pieces move throughout the rock cycle through an interactive animation.
Fossils, Human Impact, and Alternate Forms of Energy
Reinforce information
- Interactive- types of fossils- Use this interactive to learn about the different types of fossils (click "launch")
- How a dinosaur became a fossil- Click "launch" to go through a short, step-by-step explanation of how a dinosaur became a fossil
- How can a dinosaur get buried by sediment and then later uncovered?- Walk through the steps that answer this question. Keep going through it until you get to the "review" section
- Hydroelectric dam- This animation shows how hydroelectric dams work
- State energy source potential- Choose a state and see how much of it's energy could be produced using the different types of alternate energy sources (wind, water, solar, geothermal)
- Country energy source potential- Select a country and see how much of it's energy could be produced using the different types of alternate energy sources (wind, water, solar, geothermal)
- How do hydropower dams work?- Click "launch" and view an article and interactive picture (click the text boxes for more information) about how these create energy
- Fossil layer game- Put the fossils in the correct layer from oldest to youngest
- Plan It Green- Build your own "green" city! This is similar to the Sims and is a long, involved game
- Oil and natural gas- Explore this site to learn how oil and natrual gas create energy.
- Energy, climate change and careers- Look around this site for information on fundamentals of energy, climate change, energy efficiency, green jobs and green schools.
- United States of energy- Ever wonder where and how we get energy in the US? This site gives a visual that will answer that question.
- What energy truly costs us- This series of 10 short videos explain the need for energy alternatives.
- Germany could be a model for how we'll get power in the future- Although this page is lengthy, it includes explanation of the history of Germany and why they are making the changes they are. The great pictures with captions are eye-opening to the possibilities.
Weathering, Erosion and Soil
Reinforce information
- Water runoff, basins and soil- This site provides short descriptions along with animations to explain the concepts of water runoff, basins and soil. This site does require a login, but it is free.
- Observe how sediment is deposited- Look at this animation to see how sediment is deposited
- Real effects of erosion- Click on the map of the US to explore real effects of erosion
- Mechanical weathering pictures- Look at these photographs of mechanical weathering examples
- Erosion and weathering- Click "launch" and go through the interactive collage for a good overview of erosion and weathering.
- Landslide monitoring in the US- The US government keeps track of the warning signs that can lead to landslides. This website shows you just where the next ones are projected to occur.
- Science of sand- not all sand is the same. Sand is made from weathered rock particles; the sand reflects the type of rock that has broken down. Check out samples from around the US (and world) and view them under magnification.
Earth's Layers
Reinforce information
- Interactive Earth's layers- This allows you to interact with the Earth's layers and discover the properties that characterize each
Plate Tectonics
Reinforce information
- Plate tectonics- What are plate tectonics? Why do they move? What happens when they move? Answers to these questions and more can be found at this site!
- Interactive plate tectonics- What are plate tectonics anyway? How do we know? This walks you through an interactive way to learn all about continental drift!
- Plate boundaries- What happens as the plates move together, apart or side-by-side?
- Interactive convergent boundaries- Use the interactive animations to view what happens at convergent boundaries
- Interactive divergent and transform boundaries- Use the interactive animations to view what happens at divergent and transform boundaries
- Hot spots- This animation shows how hot spots can create volcanic mountains- there is audio too. :)
- Interactive plate tectonic activity- Click on "plate tectonic activity" to visualize how mountains form during plate movement.
- Breakdown of plate tectonics- Using many pictures and diagrams, this site breaks down plate boundaries and the features they create.
- Pangaea- Watch this animation on how Pangaea turned into what the Earth looks like today.
- Age of the ocean floor- images of crustal age of the ocean floor
- Major tectonic plates- use this interact to see the names and direction of movement for the different tectonic plates
- Review game- Having trouble remembering the different boundaries and what they create? This review game will help!
- Plate boundaries review game- Get the facts about real plate boundaries and decide what is happening!
- Pangaea- how do we know it existed?- Look at this interactive animation to see the evidence we have for Pangaea. Click "view" or "launch"
- FAQ about plate tectonics- Click on the question you have and multiple visuals will explain the answer for you! There is also information about volcanoes and earthquakes.
- Plate tectonics- Click on any of the links under "contents" to be taken to a page that explains that topic.
- Ocean floor features- NOAA's explanation of ocean floor features with embedded links for further exploration on the topic
Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Mountains
Reinforce information
- Tsunami before and after pictures- See before and after pictures of the 2011 tsunami that wrecked Japan.
- Earthquake animations- There are links to animations that will help you visualize earthquake concepts, such as liquifaction.
