CSTA

Science Subjects/Discipline

AGRICULTURE/GARDENING

  • Food Safety from Farm to Fork - This teacher guide provides fifth through seventh graders a better understanding of food safety through real-life examples and enjoyable activities. Students will learn that everyone has a responsibility in minimizing food-borne illnesses -- farmers, transporters, restaurants, grocery stores... and the consumer! Through reading, games, puzzles, math problems and science investigations, participants identify the roles each one of us plays to ensure the food we enjoy is safe to eat. Download this 16-page booklet from www.cfaitc.org or request a printed version by calling 800/700-AITC (2482) or e-mailing cfaitc(at)cfaitc.org.
  • Free Copies of Growing Space Magazine - Copies of the Growing Space magazine series, written especially for science and agriscience students and teachers, are available to interested teachers. Growing Space Vol. 1-3 will help students see the connection between agricultural practices on Earth that relate to space-based research, particularly in the plant sciences. Lesson plans and other educational resources are also available. To request your free copies of Growing Space, obtain lesson plans, and learn about other space education materials, please visit our website at http://www.spaceag.org. Space Agriculture in the Classroom is a joint project of USDA, NASA, and the University of Florida that is designed to boost student awareness of the space program and the role of agriculture in our economy and society.
  • Way to Grow! Gardening Awards - California youth groups involved in gardening programs can enter to win certificates and prizes as part of the second annual Way to Grow! Youth Garden Recognition Program. Contact Danielle Blacet at dblacet(at)wga.com.
  • Teacher Resource Guide for Agricultural Literacy - Developed by California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, the TRG is a must-have tool for educators and volunteers working toward agricultural literacy. http://cfaitc.org/trg/.
  • The National Wildlife Federation - the nation's largest conservation education organization and publisher of Ranger Rick Magazine, can help educational settings, including schools, daycare centers and after-school programs create gardens for wildlife. These exciting outdoor classrooms provide hands-on learning that is interdisciplinary, standards-based, inexpensive and inclusive of all learning styles. NWF has free information on planning your habitat, ideas for funding, gardening for wildlife, aligning your outdoor classroom to the National Standards of Learning and much more. NWF also has curricula available to make it easy for you to teach outdoors. Check out the website at http://www.nwf.org/schoolyard/.

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE (Including Health)

