Student Activities
Last updated: April 17, 2013
NASA Exploration Design Challenge
Open to K-12 students. The challenge looks at space radiation
as one of the critical issues related to long-duration space
travels and asks students to help determine what kinds of
materials might help protect astronauts on these missions.
Teachers may register their intent to participate in the challenge,
which is open for the next year, and their students will actually
have their names flown as the honorary virtual crew on the
inaugural flight of the new Orion spacecraft!
For more information and to register online, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/edc.
Deadline to register is March 14,
2014.
Kitchen Scientists - A Guide to Home Science Experiments
Home science experiment ideas. This site provides links to
science experiments that can be done at home. Experiments
range from physical science and chemistry to earth and life
science. http://www.gourmetgiftbaskets.com/Kitchen-Scientists-Home-Experiments.asp
Global Ozone (G03) Project
Teachers: Would you like to participate in an exciting new
project for high school students, measuring ozone and meteorological
parameters, and receive a free instrument package, valued
at $5000, for your school? In the GO3 Project, students around
the world measure ozone and meteorological parameters outside
their school and upload their data to an overlay in Google
Earth to share with other students, teachers, and scientists
around the world. Eighteen schools participating at the present
time, including four international sister schools in Madrid,
Moscow, Sydney, and Cairo. GO3 students are learning about
environmental science while helping create the world's first
ground-level ozone database. To learn more about the project,
see the G03 website and 2-minute video at http://www.go3project.com.
SciGirls
Every girl can be a SciGirl with a groundbreaking new TV
show and interactive website that will transform the way tween
girls look at science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
The empowering series has the right formula to inspire the
next generation of scientists and engineers with an engaging
combination of actual girls exploring real-world science and
mathalongside successful female mentors in the field – plus
an online destination unlike any other where young viewers
can share their own exciting ideas and projects. For more
information visit: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/scigirls/.
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/
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.
http://www.usabo-trc.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, Science Fair Project Ideas, 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/
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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