Science Subjects/Discipline

Last updated: August 15, 2008

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Agriculture/Gardening Biology/Life Science Chemistry Earth/Space Energy Engineering Environmental Evolution Marine Science Math/Technology Physics

AGRICULTURE / GARDENING

Food Safety from Farm to Fork
This teacher guide provides fifth through seventh graders a better understanding of food safety through real-life examples and enjoyable activities. Students will learn that everyone has a responsibility in minimizing food-borne illnesses -- farmers, transporters, restaurants, grocery stores... and the consumer! Through reading, games, puzzles, math problems and science investigations, participants identify the roles each one of us plays to ensure the food we enjoy is safe to eat. Download this 16-page booklet from www.cfaitc.org or request a printed version by calling 800/700-AITC (2482) or e-mailing cfaitc@cfaitc.org.

Free Copies of Growing Space Magazine
Copies of the Growing Space magazine series, written especially for science and agriscience students and teachers, are available to interested teachers. Growing Space Vol. 1-3 will help students see the connection between agricultural practices on Earth that relate to space-based research, particularly in the plant sciences. Lesson plans and other educational resources are also available. To request your free copies of Growing Space, obtain lesson plans, and learn about other space education materials, please visit our website at http://www.spaceag.org. Space Agriculture in the Classroom is a joint project of USDA, NASA, and the University of Florida that is designed to boost student awareness of the space program and the role of agriculture in our economy and society.

Way to Grow! Gardening Awards
California youth groups involved in gardening programs can enter to win certificates and prizes as part of the second annual Way to Grow! Youth Garden Recognition Program. Contact Danielle Blacet at dblacet@wga.com.

Teacher Resource Guide for Agricultural Literacy
Developed by California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, the TRG is a must-have tool for educators and volunteers working toward agricultural literacy. http://cfaitc.org/trg/.

The nonprofit National Gardening Association's website for educators and parents, kidsgardening.com offers more than "how-to" advice, classroom stories, grant information and other resources to help kids grow. It is also a great place for learning from and with other educators who use plants and gardens to delight, engage and enrich learning. Through our Garden in Every School Registry, you can learn what's happening in nearly 1,000 school gardens, greenhouses and habitats, and swap ideas, seeds and more with those who share your interests. Our ambitious goal is to document and feature every school garden and habitat project in the country and beyond. What's your story? Be sure your program is counted by registering with us at kidsgardening.com/School/register.asp.

The National Wildlife Federation, the nation's largest conservation education organization and publisher of Ranger Rick Magazine, can help educational settings, including schools, daycare centers and after-school programs create gardens for wildlife. These exciting outdoor classrooms provide hands-on learning that is interdisciplinary, standards-based, inexpensive and inclusive of all learning styles. NWF has free information on planning your habitat, ideas for funding, gardening for wildlife, aligning your outdoor classroom to the National Standards of Learning and much more. NWF also has curricula available to make it easy for you to teach outdoors. Check out the website at http://www.nwf.org/schoolyard/.

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE

Check out the American Physiological Society's web site for K-12 science teaching resources, including dozens of free classroom labs/activities written by teacher participants in APS fellowship programs. Also, you'll find order forms for a FREE classroom set of "The Science of Life" student comic book and links to APS Learning Cycle Units including "Physiology of Fitness" and "Neural Networks." Go to http://www.the-aps.org/education/edu_k12.htm to get started.

MIT Open Courseware for Science offers free online material from MIT's introductory courses to support students as they study and educators as they teach the AP® Biology curriculum. Physics curriculum also available. Visit MIT at http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/hs/biology/biology/index.htm.

ActionBioscience.org offers resources to enhance teaching in the biosciences. Peer-reviewed, easy-to-read articles on bioscience issues, which make excellent student reading material or content for case study activities, educator-written lessons to accompany many of the articles with handouts for middle school, high school, and/or college level students, NSES correlation charts that match articles and lessons to national standards, making lesson planning an easier process, Spanish translations of select articles, useful for ESL students who need to improve their science language literacy skills. ActionBioscience.org is an education resource of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. http://www.actionbioscience.org/.