  • MedlinePlus (Grades 6 -12+): Easy to read health information. An excellent source for all ages. Also available in Spanish.
  • PubMed (Grades 11 – 12+): A citation index for articles from medical and life science journals. View the PubMed tutorial for site navigation guidance.
  • Visible Human Project (Grades 6 – 12+): Complete, anatomically detailed, 3D representations of the normal male and female human bodies.
  • Scitable - free science library and personal learning tool brought to you by Nature Publishing Group, the world's leading publisher of science. Scitable currently concentrates on genetics and cell biology, which include the topics of evolution, gene expression, and the rich complexity of cellular processes shared by living organisms. Scitable also offers resources for the budding scientist, with advice about effective science communication and career paths. http://www.nature.com/scitable.
  • Don't Let the Ticks Bite - Curriculum Guide for Teachers is relevant to the California science content standards pertaining to life cycles and ecosystems in the 4th and 6th grades. Brochures, bookmarks, and tick ID cards are available free of charge from the California Department of Public Health. To order, contact Claudia Erickson, claudia.erickson(at)cdph.ca.gov or (916) 552-9730. Visit http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/DLTTBCurriculumforTeachers.aspx. Allow two weeks for delivery.
  • Free Audubon Adventures Classroom Resource Kit for grades 3-5 - available on a first-come, first-served basis. Audubon Adventures is filled with great resources for students and teachers, including a standards-aligned chart identifying how it meets national and California science standards. For more information, check out http://www.audubon.org/educate/aa, and contact Phyllis Schmitt to apply for the free kit.
  • Dairy Council of California - The Dairy Council of California provides nutrition education programs for K – 12 classrooms aligned to California state standards, that have been field-tested for success and are available free-of-charge for California teachers. Their website includes free downloadable education handouts on topics such as healthy breakfast ideas, snacks and healthy eating for preschoolers as well as interactive learning tools, including the popular MyPyramid game for children. For more information visit http://www.dairycouncilofca.org/Educators/
  • BioQuick News - Life Science News From Around the Globe: BioQuick News is dedicated to the timely reporting of key life science advances from around the globe and is edited and published by long-time science writer Michael D. O'Neill. Check out the latest life science news at: www.bioquicknews.com
  • Biology Teacher's Lesson Plan Website - The site was created to help teachers find resources that are unavailable in most ancillary text materials. With so much available on the Web, it is often unnecessary to create new activities. It is more than likely that it already exists. In addition, there are many PowerPoint Presentations, Activities, Labs, Animations, Tutorials, Games, and Videos that enhance the learning or just make learning more fun. We hope you enjoy the site.http://www.biology4teachers.com
  • MIT Open Courseware for Science - offers free online material from MIT's introductory courses to support students as they study and educators as they teach the AP® Biology curriculum. Physicscurriculum also available. Visit MIT at http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/hs/biology/biology/index.htm.
  • ActionBioscience.org - offers resources to enhance teaching in the biosciences. Peer-reviewed, easy-to-read articles on bioscience issues, which make excellent student reading material or content for case study activities, educator-written lessons to accompany many of the articles with handouts for middle school, high school, and/or college level students, NSES correlation charts that match articles and lessons to national standards, making lesson planning an easier process, Spanish translations of select articles, useful for ESL students who need to improve their science language literacy skills. ActionBioscience.org is an education resource of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. http://www.actionbioscience.org/.
  • The Pharmacology Education Partnership (PEP) - provides teachers with tools to teach biology and chemistry using topics that captivate high school students such as the chemistry and biology of cocaine, nicotine, and steroids. In this partnership between Duke University Medical Center and the North Carolina School for Science & Math, students learn basic biology and chemistry concepts using various modules. The PEP modules were designed to address the National Science Education Standards. The PEP modules have been tested nationally (~3500 high school students) and the results show that the more modules used by teachers, the better the students performed on a multiple choice test of basic biology and chemistry principles, compared to the standard curricula. http://thepepproject.net.For dissection alternatives, see PETA's online virtual dissection resources. The site includes Digital Frog International's Digital Frog 2.5, which has been evaluated by the California Department of Education's California Learning Resource Network and has been found to meet all of the state's scienc educational objectives for grades 5-12 for which dissection has been used. Visit PETA.org/dissection
  • Flinn Scientific - offers a series of fun and exciting demonstrations and experiments called ChemFax!, which are guaranteed to excite your chemistry students and teach valuable and sometimes difficult-to-learn chemistry concepts. Three ChemFax! demos are now available: Disappearing Ink, The Can Ripper, and Fountain of Light. ChemFax! are free to teachers only. Contact: Free ChemFax!, Flinn Scientific, Inc., P.O. Box 219, Batavia, IL 60510, 800-452-1261, flinn(at)flinnsci.com.
  • The Bugscope Project - is a free educational outreach program for K-12 classrooms. The project provides a resource to classrooms so that they may remotely operate a scanning electron microscope to image "bugs" at high magnification. The microscope is remotely controlled in real time from a classroom computer over the Internet using a web browser. Bugscope provides a state-of-the-art microscope resource for teachers that can be readily integrated into classroom activities. The classroom has ownership of the project -- they design their own experiment and provide their own bugs to be imaged in the microscope. The Bugscope project is primarily oriented towards K-12 classrooms, and there is no cost to participate in the project. If you would like to take part in the Bugscope project, our how-to-participate pages will guide you through the simple steps needed to apply, schedule a session and operate the microscope. Our other resources pages will provide helpful links related to electron microscopy and bugs. http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu.

