Science
Science extends beyond classrooms and laboratories; it surrounds us always. Students of biology, chemistry, physics, and the other scientific disciplines can apply their knowledge to their everyday lives, understanding the world around them and asking the questions needed to learn more. The Internet has a vast number of resources that can teach you the basics of science, help you gain a stronger grasp of scientific concepts, and inform you of the latest advances in our knowledge of the world.
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Expand All Guide SectionsFundamentals of Science
Has it been a while since that chemistry class you took in high school? Looking for a site that will get your kids interested in science? Whatever your needs, these sites present some basic scientific principles from a variety of disciplines and help make learning science fun and easy for people of all ages.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Many children's science sites require the installation of media players. Before you let your child use one of them, review the sites and download the software in advance so that your child can enjoy the multimedia experience.
- Most of the sites for kids also have sections for parents and teachers; take a look at them if you're allowed a turn at the computer.
Dulcinea's Picks
For kids ...
TryScience
has interactive experiments, virtual field trips, and problem-solving games. It covers many forms of science and applies scientific information to real-world challenges. Much of the site requires Shockwave (a small media program that works with your Internet browser and can be downloaded at http://www.adobe.com/products/shockwaveplayer/), though many of the experiments can be printed and used at home.
Science Essentials
's well designed site for kids ages 7 through11, is divided into three sections: "Choose Life" (biology), "Material World" (chemistry), and "Get Physical" (physics). Each topic within these sections has a short explanation, along with activities, FAQs, quizzes, and a glossary.
Biology For Kids
isn't quite as sleek as the previous sites, but it features a trove of well-written information on biology. There is also a large section on different animal species, featuring pictures and biological information.
For everyone ...
Rader's 4 Kids
science sites, despite the name, are quite useful for teens and adults. They feature simple but thorough tutorials on many specific topics. There are five distinct sites: astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics. Links to each site can be found at the bottom of the page.
Physics For Beginners
gives an introduction to the definitions and laws of physics with no extraneous features. The site's simple table of contents guides you to the information you're looking for. This text-heavy site might not be a favorite for the kids, but should be a go-to site if you're looking for answers and have some patience to find them.
Science for Students
Struggling with science homework? The Internet is full of information and advice that you can't find in your textbook. The right Web sites will help you grasp important scientific concepts and move to the head of the class.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Many colleges and high schools give students access to online databases that are only available to the general public through paid subscription. Visit your school library's Web site or ask your librarian for access to some of the useful databases not listed here.
Dulcinea's Picks
For science in general ...
Learner.org
, hosted by Annenberg Media, offers video tutorials on many academic subjects including science. Although the site is designed as a teacher's aid, it's a useful resource for the layman, too. There are videos on a number of science topics for students in kindergarten through high school. A free registration is required to view the videos.
For physics ...
Physics.org
is a comprehensive site run by the Institute of Physics. Its extensive database includes links to over 7,000 recommended sites, news articles, education and career advice, and interactive physics games. Registering with Physics.org allows you to customize your search results based on your age and level of knowledge.
The Physics Classroom
is a multi-part tutorial designed for high schools students and written by a high school physics teacher. In the "Physics Tutorial," you'll find written lessons and quizzes to test your comprehension. Or if you need a visual to better grasp the concepts, the "Multimedia Physics Studio" provides animations to help you better understand the basics. The "Physics Help" section has practice problems that test your comprehension.
Conceptual Physics
, by Paul Hewitt, is a textbook used by many high school classes. This companion Web site can be used on its own or to supplement the textbook. It features summaries of topics, a Q&A section with Paul Hewitt, and valuable links to other sites. Each link is organized by specific topic and accompanied by an informative description, so you know what to expect.
For chemistry ...
General Chemistry Online
is managed by a college professor and focuses on high school-level chemistry. It features tutorials, lecture notes, quizzes, exam guides, interactive experiments, and a helpful FAQ section. Of particular note are the tools that the site offers: the "Construction Kits" help you to build chemical equations, ionic compound formulas, and do unit conversion problems; and in the "Toolbox" section, you'll find a "GraphPad" that builds a graph from the data you enter and e-mails it to you as a GIF file.
The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Chemistry Fundamentals Program is designed to help college freshmen prepare for college-level chemistry classes. It reviews lessons from high school and introduces concepts that will be learned in college classes. Useful for both high school and college students, this site will help you master the fundamentals of chemistry.
For biology ...
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute's BioInteractive
site has a great depth of topics on human biology. Most topics include Web casts of related lectures, explanations, videos, and articles. A great feature of this site is the "Virtual Labs" section. You'll need to download Shockwave, but it's worth it. You'll get a unique perspective: for instance, in the cardiology lab you're an intern assisting a doctor in examining and diagnosing three different cardiac patients.
The Biology Project
, created at the University of Arizona, is an interactive resource for high school and college biology students. There are many well-organized subjects with explanations, illustrations, and problem sets. Each topic provides related links, and several of the topics are available in Portuguese, Spanish, or Italian.
Resources for Science Teachers
Students aren't the only ones who'll find helpful resources on the Web. Teachers too can avail themselves of all the Internet has to offer, from textbook reviews to science lesson plans to labs and activities for the classroom. Teachers need to stay up to date with the latest teaching methods and classroom technologies; these sites can help you do it.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Input from fellow teachers is extremely important for determining what concepts work well and which ones can be improved upon. Many of these sites include content and feedback posted by other science teachers.
Dulcinea's Picks
For science in general ...
