This web page is a GREAT resource of various biological animations. The site offers the options of either playing the animations via web browser or downloading the animation to the computer. Versions of the animations are available for both Mac and PC. Topics include, but are not limited to: cloning, cycle sequencing, model organisms, transformation, DNA restriction, DNA arrays, and gel electrophoresis.
10319

What is Watch Know? Short for "You Watch, You Know," it provides explanations for students. Finding bits of information to help students can be frustrating as resources are disorganized on the web and may be hard to find.” Watch Know” is a free site that organizes small video clips to help with the understanding of a variety of topics in subject areas. Search by age (3-18+). You can click and drag the age filter to the youngest and oldest ages to include. Videos are also organized by sequence of topics taught. The site is an ongoing project with input from educators and organizations interested in education of children. Registration is not required to view the videos. Creating and saving videos to the site, as well as commenting, require registration. You can monitor site recent changes and additions using the “Change Log.”
10384

Looking for a way to introduce inquiry into your science classes? Use case studies to introduce relevant and real-life problems that require students to question and search for information that sheds light on the answer to the questions. Each case study is an interrupted one. Each case study is divided into sections with guiding questions to help ask questions and find pertinent information. Example case studies include: "Driving Can Be Dangerous To Your Health" or "Sweet Indigestion: A Directed Case Study on Carbohydrates." The general topics of the cases include everything from Anatomy & Physiology to Geology to Psychology (and about 20+ other topics).
10313

Bring CSI to your classroom! Use this entertaining and interactive website to learn science concepts using forensic studies. Follow one of three adventures: Rookie Training (Beginner,) Canine Caper (Intermediate,) or Burning Star (Advanced.) Collect evidence, ask questions, and use the evidence to act as a forensic scientist while using scientific inquiry. Create a conclusion and form theories by using evidence to solve problems. Registration is not required, but doing so allows students to save their work. Registration does NOT require an email, just a username and password. You might want to save the students usernames and passwords somewhere safe! Students not registering can enter as a guest. Teachers can view additional activities, links, and materials by clicking on "Fun Stuff." Click on "Game Features" to find information on roles of different forensics investigators, a walk through to assist in the adventures, and FAQ's. This site requires Adobe Reader. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
10277

Looking for different types of calculators? Find them on this interesting site. Choose a button on the calculator corresponding to the subject. Examples of subjects include Medicine, Algebra, Weather, Phonics, Financial, HVAC, Engineering, Weather, and Rocketry to name a few. After the subject is chosen, click on a formula to enter values. Some of the topics offer reference information, not calculations. This is definitely an interesting site to peruse.
10314

This site is a searchable database of science quotes from different scientists and philosophers. This site is a basic “plain vanilla” tool, but includes a lot of scientists and philosophers (great for reference and quick research). Searches can be done by keyword, names, or alphabetically. The drawback to the site is that there are some distracting commercial features. Direction would need to be given to younger students on differentiating between advertisements and site content.
10183

Interested in the chemical changes that occur during cooking? Have food related cooking questions? Find your answer here on this free site. Learn proper food cooking techniques and identify the science behind them. Teachers should caution students to ignore the ads along the margin of the site.
10289

TGIF! The Great Idea Finder, that is. Inventive ideas and history abound here. Some helpful highlights are Facts and Myths, Inventor Biography, Innovation Time line, and Games and trivia. Within the features section, there is a "Did You Ever Wonder About?" which provides interesting history about common and popular items such as the American flag, the piggy bank, and the origins of holidays like Mother's Day.
10282

This site is a great mini reference site for students who need a place to start research on famous scientists or to learn about a number of scientists in a very short span of time. Each scientist is listed with a photo and a brief synopsis. There are links to additional information on specific scientists on the individual pages.
10180

“Be very, very careful what you put into that head, because you will never, ever get it out” warns the quote at the start of this page. Bad Science is the site that debunks the "myths and legends" that are sadly distributed by the misinformed. It is a great site for checking understanding and pinpointing student misconceptions. Many popular ones are addressed in the links offered on this site. Learn about Bad Astronomy, Bad Chemistry, Mad Meteorology (including clouds, rain, greenhouses, and others), and the Pathetic Fallacy. The drawback to the site is that it can seem a little condescending but it may be a byproduct of the author's disgust with bad science.
10300

View a variety of molecules in the following categories: Food, Fuel, Pesticides, Solvents, etc. Key resources found on this free site include a periodic table, scientific calculator, dictionary, and molecular modeling. Use "Explain It with Molecules" to use interactive 3-D molecules for greater understanding of interactions. Find elements by using the "Directory of Elements" search function select a molecule by searching "3-D Structures." View molecular structures and read background information about the molecules.
10288

This intriguing site has the user choose an “answer,” and then the computer asks 20 questions trying to determine what your answer is. The answers to the 20 questions aren’t just YES or NO; they also include SOMETIMES, PROBABLY, IRRELEVANT, and others.

