Lisa+Oates

__ED 520: Week 8-WebSite Resources-by Lisa Oates __ 1. Smithsonian Education  [|http://www.smithsonianeducation.org]  Subject Area: Art, Science and Nature, History and Culture, People and Places Grade Level: All (K-12) This website is a wonderful resource for students or teachers. This site is interactive, a teacher resource, and informational-student use. There are standards based lesson plan ideas, as well as conference links, for educators. History, science, art, and people and places are all the topics students are able to explore. The science and nature section (which is what my students would utilize for my class) includes: games, facts, puzzles, videos and tons of information to explore. This website is a really useful tool. 2. The Physics Classroom [] Subject Area: Physics Grade Level: High School (9-12) The Physics Classroom is interactive, teacher resource, and informational-student use. This site contains tutorials, videos, question and answer sections, just tons of information on physics. There is also a laboratory section, you can actually use in your physics class. This site is beneficial to teachers, as well as the students. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; msobidifontfamily: Cambria; msofareastfontfamily: Cambria; msolist: Ignore;">3. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-style: normal;">Chem4Kids! <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-style: normal;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-style: normal;">Subject Area: Chemistry <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-style: normal;">Grade Level: Middle or High School (6-12) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-style: normal;">Chem4Kids is a great tool for any student! This is an interactive site and also informational-student use. It starts with matter, the states and changes, and then goes all the way through to Biochemistry. There are also links to 5 other related sites: Biology, Astronomy, Math, Earth Science and Physics. This site has a bunch of information, and links you can click on for more, detailed information, or diagrams. It has a separate section with quizzes over each section. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; msobidifontfamily: Cambria; msofareastfontfamily: Cambria; msolist: Ignore;">4. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Howard Hughes Medical Institute/HHMI’s BioInteractive <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Subject Area: Science or Biology <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Grade Level: High School (9-12) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">This site provides interactive click and learn, labs, activities, videos and animation. This site is interactive, teacher resource and informational-student use). There is so much information in this site; I could find it very useful for my students. I just skimmed through all the different links and lessons and there are so many helpful activities. There is a section called “Ask a Scientist” which can help you with homework, science fair ideas, or your own personal health questions. There is so much you can do with this site; I would definitely consider recommending this site to my students. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; msobidifontfamily: Cambria; msofareastfontfamily: Cambria; msolist: Ignore;">5. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Wicked <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Subject Area: Anything from math and science to flags and dinosaurs <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Grade Level: Elementary or Middle School (3-8) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">This website was actually designed for students in New Zealand. It has curriculum-based learning activities in English and te reo Māori. It contains quizzes, storybooks, mini-projects, and videos. It also has an “information station” to assist students with research on the web. This website would be a great tool for supplying supplementary information to my students. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; msobidifontfamily: Cambria; msofareastfontfamily: Cambria; msolist: Ignore;">6. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">The Biology Project <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Subject Area: Biology <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Grade Level: High School (9-12) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">This site would be very helpful if I were teaching a high school biology class. This site is interactive and informational-student use. There are movies, animations, tutorials, and quizzes. Each lesson is also translated into Spanish, which could be a really useful tool if you have a bilingual student that needs a little more assistance. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; msobidifontfamily: Cambria; msofareastfontfamily: Cambria; msolist: Ignore;">7. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Exploratorium (Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Subject Area: Science <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Grade Level: All (K-12) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">This site provides lots of information, and lots of activities for students. It is interactive and informational-student use. There are tutorials, online activities, webcasts, hands-on activities, and so much more! <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; msobidifontfamily: Cambria; msofareastfontfamily: Cambria; msolist: Ignore;">8. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Biology in Motion <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Subject Area: Biology <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Grade Level: High School (9-12) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">This website contains tutorials, interactive activities, and quizzes. The site is interactive and informational-student use. I find the Mitosis and Meiosis Exercise particularly helpful and would like my students to work on this exercise when covering cell division, to clarify and make sure they got it. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; msobidifontfamily: Cambria; msofareastfontfamily: Cambria; msolist: Ignore;">9. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Galaxy Hunter: A cosmic photo safari <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Subject Area: Astronomy <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Grade Level: High School (9-12) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">With this website you are able to explore the galaxy and check out various parts of astronomy. It is a tutorial, with questions you have to think about and answer, there are virtual activities included in different sections of the “journey”. This site is interactive and informational-student use. I would probably have my students explore this site when covering astronomy. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; msobidifontfamily: Cambria; msofareastfontfamily: Cambria; msolist: Ignore;">10. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';"> Histology-World! <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Subject Area: Biology <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Grade Level: High School (9-12) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">This website contains so much information on histology; it would be a wonderful resource for students or teachers. This site is interactive and informational-student use. It consists of games, quizzes, tons of photos, links for purchasing equipment, and so much more. It is recommended for anyone Middle School age or older. I could definitely utilize this site if I were teaching a High School Biology class.

