WEB
SITES FOR EARTH DAY – APRIL 22, 2002
Access
these sites through your computer’s Internet connection. Open the underlined address
(URL). Information can be printed or
downloaded to your computer. Be sure to
follow links to other sites and find your way back with the “Back” button. Note that a gateway site is one that is
mostly links to a very large number of other sites on the topic.
All of the sites listed were active as of March 19, 2002. The evaluation is by the AVA Center staff according to the amount of information given, the general appearance of the site and its potential use in the classroom.
ACCESS EXCELLENCE MYSTERY SPOT NEW!
http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/mspot/
“Interactive,
online scientific mysteries developed by Access Excellence for classroom use.
The mysteries encourage student problem-solving and inquiry.” AE
Mysteries: Two Forks, Idaho; Yellow Jackie; Angry Red Planet; Croak; and Arctica
(see below). Includes
Teacher-Developed Mysteries. An
outstanding site. Excellent
http://www.ase.org/educators/download.htm
AMAZON INTERACTIVE NEW!
http://www.eduweb.com/amazon.html
This site has two
sections. Geography of the Ecuadorian
Amazon provides basic information on the rainforest in Ecuador including who
lives there and how they make their living.
Part two is an Ecotourism Simulation Game in which viewers play the role
of Quicha Indians in a rainforest village who choose to develop an ecotourism
project to add income and to help preserve the rainforest. Excellent
ARCTICA – AN ONLINE MYSTERY NEW!
http://www.accessexcellence.org/arc/
Students
are challenged to solve the mystery of what happened to the stranded polar
expedition Arctica in 1834. Three
people use crew journals, diaries, tests, artifacts and more to solve the
mystery. Can your students? Note: This was a competition in 1997 but all
the elements remain for students to solve the mystery today. Excellent
BAYQUEST
– AN INTERNET WEB QUEST ON CHESAPEAKE BAY WATER QUALITY NEW!
http://www.sru.edu/Depts/pcee/ProfDevInit/Resources/bayquest.htm
There are numerous
environmental problems effecting Chesapeake Bay. Your class has been hired to investigate the problems and causes
of nutrient pollution in the bay.
Excellent
THE BIG EMPTY – THE GREAT BASIN
ECOSYSTEM NEW!
http://www.blm.gov/education/great_basin/great_basin.html
An
examination of the Great Basin Ecosystem.
Sections: Introduction, Poem, the Effects of Environmental Change,
Modern Day Challenges, An Ecosystem Approach, A Great Basin Full of Activities,
Looking to the Future, and Did You Know? Includes several classroom
activities. Excellent
BRIDGE – OCEAN SCIENCES TEACHER RESOURCE CENTER NEW!
This is a huge resource for
teachers on marine education and conservation.
Contains lesson plans, activities, informative sections, contests, and
much more. An outstanding site. Excellent.
CAPTAIN OLIN’S ODYSSEY – AN ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNEY
FOR GRADES 5-8
NEW!
“Help
Captain Olin and his crew find ways to restore Natura to its pre-polluted state
using math, science and reading. This site contains the logs of the starship
Destiny, which describe experiments and concepts
to do and learn, alternatives to harmful chemicals that pollute our
environment, and strategies for reducing waste.” Sections: And
Not a Drop to Drink; Garbage In Doesn’t Mean Garbage Out; We Need to Find a
Better Way; Air Supply; What is the Soil Like on Natura; and Smart
Packaging. Includes experiments,
activities, video clips and a quiz.
Excellent
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY WITH STUDENTS NEW!
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1991/earthday.html
A list of classroom
activities for Earth Day for grades 3-12.
Excellent
CENTER FOR MARINE
CONSERVATION NEW INFO & URL!
http://www.cmc-ocean.org/sitemap.php3
Resource
for teachers and students on marine conservation topics. Huge amount of information on the oceans,
water pollution, marine wildlife and more.