- Tsunamis- Still have questions about tsunamis? This site walks you through to a deeper understanding of tsunamis using short videos. There is also tons of information about plate tectonics, volcanoes and waves. A login is required for this site, but it is free.
- Tsunamis- This site breaks down the different ways tsunamis can form, as well as how and why they are formed. There are animations and audio explanations. A login is required, but it is free and worth it!
- Volcanic Ash- This site has great diagrams and questions to check for understanding so you know you're getting it. It does require you to create a username/password, but it's free.
- Volcano world- Check out the links along the top of the page and explore to find answers to your questions about volcanoes- there are even virtual field trips to different volcanoes around the world!
- Survival! game- Test different scenarios- what will you do in a crisis?
- Volcano games- Click to play one of the several games available about volcanoes.
- Earthquakes- This site has some great information and links describing many aspects of earthquakes. Be sure to check out the "students and teachers" tab on the left. Still confused about earthquakes? Click on the "for kids" link for some games, puzzles, facts, pictures and more.
- Recent seismic activity- This site shows you where and at what magnitude the most recent earthquakes around the world.
- Recent seismic activity- USA- This site shows seismic activity occurring in the US every day!
- Anatomy of a tsunami- 2004- Explore the aspects of the 2004 tsunami through animations. A login is required for this site, but it is free. Click on "view"
- Volcanoes- Have some questions about volcanoes? Go to this site for some answers to frequently asked questions.
- US volcanoes- when will they erupt?- This site is produced by the US government and tracks all of the volcanoes and monitor their activity in order to determine when they will erupt. This map shows you which will go next (look out Hawaii!)
- How do we know a tsunami is coming?- Use this interactive tool to visualize the sequence of events that help us stay informed
- Tsunami- NOAA's explanation of tsunamis with hyperlinks throughout the text for more information
Earth's Waters
Reinforce information
- What is the water cycle?- This site will walk you through the steps of the water cycle
- Where is Earth's water?- Find out where Earth's water is located throughout the water cycle.
- How much of the earth is water?- Explore where the earth's water is located and how much of it is fresh vs. salt water
- Where is Earth's water and what are the properties of the water cycle?- This site uses diagrams, short descriptions and animations to explain the different parts of the water cycle and the location and properties of Earth's water. A login is required for this site, but it is free.
- Drainage basin animation- What happens to water after it rains? This animation includes audio and will explain the answer the that question. A login is required, but it is free and worth it!
- Permeability- Is there a spectrum of permeability? This site will show an animation of how quickly water flows through different types of rock.
- Groundwater- Use this interactive to learn about the aspects of groundwater.
- Water games- The "water festival" has tons of interactive games that create a cute way to visualize information. Have fun! :)
- Want to know even more?- There is more to the water cycle than just evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Explore this site!
- Watersheds and their properties- This site uses short videos and diagrams to explain watersheds and their properties. Make sure you allow pop-ups from this site. You will also need a login, but it is free.
- Drought or flood in the US?- This site monitors the water levels around the US and shows diagrams of current, real-life water levels around the country.
- How do we build wells?- Click "launch" to view a video explaining the answer to this question
Oceans
Reinforce information
- Surface currents- Look at a map of the major surface currents (and global winds) on Earth.
- Ocean currents- This site uses video, diagrams and descriptions to explain the characteristics of the different ocean currents. A login is required for this site, but it is free.
- Ocean currents- This page includes a brief explanation of ocean currents with embedded links for further exploration on the topic based on which areas you wish to receive clarification
- Tides- This site uses video, diagrams and descriptions to explain the characteristics of the different tides. A login is required for this site, but it is free.
- Ocean basics- Still unsure about waves, tides, salinity, etc? This NOAA site will explain.
- Tides- NOAA's brief, yet thorough, explanation of the tides
- Waves- Brief explanation of water waves- click on the picture to see the anatomy of waves
- Tides- Brief explanation of tidal currents
- Tides- Another explanation of tidal currents; click on the pictures for a larger view
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- explore this government site for all sorts of information
- Essential Principles of Ocean Sciences- this online file will explain the principles of ocean sciences
- Ocean currents- an interactive tool that allows you to view the different major ocean currents of the earth
- Southern ocean surface speed animation- watch an animation of southern ocean surface speeds
Atmosphere
Reinforce information
- Hail formation- This animation will show you the processes that lead to hail formation.
- Climate vs. weather- Explore this site for the basics or even more information regarding climate and weather- they are NOT the same thing!
