Interactive Science
Science-related websites are everywhere on the World Wide Web, from technical scientific reports to interactive games that both impart knowledge and let your students explore science by themselves.
For example, Park Physics lets the student make his or her own roller coaster ride, taking into consideration the laws of physics. The roller coaster design the student comes up with in this game has to pass a safety inspection. The first item on the agenda? Go on The Roller Coaster.
Here are some other interesting websites, offering movies, interactive activities, science laboratory experiments, 3D graphics, and more.
Explore Science - has interactive lab activities
Cells Alive - living cells in images and movies
Chemicool Period Table - interactive periodic table of chemical elements with information on each element
Cool Science for Curious Kids - interactive biology activities on and off screen
The O. Orkin Insect Zoo - can rotate grasshoppers 360 degrees or let students watch a tarantula feeding; a veritable online insect world
Classifying Critters - taxonomy
Galapagos Creatures - movie clip on the animal species Charles Darwin discovered
The Virtual Laboratories are produced by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and won top honors in the Pirelli INTERNETional Award Competition for being the best multimedia product designed to use the Internet to educate about science and technology.
Here are their virtual lab links:
The Transgenic Fly Virtual Lab - transgenic organisms contain DNA that is inserted experimentally. This website will familiarize you with the science and techniques in making transgenic flies.
The Bacterial Identification Lab - gives students an idea of the science and techniques in identifying bacteria based on DNA sequences.
The Neurophysiology Lab - a closer look at individual neurons when the skin it is attached receives a mechanical stimulus.
The Cardiology Lab - lets the student (cast as a virtual intern) to go with a doctor as he examines three patients.
Serious topics these may be, but when presented in a new and interactive way, you and your students will surely have fun!
Sources:
“Kids page.” Retrieved November 10, 2008 from
http://scorescience.humboldt.k12.ca.us/fast/kids.htm
“National Science Foundation.” Retrieved November 10, 2008 from
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/video/index.html
"Park Physics.” Retrieved November 10, 2008 from
http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/
“Virtual labs.” Retrieved November 10, 2008 from
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/index.html
(Published 24 November 2008, Smart Communications, Inc.)