Go to the About Us section for the Site Map (at bottom). Scroll down to the Teachers & Students
section. It includes lesson plans and
activities including an Environmental Report Card for Schools that can be
printed for use in your school. Check
out the Wading Pool for Kids for fun games and activity sheets to print
out. Excellent
http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/
Information
by and for children on the earth and the environment. Sections: Creative Kids, Amazing Animals, Powerful Plants, Native
Wisdom, Eco-Careers, Earth Issues, Awesome Activities, Great Books, and Nature
Programs. Includes several
knowledge-testing games and a Teacher’s section with several classroom
activities. Excellent
COMPOSTING IN SCHOOLS UNIT NEW!
http://www.cfe.cornell.edu/compost/schools.html
A unit for high school
students from Cornell University on composting. Sections: Why Composting?; Teacher’s Page; Ideas for Student
Research Projects; Composting Quiz; Science & Engineering; Composting
Indoors; Composting Outdoors; Weird & Unusual Composting; Frequently Asked
Questions and a Glossary. Excellent
DELAWARE ESTUARY – A FOURTH GRADE UNIT NEW!
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow7/dec98/delaware.html
A unit on the Delaware River
estuary for 4th grade students from Marie Durand School in
Vineland. Sections: Water, Oysters,
Ethics, History, References and Author.
The sections contain information, puzzles and activities. Excellent
E PATROL
http://www.sprint.com/epatrol/
Student
focused site with information on Endangered Alert, Energy Savers, Eco-Info,
E-Patrol Quiz, and Screensaver.
Excellent
http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/
Includes: History; Adopt a Rainforest Animal; Games; Downloads; Earth Songs; Earth Day Activities; Stories; Coloring Pages; Word Searches; Crafts; Clip Art; Links and more. Excellent
EARTH DAY SONGS NEW!
http://www.preschooleducation.com/searth.shtml
Twenty songs for Earth
Day for preschool and primary school students.
Each includes new lyrics for familiar tunes. Excellent
EARTH DAY THEMES AND
ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS NEW!
http://www.childfun.com/themes/earth.shtml
A
list of activities for K-6 grade children for Earth Day. Excellent
http://www.earthdog.com/entrance.html
A
furry, global cartoon crusader teaching environmental awareness to
children. Urges students to become
Earth Dog Reporters to identify environmental problems and develop possible
solutions. Includes a contest and
games. Excellent
A
large collection of aerial photos from around the world. These are aerial photos of the landscape,
villages, natural features such as rivers and oceans and much more. Sections: Surface Navigator, Motion Graphics
(full themed multimedia presentations with soundtracks), Photo Index, Download
Area, Information, Exhibition Guide.
Excellent
THE EARTH’S BIRTHDAY PROJECT – EDUCATING CHILDREN ABOUT THE EARTH http://www.earthsbirthday.org/
Student/teacher
focused site celebrating the planet through hands-on projects. Includes: Rainforest Program, Butterfly
Project, Critter Club, Earth’s Birthday Card and more. Excellent
EARTHFORCE NEW URL!
Through Earth Force, youth discover and implement lasting solutions to environmental issues in their community. The main focus is the protection of the local watershed. The site provides schools with the information necessary to conduct water testing of their own. In the process they develop life-long habits of active citizenship and environmental stewardship. Includes several programs and activities to get students involved in their local environment. Excellent
EARTHSAVERS NEW INFO!
http://www.nwf.org/earthsavers/
A
club for kids who care about the environment and want to help. Includes activities and stories to print
out. Sponsored by the National Wildlife
Foundation. The site has been enhanced
since 2001. Excellent
ECO-QUEST- DESERT EDITION NEW!
http://members.aol.com/QuestSite/1/index.html
A
webquest for grades 7-8 on the desert ecosystem. Students take on roles and investigate the desert through the
eyes of their character. Sections:
Teaching Guide, Introduction, The Mission, The Procedure, Roles, Summation, and
Questionnaire. Role: Desert Ecologist,
Meteorologist, Landscaper, Land Developer, Government Employee, and Utilities
Manager. Excellent
EEK! ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR KIDS http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/
Information
and activities for kids on the environment.
Sections: Nature Notes, Our Earth, Cool Stuff, Get a Job, The Riddler,
and Teacher Pages. Excellent
Emission
STATEMENT – EXPLORING HOW INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL WARMING
AND ARE AIMING TO COMBAT IT NEW!
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010725wednesday.html
A free lesson plan from
the New York Times on Global Warming for grades 6-8 and 9-12. Overview: “students investigate the emission of greenhouse gases
by industrialized nations. After participating in an international global
warming conference, students assess whether or not the United States should
take part in the international climate accord.” Excellent
ENDANGERED SPECIES FACTBOOK NEW!
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005770/
A student-created site on
endangered and threatened species.