When you arrive at the site, click your language (there are MANY languages to choose from). Enter your gender, age, and location (optional). Then choose the “game” you wish to try. Some are more commercial (Disney, The Simpsons, or Star Trek). Others have educational value (Harry Potter, Earth, or Classic, Famous people). This is a fun and challenging activity. There are disclaimers that the "game gets smarter" the more you play because the game compiles facts over time. It is involving and fun to play. The site does include some advertisements.
10186

This site is an index of stories that have been spoken on radio shows by Charles Kettering. Kettering was head of research for General Motors and held over 140 patents. One of his standout accomplishments was the development of Freon as a refrigerant.

There are a number of short stories from all areas of science taken from Kettering's Radio talk shows. The general topics include “Introduction to Science and Invention,” “Science and Invention in Transportation,” “Science and Invention in War.” Specific topics vary from Energy from the Sun to The Wright Way to Unraveling the Atom and many others.
10184

This site is filled with study tools to help students learn information in a variety of subject areas. Stacks of topics related to geography, history, math, languages, medical, tests (SAT, ACT, etc.), science and more are linked with collections of learning tools that include virtual study cards, matching games, word search puzzles, and hangman games. There really is something here for nearly all subject areas and grade levels! Students can select the tool that works best for them and work at their own pace until they are satisfied with their progress. If you can’t find a stack to fit your needs, you can edit existing lists or create customized study stacks. The site also allows you to print out study cards, or export flash cards to study them via cell phones, PDA, or iPod. Email the stacks to peers or connect with Study Stack through Facebook. Some of the activities require Java. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
10129

This incredible site is a database of videos on an abundance of topics! They are arranged by topic and very easy to access. The general subjects include physical science, life science, earth and space, social studies, math, English, and the human body. Each of the subjects includes 10+ topics. And each of the topics includes countless videos. You truly have to see this collection to believe it! There are lessons “ready to go” on video: Civil Rights Movement, Ice Age, Allergies, Subtracting Negative Numbers, Electricity, and MANY others.

NOTE: Although the videos are listed on this site, they actually “live” elsewhere on the Internet, so some videos may be blocked in your school (those on YouTube, for example). Always pretest to be sure the video you hope to use is accessible at school!
10185

Looking for interactive review activities for your subject area? Use Bubbabrain's vast array of activities created for many levels and subjects. Registration is not required to play. When Game ID is checked (this is the automatic default for the site,) you choose a level ranging from Elementary to College (be sure to click the circle in the appropriate grade level) and then choose a subject area from the drop down box at your level. Subject areas vary by grade level and may include: telling time, government, family and consumer science, world languages, sociology, technology, and countless others.

Click the "Go" button to start your activity. Click on the correct answer to the question and then a new question appears. Prompts to try again appear if the answer is wrong and a percent right appears on your screen as you progress. Click on the teacher's link in the upper right hand corner for more information on becoming registered. Once registered, teachers can create their own games for the site. Your teacher ID can be entered by students to access created games.
10152

Search news articles about various topics such as "Agriculture," "Animals," "Chemistry and Materials," "Finding the Past," and many other topics. Featured articles and pictures can be found on the front page in a section titled "The Weekly Scoop" and "Science Snapshots." View other pages in the site including "Puzzle Zone," "Game Zone," "SciFi Zone," SciFair Zone," and "Lab Zone." Click on the "Teacher Zone" to access question sheets, resources, and websites for classroom use. Some ads run along the sides of this site.
10157

This site delves into forensic science and offers students a chance to solve a crime. Students begin to understand an underworld science by collecting clues of things left behind, namely bugs, maggots, and other disgusting creatures! The lesson plan includes readings, steps to solving the crime including collecting evidence, creating a DNA profile, evaluating the evidence, and listening to an expert. Standards are provided.

Be aware: at the time of this review, the link to the video mentioned in this lesson plan was not working properly. Our editors found it, so you can access it directly from here: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/science-of-natural-history/forensic-sleuth/forensic-entomology/. This site does include some appropriate advertisements for the museum. The site requires Adobe Acrobat and Flash. Get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
10098

This website serves as a support element for the Meth Project, an organization determined to educate the public about the dangers of methamphetamine usage, to change current attitudes particularly among teens about meth use, and to have an influence on public policy concerning drug use prevention. Besides basic information (the facts are startling!), it collects news releases and offers things people can do to help in the fight. Since it started as a project in the State of Montana, it offers continual updates on which states are joining the project. It collects data on many aspects of meth use, and best of all, it offers the news of its positive results. One of the most interesting parts of the website is the ads section where viewers can see and hear television and radio ads portraying teens in the duplicitous behavior meth use often leads to. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
10092

Everyone needs time savers. This site just made your life easier. Find pre-made flash cards using a search engine (powered by Google) from the best flash card sites on the web. Simply type in your topic in the search line and in seconds, you will have a list of flash card sites that feature your topic. Click on the links, and you have pre-made electronic flash cards at your fingertips. You do not need to be signed in with the flash card sites to enjoy the benefits. Some sites are easier to navigate than others. This tool may require some time “digging” for the best! Many of the sites require Flash and/or Adobe Acrobat. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
10048