The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction [pdf, QuickTime, Flash Macromedia Player]
http://science-education.nih.gov/supplements/nih2/addiction/default.htm
Chemicals, the Environment, and You: Explorations in Science and Human Health [pdf, QuickTime, Flash Macromedia Player]
http://science-education.nih.gov/supplements/nih2/chemicals/default.htm
Open Wide and Trek Inside [pdf, QuickTime, Flash Macromedia Player]
http://science-education.nih.gov/supplements/nih2/oral-health/default.htm

They're finally here! The NIH Office of Science Education has recently launched Web versions of three curriculum supplements from its series of "interactive teaching units that combine cutting-edge research discoveries from the National Institutes of Health with state-of-the-art instructional materials." "The Brain" is intended for grades 9-12; "Chemical, the Environment, and You" for grades 7-8; and "Open Wide and Trek Inside" (focused on oral health) is for 1st and 2nd graders. Each supplement provides detailed, downloadable lesson plans, fantastic multimedia features, teachers' guides with downloadable worksheets, and loads of other excellent resources. [RS]

http://sagan.exploratorium.edu/Cumulus5/ed/

The Exploratorium's Digital Assets database contains "digitized museum materials related to interactive exhibits and scientific phenomena, including images, educational activities, and other exhibit-related resources." Educators are invited to download any of the 2,000+ photos, QuickTime movies, pdf files, and other materials in the database free of charge (for classroom use). The physical sciences appear are featured heavily in the collection, but there's plenty of excellent life sciences stuff to go around.

http://www.clunet.edu/BioDev/omm/gallery.htm

As the creators of the Online Macromolecular Museum (OMM) explain, macromolecules are "scientific objects in much the same sense as fossil bones or dried specimens: they can be archived, studied, and displayed in aesthetically pleasing, educational exhibits." OMM is a valuable resource for visualizing structures involved in cellular processes, providing virtual galleries devoted to catalysis, membrane biology, ribonucleoproteins, DNA/RNA polymerization, and much more. Each gallery contains interactive tutorials, which are fun to explore even if you're not in the mood to actually learn anything. OMM is maintained by David Marcey at California Lutheran University. [RS]

http://www.projectexploration.org/

Chicago-based Project Exploration "is the living classroom that involves students and the public in scientific discovery, by connecting kids and families to interactive exhibits, labs, unique science programs and real scientists." Project Exploration focuses on reaching city kids, but every kid (and teachers) should check out this wonderful Web site. Visitors will find tons of activities and features to explore, such as Project Exploration's paleontological expeditions (past and present) and the Mesozoic Garden -- created for the 2003 Chicago Flower and Garden Show. Teachers will also find lesson plans tucked here and there among Project Exploration's dizzying assortment of Web features. [RS]

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/science/pollution_10-3.html

In this PBS NewsHour lesson plan, "students examine the dangers of hazardous chemicals and their effects on human health and look at various cases of pollution in the environment." Students also explore the role of the Environmental Protection Agency in the cleanup of hazardous chemical contamination, and role-play as different stakeholders in the Love Canal disaster. This lesson plan comes courtesy of Abey K. Tharian of Leonia High School in New Jersey. [RS]

http://www.epa.gov/highschool/

The Environmental Protection Agency has recently launched the High School Environmental Center; a Web portal designed "to help students find good environmental information--not just on the EPA's Web site, but on other reliable sites as well." The Web site provides carefully selected links relating to air quality issues, water resources, waste and recycling, conservation, and more. Students will also find resources on how to get involved in environmental issues -- everything from community service projects to pursuing an environmental career. [RS]

http://science.education.nih.gov/women/careers/index.html

The National Institutes of Health, Office of Science Education presents Careers in Science: Women in Research. This Web site and poster series was created to "inspire young women (and men) to consider the varied and exciting world of research when they set out to find a fulfilling career." The well-designed Web site features nine women working in neuroscience, heart disease, and cancer research. The corresponding posters are available free of charge to educators in the U.S. [RS]

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20030930tuesday.html

The New York Times Learning Network offers a lesson plan to complement a recent article on the biology of drug addiction. The lesson plan, designed for grades 6-12, helps students "learn about how addiction can have both physiological and behavioral effects." Students then apply what they learn in developing a training session for counselors working with drug-addicted teenagers. Discussion questions, vocabulary, Web links, and extension activity ideas are all included. [RS]