Education
http://www.vh.org/adult/provider/anatomy/BrainAnatomy/BrainAnatomy.html#TOC
Hosted by the University of Iowa's Virtual Hospital, this electronic publication was developed "to serve students of all the health and biological sciences who are seeking to understand the organization and functions of the human nervous system." The peer-reviewed publication was authored by Drs. Terence H. Williams, Nedzad Gluhbegovic, and Jean Y. Jew and includes chapters that address the spinal cord, cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, brainstem, and blood vessels. Chapters consist of concise sections accompanied by clear, instructive images. The hypertext also includes a preface, introduction, and bibliography. [NL]
http://www.uwlax.edu/faculty/gerber/index.htm
In recent years, many educators have realized the importance of connecting their students to plants in hands-on ways. Embracing this educational approach, the TULIP Project (Teachers Using Living Plants) at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, is working to encourage the use of more plants in K-12 classrooms. In service of this goal, the TULIP website shares various resources and information with interested teachers. The site includes sections that briefly describe curriculum possibilities, projects and research, and collaboration with TULIP. The site also includes many related links, and information regarding funding for the TULIP Project. [NL]
http://www.sciencefriday.com/kids/sfkc20040528-2.html
Have you ever wondered how dolphins can hear so well through such small ear openings? Science Friday Kid's Connection provides middle school teachers with online resources to explore this fascinating topic with their students. The Kid's Connection website links to the original NPR Talk of the Nation: Science Friday radio program with Darlene Ketten, a senior scientist of biology at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The site also links to an assortment of educational websites, and contains an Academic Content Standards section with related standards and benchmarks for grades 6-8 as well. [NL]
This nice online introduction to marine life was created by Boris Masis during his eighth-grade year at Oyster River Middle School in Durham, New Hampshire. Mr. Masis developed this Marine Picture Book as a primer for students preparing for tide pooling field trips. The website runs as a slide show providing photos, brief descriptions, and movies for different marine phyla. Specific phylum covered in the site include: Porifera, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, and more. [NL]
http://www.treesforyou.org/Kids/kids.htm
Hosted by the Mid-Columbia Community Forestry Council, this website features a series of educational activities designed to teach third- to fifth-graders about trees. The activities were developed through a Forestry Council Teacher's Workshop aimed at stimulating "urban tree stewardship in area youth." The resulting activities cover topics like leaf function, planting trees, plant pigments, tree growth, tree identification, and more. The brief activity plans generally include sections for academic standards, vocabulary, materials needed, and activity descriptions. In addition to the activities, the site includes a collection of tree-related quotes and poems, and a page of recommended books. The site also contains links to over twenty related websites. [NL]
http://www.wildlifehc.org/managementtools/backyard-lessonplans.cfm
The lesson plans at this website were developed by Backyard Conservation, a program of the Wildlife Habitat Council aimed at teaching citizens "how to improve water quality and provide habitat for wildlife using conservation techniques developed on farms." The Backyard Conservation lessons are designed to "inspire students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations by investigating local ecosystems." The website's multiple lessons were designed for third- to fifth-grade students, sixth- to eighth-grade students, and high school students. The lesson plans explore such topics as birds, pollinators, amphibians, local conservation laws, and native plant communities. Some of the lesson plans and supporting materials are only accessible as PDF files. [NL]
