Archives: Resources

What is an arthropod? An arthropod is an invertebrate living organism characterized by the presence of multiple joints, a chitinous exoskeleton, segmentation, and an open circulatory system.

Monarchwatch is a popular online activity, because students and scientists in many locales can plot the annual paths within a telecollaboration model. This site is maintained by the … learn more

Ask an Entomologist tackles your student’s hardest questions about insects, their biology, ecology, physiology, or whatever else your curious about. The have a whole section devoted to Entomology … learn more

Based on work started by the U.S. Geological Survey, this site is an ambitious effort to collect, store, and share species information and occurrence data. In addition to … learn more

For a different perspective, check out the current weather on Mars. NASA’s InSight mission provides reports on temperatures and wind speeds from its home at Elysium Planitia. For … learn more

Up-to-date information on regions within the US are posted at NOAA.

Digital Globe shows the impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami using descriptions and satellite images.

Catch a preview of upcoming weather events at the Environmental News Network.

WeatherBug is different in that it has sensors deployed at thousands of schools, major sports stadiums, broadcast stations and public safety facilities across the U.S. (Possibly in your … learn more

Since 1792, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has spoken to all walks of life: planting charts for those who grow their own food; recipes for those who live in the kitchen; … learn more

The Weather Underground is a comprehensive site for teachers, administrators and parents, discussion of environmental issues is conducted via e-mail, current news can be matched to your curriculum, … learn more

“Forces of Nature” by National Geographic links volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes for their commonalities and differences.

Find pictures and information on 100’s of gemstones & minerals.

The U.S. Forest Service has resources on everything from recycling to wildflowers, coloring activities and videos. A great resource to engage younger students.

Provides a real time look at the Grand Canyon, an every changing view.

This site look at the theories on how the Grand Canyon was formed and why it looks the way it does.

Learn about the mountain range between North Carolina and Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains.

A 200+ mile backpacking experience through Yosemite National Park captured by Colin Delehanty and Sheldon Neill. This project was filmed over the course of 10 months. They spent … learn more

Glaciers & icebergs fall apart and crash into one another. The heat penetrates their icy surfaces and creates mini creeks, rivers and tunnels. This video brings home why … learn more

Like great rivers of ice, glaciers have sculpted mountains and carved out valleys. They continue to flow and shape the landscape in many places today. This site explores … learn more

The California Academy of Sciences exhibits a four story rainforest with many micro-ecologies. Take-home kits widen the student base.

Virtually the whole country of Costa Rica is an eco-friendly environment. The rainforest includes animals like the poison dart frog, Capuchin monkeys, and macaws.

Derek Muller always wondered why Australia has so many venomous animals that can kill you while Canada has virtually none. But it’s not just Australia – it seems … learn more

The Rainforest Alliance helps people of all ages to understand the role that each one of us plays in biodiversity conservation, and provides both lesson plans and resources.

As long as humans have walked the planet, wetlands have been a part of our lives. Some people turned to these saturated lands for resources while others saw … learn more

This site looks at coastal restoration projects in Louisiana. Maintained by the USGS National Wetlands Research Center, it includes instructor resources, a kids corner, slide shows and videos.

The School of Freshwater Sciences is a particularly interesting application of telecommunications in network science. To those of us who do not live in this region the environment … learn more

NCEAS ecologists and teachers in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria schools are working with 5th grade classes to design and conduct scientific experiments in ecology. Students learn the … learn more

Learn more about the Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. Together they form the largest fresh surface water system on earth, containing about one-fifth of … learn more

Talk about bringing nature to you. David Pagan Butler has created a Natural Swimming Pool. It’s a swimming pool that has clear water without using chemicals. These pools … learn more

For about 50 years canals connected fresh water rivers and salt water portals. Learn about the history of canals, especially for transportation,at The Canal Age.