- Global winds- This NOAA site will explain the basics of jet streams, wind chill, climate and heat index.
- Sea breeze and land breeze- This animation will show what happens during sea breezes and land breezes.
- Global warming and greenhouse effect- This step-by-step video/animation will explain how the greenhouse effect works and it's impact on global warming.
- Coriolis Effect and currents- brief explanation of currents and the Coriolis Effect (click on the pictures for more detail)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- explore this government site for all sorts of information
- Atmosphere basics- Still unsure about what the atmosphere is, the layers of the atmosphere or how energy is transferred? Check out this NOAA site.
- Ozone layer- What is the ozone layer? How does it form? What is happening with the hole in the ozone layer? Click "view" to see a video that explains this. You will have to create a login, but it is free.
- Clouds, wind and air masses- Another NOAA site that goes through what meteorologists look at when they create the forecast. It also explains the types of clouds, wind and air masses.
- Ask a scientist!- Browse through the FAQ and if you still don't find your answer, you can message a real scientist about your climate question(s).
- Cloud types- Explore the types of clouds, their formation and the kind of weather they bring.
- El Nino- NOAA's page about El Nino.
- Acid rain- The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) published this teacher's guide on acid rain. It includes explanations on what acid rain is, how it's produced, what we can do to lessen it and lab examples.
- How much do clouds weigh?- This article answers the question of, "How much do clouds weigh?" There is also a button to hear an audio recording of the article if you prefer to listen to it.
- Ozone Q&A- click on the question you want answered and it'll take you to a one-page explanation
- Air pressure- provides a visual and explanation of why air pressure changes depending on elevation
- Cloud lab- explore what this GPB Nova site has to offer (click "challenge" and then which section you want to investigate)
- What is ozone?- an in-depth look at both "good" and "bad" ozone
Weather
Reinforce information
- Why do we experience weather and how can we predict it?- This site uses short videos to explain just this. A login is required for this site, but it is free.
- Cold front vs. warm front- Look at this animation of cold and warm fronts- see what happens when it enters another air mass
- Thunderstorms- The NOAA website about thunderstorms- be sure to keep clicking "next" or use the navigation to the left
- Lightning- The NOAA website about lightning- be sure to keep clicking "next" or use the navigation to the left. (Thunder cannot hurt you!)
- Tropical weather- The NOAA website for tropical weather, such as El Nino- be sure to keep clicking "next" or use the navigation to the left
- Hurricanes- This site explains the life cycle, parts, stages, tracking, categories, effects and preparation for hurricanes in a very kid-friendly way
- Rain shadows- Click "launch" to explore an interactive, step-by-step explanation of what causes rain shadows
- Storm and emergency safety guide- This page gives a brief description of hazardous weather conditions and offers links to click on to get safety information about them
- Staying safe during severe weather- This site includes earthquakes which is NOT a part of weather, but it is useful information (especially if you live on a fault line!) when playing outside
- Weather adventure games- Browse through the fun and game activities posted by NASA for middle school students
- Tornadoes- Practice using the Fujita Scale to assign ratings for pictures from actual tornadoes- click "launch interactive"
- Hurricane game- This simulation helps you apply what you have learned to make decisions as a hurricane approaches. You will have to create a login for this site, but it is free.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- Explore this government site about ocean and atmospheric sciences.
- Weather and health- Did you ever wonder how different weather conditions impact your health? This site shows short videos to explain just this. A login is required for this site, but it is free.
- How to read surface weather maps- This goes into more detail than we do in class about weather maps, their symbols and how to interpret them.
- Hurricanes- This site provides information on the life cycle of a hurricane, intensity of hurricanes and hurricane safety/preparedness. The information is presented with brief descriptions, diagrams and animations. A login is required for this site, but it is free.
- Hurricanes: Science and Society- Explore this site for more than just how hurricanes are formed.
- Meteorologist Chrissy Warrilow's youtube site- Ms. Warrilow comes every year to speak to the whole 6th grade about weather. Preview some of her work and stay up-to-date on current weather conditions
- Storm prediction center- This government site stays on top of any severe weather that may occur in the US
- Animated current weather map- Click to view animated weather maps including radar, satellite, temperature, dew point, wind chill and heat.
- Weather question and answer- Browse through common questions asked by middle school students about the weather. Click on the link and it'll provide an explanation along with diagrams to show the answer to the question.
