Student Activities
Last updated: February 22, 2010
Purdue zipTrips™ - Electronic Field Trips
Do you want to take your middle-school science students on
a field trip without breaking the budget? Wish you had an
alternative? Purdue zipTrips™ is the answer!! These electronic
field trips will bring a new experience in science education
directly to your school. Registration is free!
When you register, you'll also receive access to the "Week
of Scientists" and "Disease Detective" online
videos for classroom use. These short video profiles feature
real-world scientists who share their work and explain how
they got interested in science.
Complete details can be found at: http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/zipTrips/
Entomological Foundation Interactive Web Site
The Entomological Foundation has created its first interactive,
youth web site for children and educators. The site is a self-guided
educational site for children, which contains learning activities
designed to help children in grades 3 and 4 understand primary
areas of entomology relating to the characteristics of organisms,
life cycles, and the relationship of organisms to their environment.
The site consists of three main sections, which correspond
to the knowledge level of the user. Each section contains
a set of activities and objectives with an assessment (in
game format) of what the user learned from the activities.
The site also contains a section for educators, which lists
the names of the activities, their objectives, and the national
science standard and entomology benchmark addressed by that
activity. The site is located at http://www.cipm.info/entfnd/
PBS Free Educational
Outreach Materials
PBS has long been a supporter of science education, offering
high quality television for children and adults alike as well
as FREE educational materials. You may find the following
materials especially relevant for the upcoming Earth Day on
4/22/09. THE GREENS Activity Guide encourages
kids age 9-12 to explore sustainability and take action whenever
they can. How-to information in the guide pairs hands-on activities
to deepen kids understanding of topics like recycling and
global warming with campaigns to reduce junk mail and get
drivers to stop idling cars. The guide can be downloaded at
http://meetthegreens.pbskids.org/features/
and free print copies may be ordered by putting THE
GREENS in the subject line of an e-mail to wgbhmaterialsreq@wgbh.org
New activities from CURIOUS GEORGE focus
on earth science for PreK-2 children and can be downloaded
at pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/parentsteachers/activities/
A related episode from CURIOUS GEORGE which
will help introduce the topic of earth science to children,
can be ordered free by contacting gay_mohrbacher@wgbh.org Track Spring's Journey
North: Migrations, Mystery Schools, Climate, More
Teachers and students in K-12 classrooms are invited to participate
this spring in Journey Norths 16th annual global study of
wildlife migration and seasonal change. A free Internet-based
citizen science project, Journey North enables students in
11,000 schools to watch the wave of spring as it unfolds.
Students monitor migration patterns of monarch butterflies,
hummingbirds, whooping cranes, and other animals; the blooming
of plants; and changing sunlight, temperatures, and other
signs of spring. They share their local observations with
classmates across North America and beyond, and look for patterns
on real-time maps. As they put local observations into a global
context - and connect with field scientists - participants
are better prepared to explore how climate and other factors
affect living things.
Each Journey North study features many entry points and resources
that address learning standards: Journey North for Kids reading
booklets and lessons, stunning photos and video clips, weekly
migration updates, interactive maps, instructional units,
and compelling migration stories.
Thanks to Annenberg Media, Journey North Web site access and
participation is free. Take a glimpse at the spring projects
here: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/season/spring2009.
Home page: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/.
Plan now; these begin on February 1st!
What2Learn
What2Learn is a free interactive educational resource. It
contains literally hundreds of learning games and exam drills
for Science based on the requirements of the California State
Board of Education's content standards. Students can create
accounts for content suitable for Grades
6-8 (see http://www.what2learn.com/grades-6-8-usa/
for details) and Grades
9-12 (see http://www.what2learn.com/grades-9-12-usa/
for details). All student attainment in the activities is
automatically calculated and recorded, making it quick and
easy for parents and teachers to monitor progress. The fun
way in which the learning content is presented, along with
in-built rewards within the system (such as the ability to
further personalize their online portfolio) encourages students
to play and replay activities to build their knowledge. What2Learn
has been tried and tested and proven to be very effective
with all kinds of students, from those with learning difficulties
such as ADHD to gifted and talented students keen to work
independently to develop their knowledge. http://www.what2learn.com/
Northern California Chapter of the American Vacuum Society
The Education Committee of the Northern California Chapter
of the American Vacuum Society (AVS is a member group of the
American Physics Society) is pleased to announce a new free
program for Northern California Science Teachers.
This free program is a set of classroom experiments or demos
of Vacuum Science in Physics and Chemistry. One or more of
our committee members will bring in the vacuum apparatus to
present the program in your classroom, with full student participation.
