Posts Tagged ‘solar energy’

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Free Science Lessons & Interactives!

October 16th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, October 16, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:

Science of Everyday Life

Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12, with parental supervision)

Discovery Education and 3M Corporation sponsor this website that provides free, multi-media interactives including lessons and virtual labs to help students learn life science, physical science, earth science, and technology/innovation through real world connections. Is there chemistry in the kitchen and physics at the park? The activities at this website demonstrate that science is everywhere.

When you get to the site, you’ll see “Innovation HQ” in the center of the screen that features some virtual labs and activities. The content in this section is peppered with mentions of 3M products (i.e., Scotch Tape to Thinsulate Insulation). You’ll also see a menu at the top of the homepage that includes “Teachers,” “Families,” and “Students.”  All three selections allow you to access the same content that includes science lessons, videos, and interactives.

Home educators may find it easier to click on “Teachers,” where you’ll find the content sorted by Grade Range (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 – with most of the content geared for grades 3-8) that includes:

*Lessons – Download (pdf) complete lesson plans for K-8 that teach about recycling, light, adhesives, friction, magnets, architecture, sound, and solar energy. High school students can watch videos of scientists and engineers talking about their careers.

*Videos & Interactives – Watch short videos and animations that explain the seasons, weather patterns, and household technology such as dishwashers, frozen foods, circuitry.  You can even learn all about blimps and airships.

*Virtual Labs – Students are presented with a series of challenges that require them to use the virtual lab to fix faulty circuitry, design a cooking skillet, and design, build, and test a wind turbine.

There is a lot of content to explore on this site including a blog and information on contests in which your emerging scientists can participate to win prizes.

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Free “Citizen Science” Projects for You!

May 8th, 2012

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, May 8, 2012 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Website:
SciStarter.com

Age Range: All (with parental supervision)

This website provides an archive of  “Citizen Scientist” projects that you and your kids can do at home to help researchers gather information on bees, birds, crickets, storms, solar energy, microbiomes, and much, much more.

You’ll learn all about science as you take part in both informal recreational activities and formal research efforts that make science simple and fun for the whole family.

When you get to the website, you’ll see the featured “Project of the Day.”  You’ll also see the words “Project Finder” and below it there are two drop-down menus:

*Pick an activity – Select the location and environment where you want to do your project. For example, at home or at a zoo, on a beach, online, in the car, on a hike, etc.

*Pick a topic – Select a subject of interest such as: animals, astronomy, birds, chemistry, weather, food, health, insects, nature, physics, etc.

Click on any item on the drop-down menu and a new page opens with a list of projects currently available in that category.

Or use the horizontal menu at the top of the screen and click on “Project Finder.”  A new page opens where you can do an advanced search that allows you to filter for:

  • Free/low cost projects
  • Projects you can do outdoors
  • Projects suitable for children and/or students
  • Do-it-yourself projects

And you can even filter for projects that have teaching materials available.

From the home page you can also sign up to receive their free “newsletter” that delivers information about awesome projects to your email inbox. 

 

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The Sun – Science, Tour, & Song!

August 16th, 2011

Hi!  It’s Tuesday, August 16, 2011 and time for Science at ClickSchooling!

Recommended Websites:
Varied – See Links Below

Age Range: Varied (There is something for students of all ages here, with parental supervision)

These websites offer terrific information on the nearest star to Earth – the Sun! It’s educational and entertaining…

*NASA: Sun for Kids

Watch a terrific 6-minute video that provides an interesting overview of the sun – design for kids!

*NASA: The Sun Song!

Don’t miss this! Learn about heliophysics as you listen to the “Chromatics” sing facts about the sun in perfect harmony.

*Virtual Tour of the Sun

This site provides a multi-media virtual tour of the sun through the use of text, photographs, illustrations, animations, and film clips. The entire tour takes about 20 minutes and includes information about solar wind, sun spots, solar eclipses, solar flares, and more.

*New Mexico Solar Energy Association: Curricula & Projects

New Mexico is the “clean energy state” and offers this website with solar energy science projects for grades 3-12 that include:

Grades 3-6:

  • Let’s Study the Sun
  • Intro to Light & Matter
  • Make a Pizza Box Solar Oven
  • Simple Solar Cell Demo

Grades 7-12:

  • Intro to Electricity
  • Solar Cell Demo
  • Explore Passive Solar Design
  • Explore Photovoltaics
  • Electrolysis: Obtaining hydrogen from water
  • Explore Fuel Cells
  • Intro to Light & Matter
  • Experiment with Passive Solar Design Lab

The information here is presented in a user-friendly way, and all of the lessons and projects can be downloaded and/or printed out for use offline.

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Free Science Activities & Videos

February 3rd, 2009

Recommended Website:
Siemens Science Day: Learning By Doing

Age Range: 8-11 (Designed for grades 4-6, but don’t let that stop you from exploring what the site has to offer with younger and older students.)

Remember last week’s “We Can Change the World” science competition? Well, the Siemens Foundation for science, technology and engineering also sponsors another website (featured today) that provides some terrific science lessons, activities and tools. It will also inspire scientific curiosity – not only for kids, but even for parents who aren’t keen on science. :)

NOTE: You do have to register to download the lessons in pdf format and to watch the videos. Registration is free and requires the email addy, address, and phone number of your school along with information about what subjects and grades you teach. As a home educator, I simply supplied my school name (make one up if you don’t already have one), home address, and checked that I teach all grades and subjects.

