It’s Tuesday, June 25, 2019, and time for Science Resources . I would like to ask you to check out the Recommended Website: If you have used these resources let me know what you thought of them and why.
Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12, with parental supervision) Today’s website is courtesy of the Education Group of the Space Telescope Science Institute that promotes “the science and majestic beauty of the universe to the education community.”
When you get to the homepage, you will see “Resources by Topic”. Or use the menu to the right of it to explore this site that includes:
- Online Explorations — Interactive games and activities about an array of topics including: the force of gravity; comet facts, myths, & legends; black holes; planning a Hubble servicing mission; the history of telescopes from Galileo to modern observatories; and more!
- The Star Witness — An online newsletter that features the latest news about the Hubble telescope.
- Tonight’s Sky — Watch a video about what you can expect to see in the current night sky. An incredible aid for finding constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and celestial events from your own backyard.
Then at the bottom, check out: Homework Help — Not just help, but suggestions for educational research projects about all aspects of space along with interesting facts and trivia. You can also get directions for how to build a model Hubble Telescope.
Recommended Website: Pollinator Curriculum
Age Range: 8-11 (The suggested grade range is 3-6 but there is information that will fascinate all ages; children with parental supervision) Summertime is the perfect time of year to observe the pollination process in your own backyard, garden, neighborhood, or local park.
Birds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, beetles, mosquitoes and other insects and animals are all pollinators — even the wind acts as a pollinator. Pollinators transfer the pollen from one flower to another of the same species leading to fertilization that results in fruit and seed production. About 80% of the world’s fruit and vegetable crops require pollination. It is essential for plant reproduction.
To better understand what is taking place during the pollination process, the curriculum at this website offers detailed scientific information and an array of educational activities. When you get to the site, click on the first link under “Curriculum”: Nature’s Partners: A Comprehensive Pollinator Curriculum for Grades 3-6. This curriculum includes:
- The Who, What & Why of Pollinators
- Pollinators and Plants In Partnership
- Pollinator-Friendly Habitat in Your Area
- Community Service Project and Celebration
Back on the main page, you can find an astounding array of information on pollinators and pollination that is suitable for a variety of age/grade ranges including Educational Tools, Activities, Facts and Helpful Links.
| Lil’ Fingers: YouTube Zoo Age Range: 3 and up (Grades Pre K and up; children with parental supervision) Designed by a computer usability professional, Lil’ Fingers is a friendly website for the littlest computer users with free animated and narrated storybooks, interactive educational games, coloring pages – and a terrific archive of over 100 animal videos in their YouTube Zoo! This site was designed with young children in mind, but the animal videos can be enjoyed by folks of all ages. When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu of “Animal Zones” including: African Region – See lions, eagles, hyenas, and more. Asia Adventure – View bears, horn bills, monkeys, and porcupines. Polar – Check out penguins, polar bears, reindeer, and a walrus. Elephant Jungle – Watch camels, Capybaras, elephants, Guanacos, etc. Forest Fun – Observe birds, owls, okapis, river otters, etc. Outback – Watch koalas, kangaroos, a monitor lizard and more! As explained at the website, “All videos have been reviewed to not include animals mating, killing or bodily functions.” Plus, because you watch the videos on this website, you don’t have to be concerned about shielding your kids’ eyes from inappropriate comments that are sometimes posted by random visitors on the YouTube site. Some of the videos are no longer available but there are so many animals to choose from you’ll be sure to find something you’re interested in. When you’re through watching videos, be sure to use the vertical menu on the left side of the screen to access the animated and narrated storybooks, play interactive computer games that teach as they entertain, and print out coloring pages that include the alphabet, numbers, shapes, animals, events, and much more! This is an ad-supported website. Parents, as always, should preview the site to determine suitability of content and supervise all Internet use. |
| Recommended Website: Pea Soup Age Range: All (All grades; children with parental supervision) This very simple website provides the biography of Johann Gregor Mendel, who, through experimentation with developing new color variations in flowers discovered hybridization. When you get to the site, use the menu to read Mendel’s biography. Then, learn about his experiments that led to the birth of genetics. Next, try the “Interactive Pea Experiment” and breed your own virtual hybrid pea plants! This is a short and easy scientific exercise, that provides a great springboard to further learning and exploration. |
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