CHEMISTRY

  • ChemIDplus (Grades 7 – 12+): View and manipulate chemical structures for over 388,000 chemicals. Create SIS and TRANS models, conduct structure similarity searches, and view chemical synonyms.
  • TOXMAP (Grades 9 – 12+): Uses maps of the U.S. to visually explore data from the EPA. Includes classroom materials.
  • ToxMystery (Grades 1 – 5): Interactive site teaching elementary school students about toxic substances in the home. Includes lesson plans and activities. Also available in Spanish.
  • Tox Town (Grades 6 - 12+): Guide to commonly encountered toxic substances. Includes classroom materials. Also available in Spanish.
  • Animation on VSEPR Theory - Sophomore in Honors Chemistry Ashley Jennings, Horsham, PA, has developed a 3D computer animation on the different types of molecular structures for VSEPR theory. The video is posted on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3FCHVlSZc4&feature=fvw. Teachers are encouraged to visit and use it with their classes.
  • 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(at)avs.org and telephone is (530) 896-0477.
  • National Institutes of Health and National Institute of General Medical Sciences - have new, free materials on biomedical topics. Resources include: • a new edition of The Chemistry of Health that includes a full-color booklet featuring chemistry basics, short "Meet a Chemist" profiles, a companion poster, an extensive online resource, ChemHealthWeb (http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/chemhealth/), with downloadable chapters, chemistry A-Z glossary, molecule gallery and chemistry-related puzzles and games; The latest issue of Findings magazine at http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/findings/issues.asp. These printed and online resources focus on medically relevant life sciences and are free of charge. Printed materials are available individually or in classroom sets. They are also downloadable from http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/order/classroom.html.

CLEAN (Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network)

  • California Department of Water Resources strives to educate Californians of all ages about water, including where it comes from, how we use it, and how to conserve it. Educating the next generation about the value of water is important. The DWR provides a variety of resources to K-12 teachers and other educators to encourage water education in and out of the classroom. Free supplementary materials can be ordered and used to develop lessons about California’s diverse water resources. They are in the process of updating many of them to better support the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. They also support single- and multi-day professional development opportunities, including training in the Project WET curriculum. Through partnerships with the Water Education Foundation, County Offices of Education, and others, they have provided training to more than 1,000 teachers since 2015.
  • Free Online Climate and Energy Teaching Resources - Grades 6 - 16. Help your students become literate with topics surrounding climate and energy using the CLEAN (Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network) collection, which offers the following resources and support
  • The CLEAN search engine directs you to annotations and links for 500+ vetted, online activities,videos, and visualizations on climate and energy for grades 6 - 16. These resources have been hand-picked and peer-reviewed by scientists for accuracy and teachers for classroom effectiveness. 2. The CLEAN site provides guidance on teaching climate and energy science using a set of essential principles to frame the science and inform teaching strategies. Learn more about these scientific principles, why they are important and challenging to teach, strategies for teaching age groups, and get directed to relevant activities, videos, and visualizations for each principle.
  • ACE, Alliance for Climate Education, offers free multimedia high school assemblies on climate science and solutions. A leader in high school climate education, ACE has presented to nearly half a million students and a thousand high schools nationwide. After the assembly, ACE helps students kick-start carbon-cutting projects at school—everything from starting a recycling club to solarizing their school. More than $130,000 in grants and scholarships were given to fund climate projects last year. Visit the website to view a trailer and book an ACE assembly.
  • Cool the Earth is an online climate change resource that engages kids and their families in climate change solutions by increasing awareness about global warming and inspiring people to take simple actions to reduce their carbon emissions. Sign up for the monthly e-newsletter, The Barometer, which includes teacher spotlight, tip of the month, and more. For more information, visit http://www.cooltheearth.org.
  • Ocean Guardian Program - 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 theircommunity 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.
  • On Shaky Ground - Understanding Earthquake Activity Along Plate Boundaries. The “On Shaky Ground” unit and assessment focuses on what earthquake epicenter data can reveal about plate boundaries and earthquake hazard risks. Students complete a case study in which they compare the characteristic distribution of earthquakes, their depth, their magnitude, their frequency, and their location along the different plate types of plate boundaries—convergent, divergent, and transform. They develop inquiry skills —creating hypotheses, collecting data, analyzing it, drawing conclusions, and communicating their conclusions. In addition to gaining skills of inquiring with data sets, students will become more expert at gaining a 3D visualization of plate boundaries and be able to relate how interactions of the plates result in the emergent pattern of earthquake locations along the plate boundaries. DIGS stands for "Data Sets and Inquiry in GeoscienceEducation". This project was conducted by SRI International's Center for Technology in Learning and the Concord Consortium, and was funded by the Gesocience Directorate at the National Science Foundation (GEO 0507828). Visit: http://digs.sri.com/
  • The United States Geological Survey - has a wealth of resources for educators from K-12 and beyond. Resources range from teaching with GIS and GPS to obtaining maps for classroom use. The "What's New, What's Happening" section highlights earth science events in the news. Maps, photos, an image gallery and activities and lessons tied to California standards by grade level are availalbe. Most are of little or no cost to educators. Visit http://education.usgs.gov

