This site shares some fun facts about fungi with students! Fungi both cure and cause disease. They determine what plants grow in yards and in forests, and keep us from being buried in waste. Some fungi taste great --others can kill you! The site is also available in Polish and Spanish.
Topics include: What are Fungi? What's in a name? Dispersal and much more. There are experiments, puzzles and games for students. There is a Guide for Teachers too.
Animal Adaptations- Student Activity
During this fun activity students decide what need an animal's adaptation fulfills.
Adaptation is considered to be the ways a living thing gets what it needs to survive. This site presents Rainforest plant adaptations students can explore.
This web page helps students understand that animal and plant populations depend on many things for survival. They learn about the limiting factors that affect populations.
This web page allows students to learn that each plant or animal in a community has a special job in the natural world. There is an on-line quiz included that tests a student's knowledge about niches.
This interesting site is a rich source of information, activities, and links about shorebirds, migration, and wetlands. One page has information on inland freshwater and coastal saltwater marshes. Students learn where marshes are located, the kind of plants and animals that inhabit marsh areas and more.
This page, part of the Biomes of the World web site, has information on kelp forests and several useful links including frequently asked questions about oceans Voyage to the Deep This site examines hydrothermal vents. Students learn what deep ocean vents are and about how they form. There is a link, Creature Features, where students can view Quicktime movies and pictures of a deep ocean vent and animals that inhabit the ecosystem. Another link, High-Tech Tools, explains the technology and tools scientists use for deep- sea exploration.
This page designed for kids by the U.S. Department of Interior is very informative and includes maps of recent earthquakes in the USA, Science Fair Project Ideas, puzzles and games, as well as online activities.
Fossil Formation Animation
This animation shows students the formation of a cast and mold, one way that fossils can form. Casts are copies of fossilized plants or animals. Molds are hollow impressions of the fossil. This process takes thousands or millions of years.
This page explains which weather instrument measures what, and how the instrument works. This site also includes information on all aspects of weather including hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, and much more.
This interactive site from Scholastic allows students to 'test drive' the tools meteorologists use every day. Students click on each tool for more information along with instructions on building it and using it in an experiment.
Chapter 2- The Oceans
Observe a Wave in Motion
This page allows students to view an animation of ocean wave motion.
What Does the Ocean Floor Look Like?
This site contains graphics, maps, and interactive animations that helps students visualize what the ocean floor looks like. Lesson 3 Chapter 3- Planets and Other Objects in Space
This page answers questions about Earth's motions with text and graphics.Why is there day and night? Why are there seasons? Students also learn about the Moon's motions.
Students can view this site at three different reading levels, Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. They learn about Jupiter's sixty moons and about who discovered Jupiter's rings, how many there are, how they were formed and their composition.
These web pages contain several online explorations and fun activities for students to complete. They can build our Milky Way, Explore Galaxies, and play Galaxy Games.
Space Missions
NASA missions are varied. This site allows students or teachers to click on a mission to learn more about its features and progress. Students can explore related multimedia links also.
This site allows students an opportunity to view an animation that represents a microscopic view of each state of matter. Students can also view a table that summarizes the properties of gases, liquids, and solids. The table identifies the microscopic behavior responsible for each property.
The activities on this site are targeted to middle school students but can be used by more advanced elementary students. Students can learn how to use a triple beam balance and practice 3 interactive problems to solve the mass of the object.
At this site students learn about one form of floating transportation, the hot air balloon. They learn and how and why hot air balloons float. Students can click on Virtual Flight to experience a 4 minute balloon flight over the Black Rock Desert.
This children's site is produced by the U.S. Department of Energy. Students learn about renewable energy including Wind Energy, Geothermal Energy, Solar Energy, and Alternative Fuels. There is an Energy Efficiency Tip page too. Each topic page links to other appropriate kid friendly sites that students can explore to increase their knowledge.
Chapter 3- Sound
Interactive Sound Waves This web page designed by NASA covers several topics related to the study of sound. Students learn how sound travels through the air. They can take guided tours that cover the Speed of Sound, Sound Waves, and Sound Wave Simulator.
Students learn about echoes and Doppler shift on this page that explains how radar works. This page helps students understand the sonic boom phenomenon as they learn about sound and motion.
When students explore this site they learn about the fundamental process at work in a rainbow. They learn about refraction, prisms, and how light and water happen to combine in just the right way to produce a rainbow.
How the Eye Sees Color
Students learn how the eye sees color on this web page. They can also explore other interesting topics about color at this site. Topics include Color and the Brain, Color and the Body, and Color and Vision.
This site explains to students that although we can't actually see forces we do see their effects on objects. Students see what those effects can be. They learn about Sir Isaac Newton and how force is measured. There are links that explain other topics about forces including Acceleration, speed, springs.