Science in the Great Outdoors Help your students discover science in National and state parks across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. with Alice Ferguson Foundation’s Bridging the Watershed program. … learn more

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is dedicated to understanding how ecosystems work. Our scientists are global experts in the ecology of: freshwater, forests, disease, and cities. Through collaborative … learn more

When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable “trophic cascade” occurred. What is a trophic … learn more

The Smith Center for Cartographic Education The Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine features exhibits series of maps over times such as World II, the … learn more

The WorldWidePanorama is a huge gallery of panoramic images that keep being built from the contributions of more than one thousand photographers all around the world – amateurs … learn more

For a different view of the Earth, take a look at NASA’s Visible Earth site, showing everything from The Big Blue Marble to recent fires.

The Central Pacific Railroad Maps show the transcontinental phenomena of railroads, migration patterns, and transportation policies.

Topographic maps offer good content for “scaffolding” geographical features and land use. They are an alternative to traditional visuals. The new site is simple and easy to use, … learn more

Atlapedia® Online contains full-color physical maps, political maps as well as key facts and statistics on countries of the world.

The Junior Ranger programs below are designed to encourage our young visitors to explore nature! Dive underwater, explore a cave, or look up at the night sky. There … learn more

For an interactive, highly detailed, 3D look at the world, check out Google Earth. It’s free to use, but requires that you use the Google Chrome browser. Google … learn more

During the early days of the Web wildlife sites seemed to hurl animals into the classroom because they appeared so “real”. For instance, a student can look into … learn more

The Alaska Science Center, part of the USGS, has a wide variety of images, videos, animated maps and more available for free download. You’ll find videos of polar … learn more

Wolves were once native to the US’ Yellowstone National Park — until hunting wiped them out. But when, in 1995, the wolves began to come back (thanks to … learn more

The Cheetah Conservation Fund is another site promoting conservation and providing facts on the fastest animal in the world.

Information about particular animals, such as koalas, can be obtained at sites dedicated to the animal. More efficient than sifting thru online search engine results.

Koko, a Lowland Gorilla born at the San Francisco Zoo, was an ambassador for gorillas all over the world. She spent her life at The Gorilla Foundation sanctuary … learn more

Will Burrard-Lucas talks about his travels to the Makgadikgadi Pans region of Botswana and go into detail on “some of the most charismatic (and cutest) creatures in Africa … learn more

Journey North involves tracking the coming of spring around the world to help students gain a global systemic perspective.

National Geographic Kids provides the excellent site with information on animals, great and small, from around the world.

Learn more than you ever imagined about the role of worms in soil conservation at Worm Woman.

Find out why bats will not get tangled in your hair at Batcon, i.e., Bat Conservation.

Ocean Conservancy is working with you to protect the ocean from today’s greatest challenges.

Tools for K-12 educators. Teachers, counselors, parents, and advisors play important roles in guiding students – including future veterinarians – toward rewarding careers. AVMA materials are available to … learn more

In contrast to zoos is a wonderful site called Animal Detector. It describes a family who left enticing food on the back porch at night so they could … learn more

A virtual visit to the online Bronx zoo includes a conferencing capability.

Visitors to this unique zoo make new creatures by switching the animals’ heads, legs, and tails. As students play, they can read about the animals that make up … learn more

At the Smithsonian National Zoo’s website, you can solve jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles, take a virtual world tour, send an e-card, and learn about animals and their … learn more

The Sea Turtle Restoration Project has made a video, Last Journey for the Leatherback, free to teachers.

Our mission is to save the world’s coral reefs. We work at local, regional, and global levels to keep coral reefs healthy, so they can adapt to climate … learn more

Located in Gainesville, FL, this organization provides in-depth information on Sea Turtles.

Support children’s learning at home for grades PreK through 12. These online courses and family-friendly science activities encourage a sense of wonder and connection to the natural world … learn more

For a display of deep sea life look at NOVA’s Deep-Sea Bestiary. The descriptions of adaptation to this life are especially interesting.

A sponge might not look like much, but these simple animals with no brain or ability to move have lived on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. … learn more

NASA TV, in addition to it’s cable channel, maintains an Education Channel for students and teachers. View it on-line.

Environmental science is the study of the effects of natural and unnatural processes, and of interactions of the physical components of the planet on the environment. This site … learn more

NAAEE is a network of people who believe in teaching people how to think about the environment, not what to think. They use high-quality teaching methods to show … learn more

The Concord Consortium has combined the study of uncertainty with the study of new scientific discoveries. It is called High Adventure Science Project.

