The Best of ClickSchooling!® Science

By Diane Flynn Keith

ClickSchooling is a free e-newsletter that provides a daily review of an educational website that parents and teachers can use to help children and students learn every subject imaginable. Diane Flynn Keith has been publishing ClickSchooling since 2000.

The World Wide Web is an encyclopedia of scientific knowledge. It has effectively replaced science textbooks in many classrooms - textbooks that critics have complained lack any resemblance to the real scientific method of research, observation, and experimentation. Textbook science is generally boring - focusing on facts, figures, and data that are often faulty and outdated. The Internet, on the other hand, provides a state-of-the-art view of current scientific knowledge and thought on any given topic to the careful researcher and skeptic.

Here are some of the best science websites she has featured in ClickSchooling that you can use to give your kids a world-class education. You will find recommendations for websites that provide an array of science knowledge and activities, including General Science, Space and Aviation Science, Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Cellular, Molecular and Microscopic Sciences, Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science, and Earth Sciences including Biology and Botany. You will also find websites to study Entomology (for those who love bugs), Ornithology (for bird enthusiasts), and Zoology and Marine Science for those fascinated by mammals, reptiles, fish, and frogs. You will explore a variety of fun and intriguing miscellaneous science sites that explain things that are weird, gross, and yucky. There are even websites that focus on the science of sports and food!

Note: ClickSchooling makes every effort to recommend websites that have content that is appropriate for general audiences. Because websites change, parents and teachers are STRONGLY CAUTIONED to preview the sites for suitable content, and then explore the sites TOGETHER with their children or students.

ClickSchooling Science

General Science

Ask Dr. Universe
Grades: All
Dr. Universe is a cat who answers your questions about science. The link provided will take you directly to the "Questions" page. All of the questions listed there were submitted by curious kids. Some of the questions and answers at this site include:

• What is a black hole?
• Why do cats hate water?
• Why does the Earth turn?
• Why are my eyes blue?
• Why did the Mayan civilization disappear?
• What good things do mosquitoes do?
• Who invented Pi?
• Is the DNA of identical twins the same? Do identical twins have the same fingerprints?

When you are through with the questions you may want to go to Dr. Universe's home page. There, you can see a menu of everything offered at the site. There is a search engine so that you can find an answer to a particular question without examining the whole list - and you can submit your own questions to Dr. Universe too.

How Stuff Works - Animation Tour
Grades: All
On the tour you will see spectacular animated pictures that show you how various things work. They are clearly designed, easy to understand, very colorful and fun to look at. For example, you will see an animation of a working car engine. Then, if you want to know more about how car engines work, simply click on the button below the picture that says, "How Car Engines Work" and it will take you to a page with detailed information.

You will see working depictions of toilets, submarines, boomerangs, video games, GPS systems, pole vaulting, digital cameras, the human heart, nuclear bombs, CDs, power plants, and even futuristic stuff like how teleportation will work! Younger kids will enjoy the animations, and older kids and adults will appreciate the scientific explanations.

The Adventures of Echo the Bat
The Adventures of Amelia the Pigeon
Grades: K-4 and up
Read a charming tale with illustrations depicting the life of a little brown bat named Echo. It's loaded with scientific information about bat anatomy, habitat, and behavior. Then, accept a mission to track Echo (who has been tagged and released into the wild) using satellite images (you are taught how to read them!).

Finally, there is a "Teacher's Site" that contains downloadable science lesson plans for understanding light, remote sensing, and biodiversity that you can use to continue your exploration of these subjects that were introduced in the Echo the Bat story. When you are through reading about Echo, try another story, The Adventures of Amelia the Pigeon. It is also available at the site and discusses the properties of flight.

Kite Cast
Grades: 4 and up
March brings strong winds in many parts of the country and has the distinction of being Kite Month. At this site find out why March winds cause kites to fly and fall. You will also discover: kite flying instructions and tips, the history of kite flying, a photo gallery of kites, and even discover how to fly kites indoors. You can also fly a virtual kite at this site!

Note: The only thing this site doesn't provide is simple instructions for building a kite. So here is another site with instructions for making a simple kite - in fact, the instructions explain how to make 20 kites for 20 kids in 20 minutes - a great project for a classroom, a birthday party, or for a homeschool support group or park day activity!