The Science Spot
, developed by a middle school science teacher, has a variety of resources for teachers. In "The Science Classroom" you'll find lesson plans, experiment ideas, and teaching tips. "The Reference Desk" section provides links to other helpful resources, from general educator tools to clip art to lesson plans. There's also a section on projects for a science club, or daily science trivia you can use in your classroom.
The Science Teachers' Resource Center
allows high school teachers to post their labs, demonstrations, and science exams online so they can be accessed by other teachers. There are sections for chemistry, physics, and life science, as well as for Advanced Placement topics.
BrainPOP
is an interactive educational Web site that features an extensive science section. The site uses FLASH animation and cartoon characters to teach students about specific science-related topics, from hurricanes to chemical reactions to penguins. It requires a subscription, which can be obtained either personally or through the school district, but there are many free previews on the site, as well as a 14-day free trial.
For specific disciplines ...
The American Association of Physics Teachers
has reviews of textbooks, descriptions of AAPT programs and guidelines for high school, college, and graduate school teachers.
The ChemCollective
is a site maintained by faculty and staff at Carnegie Mellon University who want to provide resources for high school chemistry teachers. It provides six main resources: virtual labs, problems, real-world scenarios, concept tests, simulations, tutorials, and course modules. Teachers are encouraged to provide feedback about the activities, and tools are provided for modifying existing activities or creating new ones.
Bryn Mawr College's Serendip
site has a teaching tutorial for biology teachers in middle and high school. There are extremely detailed preparation notes to help teachers create a large number of hands-on activities―a supplies list, for instance, will include not only the Web site that sells the item, but also the item number, price, and quantity. Each activity has a companion student handout that's available in PDF (viewer- and printer-friendly) or Word (editable) format.
Science News
The world of modern science is fast moving, boundary pushing, and sometimes just downright bizarre. These sites will help you keep up with the latest scientific discoveries and learn what could be in store for the future.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Take note of whether a science journal is "peer-reviewed." Peer-reviewed journals are evaluated by experts in their fields to ensure credibility and accuracy. Articles in these journals are intended for readers who are very knowledgeable in the field of science, whereas articles in non-peer-reviewed journals are intended for the general public.
- Most of these sites, even if much of the content is accessible only to paying subscribers or members, offer a free e-newsletter that you can sign up for if you'd like to have the latest headlines delivered to your inbox on a regular basis.
Dulcinea's Picks
For peer-reviewed journals ...
Nature
is a prestigious science journal covering a wide variety of science topics. Its Web site has an archive of articles dating back to 1997, many of which include supplementary material that was cut out of the print edition. Unfortunately, much of the most informative content requires an expensive subscription. News, columns, and blogs are available for free.
American Scientist
is a bi-monthly magazine featuring articles written by scientists and engineers. Articles from its current issue are available online for free, while its archived articles are available to paid subscribers and member of the Sigma Xi research society. It also has several online-only features, including articles, interviews, trivia, and a "Site of the Week" link.
Physics World
is a monthly journal produced by the Institute of Physics that includes coverage of the latest scientific developments, feature articles from top physicists, interviews, and book reviews. Its content is available online for free, though some of it requires that you register with the site.
ActionBioscience.org
consists of articles from scientists, educators, and students on seven clearly defined divisions of biology. Each article is preceded by "article highlights," and is followed by links to learn more or get involved. The articles on this site are aimed at a more general audience than that of a typical peer-reviewed journal. If you're a teacher, make sure you check out the "Educator Resources" section as well, where you'll find lesson plans to accompany the article.
For non-peer-reviewed journals and magazines ...
Scientific American
, the oldest continuously running American magazine, is geared toward a general audience who wants to follow the goings-on of the science world. This site features articles from the current issue, blogs, video, and news. Access to its archives is available through a paid subscription.
PopSci.com
, Popular Science magazine's Web site, covers science and technology in the context of popular culture. It focuses on scientists and their inventions, with little coverage of the technical aspects of science. Its Web site features articles from the monthly magazine, an extensive free archive, blogs, and the "PopSci Predictions Exchange," which allows users to virtually "wager" on the future of science and can be reached by clicking on the "PPX" button on the left of the page.
ScienceDaily
is a free online magazine covering the latest news on research and developments. The site is well organized, with many topics and sub-topics to help you quickly find the news you want. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll find the day's or the week's summary of the latest news.
New Scientist
is a popular magazine covering the world of science with news articles, blogs, and special reports. Longer articles from the print magazine are available only through paid subscription, though there is a free preview of each article. On the lighter side, click on "Last Word" for a Q&A, humorous anecdotes, and "Soundbites."
FirstScience
is an online magazine with coverage of important developments and general science news. It aims to provide content accessible to a large audience, with clearly written articles and a wide range of topics. "Scienced" out? Head to the "Poems & Quotes" section.
For television and radio sources ...
The Discovery Channel
's Science Channel has pages covering its television series and documentaries, including Carl Sagan's famous Cosmos series, which review the material and provide further information. They also contain video clips, previews of the show, and material not aired on television. In the "Eye Candy" section you can view 15 of NASA's best photos, and vote on your favorite.
PBS
's NOVA documentary series has been covering the world of science since 1974. The Web site features overviews of the concepts, interviews, transcripts, and video previews of all the broadcasts.
The BBC
's Science & Nature page contains online companions for its television programs with articles, follow-ups, interactive features, and podcasts.
National Public Radio
's Health & Science page features articles and radio clips from its broadcast. It has a large archive that is easily searchable through the subject guides on the left-hand navigation bar.
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