The World's Biomes
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/
The World's Biomes, provided by the University California Berkeley's Museum of Paleontology, is an introduction to the earth's ecological regions. Biomes are the world's ecological communities, distinguishable by their predominant vegetation and by the organisms that have adapted to that vegetation. This site provides an introduction to the environmental and ecological features typical of various aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra biomes. Users can read about the planet's ecosystems, including information on the weather conditions, as well as the geological and soil conditions, that allow different biomes to flourish. The site contains a reference page with suggestions for further reading. [CH]
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Global Warming Kid's Site
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/index.html
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set up this site to teach kids about global warming, climate change, and climatology, as well as environmentally friendly habits that benefit the earth. The site allows students and educators to approach ecological issues from various perspectives. Global Warming (What it is) is an introduction to current climatological change. Other resources such as Climate and Weather and What is the Climate System? provide overviews of such climatological phenomena as the water cycle, greenhouse gasses, and climatological change over the world's history. Finally, socially and environmentally conscious resources such as So What's the BIG DEAL? and We CAN Make a Difference discuss how changes in our daily lives can affect our impact on the earth's climate. The site also has games, animations modeling climatological activity, and recommendations for educators interested in using the site. [CH]
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Body and Mind [.pdf]
http://www.bam.gov/
This interactive Web site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages kids to be healthy in body and mind. The activities are designed to complement the type of health and science lessons that are currently taught in many middle school and high school classrooms. The Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) lesson plans include a pre-assessment to help teachers determine which of the activities are most appropriate for their students, and National Education Standards are identified where applicable. Students will also enjoy this Web site with its variety of activities, games, and quizzes (many of which can also be printed). [AL]
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Eco-Info
http://ecokids.earthday.ca/pub/eco_info/index.cfm
Eco-Info is part of Earth Day Canada's interactive and entertaining Web site for kids that focuses on environmental and life sciences. The newest addition to the site is a section on whales. Like Eco-Info's other topics, this section has a great deal of information, many fabulous photographs, and ideas for games and activities. Teachers, students, and parents alike may appreciate the wide variety of topics, quality of information, and attractive presentation. [AL]
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Wild-Eyed Alaska [RealPlayer]
http://www.hhmi.org/alaska/index.html
The Pratt Museum in Homer, Alaska has created this online opportunity for students and other visitors to experience this remote part of Alaska through their computers. Several video cameras were placed on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay to allow visitors to view and learn about the birds and other wildlife found there. Although the six videos are relatively brief, they provide a unique glimpse at an ecosystem that most site visitors would not otherwise experience. [AL]
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The Penguin Page: A Journey to the Bottom of the World
http://users.capu.net/~kwelch/pp/
This extensive Web site was created by Kevin Welch. Although Welch gives no credentials on the Web site, the information is well referenced. The site is very comprehensive, including factual information about six different genera of penguins, evolution, behavior, and much more. There are a large number of brilliant photographs of penguins in the wild, and the site is attractive and easy to navigate. Anyone with a slight interest in penguins is bound to find something of interest on this complete Web site. [AL]
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EPA Global Warming Site: Climate Change Education Resource Database
http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/resources.nsf/websearch?openform
This educational resource from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is aimed at helping teachers find teaching resources on the interdisciplinary subject of climate change. The easy-to-use database allows teachers to narrow down their search by grade level; select whether they are interested in policy, impacts, or the science of climate change; choose the classroom subject (math, science, history, etc.); and the type of information (book, Internet lesson plan, video, etc.). Not all of the resources are directly available online, but most provide at least a Web site with a description and ordering information. [AL]
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Fun Facts About Fungi
http://www.herb.lsa.umich.edu/kidpage/factindx.htm
This site from the University of Michigan Fungus Herbarium is for learners of all ages. Dr. Robert Fogel (Professor of Biology/Curator of Fungi) and Patricia Rogers (Fungus Collection Coordinator and Editor of Fun Facts) have developed this resource to explain fungi and Mycology, the scientific study of fungi. Each Fun Fact is written in a clear, approachable manner and examines such topics as Caterpillar Fungus use in traditional Chinese Medicine, truffles, Penicillin, and slimes molds (not really molds), as well as associated scientific concepts like uses of data mining and information warehouses in Mycology. The following is one of this reviewer's favorites from this site. "The giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea) can be almost two feet long and contain 7,000,000,000,000 (7 trillion) spores. For comparison, there are about 31.6 million seconds in a year. If you held your breath for 7 trillion seconds, you'd be breathless for 221,817 years!" Huh? The site also has a small games section, the Mushroom Club, and offers more modest versions of the site in Spanish and Polish. [DJS]
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