Ground Rules: Mining Right for a Sustainable Future - follows the development of new and operating mines as geologists, engineers and mine managers tackle complex problems and draw on the experiences and achievements of other mine sites to illustrate creative and core concepts of sustainable development and social responsibility. A free on-line video and lesson plans for ages 11 - 18 are available. Visit http://www.cat.com/groundrules.

  • Journey To Plant Earth - the highly acclaimed PBS series hosted/narrated by Academy Award winner Matt Damon, is being offered for a 30-day free preview. Strongly recommended by The School Library Journal, Booklist, The Journal Of Academic Librarianship and the California Instructional Technology Clearinghouse and People Magazine, Journey To Planet Earth correlates some of the National Science Education Standards. For more information, visit http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth, and to receive the 30-day free preview of the entire 10-episode series, contact Marilyn Weiner at screenscope(at)screenscope.com or (202) 364-0055.
  • 400 Years of the Telescope - A website to accompany this new PBS series includes background information, classroom and family activities, and practical tips for everyone who is teaching about the development of telescopes, the history of astronomy, or the exploration of the universe. Information on the site includes: * An Introduction to Telescopes * Getting Your Family Involved with Astronomy * The Expanding Universe Explained * The Astronomy of Many Cultures * How Astronomers Search for Intelligent Life in Space * Science Fiction With Good Astronomy * Telescopes of the World (a table and database) * Frequently Asked Questions about Galileo * Video Clips of Interviews with Noted Astronomers * An Activity for Observing the Cycles of Jupiter's Moons * A Glossary of Astronomical Terms * Teaching Ideas for 14 Key Topics Related to the Show * A "Toolkit" for Demonstrating Ideas in Optics * A Guide to the Changing Role of Women in Astronomy and many other resources and tools. At: http://www.pbs.org/soptv/400years/.
  • The Mineral Information Institute (Mii) - provides free teacher and student resources, including a homework help section, a booklet on careers in the minerals industry, photographs of minerals, classroom activities, and a new PowerPoint presentation with several pages of supporting teacher notes. This presentation received very favorable reviews at its premiere at the Minnesota Minerals Education Workshop in August 2010. For a free download click on "Importance of Mining" in the right-hand panel on the mii.org home page.
  • Astronomy audio recordings - of ten public lectures by noted astronomers are now available as free MP3 downloads at the web site of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP): http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html. Recorded at Foothill College as part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, each hour-long lecture on some exciting development in our study of the universe is followed by an extensive question and answer period, in which the speaker gives further details and personal glimpses about the topics under discussion. Among the talks available so far are: Dr. David Morrison, NASA Ames Research Center, "Taking a Hit: Asteroid Impacts and Evolution"; Dr. David Grinspoon, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, "Comparing Worlds: Climate Catastrophes in the Solar System"; Dr. Bruce Margon, University of California, Santa Cruz, "Glimpsing the Edge of the Universe: Results from the Hubble Space Telescope"; Dr. Frank Drake, SETI Institute, "Estimating the Chances of Life Out There."
