Song of the Earth
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/song/index.html
This PBS Web site is the online companion to the Nature documentary "Song of the Earth," hosted by David Attenborough. The program explores the elemental purpose of music and offers a fascinating look at the connection between animal sounds and human music. The site includes two detailed lesson plans that integrate science and language arts, designed for grades 9-12. Learning objectives include conducting research on animal behavior, applying scientific methodology, synthesizing information to create presentations, and more. The main Song of the Earth Web site has other features -- such as a list of related links and a photo essay of animal music -- that would make excellent additions to classroom activities. [RS]
[Back to Contents]

Backyard Jungle
http://www.backyardjungle.org/
Created by Forum One Communications and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Backyard Jungle is a kid-friendly Web site where members can upload photos, drawings, and descriptions of their own backyard or other natural area to share with an online community. Membership registration is straightforward and free of charge. While Backyard Jungle does not include any formal lesson plans or educational activities, it offers kids a fun incentive to explore and communicate about their natural surroundings. The Web site is open to non-members, who may learn about the backyards and interesting discoveries of members who have contributed material. [RS]
[Back to Contents]

Mud Fossils
http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/mudfossils.htm
This Web site from the US Geological Survey contains a hands-on, highly interactive lesson plan about mud fossils. Intended for grades 1-3, the lesson plan provides detailed background information for teachers on how fossils are formed and subsequently exposed. Part of the classroom activity requires students to observe real fossils; tips on finding a source for borrowed specimens are provided. Students also create their own fossils from everyday materials. The entire lesson plan requires two class periods to complete, with 3-4 days between activities to allow fossils to dry. [RS]
[Back to Contents]

Mammoth Extinction
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=328
Science Netlinks offers this Web-based lesson plan for grades 9-12. The lesson invites students to explore various hypotheses regarding the extinction of the woolly mammoth, with a particular focus on infectious disease. Students use provided worksheets to conduct online research on the topic, focusing on a 1998 American Museum of Natural History expedition to the Arctic circle to hunt for mammoth fossils. In addition to learning about the woolly mammoth and other large mammals that became extinct in the late Quaternary period, students also acquire an understanding of the scientific process and how scientific knowledge can change as the interaction between theory and observation further develops. [RS]
[Back to Contents]

Muscle Physiology
http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/jump.shtml
The Muscle Physiology Lab at the University of California-San Diego provides this comprehensive source of information on the neuromuscular system. The Web site appears as a extensive menu of subtopics, each leading to pages of detailed text and diagrams. Students studying muscle structure and function should find this well-organized and authoritative resource extremely useful. The Web site also includes a search tool for quickly finding pages of interest, and a list of related links for additional information. [RS]
[Back to Contents]

Pizza Explorer [Flash]
http://www.accessexcellence.org/pizza/
Access Excellence presents Purdue University's Pizza Explorer, an engaging teaching tool for food science designed for middle and high school students. Students learn about food processing, chemistry, and nutritional composition of eight pizza ingredients. This multimedia, interactive program aims to demonstrate how science applies to everyday life. Students can choose between two interfaces (left brain or right brain) to suit their particular learning style. Other features include a pop-up glossary, quizzes, games, and additional information about each topping (Hot Topics). Pizza Explorer takes some time to download with a 56K connection, but you can play a game while you wait. [RS]
[Back to Contents]

Brain Explorer
http://www.brainexplorer.org/
Brain Explorer is an educational Web site from the Lundbeck Institute that provides a highly visual and informative tour of the brain. Brain Atlas offers a good starting point, with well-designed diagrams of the brain and spinal cord, detailed explanatory information, and a handy pop-up glossary (which contains great graphics of its own). The section titled Neurological Control describes neuron structure and function. Other features include a section on brain disorders and an extensive image gallery. While Brain Explorer offers a thorough look at brain structure and function, it would probably best serve students who are already familiar with the subject but need a comprehensive review. [RS]
[Back to Contents]

Genetics: Decoding Life
http://www.msichicago.org/exhibit/genetics/activities.html
This Web site contains a suite of educational activities for middle and high school students relating to Genetics: Decoding Life -- an exhibit currently at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Collect Your Own DNA! and How Big is a Gene? offer engaging, stand-alone classroom exercises, while Discussion Questions could be used to help students explore online exhibit materials. The other available activities are designed to complement a visit to the physical exhibit. The site also includes related links, a list of recommended reading, and an extensive glossary of genetics terms. [RS]
[Back to Contents]