Free Opportunities for Middle Level Science Teachers

The following free opportunities include various resources to help any middle level science teacher round out the curriculum.

Electricity and Magnetism, this interactive activity is designed to introduce students in grades 7–9 to the fundamentals of these physics phenomena. Point your web browser to:

http://www.explorescience.com/activities/activity_list.cfm?categoryID=5

Sequenced Benchmarks for K–8 Science, a guide for districts and others working toward assigning specific grades to content that is organized in grade bands. The publication describes how K–8 science content is commonly articulated among a small set of highly rated standards documents. Read the guide at:

http://www.mcrel.org/topics/productDetail.asp?productID=12.

Natural Inquirer, online journal of nature news for middle school and high school students. It focuses on trees, forests, wildlife, insects, and water. Students can meet naturalists and scientists from the USDA Forest Service and play games, while teachers can access resources and more. Visit:

http://www.naturalinquirer.usda.gov.

Curricula for middle level science classes from the Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools. Teachers and researchers from the Chicago Public Schools, the Evanston Public Schools, the Detroit Public Schools, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan have developed units on Earth and environmental science, biology, weather, animal behavior, and physics. Visit:

http://www.letus.org. Select "Curricula."

Your Sky, an online interactive planetarium appropriate for elementary and middle level classes. Users can produce sky maps for any time, date, and viewing location and check out a virtual telescope. If you enter the orbital elements of an asteroid or comet, Your Sky will compute its current position and plot it on the map. Each map is accompanied by an ephemeris for the Sun, Moon, planets, and any tracked asteroid or comet. Visit:

http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky.

The Geo Zone, video from WCET-TV in Cincinnati, OH. Explore science and geography, and take a look at life at the bottom of the sea with this educational technology project for middle level and high school teachers and students. Watch online video on topics of marine biology, including a special "critter cam"; access lessons and activities; post your thoughts and research findings; and more. See:

http://www.edtech.wcet.org/geozone.

Earth's Clock of Life, from the University of Washington. This graphic, appropriate for middle level students and older, depicts Earth's history in terms of a 12-hour clock. According to the timeline, the first life arose at about 1, oxygen appeared shortly after 2, and the age of plants and animals is 4 to 5. At 8, the world's oceans are lost to space as the Sun expands to red giant status. See:

http://www.washington.edu/newsroom/news/2003archive/01-03archive/k011303a.html.

Tutorials and modules for grades 6–12 using real-time data based on the latest ocean science research and technology. The Project COOL (Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory) website from Rutgers University has modules that are tied to national science standards and frequently incorporate mathematics. Each module consists of a series of 4–6 individual lessons designed to progressively build upon one another. Check them out at:

http://www.coolclassroom.org.