    • The Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar - promotes skywatching for people of all ages. The sheet for each month takes the form of a calendar. Diagrams in the boxes invite the reader to track the moon's rapid motion past the planets and bright stars of the zodiac, as well as to follow the more leisurely pace of the planets in their gatherings with bright stars and other planets. The reverse side consists of a simplified star map of the month's evening sky. The sky maps are designed for use at a convenient time in mid-evening, for a latitude useful for the entire continental U.S. (40 degrees north). This and other great evening sky resources at http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/SkyCalendar/Index.html. A new quarterly magazine for teachers of astronomy, The Classroom Astronomer, can be found at http://classroomastronomer.toteachthestars.net. Contributions are welcome.
    • Women in Astronomy - is an updated, expanded resource guide to the role women have played and are playing in the development of astronomy. The guide includes both printed and web-based materials, and has general references on the topic plus specific references to the work and lives of 32 women astronomers of the past and present. All the materials are at the non-technical level and thus appropriate for student papers, curriculum development, or personal enrichment. This resource guide is part of a series that can be found on the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's website, on such topics as the astronomy of many cultures, debunking astronomical pseudoscience, and resources for astronomy education. http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/womenast_bib.html.
    • Blog on the Universe - is a free resource dedicated to helping teachers of science and math make science an adventure. Every week it provides powerful teachable moments for the classroom and home. The site includes resource pages on the nature of the universe, human exploration, the nature of science, and resource lists for teachers, parents, and community leaders. Visit http://blogontheuniverse.org and read "About This Blog."
    • The Universe in the Classroom - is a free quarterly electronic newsletter for educators who want to help children of all ages learn more about science, astronomy and the universe. From the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, each issue of the Universe in the Classroom contains information on a topic of current astronomical interest, classroom activities to make the topic come alive for students and resource links to take you deeper into the subject. Visit http://www.astrosociety.org/uitc to sign up.
      • "Astronomy Education Review," - the web-based journal/magazine for anyone involved in astronomy education and outreach, announces its 13th issue is now online at the web site: http://aer.noao.edu. There is no charge for reading or downloading full articles in the journal.
      • Moon Mania - Louisiana Public Broadcasting, as part of EduConnect, has developed Moon Mania, a module of 12 technology-rich, cross-curricular lessons designed for use with K-4 students. Lessons include strategies for incorporating the material into instructional planning, rubric assessment techniques to measure student performance and evaluation tools to measure the effectiveness of the technology integration in the classroom. Moon Mania lessons can be used in science, social studies, art, math and language arts. The 12 lessons are: Haiku, Readers' Theatre, Art Project, Moon Folklore, Moon Phases, Moon Craters, Astronauts Trading Cards, Ask an Astronaut, Moon Trip, Space Meal, Design a Plaque and Moon Festival. These lessons are available free of charge and are aligned with national curriculum standards. Moon Mania lessons are available on the LPB web site: http://www.lpb.org/education/classroom/MoonMania/.
      • MarsQuest Online - Join the rovers on their historic exploration of Mars. The Mars Quest Online website provides easy access to the full set of images from the Mars rovers, in an intuitive point-and-click exploration environment. Explore the glorious full-color panoramic views of Gusev Crater and Meridiani Plain http://www.marsquestonline.org/mer.

      ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

      • Fire Science Online - Fire Science Online was founded in 2011 and serves those looking for fire science education and fire safety information. Most recently, the organization has broadened its scope to address several public safety and service careers such as homeland security, EMTs, forestry, and criminal justice to name a few. Fire Science Online was funded by private donations and remains non-commercial and advertisement free. Visit http://www.firescience.org/forestry-degree-programs-online/. We also recently launched a unique California guide focused on providing career and education information. For more information, visit: http://www.firescience.org/fire-science-degrees-and-programs/california/
      • The Heat Is On - Understanding Local Climate Change is a curriculum "module" composed of a 5 day unit and 1-2 day performance assessment. The module supplements instruction about the differences between weather variability and climate change, the concept of microclimates, the urban heat island effects, and human influences on the greenhouse effect and global warming. Hence, depending on the course syllabus, it may be relevant in courses devoted to Earth, Physical, or Environmental Science. The purpose of the unit is to prompt students to think critically about what challenges accompany the use of real publicly available data sets, with all of their limitations, for drawing evidence-based conclusions about the complex phenomenon of climate change. DIGS stands for "Data Sets and Inquiry in Geoscience Education". This project was conducted by SRI International's Center for Technology in Learning and the Concord Consortium, and was funded by the Gesocience Directorate at the National Science Foundation (GEO 0507828). Visit: http://digs.sri.com/
      • The Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) - will make FREE climate education presentations to your classes. The presentations (45-60 minutes) are geared toward high school students and can be tailored for either a large assembly or for the classroom setting. The interactive and age-appropriate program imparts a science-based understanding of climate change and explains the solutions and tools young people have to help create a cleaner, cooler future for our country and the world. Financial assistance is available for both your school and for your students. ACE is offering up to $20,000 in grant funding to high schools that have participated in an ACE presentation and demonstrate a school-wide commitment to curb global warming. Additionally, students can apply for $2500 college scholarships. To learn more or to schedule a presentation, contact presentations(at)climateeducation.org or phone (510) 251-5990. You can also visit www.climateeducation.org for more information.
      • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - is pleased to release its latest edition of the Acid Rain Teacher’s Guide. With feedback and contributions from teachers across the nation, EPA has updated and enhanced this educational resource for the 2008 school year. Designed for middle school teachers, Learning About Acid Rain: A Teacher’s Guide for Grades 6 through 8 provides a basic overview of acid rain, its effects on ecosystems, and ecosystem recovery. The guide includes nine laboratory-based science experiments to enhance the students’ understanding of acid rain and the problems it causes, as well as create a greater interest in its resolution and in applied environmental science in general. To obtain a copy of the Learning About Acid Rain: A Teacher’s Guide for Grades 6 through 8 visit www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/teachersguide.pdf or request a printed copy by calling the Acid Rain Hotline (202.343.9620).
      • The David Suzuki Foundation Nature Challenge - The Foundation has researched the 10 most effective ways we can help conserve nature and improve our quality of life. Students can sign up to take the challenge at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/WOL/Challenge/.
      • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science for Schools - offers information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where you can give opinions and test your water knowledge. The site is available in English http://water.usgs.gov/droplet/or Spanish: http://water.usgs.gov/gotita/.
      • The National Wildlife Federation - the nation's largest conservation education organization and publisher of Ranger Rick Magazine, can help educational settings, including schools, daycare centers and after-school programs create gardens for wildlife. These exciting outdoor classrooms provide hands-on learning that is interdisciplinary, standards-based, inexpensive and inclusive of all learning styles. NWF has free information on planning your habitat, ideas for funding, gardening for wildlife, aligning your outdoor classroom to the National Standards of Learning and much more. NWF also has curricula available to make it easy for you to teach outdoors. Check out the website at http://www.nwf.org/schoolyard/.
      • National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program - The guide offers resources for greening the campus: information that is available through NWF resource packets, publications and membership services. While geared toward the higher education campus, the material can also be applied to K-12 institutional settings. Contact NWF, Campus Ecology Program, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22184; 410-516-6583; www.nwf.org/campusecology/.
      • Project Learning Tree - leading environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation, has developed new instructional tools for educators of PreK-8th grade students that focus on energy concepts and conservation. "Energy & Society," features a music CD and video written and performed by well- known children's performing artist and songwriter Bill Brennan, with step-by-step dance instructions. The kit also includes an activity guide and complimentary energy posters. Order your kit at www.plt.org.
      • Teach Earth Science - This site contains Earth Science content, activities, and other resources presented at Science Partnership workshops and summer institutes for Grades 3-8 teachers. This resource also provides classroom tested and scientifically accurate information/video/classroom activity and teacher content preparation in the form of lectures that they can watch and/or listen to. http://teachearthscience.org/

