WATER
This site offers resources and lesson plans for water-related science unit studies
METAL
http://www.metalproject.co.uk/
METAL web site offers students (9-12) free resources on mathematics for economics. The resource section offers four categories: video streaming/downloads - contains five videos that covers ten units of study, ten teaching/learning guides, a question bank that contains files for algebra, economics, integration, matrices, numbers, coordinate geometry and differentiation and case studies.
The Cascades Volcano Observatory
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Outreach/framework.html
This site offers educational resources for learning/teaching about volcanoes, how to become a volcanologist and how scientists study volcanoes. Learn what volcanoes are, why they erupt, how hot they are, what types there are, volcanic eruptions and their impact, and much more. The complete teacher's guide, Living with a Volcano in your Backyard is a three-unit guide that provides science content and inquire-based activities about volcanoes of the Cascade Range. The activities are designed for middle school students but can be adapted for other grade levels.
Astronomy and Space
http://www.nsf.gov/news/overviews/astronomy/index.jsp
This site examines the research of the National Science Foundation on fundamental questions such as What is the universe made of, and how does it work? What is our place in the cosmos? Are we alone? (Note that this is a secular site.)
National Sea Grant Digital Libraries
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/libraries/
The National Sea Grant Digital Libraries offer a wealth of resources on the variety of coastal and marine subjects including oceanography, marine education, aquaculture, fisheries, aquatic nuisance species, coastal hazards, seafood safety, coastal zone management, marine recreation, and law.
Chemtutor
Chemtutor is a strong resource for students that can be used for independent study, review of lessons, or a tutoring program for students in basic chemistry. You will find it is grouped into sections by topic including how to learn, the periodic table, kinetics, reactions, atomic structure, elements, solutions, and thermoschemistry.
New Project Spotlights Life in the Nest
NestWatch project takes off, seeks participants
or take a look at these cams!
Ithaca, NY —What could be cuter than baby birds all atwitter in the nest? But amid the “oohs” and “aahs” are real data about the rhythms of bird biology and how they may be changing as the result of human activity. Combine the “wow” factor of the former with the scientific value of the latter and you have NestWatch—a new, free citizen science project developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and funded by the National Science Foundation. Participants visit nests during spring and summer to collect simple information about location, habitat, species, number of eggs, and number of young in the nest. Then they submit their observations online.
“NestWatch introduces birding and simple methods of scientific inquiry to families, children, retired adults—people of all ages and skills,” says project leader Tina Phillips. “It’s easy and fun. It helps people reconnect with nature in their own yard, nearby park, or nature preserve.”
Peter Marra from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center at the National Zoo says, “Each and every observation is important because it helps scientists measure the impact of such things as climate change and habitat destruction. Without citizens across the country collecting this information for us it would be almost impossible to track these large-scale destructive processes.”
The always-popular NestCams companion site has been revamped and is now up and running. Live cameras show the nesting activities of Barn Owls, Wood Ducks, and Northern Flickers in Texas and California . More cameras will be going online across the country in the weeks ahead at www.nestcams.org.
All NestWatch materials and instructions are available online at www.nestwatch.org, including directions on how to find nests and how to monitor them without disturbing the birds.
“One of the most exciting things about NestWatch,” says Phillips, “is that we’ll be able to take in data from as far back as 1900!” Anyone who’s been keeping nest records on their own will now have a way to put that important information to use. With all this information from NestWatchers, scientists will be able to track changes in reproductive timing and fledging success which may be linked to climate change.
For more information and to sign up, please visit www.nestwatch.org.
#The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Lab’s web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu.