Sections: Utilities, What, Profiles, Causes, Help! (What You Can Do),
Interactivity, Media Gallery (photos) and Teacher’s World.
The Teacher’s section
includes classroom activities and the Interactivity section includes quizzes,
crosswords and puzzles. Excellent
ENERGY QUEST NEW URL!
http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/index.html
Huge
energy site for students. Categories
include: Watt’s That?; Art Contest; Watt’s That? Jr.; Discover California
Energy; Saving Energy; The Energy Story; Percy’s Puzzles; Renewable Road;
Devoured by the Dark; Poor Richard’s Energy Almanac; Ask Dr. Questor;
Educational Resources; Super Scientists; Fossil Fuels; Kids’ Tips; Science
Projects; Energy Patrol; Energy Safety and more. An outstanding site.
Excellent
THE ENERGY PLANET – A THINKQUEST SITE NEW!
http://library.thinkquest.org/C004471/
A student-created site on
energy. Sections include: Traditional
Energy, Future Energy, Biographies Experiments, How It Works, Cultures, and
General. Each section includes
multimedia with photos and video clips.
Excellent
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE
NETWORK NEW!
http://www.earth2kids.org/home.cfm
(NOTE: This is NOT the same earth2kids as in
previous years.) The new focus is the
Environmental Defense Network, aimed at teens and adults; with a huge amount of
information on environmental issues and ways to take action. An outstanding site. Excellent
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
LINKS – CLASSROOM RESOURCES
http://eelink.net/classroomresources-directories.html
Large
list of topics with environmental education resources and materials. Excellent
ENVIRONMENTAL SITES ON THE
INTERNET NEW!
http://www.lib.kth.se/~lg/envsite.htm
A
huge list of links to environmental sites on the Internet. In the left column, scroll down to the
subject index. Definite worth checking
out. Excellent
ENVIRONMENTAL TEACHER RESOURCES FROM THE
BLM (BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT) NEW!
http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/index.html
Teacher
resources on ecosystems from the Bureau of Land Management. See The Big Empty and The High
Plains for examples from a large list.
An outstanding resource.
Excellent
EXPLORING THE ENVIRONMENT –
(CURRICULUM GUIDE)
NEW INFO AND
MODULES!
Features
an integrated approach to environmental earth science through modules and
activities. Modules: Strangers in
Paradise (grades 7-12), Mars Landing (7-12), Rift Valley Fever (7-12), Korean Enigma (7-12), Volcanoes (7-12),
Water Quality (7-12), Mountain Gorillas (7-12), UV Menace (10-12), Earth on
Fire (10-12), Severe Weather: Hurricanes! (5-12), Yellowstone Fires (5-8),
Temperate Rainforest (9-12), Global Climate Change (5-12), Tropical Poison
(7-12), El Niño: The Child Returns (9-12) and Florida Everglades (5-8). Each module contains a situation and what
needs to be done. Includes an
extensive teacher guide. An
outstanding site. Excellent
FRANKLIN’S FORECAST NEW!
http://sln.fi.edu/weather/index.html
Build
your own weather station, learn about weather technologies and check the
weather anywhere. From the Franklin
Institute. Sections: Hot Air Over
Water, Make Your Own Weather Station, Weather Right Now, Weather Events, Radar,
Lightning, Weather Satellites, Weather Activities, and Weather Hotlist. Excellent
GE FOODS(GENETICALLY ENGINEERED) – FRIEND OR FOE? –
WEBQUEST NEW!
http://home.earthlink.net/~spcemonk/webquest.html
Foods are now being
genetically engineered to increase certain nutrients, reduce fat and calories
and much more. Many people feel that
genetically engineered foods are dangerous.
Student teams will examine the issues and report at the World Food
Conference. Very detailed. Excellent
http://www-geoimages.berkeley.edu/GeoImages.html
Groups
of geo-images you can interact with.