      EVOLUTION

      • The National Academy of Sciences - latest publication on evolution, Science, Evolution, and Creationism, can be downloaded for free. http://www.nap.edu/sec. A printed copy can also be ordered from that site.
      • Understanding Evolution! - The UC Museum of Paleontology, in Partnership with the National Center for Science Education, is pleased to announce a new website on evolution developed especially for teachers, grades K-12. It's purpose is to provide content and resources for teachers at all grade and experience levels. In addition, strategies for overcoming resistance and potential "roadblocks" are addressed. http://www.evolution.berkeley.edu.
      • National Center for Science Education - The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a not-for-profit, membership organization providing information and resources for schools, parents and concerned citizens working to keep evolution in public school science education. We educate the press and public about the scientific, educational, and legal aspects of the creation and evolution controversy, and supply needed information and advice to defend good science education at local, state, and national levels. http://www.natcenscied.org

      MARINE SCIENCE

      • Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association - provides support to teachers and students in the field of marine science through the ongoing Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students, bringing students onto sandy beaches and into tide pools to help the National Marine Sanctuaries monitor wildlife as students learn about the marine environment. FMSA also provides teacher training workshops, curriculum, and materials to support science education and the marine sanctuaries. More information can be found at www.farallones.org.
      • Sea Otter Education Unit - From Defenders of Wildlife, the lesson plans in the Sea Otter Unit are geared to middle school students in California, Washington and Oregon, but can be easily modified for older and younger students and for students in other states. The lessons include both individual and group learning activities and are designed to integrate reading, writing, social studies, and technology into your science curriculum. Teacher notes and materials lists are provided at the beginning of each lesson. Available in Spanish and English. http://www.kidsplanet.org/tt/seaotter/home.html.
      • Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds - a classroom activity guide for teachers from the California Coastal Commission that addresses California's critical coastal and marine issues such as endangered species, marine debris, coastal geology, water use, and much more. It is carefully aligned to the California State Science Content Standards for grades 3 through 8, and includes Community Action lessons adaptable for all ages up to and beyond grade 12. The connection between inland areas and the ocean is emphasized throughout, so the lessons are relevant for students living in all regions of California. The book can be ordered for free online at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/waves/waves1.html.

      PHYSICS

      • Physics Central - The American Physical Society represents some 45,000 physicists, and most of our work centers on scientific meetings and publications-the primary ways that physicists communicate with each other. With PhysicsCentral, we communicate the excitement and importance of physics to everyone. We invite you to visit our site every week to find out how physics is part of your world. We'll answer your questions on how things work and keep you informed with daily updates on physics in the news. We'll describe the latest research and the people who are doing it and, if you want more, where to go on the web. So stick with us. It's a big, interesting world out there, and we look forward to showing you around. http://www.physicscentral.com/
      • The Science of Speed - Produced for the National Science Foundation (NSF), The Science of Speed is a 12-episode video series that explains the scientific principles essential to the NASCAR experience. Viewers learn how science makes cars powerful, agile, fast, and safe--and how these same principles affect their own cars. The video series uses the elements of NASCAR to show that a racecar really is a science experiment on wheels. Episodes include Drag & Drafting, Friction & Heat, Tires & Pressure, Heat, Load Transfer, Momentum, and more. View the series free at http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/sos/?WT.mc_id=USNSF_51. You can't win NASCAR races without getting the science right!