SCIENCE THEMES

Build your own roller coaster and test it http://abc.net.au/rollercoaster/games/games/s1307633.htm

Links to sites relating to Amusement Parks - eg how they are designed - http://www.primaryschool.com.au/english_lessonsresults.php?subject=Themes&strand=Amusement%20Parks&grade=General

This site is packed with exciting ocean facts and information.  It also  has great information for space projects. - http://www.onr.navy.mil/Focus/ocean/default.htm

Steve Spangler science Experiments - Online practical science experiments including forces and motion and plants and animals.  Includes teacher notes and online video content - www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiments

PBS Science- Primary science activities covering chemistry, engineering, human senses, force and energy and much more.  The sciencetech link provides classroom resources for P-12 including lesson plans.  http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/

BBC Primary Science - Bite size science activities covering living things, materials and physical processes.  Online activities, revision and quizzes.  Science games offer over 50 online learning activities.  www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science

Scienceworks curriculum resources - current and past exhibitions with materials, including school-based activities, classroom ideas and weblinks.  A specific primary educator page in included.  http://scienceworks.museum.vic.gov.au/education/resources.asp

Natural History Museum - complete coverage of animal life and the environment.  Animal images and videos, climate and evolution themes and fact sheets.  www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/index/html

Bugs - from Museum Victoria, a visual guide to the smallest animals.  Classification guides, foot chains, bug games and curriculum resources for Victorian teachers.  www.museum.vic.gov.au/bugs/index.aspx

A great site for science and lots of other activities - www.beenleigss.eq.edu.au/wcmss

Science Bob  http://www.sciencebob.com/  Science Bob provides home experiments, an online lab and answers to your science questions.

Good Science books for children - http://science.org.au/pi/goodbooks/ Annotated lists of science books for children have been organised by age group and by category. Suggestions are provided for ages 3-6 and 5-8.

Houghton Mifflin Science - http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmsc/index.html A collection of science activities from K-6. Including interactive activities for students on topics such as; Plants, Animals, Earth, Movement, Weather, Matter, Energy, Environment and ecosystems.

Ms Lee's kindergarten experiments with Science -  http://hastings.lexingtonma.org/staff/SLee/science/ This site contains a number of classroom experiments for younger children: Separating Liquids and Floating Eggs, Understanding Volume, Moving Molecules and Diffusion, Mixing Primary Colours, Testing the Strength of an Ordinary Egg, and Investigating a Burning Candle.

National Whiteboard Network: ICT across the curriculum -  http://www.nwnet.org.uk/pages/ict_curric/science/science.html Within this section of the National Whiteboard Network is a collection of Science Powerpoint presentations for students up to Year 6. Created for use with interactive whiteboards.

Planet Science: Sci-Teach - http://www.scienceyear.com/sciteach/start.html Helping primary and secondary science teachers to teach inspirational science in the classroom is one of the key aims of Planet Science:  providing resources, ideas and downloadable materials that can all be put to use in creating enjoyable and memorable lessons. A section of the Planet Science website contain materials specifically for under 11s, activities, experiments and online adventures of all sorts and shapes, activities and ideas for parents, a games cupboard, a library of online materials and a weekly newsletter. Resources in the Under 11s section are coded for preschool, infants, and primary school age children.

Science for children - http://www.stepbystepcc.com/science.html This page by a practicing teacher describes a number of simple science experiments that can be undertaken by young children with very basic equipment.

Soft shelled eggs - http://www.kidzone.ws/science/egg.htm This simple science experiment uses an egg and vinegar to demonstrate the role of calcium carbonate in hardening shells or bones. The site includes an activity sheet and a second experiment called 'Knotted Bones'.
 

Build a Bridge - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/ - Students learn about 4 main types of bridges, while role playing as a civil engineer who has to decide where these bridges will be located. The site contains a comprehensive links section where students can research bridges and structures using the Internet, a Teachers guide containing ideas and hands-on strategies, and the role play game. Suitable for Secondary, Teacher Reference.

Building Big - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/index.html - This site from PBS (USA) explores large structures and what it takes to build them. The main features of the site are bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels. The site includes interactive hands-on activities, a databank of big structures, problem-solving challenges, and a glossay.