One more bonus site for students who really want to learn about aerodynamics through kites: This NASA produced site explains how the Wright Brothers used kites in the development of their airplane at Kitty Hawk, and it also explains the aerodynamic forces at work in kite flying - complete with equations involving lift, drag, and force. Very comprehensive with great explanations of scientific terminology surrounding flight.

MadSciNet
Grades: 6 and up
This is the ultimate science website for those with a passion for science and/or who enjoy in-depth answers to their questions about the many strands of science like: anatomy, astronomy, agriculture, botany, biophysics, cell biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, ecology, evolution, genetics, immunology, medicine, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, physics, virology, zoology, and other topics.

The Mad Scientist Network is composed of men and women of science from around the world who have taken the time to answer questions presented by students and others about different scientific concepts. Also offered at the site are Mad Labs. Here you will find interesting, hands-on, scientific experiments that you can do at home. There is even a category called Incredible/Edible - experiments demonstrating various science concepts through the use of food.

Don't miss The Visible Human Tour - that includes digitized images of the anatomy and structure of the human body for study geared to high school age students and up. Then try the Random Knowledge Generator. You can select what level you would like to explore science (from simple to difficult) - and then the search engine will select some scientific concepts for you to consider.

Science U
Grades: K-8
This is a remarkable website that offers interactive exhibits to make science fun. When you get to the site you will see that the menu is set up like a university campus. Click on the Observatory and learn about the solar system and space. Click on the Geometry Center and learn about fractals and tessellations. Click on the Library and discover information about the weather, seasons, plants and flowers and much more! The site is designed so that users can create their own animations as they experiment with new scientific concepts.

Iron Science Teacher!
Grades 4 and up
This site offers science webcasts. Teacher's are video-taped teaching science concepts using items that most of us have around the house. You can watch the weekly webcasts online or view them at your leisure through their archives that include presentations on scientific principles through experiments using common items such as: apples, zip-lock bags, pencils, eggs, hot dogs, pantyhose, kitty litter, baking soda, soap, compact discs, pumpkins and much more.

Bad Science
Grades: All
At this site you will find examples of Bad Science - explanations of phenomena in meteorology, chemistry and astronomy that are frequently taught in schools, but that are misleading or just plain old wrong. You can explore:

• Bad Astronomy - commonly accepted erroneous explanations for eggs standing on end during the Vernal Equinox, the dark side of the moon, why the sky is blue, whether or not the Apollo moon missions were faked, the tidal action of the Earth and moon, and even astrology and the zodiac.
• Bad Chemistry - explanations for why oil and water don't seem to mix, how ice skating really works, and why adding salt to water will raise the boiling temperature.
• Bad Meteorology - myth-shattering information about clouds, rain, the greenhouse effect, whether or not water flushes in opposite directions in the Northern & Southern hemispheres, and much more.

A warning to parents: you may be surprised at what you don't know. It seems misinformation has been circulated for years by teachers and textbooks. The author claims that what is introduced to prepubescent minds is usually accepted as fact - and it is the most difficult information to dispel as one ages. So, head to this site for some interesting revelations that may challenge your beliefs, but that will help to give your children accurate information and/or a lesson in the value of being skeptical.

A Moment of Science
Grades: All
This website is a companion to a 2-minute radio program of the same name produced by Indiana University. The program offers a snippet of scientific information that answers questions like:

• Why does your funny bone feel weird when you hit it?
• What do bicycles, footballs, and space shuttles have in common?
• Why do some birds hop, and others walk?

If you click on the [Library] button on the menu you are transported to a new page where you can choose to listen to or read the script of the archived radio programs. There are tons of tempting titles to choose from including: Laser Guns, Fighting Off Bug Diseases, Quality Time with Rats, Potato Bombs, The Anatomy of a Flame, Why Cashews Aren't Sold in the Shell, When a Boy's Voice Changes, True Love and Garlic, Eagle Eyes, Maggot Therapy, and much more. When you are through perusing the archives, visit the Shockwave Lab with three activities to test your scientific mettle: Magic Square, Planetary Perplexity, and Jugband Physics.