Click on the image, when the cursor turns into a bulls-eye, move it
slowly across the image to move up, down, right, left, pan around or zoom in
and out. Includes California, the
Southwest, the Northwest, the Arctic Circle, Morocco, Afghanistan, Hong Kong,
and New Guinea. Excellent
GOOD GREEN FUN NEW INFO!
http://www.efn.org/~dharmika/oldindex.htm
Tropical
Rainforest Ecology and Temperate Rainforest Ecology site. Includes lots of environmental themed songs,
teacher and student resources, rainforest curriculum, links and more. Excellent
THE HEADBONE DERBY
– ECOLOGY STRIKES BACK!
http://www.headbone.com/derby/eco/
An Internet research learning adventure. Uses the Internet to research the environment. Includes a Teacher’s Guide. Sections: Yamquats Ahoy!; Where the Vacuumoose Roam; Tree Huggin’ Flower Power; The Orca Smorgasbord; Solar So Good; Pollen Nation; and The Green Landfill Blues. Excellent
HELLO DOLLY – A WEB QUEST NEW!
http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/dolly/
A
webquest on cloning for high school students.
Student teams take a position on the issue of cloning, research that
position and prepare a presentation for a “Cloning Summit” to determine whether
or not cloning should be banned.
Sections: Introduction, Task, Process, Resources, the Summit, Take a
Stand, Tell the World, Conclusion, At a Glance, and Teacher Toolbox. Excellent
THE HIGH PLAINS – LAND OF EXTREMES NEW!
http://www.blm.gov/education/high_plains/high_plains.html
A
look at the high plains ecosystem.
Sections: Poem, Grasses & Other Plants, The Prairie Dog Ecosystem,
Grazing, Weeds, Clinker, Management Challenges, Riparian Areas, Physical
Features, Energy Source for the Nation, Water Resources, Fire Cycles, and In
Conclusion. There are three classroom
activities included. Excellent
KIDS’ CORNER – RAINFOREST
ACTION NETWORK NEW URL!
http://www.ran.org/kids_action/index.html
Information
on the rainforest habitat, animals, and peoples. Includes 7 Steps for Kids to
Take, Action Alert, Join the Action Team, Rainforest Full of Life, Rainforest
People, Rainforest Animals, Fact Sheets for Students and Questions &
Answers. Excellent
LAGOON LAMENT – CAN’T WE ALL GET ALONG? – WEBQUEST NEW!
http://home.cfl.rr.com/mrshebert/Lagoon/index.htm
A webquest based on the
problems of the Indian River Estuary for grades 4 and up. Teams are established which will work on a
usage plan to protect the estuary while allowing some recreational use. Excellent
LANDFILL CONTROVERSY – AN INTERNET WEBQUEST ON
LANDFILLS NEW!
http://www.snc.edu/educ/mse/courses/summerIT/students/Benesh-Zoeller/
Our country is fast
running out of landfill space and a solution needs to be found. The class divides into teams to research
whether a town with a landfill can afford to accept waste products from another
area. Excellent
METEOROLOGY CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES NEW!
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/crclm/act/home.rxml
Nine 90 minute classroom
activities on topics such as Pressure, Air Masses, Precipitation Along Fronts,
etc. Each classroom activity is accompanied
by a teacher guide. There are also
projects and other resources. A very
extensive site. Excellent
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
An
online library of huge amounts of data on the environment, from position papers
to environmental status reports to briefing books and online environmental
journals. A good starting place to look
for statistics. Excellent
OCEAN ADVENTURE – FROM DEEP SPACE TO DEEP SEA – A
THINKQUEST SITE
NEW!
http://library.thinkquest.org/18828/
A student-created site on
hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean floor.
Viewers join the scientists as they climb into the submersible Alvin for
a trip to investigate the vents.
Sections: Dive Briefing, Ethics, Research Tools, Mysteries, Meet the
Scientists, Interactivities, Fauna, Forum, Geology, Glossary, and
Significance. Note: The Classroom
Activities would not download when tested.
Excellent
ONLINE ECO-GAMES NEW!
http://www1.umn.edu/bellmuse/mnideals/watershed/watershed.html
Two interactive games
from Bell: Build a Prairie and The Watershed Game. Viewers make decisions for the future of the two habitats. Includes VR panoramas. Excellent
ONLINE METEOROLOGY GUIDES NEW!