The program can be modified to fit into the class’s work and
the California Standards on pressure, etc. It’s length can
be reduced or expanded from the ~40 minutes average, as required.
If you are interested in having a free program in your classroom,
please contact our chapter office, listed below. One of our
committee members will contact you to set up a date. We look
forward to being of service to you and your students.
The web site for Northern California Chapter of AVS is www.nccavs.org.
The office e-mail is della@avs.org
and telephone is (530) 896-0477.
USA Biology Olympiad (USABO)
The USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) is the premier competition
in biology in the United States. The objectives of the USABO
are to stimulate young scholars' intellectual curiosity and
develop their critical thinking skills in biological reasoning.
www.cee.org
Findings
Findings, a publication of the National Institutes
of Health can be used in the classroom to enhance knowledge
provided in text books and lecture materials for high school
science courses, including introductory biology, honors/advanced
placement biology, anatomy, science/technology, chemistry,
health, and others. Many educators have found Findings to
be a useful career planning resource for students, as well
as a valuable teacher resource for staying current in the
fast-changing world of 21st century science. http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/findings/.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies is a non-profit organization empowering students
from all walks of life to help themselves and each other develop
a love of science and an understanding of the scientific method.
With the help of their Mentors and Advisors, they help students
improve their science skills and literacy, and inspire them
to consider additional study or careers in science. Check
out Science Buddies' How-To Guides, Teacher Resources, Ask
An Expert, and more at http://www.sciencebuddies.org.
eCYBERMISSION
eCYBERMISSION is a free, web-based science, math and technology
competition open to all students attending a U.S. or Department
of Defense Education Activity School in the sixth through
ninth grades. In the competition, student teams identify a
problem that is related to health and safety, arts and entertainment,
sports and recreation or the environment. Selecting a real-life
Mission Challenge encourages self-discovery and illustrates
how science, math and technology apply to everyday life. www.ecybermission.com.
Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training
for Students (LiMPETS)LiMPETS is an environmental
monitoring and education program for students, educators,
and volunteer groups throughout California. This hands-on
program was developed to monitor the ocean and coastal ecosystems
of California's national marine sanctuaries to increase awareness
and stewardship of these important areas. Through research-based
monitoring and standardized protocols, students develop their
problem solving skills, gain experience using tools and methods
employed by field scientists, and learn to analyze data. Approximately
3,500 teachers and students along the coast of California
are collecting rocky intertidal and sandy beach data as part
of the LiMPETS network. Find out how to join this free environmental
monitoring program at http://limpetsmonitoring.org.
Ocean Guardian Programs
The purpose of the NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries Ocean Guardian Programs
are to encourage teachers and students to explore their natural
surroundings to form a sense of personal connection to the
ocean and/or watersheds in which they live. • Students can
make a difference by becoming a member of our Ocean Guardian
Kids Club. • Teachers can get their classroom involved in
environmental conservation at their school or in their community
to be an Ocean Guardian Classroom. • Everyone can download
a free copy of the Ocean Guardian Activity Book to learn more
about the ocean and why its important through word searches,
games, and coloring pages. Find out more about the Ocean Guardian
Programs at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/ocean_guardian_prog.html.
Science Fair Projects
Hundreds of free science fair projects are categorized under
biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and engineering
and can be sorted alphabetically or by their level of difficulty.
http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/.
Science Fair Project Ideas
Science fair project ideas searchable by grade level and
subject matter: http://www.education.com/science-fair/all-grades/
Harry Potter Science Club
Every four to six weeks, students who enroll in the Harry
Potter Science Club, available exclusively from Troll at Home
Book Clubs, receive a new Harry Potter's Spells and Potions
Activity Kit developed by Delta Education. The Troll at Home
Club is available only through school programs. Parents or
guardians enroll their children in the club using forms provided
by schools. For information, call 1-888-998-7655.
HowStuffWorks
Designed for grades 5-8, HowStuffWorks hooks students with
cool subjects, superior graphics, and striking photography.
The mysteries of the world are addressed in a fun, engaging
format that kids love. http://express.howstuffworks.com/.
Dragonfly TV
Dragonfly TV is the national science series for kids on PBS.
They have several educator guides available on their website.
Download the DragonflyTV Educator's Guides to get kids started
on their own inquiry investigations. The activities are developed
with the National Science Teacher's Association. They're aligned
with today's science standards, and they're ideal for the
classroom or for after-school programs. http://kids.pbs.org/dragonflytv/parentsteachers/index.html.
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