MiddleSchoolScience.com
Grades: 6-8
Lots of you are going to appreciate this effort by science teachers to provide a directory with links to lots of fun and interesting science experiments and projects for students. When you get to the site you will see a menu on the left side of the screen where you can choose the branch of science you are interested in exploring:

• Chemistry
• Physics
• Earth Science
• Life Science
• Odds & Ends and more!

Click on any category and you will discover links to lab activities, research projects, and fun science experiments that your kids will really enjoy. To make things really easy, the website offers a science lesson of the week. You will even find an option on the menu for exploring science through science fiction - a teacher presents a lesson outline that includes reading the book, "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov.

New Scientist - Q & A On Scientific Phenomena
Grades: 8 and up
Ready to have some science fun? This site maintains a section called "Last Word" in which you will find answers to scientific questions about everyday things - things you've probably wondered about, and much more. For example:

• Why do we have fingerprints?
• Why is yawning contagious?
• Why do men have nipples?
• Why do cans of soda not spray if you tap them first?
• How do skateboarders jump their skateboards?
• How long does decomposition of a buried body take?

There are answers covering every topic - so parents may want to use discretion or preview this site before letting the kiddies surf independently.

Kinetic City
Grades: All
The National Science Foundation sponsors this website to promote science education. Meet the animated crew of virtual kids who live on Vearth (the "virtual" planet Earth). Of course, they are facing a crisis - the possibility of Deep Delete - a wicked plan to destroy them. You can help save Vearth. By following the clues, reading scientific explanations for the strange things that are occurring on Vearth, and by doing science lab experiments at home that will help you solve various mysteries and puzzles, you can discover a solution to save Vearth.

There are discussions and explanations of many science concepts, like - magnetism (reversal of the magnetic field of Earth), and gravity (if you stood on the Equator, how many times a day would Earth have to revolve to throw you off the planet), and other such puzzlements. There are also endless lab experiments to do at home.

• Fool your friends with telepathy,
• Make your own paper,
• Test the laws of physics,
• Defy gravity,
• Make your own ecosystem,
• Build a water clock, and
• Change the freezing point of water to name a few.

This is one of those sites that will appeal to a wide age-range - there is something for everyone from K through high school. Younger children will need help reading some of the science explanations - and supervision with lab activities. Older kids can have fun conducting experiments and reading explanations on their own - not to mention accepting the challenge to save Veath from Deep Delete! And even kids who are just a little too sophisticated for the animated story will appreciate some of the science discussions and factual information offered in the "Ask Alec" section.

Brainpop.com
A fantastic website that offers free videos on every category of science. The animated videos introduce a variety of topics from dinosaurs to DNA. Brainpop offers videos on other subjects as well including, English, Math, Social Studies, Technology, and Health.

FSD - Free Software Downloads
Download free educational software for kids that covers many subjects including science. Some of the free science game downloads available include: Science Fair - physics & math applications for kids 9-16, Model Chem Lab - interactive chemistry lab simulation and notebook for high school & up, Gravitorium - play with different gravitational concepts using the solar system as a model.

Fun Science Gallery
Download free educational software for kids that covers many subjects including science. One of the best hands-on Science activity websites. You'll find instructions for:

• How to build a microscope
• How to build a telescope
• How to build a stereoscope
• How to project the outside world onto a panorama on your wall
• How to make an herbarium
• How to build simple folk toys
• How to make lemon or tomato batteries
• How to align the atoms of a salt grain
• How to investigate protists -- those little critters that live in pond scum

The instructions and illustrations are clear and simple to understand. Once you build the tool -- the site provides experiments and activities to use with that tool. It also provides scientific explanations for why certain reactions/results occur with any given experiment. All ages.

Chem4Kids!
This site uses humor, interesting text, and colorful illustrations to explain basic chemistry concepts such as: matter, elements, atoms, and reactions. It also demonstrates how math is useful in chemistry. Take the "Tour" that highlights the main points. Then view the site map or do a search to explore concepts of interest (or confusion!) in more depth.

WebElements Periodic Table - Scholar Edition
An interactive periodic table of elements Students in Grades 6 and up can click on each element in the chart and through text and audio narration find out it's name, symbol, atomic number and weight, its history, uses, nuclear data, structure and more! There are a few interactive games and quizzes sprinkled throughout the data that reinforce the concepts and make learning fun.