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/home.rxml
“The
Online Meteorology Guide is a collection of web-based instructional modules
that use multimedia technology and the dynamic capabilities of the web. These
resources incorporate text, colorful diagrams, animations, computer
simulations, audio and video to introduce fundamental concepts in the
atmospheric sciences. Selected pages link to (or will soon link to) relevant
classroom activities and current weather products to reinforce topics discussed
in the modules and allow the user to apply what has been learned to real-time
weather data.” For high school classes. Sections: Light & Optics, Clouds &
Precipitation, Forces & Winds, Air Masses & Fronts, Weather
Forecasting, Severe Storms, Hurricanes, El Niño (see separate entry in list),
and Hydrologic Cycle. Excellent
OVERPOPULATION NEW!
http://www.overpopulation.com/FAQ/index.html
A huge site on the issue
of overpopulation. As the world’s
population grows, it is using more and more nonrenewable resources. Sections: Basic Information, Environmental
Issues, Health & Welfare, National Resources, People, Population Control,
Countries, Miscellaneous, and Links.
Excellent
PAPER OR PLASTIC – AN INTERNET WEBQUEST ON
RECYCLING NEW!
http://www.richmond.edu/academics/a&s/education/projects/webquests/paper/Paper1.htm
A webquest for upper
elementary grades on whether plastic or paper bags are better for the environment. Sections: The Process & Resources,
Evaluation, Conclusion, Student Dictionary and Teacher Resources. Excellent
PLANET DIARY NEW!
http://www.phschool.com/science/planetdiary/current/index.html
A
look at current natural or human-caused phenomena occurring around the
world. Events include: volcanic
eruptions, large fires, disease outbreaks, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes,
floods, algae blooms, astronomical observations, flora, fauna, drought, oil
spills and more. Updated weekly. Includes an archive so events can be
tracked, satellite images and background information on each phenomena. Sections: Current Phenomena, Universal
Measurements (time, location, maps), Phenomena Backgrounders, Calendar and a
Guide to Planet Diary. Excellent
PLANET EARTH – A SUITE OF INTERACTIVE
LEARNING ACTIVITIES ON ECOLOGY NEW!
http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/mtr/default.htm
Web-based
classroom activities on ecology aimed at grades 5-9. Topics: Make a Difference in Your World, the Earth’s Treasures,
Ecology Hotlist (list of ecology links), and Conflict Yellowstone Wolves
Webquest. Includes a Teacher
Toolbox. Excellent
http://www.planetpals.com/earthday.html
A huge site on Earth Day. Sections: Planet Pals Pages, Eco Helpers, Earthday Learning, Earth Learning, World Peace, Fun for Kids, Parent/Teachers and more. Each section is packed with information and ideas for activities. An outstanding site. Excellent
RANGER RICK’S KIDS ZONE NEW!
The
National Wildlife Foundation’s Kids Zone.
Sections: Games (Thank a Tree, Hippo Quiz, more), Cool Tours, Outdoor
Stuff, Reader’s Corner, Kids Survey, and more.
Excellent
RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT LESSON PLANS NEW!
http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/admin/topdoc/gi/235/chapter2.html#2
Seven lesson plans for
grades 1-6 on recycling and waste management.
Sections: Waste Garden; Environmental Impact of Household Chemicals; Are
You Living in a Toxic Waste Dump? Hazardous Wastes in Your Home; Trash or
Treasure?; Recycling Paper; The Recycling Tree; and Worm Composting
Composition. Excellent
SHADES OF GREEN: EARTH’S FORESTS NEW!
http://library.thinkquest.org/17456/
A student-created site on
the world’s forests. Extensive
information on Forest Types, Forest Life, Forest Importance, Forest Threats,
Time, and more. Check out the Teacher’s
Area for lesson plans. Excellent
THE SOLAR COOKING ARCHIVE NEW!
Solar cooking is being used
to save energy, especially in parts of the world where resources are
scarce. This site shows how to cook
using solar stoves, the different kinds and more. Sections: News, Plans (designs), Multimedia (photos, audio clips,
slide show), Resources, Documents, and Discussion. Excellent
SOUTHWEST ANIMAL ZOO PROJECT WEBQUEST NEW!
http://www.lubbock.k12.tx.us/quests/zoo/
Task – To select six
animals indigenous to the Southwest region to be placed in a new zoo with a
Southwest habitat. Students are divided
into four teams, each investigating one of the four categories of animals –
Mammal Predators, Snakes & Creepy Crawlies, Birds and Others. Students must calculate the kind of exhibit
area, costs and other factors.
Excellent
STORMY WEATHER NEW!
http://www.temperatureworld.com/
Investigative
activities for the high school classroom.
Sections: Weather Hotlist, Weather Scrapbook, Weather Hunt, Storm
Sampler, The Perfect Storm and Teacher Pages.
Excellent