When you get to the site you’ll see a brief introduction. Below it is a menu of lessons and fun activities divided into three categories:

  • Earth Science – Learn about weather, measure the effects of elasticity, and map the ocean, etc.
  • Life Science – Explore the 5 senses, learn the difference between fruits and vegetables, discover how scientists classify organisms, etc.
  • Physical Science – Construct a spectroscope and observe the spectra of various sources of light, discover how different materials absorb solar energy, and use paper chromatography to separate the colors in dyes used to color candies, etc.

Click on any one and a new page opens where you will find:

  1. A brief summary and the objectives of the science lesson/activity.
  2. A “Download” button to access the lesson in pdf format.
  3. A video screen where you can watch a video about the lesson.
  4. A difficulty rating from 1-5 (easy to hard)

Download and fill out a certificate of completion when through. Teachers can also enter a sweepstakes to win a science discovery day at your school (or for your scout troop or homeschool support group).

Oh, and if you prefer to just watch the science videos without clicking through the lessons, they are archived on the home page. I managed to watch one without registering, but when I went to view a second video – I was advised to register. Once you register, you can gather the kids around the computer to watch fascinating film clips and learn about the classification system, the three types of matter, parts of a plant cell, the properties of acids and bases, and much more!

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Geography For Kids!

September 11th, 2008

Recommended Website:
Geography4Kids.com

Age Range: 8 and up (non-readers will need assistance)

ClickScholar Maureen Morales suggested this website that provides kids (of many ages) with an introduction to geography through earth sciences.

This is brought to you by the geniuses who developed Chem4Kids and Biology4Kids, that we’ve featured previously on ClickSchooling.

When you get to the site, read the introduction as it contains good info on where to start and how to navigate for best use. To get started scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “Next Stop On Site Tour” arrow, or use the site map that lists all of the topics, or use the menu to explore:

  • EARTH ENERGY – Explore global Geometry, electromagnetic radiation, waves and particles, solar energy, atmospheric interaction, and temperature including Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales.
  • EARTH STRUCTURE – Learn what the Earth is made of including the plates, mantles, the liquid inner core, the magnetic fields, rocks and minerals, and discover what tectonics has to do with earthquakes and volcanoes.
  • ATMOSPHERE – Find out what composes the atmosphere, thermosphere, stratosphere, and troposphere. Learn about temperature and air pressure, altitude, the Coriolis Force, and the Greenhouse Effect.
  • HYDROSPHERE – Discover how all kinds of water moves through the world including freshwater, seawater, and groundwater. Learn about wetlands and aquatic biomes. Learn how to identify cloud types.
  • BIOSPHERE – Investigate Earth’s Biosphere and learn about ecosystems, food chains, natural resources, and recycling.
  • BIO-GEO-CHEMICAL (BGC) CYCLES – Learn about the interactive cycles of our ecosystem that include carbon, water, oxygen, nitrogen, Iron, Phosphorus, and rocks.

You’ll also find information on climatology, weather, seasons, hurricanes and more!

When you are through exploring each section of the site, you can take interactive quizzes to test your knowledge. A bonus feature is that this site provides links to its “sister” sites for further study in the fields of biology, chemistry, and the cosmos.

This is a terrific resource. I recommend you bookmark it to return often.

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DID YOU MISPLACE A ClickSchooling Review? Do you need to find an educational website – fast! Visit the ClickSchooling archives.

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Free, Online Science Games & Activities & More!

September 9th, 2008

Recommended Website:
Eduweb.com

Age Range: 5-17+ (Kindergarten to High School/College)

Eduweb develops online, multi-media learning games and activities for museums, zoos, universities, and other educational organizations. They archive the links to these, playful, thought-provoking, award-winning interactives for science, and a wide variety of other subjects, at their website. Most of the content is absolutely free.

When you get to the website you’ll see a sign-up form to receive email notifications whenever a new game is available.

Below that is the featured new game, and to the left of your screen is an icon menu of the “Latest and Greatest” activities they have produced.

Use the menu bar right above the sign-in form to access the learning games by subject or grade level (K-12). Subjects include: Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Natural History, History, People & Cultures, Reading Strategies, Economics, and the following Science categories:

  • Earth & Space Science — Learn about black holes, living in outer space, extraterrestrial intelligence, how to engineer a spacecraft, how to build a bridge in earthquake country, and more
  • Engineering & Technology — Command a submarine, design a satellite, take a virtual tour of a research vessel, learn about microscopy and nano-visualization, and explore solar energy
  • Health & Medicine — Find out about acids and bacteria that cause tooth decay, experiment to find the healthiest foods and cleaning habits to maintain a healthy smile

Many of these compelling and effective learning interactives include role play simulation. For example, become a member of a wolf pack in Yellowstone National Park. Explore the wilderness, hunt elk, find a mate, raise pups, and ensure the survival of your pack. As explained at the site, “The WolfQuest experience goes beyond the game with an active online community where you can discuss the game with other players, chat with wolf biologists, and share artwork and stories about wolves.”

This is really a remarkable learning resource. Bookmark it to return often.

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DID YOU MISPLACE A ClickSchooling Review? Do you need to find an educational website – fast! Visit the ClickSchooling archives.

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