Physics Classroom
At this website you will find animations that are designed to help students in grades 6 and up to visualize and understand physics concepts such as: Newton's Laws, Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity, Waves, Sound, & Light, and much more. Answer some "True and False" questions, then, click on the free "Physics Classroom Tutorial" for further study and explanation. This site provides an entire physics curriculum.

Eureka Science - I Can Do That!
Are you looking for a painless and fun way to learn about DNA, RNA, cells, protein and cloning? This is it! The sponsors of this site believe that all people can absorb vast amounts of information when they find a topic interesting. In that spirit, they developed this site using colorful illustrations, clever text, and fun facts to introduce people of all ages to some sophisticated science concepts. Discover why this site has received so many awards, including a recommendation by the National Science Teachers Association.

Sea and Sky
Climb aboard the Seasub Cousteau to explore the oceans, or Starship Sagan to discover the universe. This is one of the best educational sites on the Net. Plan to spend lots of time exploring it with your family.

Power of 10
Take a journey through the universe that starts with a view of the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. Then through the magic of magnification and the power of 10, you continue to move through space towards the Earth until you move into a microscopic world that reveals leaf cells; DNA and finally, you are in the subatomic universe of electrons and protons. After the "tour" you can read about the powers of 10 and exponential notation.

Cells Alive!
Grades 7 and up
Cells Alive is a website that uses interesting text, interactive animations, and colorful illustrations to explain the many forms and facets of cells. Learn about Cell Biology, Microbiology, Microscopy and more. Visit the Crystal Gallery for some eye-popping microscope images. You can also examine cell models and visit a gallery of cell images. Be sure to click on "Activities" on the menu to access the Cancer Cell Cam and a Bacteria Cam that lets you see in real time how long it takes for cancer cells and bacteria cells to double.

Innerbody
This site is a study in human anatomy for grades 6-12.
Learn about the Skeletal System, Lymphatic System, Cardiovascular System, Nervous System, Muscle System, Male & Female Reproductive Systems, Digestive System, Endocrine System, and the Urinary System. Each section contains descriptions, images, and animations.

The Yuckiest Site On the Internet: Your Gross and Cool Body
The human body does lots of amazing things—some of it rather yucky. At this site you can find out why humans burp and pass gas, why we get bad breath, why our armpits smell, and much more. Discover all of the yucky marvels of the human body for kids in grades 3 and up.

Virtual Frog Dissection
A fascinating virtual frog dissection that doesn't us a real frog.

Iowa State University's Tasty Insect Recipes
Ooooooooh, gross! Your kids will squeal with delight and horror when they see this. Bugs are edible and the Entomology Department of Iowa State University brings you this website of recipes that includes Banana Worm Bread, Mealworm Fried Rice, and Chocolate-Covered Grasshoppers. Sounds good, huh? Just in case you can't find the ingredients at your local grocery store, this site provides links to resources where you can shop for every insect on your grocery list. You will also find nutritional information - bugs are surprisingly high in protein, calcium and iron and low in fat! When you are finished with the website menu click on the words "Entomology Department" at the top of the screen. You can look at a photo gallery of insects, and learn about Iowa State's Insect Zoo.

Einstein for Kids
Albert Einstein is considered by some to have had one of the greatest science and math minds ever! At this site you will find links to wonderful sites to explore every stage of Einstein's life including the publishing of the Theory of Relativity. Then, for a really interesting discussion of why Einstein is considered to be so smart—click on "How smart was he?" Finally, to engage in some interactive puzzles that will really stretch your thinking click on "Think Like Einstein."

Cool Science for Curious Kids (Grades: 2-6)
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute sponsors this site to help kids explore biology. They have gathered a few of their favorite science experiments from various museums, etc., and created activities that you can do at home (with simple materials you probably have around the house). Your kids can discover many things, for example:

1. What it's like to investigate an object closely without a microscope. Once kids do the activity, they can print out a sheet that asks them specific questions about their discoveries.
2. Discover what's in the air - and find out how your nose acts as a filtration system.
3. Learn to classify critters like snakes, lizards, and monkeys.
4. Discover the life cycle of a butterfly through an interesting activity with a toilet paper tube!

This site also contains ideas for parents about how to extend the learning by asking questions about the various activities - and by introducing additional information to help your child understand the concepts discussed. This is a terrific site for those just beginning the study of science with the projects geared for elementary aged students.

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