Rock Hounds - http://sln.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/create/index.html - Sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks are explained with the aid of animated fits.  Suitable for middle years students.

The Natural History Museum - www.nhm.ac.uk/interactive/kids/index.html - Online natural history covering biodiversity, dinosaurs, insects, plants, birds and the physical earth.

Planet Science: Sci-Teach -   http://www.scienceyear.com/sciteach/start.html  Helping primary and secondary science teachers to teach inspirational science in the classroom is one of the key aims of Planet Science:  providing resources, ideas and downloadable materials that can all be put to use in creating enjoyable and memorable lessons. Other parts of the Planet Science website contain materials specifically for under 11s, activities, experiments and online adventures of all sorts and shapes, activities and ideas for parents, a games cupboard, a library of online materials and a weekly newsletter.

Science - Hot Topics - http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/  - This BBC site looks at Hot Topics in Science and Nature  - eg using animals in experiments.

Environmental Science - Oil and Water Don't Mix  http://tinyurl.com/6vw8z  Oil and Water Don't Mix is a learning object created by the Marine Environment Protection wing of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.  It can be either used online or downloaded to a local computer. Animated storyboard with sound illustrating sources of oil pollution in the marine environment and how it is cleaned up. The intended audience is primary school students.  Lots of other good information on the site as well.

Global Warming Facts & Our Future  - www.koshlandsciencemuseum.org/exhibitgcc/index.jsp Is the climate warming? Are we the cause? These questions are at the heart of today's public debate about global warming. Conflicting opinions are everywhere, but now is your chance to cut through the noise and discover the facts. Through exciting, hands-on displays you can explore some of the latest scientific information on this phenomenon.  Discover how a warmer climate might affect your life and what could be done to minimise the potentially harmful effects of climate change.

Simply Science - http://users.pipeline.com.au/jpearce/   This website has been developed over several years by John Pearce, a primary school teacher in Victoria. It contains material for primary school teachers and children around the following themes: ICT & Science; Ideas for using ICT in Science; Units of Work; Teaching ideas for various science topics; Tutorials on some popular computer applications, For Kids; Activities and sites for children; Science Starters; Simple stand-alone activities for the classroom or Family Science; Science Sites; Links; Flash Bits; Some Flash animations to try; Simply Science Blog; and a newsletter.

Science Wow Factory - http://gvc03c32.virtualclassroom.org/ - Putting drama into science - a great way to learn two skills at once.  Created as a Global Virtual Classroom Project, this site contains free Science Readers' theatre scripts for classroom use. Each script contains a science experiment within a play script. Produced by three school teams from Spain, Australia and America, this website won the grand prize for the 2004 competition.

Exploratorium - The museum of science, art and human perception - www.exploratorium.edu - lots of great simple science activities available on this site.

Strange Matter - A site with lots of online science activities for students. Also lesson plans for teachers to download - www.strangematterexhibit.com

Science of Sound - www.galaxy.net/~k12/sound/  This is a series of experiments about sound and its application to animals, musical instruments and communications. This unit was designed for use in the second grade, and is accompanied by teachers' notes.

Primary Science Lessons    www.uq.edu.au/_School_Science_Lessons/year1to6.html Simple lesson plans for Primary School Science teachers available from Dr John Elfick's site at University of Queensland. Comprehensive program for Years 1-6 covering Queensland core topics of Animals, Energy, Human body, Measuring, Plants, Rocks and soils, and Substances.

Water Cycle    www.kidzone.ws/water/ Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection: this web page explains it all for lower-elementary students. There are the five printable activity sheets, available in both color or color-it-yourself black-and-white. The first printable illustrates the entire cycle, and each individual process has its own sheet. You'll find them at the very bottom of the page. For more 'Super Simple Science' explore the topics in the horizontal menu at the top of the page.

How Does a Kite Fly?    www.skratch-pad.com/kites/fly.html This site, created for a Physics course, starts with a short explanation of drag and lift, then quickly moves on to other disciplines. Don't miss the folk tales from China, Bali and Hawaii (found on History of Kites page) or the interviews with kiters Michael Graves and Peter Peters. Instructions for building a simple diamond kite and a large list of kite links complete this site.

