Summing Up the 2008-9 School Year

Dear Friends in Education,

Here is a working summary of the more popular internet resources gleaned from the 2008-9 school year with the Al Wajbah Primary Science Department.


The best website resource of the year was:

• http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/thrcontents.html. It contains the following Shadow Inquiry:

Everyone should grab one small shiny object like a new penny or an interlocking math cube, a pink eraser or a marble. Let's go outside. Find an asphalt or concrete area with a lot of space, enough that the entire class can spread out and be bathed in sunlight. Is there enough room for their shadows? You might consider timing this for between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., when the shadows are shorter but not so short as to make this impossible.

Everyone should spread out enough that they can twirl in place and not hit anyone. Next, everyone should drop their shiny object somewhere about 4-5 feet from them in any direction. Now find your own shadows and stick your arms out. Make an OK sign with your fingers, so that your shadows show a little ring or circle for your hands. Can you, without squatting, move your shadow ring so that it encircles the shiny object on the ground?

General Science Inquiry:

• http://www.sasta.asn.au/qualityscience/
• http://www.sfscience.com/english/toc/toc_start.htm
• http://www.wvec.k12.in.us/battle/classpage/science/scienceunits.htm (from Raba'a Aziz)
  
• http://www.csiro.au/services/Science-By-Email-Main.html
  
• http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/elemsci.html
• http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/
• http://www.andybrain.com/sciencelab/science-lab-experiment-list/
• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html

Life Science:

• http://www.funology.com/laboratory/listing.cfm?category=52&type=laboratory

Vertebrates & Invertebrates

• Bones: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/special_exhibits/bones/games/Game1_FINAL.html
• Food Chains and Other Games: http://sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/gamesforkids.htm (from Amani Shaweesh)
  

What is the Life Cycle of a Plant?

• www.arboretum.fullerton.edu/grow/primer/cycle.asp

Plant Life Cycle:

• www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts1b.html

The Life Cycle of a Plant (flash movie):
This site shows the growth of a plant, has students label plant parts, and includes the measurement in cm of the height of the plant.

• www.sln.org.uk/science/lifecycle/

Dottie's Garden An online ebook about planting seeds. This makes a great center activity

• www.primarygames.com/storybooks/plant/start.htm

Treasures@Sea: Many ocean facts, activities and resources are found here.

• http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow8/dec98/intera.html

Cells Alive:
Find just about anything you need to know about cells here. View the interactive and animated cells.

• http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/cell_model.htm
• http://www.cellsalive.com/howbig.htm

Health and Handwashing:

• http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/hand_activity.php

Water Cycle:

• Water Cycle Animation: http://www.cnr.vt.edu/plt/WaterCycle/index.htm
  
• Make a Water Cycle Wheel: http://www.epa.state.il.us/kids/fun-stuff/water-cycle/
• The Wonders of Water: http://www.saasta.ac.za/easyscience/pdfs/es_2006_02.pdf
• http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/kids/pdfs/activity_grades_k-3_activitybook.pdf (from Amani Shaweesh)
  
• Water Cycle and Evaporation: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1638

Water Cycle Models (from Amani Shaweesh) :

1. http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=21522
   
2. http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/kids/grades_k-3_watercycle_activity.html

Rocks & Minerals / Geology:

Excellent resources for teaching 5.7 "How Rocks are Formed"

• http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98//create/index.html
• http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98//collab.htm
• http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/teachers&students.html
  

Physical Science:

• http://www.funology.com/laboratory/listing.cfm?category=48&type=laboratory

Heat Transfer (from Suzana Mahmoud):

• http://sol.sci.uop.edu/~jfalward/heattransfer/heattransfer.html

Conduction, Convection and Radiation movies and songs (from Suzana Mahmoud):

• http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0054-heating-cooling-atmosphere.php

Excellent Light & Shadow PPT:

• www.learnanywhere.co.uk/la/science/3f.ppt

Exploring Light & Color:

• http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/science/science.htm
  

Energy Experiments (Electricity etc.):

• http://www.need.org/energyfair.phphttp://library.thinkquest.org/15215/Resources/Projects/solar_oven_experiment.html
• http://www.starprof.com/ac/pscspring04/psc021104pp/sld005.htm (from Suzan Mahmoud)
• http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/teachers&students.html (from Raba'a Aziz)
  

Chemistry:

• http://www.funology.com/laboratory/listing.cfm?category=49&type=laboratory

From Surfnet by Barbara J. Feldman:
Desert
DesertAnimals.net features seventeen desert animals.
http://www.desertanimals.net/

Desert Animals
http://www.surfnetkids.com/desert_animals.htm

Desert Animals Printable
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/desert_animals.pdf

Printable Desert Animals Word Search
http://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/Word_Searches/desert_animals_wordsearch.pdf

Blue Planet Biomes: Desert Animals
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_animal_page.htm

Biomes/Habitats Mix & Match:

• http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/biomes-mm.htm

Teaching Physics Using YouTube Videos

• http://physics.andreadecapoa.net

Magnets - virtual textbook and dozens of experiments that you can either buy or build.

• http://www.coolmagnetman.com/magindex.htm

Electricity and Magnetism video

• http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/319

Science Games:

• http://www.primarygames.com/science.htm
• http://sheppardsoftware.com/science.htm (Check out the new Cell Game!)
  

Internet Videos:
For professional development, future curriculum planning and classes:

• Seven Lesson Starts: http://www.teachers.tv/video/28260
• How to use the Lesson Starts: http://www.teachers.tv/video/23316

There is a series called from Good to Outstanding that is very, very good also:

• http://www.teachers.tv/video/25613
• http://www.teachers.tv/video/25596

Science Fair Resources:

• Science Fair PPT for Student Intro: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/faculty/dmmor/scifair02/sm.ppt
• Great Resource: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/faculty/dmmor/scifair02/scires02.html
• Student sample from same site: http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/faculty/dmmor/scifair02/sf027.html
• http://www.need.org/energyfair.php

Science Curriculum Planning Resources:

Science Concept Stories and Focus Questions:

• http://lsc-net.terc.edu/do.cfm/report/7139/show/use_set-ref_mat#2

Linking Science with Literacy:

• http://www.science.org.au/primaryconnections/additional.htm (from Raba'a Aziz)

Science Lessons with Differentiation:

• http://www.primaryschoolscience.com/
  

KS2 Science Resources:

• http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/science/science.htm (from Naheel Hamdallah)
  

Lesson Planning Basics:

• http://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/opd/upload/6_step_lesson_plan.pdf
• http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/Dalton.htm

Assessment:

PALS Performance Tasks (K-4)

• http://pals.sri.com/tasks/tasksk-4.html

Assessment Ideas for Elementary Science

• http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/ideass.html

Inquiry rubrics:

• http://www3.nsta.org/main/news/pdf/ss0209_22.pdf