- Storm surge- This is actual video taken by a survivor of the storm surge caused by Typhoon Haiyan
- Video of rare microburst- View a time-lapse video of the rare microburst phenomenon (also read about what this is)
- Impact of El Nino- explore this compilation of links on the varying types of impacts of El Nino
- Hail- an article from the Washington Post shows pictures and videos of the large hail that hit an area in Texas
- Explore various topics/links- scroll down to see a list of links that'll explain everything from types of clouds to the basics of storm spotting. Thank you to Ms. Spivey's student, Alexa, for finding and sharing this resource with us!
History of Astronomy
Reinforce information
- Scale of the universe- How big is the universe in comparison? Use this interactive slide scale to examine the answer to this question.
- Geocentric vs Heliocentric- This site shows you a picture and gives a simple explanation about the differences between the two views.
- What is a galaxy?- Student-friendly explanation of a galaxy with great visuals
- Big Bang Theory- Student-friendly explanation of this THEORY with great visuals
- What is gravity?- Student-friendly explanation of gravity with an animation
- GAMES!!!- Games about various aspects of Earth science, but mostly astronomy.
- Space Mad Lib- Fill in examples of the parts of speech and read your funny story about space
- Google sky- This site allows you to explore the universe. You can see the constellations, planets and other stars.
- Stellarium- Want to know what the sky looks like through a telescope at any point on Earth? This free download is a cool software that will allow you to do just that!
- Epicycles- More information about Ptolemy's epicycles.
- Historical views- This link will walk you through the historical views of astronomy. Be sure to press "play" and "next" to get the whole experience.
- Where did it all come from?- This youtube video from National Geographic will give more details about the Big Bang Theory (not the tv show)
- Dark matter- Student-friendly explanation of dark matter
- Black hole- A short video explaining black holes
Planets of Our Solar System
Reinforce information
- Mars exploration- Check out Olympus Mons!
- Distance to Mars- "See" how far the moon is from Earth and then how far it is to Mars- it's a very cool animation. Be patient, though- it's a long way to Mars!
- Tour our solar system- Click "launch" then click on the labels to learn more about the objects in our solar system- some include short videos (note: the picture is not to scale)
- Play with our solar system!- Ever wonder what would happen if we added another planet to our solar system? With this site you can download (it's free) a program that will let you do just that. It uses the laws of physics and shows what would actually happen! Go ahead and play!
- Planet memory matching- Can you remember where the planets are in the matching game? Choose from three difficulty levels.
- NASA- The NASA website has a TON of information. Take some time just browsing around the site- the pictures are incredible too!
- NASA- planets- This NASA site is all about the planets.
- Planetary motion- This site shows you the speed and location of the planets of our solar system (and Pluto) as they orbit the sun.
- What about Pluto!?!?- This video is hosted by the man who is responsible for Pluto's demotion (I met him along with Bill Nye!) and goes through the steps that led to the new classification of "dwarf planet". This video is quite long and goes with a book that is also called "The Pluto Files". I have the book and you are welcome to borrow it- just ask as I do not keep it on my bookshelf.
- Want to know more?- The IAU is the group that determines the definitions of things, such as a "planet" (they are responsible for voting Pluto out of planetary status). Their site has some interesting things on it, so just browse.
- Explore Mars- Explore Mars through an interactive online application
- Weekly night sky- Did you ever wonder what the objects are that you see in the night sky? Did you know those objects change throughout the year? Check out this week's celestial objects visible from our position on Earth
- Can we live on Mars?- This site is for educators, but there are some great videos (look on the right as you go down the page) and good activities (look on the left) that can help give you some perspective on this question
- People going to Mars video clip- National Geographic created a video clip of the potential of humans going to Mars.
- Mission Pluto- National Geographic created a series on the missions to Pluto. Explore clips from various episodes.
Earth's Tilt and Small Bodies in Space
Reinforce information
- Song about the moon- Song to the tune of Forget You by Cee Lo Green
- Eclipses- This will show a simulation of the position of space objects in the resulting eclipses.
- Seasons animation- This animation will show you the position of the earth and sun that results in different seasons.
- Earth's tilt simulator- Move the Earth around in this simulator and see how it changes the angle of the sun's rays.
- Moon phases animation- This will show a simulation of the position of space objects in the resulting lunar phases.
- Impact crater game- Play with different scenarios to see how objects entering Earth's atmosphere are impacted before leaving a crater.
- Gravity- What if gravity was stronger or weaker? Use this interactive simulation to answer just that.
- What a year on Earth really looks like- Want to know more? This video explains in more detail what one year on Earth looks like.
- Moon phase and libration- Ever wonder why the moon appears to wobble over the months? Play around with this interactive to discover how the moon moves along with the phases.