Human Body Systems WebQuest    www.oatlandsps.vic.edu.au/humanbody/HumanBody_Webquest.htm This webquest focusses on the working of the human body with the following scenario: 'With recession on the rise, cut backs are being made across the board, even in the body systems. There are so many systems that make up the human body that the Board of Human Systems has decided to eliminate one of the major systems. As systems in the human body, you have to defend your system in front of the Board of Human Body Systems. You must convince the Board of the importance of your system. First you need to collect information about your system. Then you will have to present your case, describing and defending your system, directly to the board.'

Who Will Buy? Weblink    www.members.ozemail.com.au/~slacey/whowillbuy.htm This is a teacher-created weblinks page for the New South Wales HSIE unit 'Who Will Buy?'- particularly the section tracing a product from primary production to the consumer.

World Heritage - Welcome to the Wet Tropics    www.wettropics.gov.au/ This website serves as a visitor's guide to tropical North Queensland's World Heritage Area - 'the sort of place you could travel to over and over again and still not see everything.' Virtual visitors can read about the flora and fauna of the region, check out some of the sights, and learn about Aboriginal culture. The site also offers a downloadable Cassowary Education Kit (for grades 5-7) and a Wet Tropics Library, providing 'a comprehensive and easy to access collection of information related to the Wet Tropics and the Wet Tropics Management Authority'.

Sharks    www.kidzone.ws/sharks/index.htm Free printable shark activity pages, online puzzles, fact sheets, photos and clipart. The intended audience is lower to mid primary students.

Sea Creatures Weblinks    www.members.ozemail.com.au/~slacey/seacreatures.htm This teacher-created website by Sue Lacey contains a list of useful websites for students and teachers including information about fish, ocean animals, invertebrates, whales, sharks, and unique Australian animals.

Pollution - www.epa.vic.gov.au/students A very good site for both teachers and students covering air, water, waste, noise, litter and greenhouse pollution.

Simple Machines - www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines Children learn about simple and compound machines while they explore online the House and Tool Shed.  Great for teaching children about gears, pulleys, wedges, wheels, axles, planes etc. in a creative way.

Salinity - The Awakening Monster from the Deep -    www.science.org.au/nova/075/075key.htm This site from Nova Online, the Australian Academy of Science, discusses the origins of Australia's salinity problems, both dry land salinity, and irrigated-land salinity. Diagrams illustrate the relationship between land clearing and the rise of salinity. New tools and techniques contribute to our understanding of salinity.

A-Z Of Animals Facts for for Juniors - www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/animals.htm

Life Cycles - www.beenleigss.qld.edu.au/requested_sites/lifecycles/ Useful links to internet pages about the lifecycles of ants, butterflies, moths, plants and frogs.

Surfing Scientist - www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist  The ABC's Surfing Scientist is Ruben Meerman who regularly does school science shows for those aged 7-14. These resources on this site are designed to make primary science teaching fun. Resources are free to copy for use in the classroom. No special equipment or skills are required for any of the lesson plans or demonstrations.

WickED Interactives (TKI) www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/interactives/index.php The interactives available at TKI, the New Zealand Ministry of Education, offer a range of literacy, numeracy, science, and society and environment activities. Types of activities include multiple choice quizzes and crosswords. Quizzes cover general knowledge, countries of the world, animals, science and general knowledge. Recent topics include Harry Potter, and the Lord of the Rings.

KinderArt Kitchen - www.kinderart.com/kitchen/index.html This site contains a collection of recipes for edible and inedible items that young children can make or use under supervision.

Electronic Naturalist - www.enaturalist.org/index.htm The Electronic Naturalist is an online education program providing a weekly environmental education unit. Each unit has artwork, text, activities, additional websites, plus online access to a professional naturalist. Two reading levels are available for grades K-3 (Quick Read) and 4-8 (Full Read). The Electronic Naturalist offers a variety of material for students. Each week for 30 consecutive weeks during the school year, a new environmental unit will be available. Units cover 'creepy crawlies', insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, plants, and environmental issues.

Science - Eco'tude: Changing Your School's Ecological Attitude - www.powerhousemuseum.com/ecotude/ Eco'tude is an online resource from the Powerhouse Museum that allows students to measure the size of their school's ecological footprint. The footprint can be used as an indicator of a school's progress towards sustainability. The site contains auditing tools and uses Australian data.