Welcome to WASP The Woodside Australian Science Project (WASP) produces support packages for the Earth Science component of the Australian Curriculum. These packages are filled with hands-on activities … learn more

Life. It’s the one thing that, so far, makes Earth unique among the thousands of other planets we’ve discovered. Since the fall of 1997, NASA satellites have continuously … learn more

This site from NASA allow you to learn more about the Earth and all the planets in the solar system.

Expanding the Connections of STEM Educators and Students Vernier Connections™ is a web-based platform that helps educators engage students in a fun, modern way through interactive and relevant investigations … learn more

Our Mission IPAC at Caltech partners with NASA, NSF, JPL and the world-wide research community to advance exploration of our Universe. Beginning with the IRAS mission in 1985 … learn more

Water on the Web offers data about water quality from deep within 4 Minnesota lakes. This approach also represents a new method for visualization of information, especially appropriate … learn more

While supporting the educational and environmental initiatives of NOAA, MIT Sea Grant strives to meet the needs of local communities, the Navy, maritime, shipping, and other technology-driven industries. MIT … learn more

This resource hosts recent National Geographic articles and current news. It has a special section on climate change news.

EurekAlert, produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, would be of interest to older students. Like Science News, it covers a wide range of scientific … learn more

Science News provides news articles, blogs and more covering all areas of science. They have Science New for Students section that will interest many of your students.

Reeko’s Mad Scientist Lab is a combination of experiments, news, and fun stuff. Check out Ego the (rude) lab robot or learn about flotation. How about goats in … learn more

Gorongosa National Park was once famous for its lion population, but during Mozambique’s struggle for independence and subsequent civil war, the park’s iconic wildlife suffered. In 2008, a … learn more

National Science Teacher Association NSTA provides national and international leadership in science education by identifying the qualities and standards for good science education; these are set forth in … learn more

GLOBE provides grade level-appropriate, interdisciplinary activities and investigations about the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and soil/pedosphere, which have been developed by the scientific community and validated by teachers. GLOBE … learn more

A short introduction to Janice VanCleave and list of her many books making science accessible to students.

This map, maintained by National Drought Mitigation Center and updated weekly, tracks the current conditions in the United States. With droughts now impacting nearly every part of the … learn more

Everyone needs fresh water to live, but fresh water is limited and precious. This site provides videos, lesson plans and more about the importance of fresh water, watersheds, … learn more

For the last 15 years, KidWind has been focused on teaching the world about renewable energy. We have helped thousands of educators bring wind and solar power to … learn more

Their goal is a world in which action-oriented education enables every child to understand and value water, ensuring a sustainable future. Includes on-line resources, regional workshops, student sites … learn more

Almost everyone agrees that flooding is bad. Most years it’s the number one natural disaster in the US by dollars of damage. So being able to characterize flood … learn more

The Gulf Stream is part of a global conveyer belt — a large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by differences in the density of the ocean water. It … learn more

This real-time wind map started out as a personal art project. Click the map to zoom in on your region. This map displays in real-time the current wind … learn more

NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Discover resources and programs for educators, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about our ocean and coasts! Middle school students … learn more

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln maintains this resource, with information on current conditions, drought risk areas, climate data by state or specific location (e.g., your school), and basic information.

The Alternative Fuels Data Center provides maps, data sets and tools on alternative energy options.

Learning about fuel cell technology always rears up when an energy crisis appears. Go to How Stuff Works for an understanding of alternative fuels.

The Edison Electric Institute offers 80 some experiments in basic concepts of electricity for grades 4-8.

An entertaining video by Steve Gagnon showing what happens when you touch 200,000 volts, how lighting rods really work, and why 120 volts could hurt you but 200,000 … learn more

The Center for Environmental Journalism in Colorado is a useful ‘zine model from which students can learn publishing skills in this particular domain.

What better way for students to learn about energy and energy transformation than building their own windmill. This post from PBS includes a lesson plan, worksheets and templates.

The Department of Energy has a wide range of resources for K-12 classrooms at it Energy Kids Page.