1) **Isaac Asimov's Library of the Universe and Planetarium Platinum**, by Innovative Knowledge The purpose of this program is to involve students and allow them to travel into space and explore the universe with a hands-on approach. It is very realistic and educational. It helps students to locate and identify planets and stars. Also included, is a special video that shows you how to set up and actually use a telescope. This software is recommended for all ages. The type of learning would be simulation. I am not yet teaching in a classroom, but the way I would incorporate this software would be in a 7th or 8th grade science class. I would have a lesson on the planets and stars and then take the students into a computer lab and let them journey through the universe themselves. A fallback to using this software could be that there are not enough computers, or software, and the students have to work in larger groups and don't get as much "hands-on" time individually. I think it would be a great program and a great way to engage students when it comes to astronomy!
 * Web Link:** <span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[]
 * System Requirements:** Windows XP/2000/Vista, Mac OS X, DVD Drive, Sound System
 * Cost:** $15.49

This software program contains detailed, interactive diagrams, videos, animations and full-color photos, which let students explore and understand the organs and systems which make up the human body. It has full color photos, x-rays, and electron microscope images to look at. This software is intended for all ages. The type of learning from this software would be tutorial. I would definitely use this software in a middle school or high school science course. It covers anything as basic as the 5 senses to something a little more complex like the nervous system and reproduction. I think this could be used during a lesson, with an overhead projector, or you could give a lesson, and then let the students explore the topic on their own in a computer lab. I have never used this software, but I think it would be very beneficial for any science class that I may teach.
 * 2) The Human Body**, by Innovative Knowlege
 * Web Link:** []
 * System Requirements:** Windows XP/2000/Vista, Mac OS X
 * Cost:** $18.95

This software explores the Earth using narrative lessons. You can learn more about each of the categories by moving through the lesson. There are pop-up definitions and images within each section. This software is intended for grades 5-12. It is tutorial based software. This software would be great to use in a 7th or 8th grade science class, or a high school Earth Science course. This would be a software that I think each student would need their own computer, so if they need to get a definition, or get more information on a certain topic, they can go through it at their own pace. If they are working in groups on a computer, they may just let one person navigate and not take the time to actually absorb all of the information available. This could also be good software to use in the classroom using an overhead projector, and move through each process or system with the students and let them interact as a group.
 * 3) Earth Science,** by AimStar
 * Web Link:** []
 * System Requirements:** Windows 95/98/2000/XP, CD-ROM Drive, 486 or Pentium 100, 16MB RAM, 800X600 Resolution
 * Cost:** $24.95

The purpose of this software is to introduce students to the microscope and how it works. It contains over 50 slides that are most often seen in a beginning high school biology course, and can also be used in middle school levels. The interactive lessons allow the students to observe slides and recreate the slide mounts in their labs. This is intended for grades 9-10, but may be used in grades 7-8. The type of learning with this software is simulation and tutorial. I would probably utilize this software, if I were teaching a high school biology course that included a lab. I would show it to my students the first day that we work with the microscopes to go over basic microscopes usage, and how to make your slide mounts. Later in the course, if we were looking at a certain type of slide, I could use the one that corresponds with the software and show the students what the slide should look like. This would be most useful for me using an overhead projector; I don't think it would be necessary for each student to have their own computer to see what is going on. System Requirements:** Macintosh: OS 7.1-9.2.2 and OS X, CD-ROM Drive, 64MB RAM, 8bit Color, 10MB of Hard Drive space Windows: 2000/NT/XP, CD-ROM, 64MB RAM, 8bit Color, Sound card and speakers, 10MB Hard Drive space
 * 4) SlideWorks-Biology,** by SlideWorks
 * Web Link: []

This software is set up to be an interactive science lab that teaches in a fun and effective manner. It covers physics, chemistry and biology and gives basic facts and principles of science. There are 100 experiments and each one has a question-and-answer session and reference guide at the end to make sure your students picked up on the material covered. There is also a section intended for parents with print-outs, so they can go over the material and help their child, if necessary. It is recommended for grades 7-11. This software would cover the tutorial, simulation, and problem solving categories. This software program would be very beneficial if I were teaching an elementary level science class. I think the animations would be fun and entertaining to the students. This would probably work best if the students worked in pairs at a computer, or on their own if possible, to get the most out of each experiment. They could answer the questions on their own, or discuss with their partners what they think. This software seems like it would be great, since it has the question-and-answer section at the end of each experiment, it really gets your students to think about what just happened, and how it relates to what they are learning in class.
 * 5) I Love Science,** by DK Multimedia
 * Web Link:** [|**http://www.kidsclick.com/descrip/ilove_science.htm?gclid=CN6boc_h_pwCFSUsawodu3-aaw**]
 * System Requirements:** Windows 98/Millenium/2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS, Pentium 133MHz Processor or higher, 16 MB RAM, 16bit Color, 640X480 Resolution, Sound card and speakers
 * Cost:** $14.95

Lisa, the //Human Body// software sounds really interesting. I looked at the company's website, but unfortunately they do not offer any trial to try out. I would have been really interested in gettting a taste of the videos and information provided. The description sound promising and very exciting. They offer some trial access to the Meriam-Webster dictionary that the program incorporates though, but not to the Human Body software itself. Are you using it at home by any chance? Thank you. Christina

Lisa, I really liked your software reviews. I would be lucky to be a student in your class since you are using such interesting materials. I also looked into the //Human Body// software because I was curious what it looked like after reading your review. WOW! I wanted to purchase the program myself. Maybe for Christmas... :) It seems like it would be a great program to use with kids. They would be fascinated by the program. Thanks again!
 * Comment by Amy Torres **