http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/Yahooligans/womensworldcup

Contains information on U. S. Women’s Soccer team, with numerous links to articles on past games and cup games.  This could be used for reading or biography done on women athletes.  There is also a link to FIFA site.
 

http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/

This site is set up by NASA and has links by subject for interests in space, such as, planets, astronauts, etc. These sites also have sections for teachers and sites that are geared toward children to read.  Pictures mark them so it makes it easy for the child to understand the titles.  This site has great visuals.

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rscarry.htm

This is brief site found under authors through the Yahooligans search engine.  It gives a biography of Richard Scarry who was a great children’s author.  What is nice about this site is that it lists all of his writings.
 

http://www.wordcentral.com/

This is a language arts website with further information in it.  Word games, lesson plans, dictionary information and purchases of age appropriate dictionaries available.

http://www.members.home.net/teachwell/rhybudanswer.htm

This sites contains games and puzzles for words, this can be used for any language arts lesson and add some fun learning.  Site is divides based on what type of word fun being used. (similes, oxymorons, etc.)

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/DictionaryA.html

Children’s visual dictionary with links under each word that gives more information than the definition and extended links.  Offered in more than one language also.  Very useful tool….this would be helpful to have on a computer in a classroom!!

http://207.136.90.76/dictionary/

This is a dictionary of “technology terms”.  This could be useful to high school or younger age students, when getting familiar with computers.  A Tech. Ed. Class could find this helpful.  Learning the language of the computer world is sometimes intimidating at first where this site could offer quite a bit of answers.

http://dww.deafworldweb.org/asl/

This is website for ASL.  This site offers signs for letters, words, and even told stories in sign language.  It gives background information on sign language, why we use it, and it has virtual demonstrations of the signing so the person can learn the signing from this site.  This would be very helpful to a teacher with hearing impaired students or to a Special Education Teacher.

http://www.yahooligans.com/content/ka/

Yhahooligans Almanac, this site has loads of information broken down alphabetically then topics within the alphabetic order.  Descriptions and visuals.  Very useful classroom reference tool.

http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/pmartin/liberia/text_play_intro.htm

This is site explaining different ideas for acting in a classroom.  Language skills, expressions, etc. are discussed.  Warm up games along with stories to be acted out are included.  This could be used in Language Arts, Social Studies, or possibly Science classes.

http://curriculum.calstatela.edu/faculty/jcope/

Links to Brain Based Learning, Learning Theories, Models, Ideas and Concepts, Education Pages, Technology Links, Internet/World Wide Web Sites, Education Research, PowerPoint Tutorials, Government Pages, Cal State LA Web Sites developed by Professor Judith L. Cope.

As an eighth grade science teacher, I use a wide range of sources to enrich my curriculum and meet the needs of a diverse student body. Students are diverse in their backgrounds, values, motivation, and feelings of self-worth. I use a variety of written and visual materials to stimulate the innate curiosity which I believe all children are born with. I strive to revitalize this drive to learn.

Each of my five classes has about 24 students arranged at laboratory benches in groups of four. I mix approaches, but try, when possible, to use cooperative learning techniques. Demonstrations and laboratory activities lead to group discussions in which I emphasize inquiry-based challenges. All students are encouraged to feel good about sharing their own thoughts.

For the '97-'98 school year I will be using the Science Plus (Blue) - Grade 8 program. Course content will consist of mini units in the Scientific Method, how to study and do research, nutrition, the environment, and Mars exploration. The main units will be light, sound, magnetism/electricity, and genetics/reproduction. What follows is my own compilation of links that will support and expand this curriculum.

I welcome your comments and am looking for additional links for the main units.

Comments and additional links can be mailed to me at gilcolby@gyral.com.

Units that I cover:

• Mini-Units
• Light
• Sound
• Electricity and Magnetism
• Genetics and Reproduction

General Links

Mini-Units

First Day of School Activity:

Tell Me Whyis an activity to determine the scientific knowledge of students, and to generate interest in the class.

 

Experimental Strategy:

An explanation of the Scientific Method with an example, student activity (Boiling Poing Experiment), and scoring rubric

 

Textbook Use:

September Starters uses a game format to familiarize students with their textbooks. Students can be grouped in a traditional cooperative learning setting.

 

Nutrition:

Measuring Calories actively engages students in measuring the energy (calories) in mini-marshmallows and peanuts.

 

Food Labels in the Classroom encourages students to form a life-long habit of scrutinizing nutritional value labels.

Mars Pathfinder:

Mars Pathfinder Mission Information presents images and exciting information as NASA provides it to the public.

Light

Light Energy:

Optics for Kids! is an excellent site for general information about light as a form of energy. I is designed with colorful diagrams to be a self-educating tool for children.

 

Light Waves:

Lets Make Waves is a science activity which uses a fan blowing over water to help students overcome misconceptions about wave motion.

 

Light Reflection:

Laws of Reflection is an exciting activity to teach students the laws of reflection.

 

Light Properties:

How To Make A Kaleidoscope is a learning activity in which students work cooperatively and create kaleidoscopes.

 

Light as a Form of Electromagnetic Radiation:

Reference material is presented to show that visible light is just a small part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum.

Sound

Sound Characteristics:

Partial Sample Chart to accompany lesson plan: Physics 2204, Sound gives information about sources of sound vibrations, what is vibrating, what is responsible for the vibration, and the type of waves that are produced.

 

Sound Waves:

Seeing Sound & Sonar is a complete lesson plan for teaching children how sound waves can be used to map the ocean floor.

 

Sound Exploration:

Lesson 1 - Mystery Sounds is a laboratory activity in which students have to listen very carefully to determine the sources of different sounds.

Electricity and Magnetism

Magnetic Fields:

Students use a variety of materials so as to view a 3-D Magnetic Field. Cross-curriculum ideas are also presented.

 

Electric Motors:

A Lesson Plan for Electromagnetism is provided here to help teachers teach the scientific principles behind electric motors and generators.

Genetics and Reproduction

DNA: Life's Controller:

Blue Genes: Affect Your Life! is a research based unit in which students, working in cooperative groups, learn the vocabulary and basic concepts of genetics.

 

Gregor Mendel's Work:

MendelWeb is a library resource for both teachers and students interested in classical genetics. Many worldwide links are provided for in depth research.

 

The Search For Genes That Cause Disease:

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute publishes Blazing A Genetic Trail. It is available to teachers for the purpose of demonstrating how scientists are applying research in genetics to the understanding of the genetic causes of disease.

 

Human Genome Project:

The National Human Genome Research Institute provides current information on the attempts of the Human Genme Project to map the 50,000 to 100,000 genes within the human genome.

 

The National Center for Biotechnology Information provides a human transcript map which allows you to browse genes by chromosome.

General Science Links

The Discovery Channel:

A wealth of information is provided on many educational subjects at the Discovery Channel Online.

 

Bill Nye - The Science Guy:

Information on Disney's Bill Nye series, includes a Bill Nye Episode Guide with descriptions of his 85 different popular and exciting broadcasts of science related information.

 

MSN - The Mad Scientist Network:

The Mad Scientist Network provides answers to many science-related question. It allows you to search an archive of more than 2000 question and answer files for specific information.

 

Educational Hotlists:

The Franklin Institute provides an Educational Hotlist with links to sites on many subjects.