Pioneer Middle School Virtual Zoo Project Animal Kingdom. The kingdom Animalia contains thousands of very different species belonging to various phyla and classes. The animal kingdom is diverse containing over 2 million different species. When you think of animals, you probably picture elephants, lions, tigers, and other large mammals. The animal kingdom is so much more. The mammals are only a small fraction of the total animal kingdom. Visit their website to navigate around their virtual zoo. Pioneer Middle School's Virtual Zoo now has 184 animal exhibits, and while many other zoo site claim to be the largest or best; the Pioneer Virtual zoo is the clearly the most comprehensive.

Free science and medical clip art. http://www.3dscience.com/3D_Science_Clip_Art.php

Biomedical Beat is a free electronic newsletter published monthly by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS.) In the current issue, you can read about the work of chemists who have made a synthetic version of a medicinally important extract from tree bark and the efforts of a group of scientists studying how trauma triggers a genetic response. Subscribe online or contact carlsone@nigms.nih.gov.

The Pharmacology Education Partnership (PEP) provides teachers with tools to teach biology and chemistry using topics that captivate high school students such as the chemistry and biology of cocaine, nicotine, and steroids. In this partnership between Duke University Medical Center and the North Carolina School for Science & Math, students learn basic biology and chemistry concepts using various modules. The PEP modules were designed to address the National Science Education Standards. The PEP modules have been tested nationally (~3500 high school students) and the results show that the more modules used by teachers, the better the students performed on a multiple choice test of basic biology and chemistry principles, compared to the standard curricula. http://thepepproject.net.

Animals in the Classroom: A Guide for Elementary and Secondary Educators, which offers advice for helping students develop responsible attitudes toward animals. The publication addresses issues related to classroom pets, live animal studies, dissection and science fairs. Contact the Center for Laboratory Animal Welfare at the Massachusetts Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 350 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130; 617-541-5081; e-mail ebirkholz@mspca.org.

Raptors in the City -- Technology connects kids with nature. How do you catch a glimpse of the fastest creature on earth? Go online! "Raptors in the City" is a real-time, inquiry-based science and technology program for grades 4-6 that stars the peregrine falcon. The peregrine has recovered from near extinction and was removed from the List of Endangered Species in 1999, one of the great success stories in the field of wildlife conservation. The curriculum supports one semester of study, and the students learn environmental, biological, and technological lessons, as well as research skills, tied to national science and technology standards. Curriculum materials and books for falcon study are available at low cost. To subscribe to the free "Falcon Flash" e-newsletter, weekly bulletins and pictures from the program's study nest site during nesting season, and for more information visit: www.raptorsinthecity.org. Contact person: Deborah Mathies 177 W. Norwalk Rd. Norwalk, CT 06850 (203) 831-0855, e-mail: raptors@optonline.net.

Flinn Scientific offers a series of fun and exciting demonstrations and experiments for biology and life science teachers called BioFax! Two BioFax! are now available: Moving Microbes -- method of collecting microbes helps teach the concepts of microbial growth, sterile techniques and pathogens; and Isolation of Bacterial DNA-A Biological Polymer -- students can isolate DNA from E.coli bacteria. Request copies of Moving Microbes and the Isolation of Bacterial DNA by contacting: Flinn Scientific, Inc., Free BioFax!, P.O. Box 219, Batavia IL 60510 or email flinn@flinnsci.com; or call 1-800-452-1261.

Flinn Scientific offers a series of fun and exciting demonstrations and experiments called ChemFax!, which are guaranteed to excite your chemistry students and teach valuable and sometimes difficult-to-learn chemistry concepts. Three ChemFax! demos are now available: Disappearing Ink, The Can Ripper, and Fountain of Light. ChemFax! are free to teachers only. Contact: Free ChemFax!, Flinn Scientific, Inc., P.O. Box 219, Batavia, IL 60510, 800-452-1261, flinn@flinnsci.com.

The Bugscope project is a free educational outreach program for K-12 classrooms. The project provides a resource to classrooms so that they may remotely operate a scanning electron microscope to image "bugs" at high magnification. The microscope is remotely controlled in real time from a classroom computer over the Internet using a web browser. Bugscope provides a state-of-the-art microscope resource for teachers that can be readily integrated into classroom activities. The classroom has ownership of the project -- they design their own experiment and provide their own bugs to be imaged in the microscope. The Bugscope project is primarily oriented towards K-12 classrooms, and there is no cost to participate in the project. If you would like to take part in the Bugscope project, our how-to-participate pages will guide you through the simple steps needed to apply, schedule a session and operate the microscope. Our other resources pages will provide helpful links related to electron microscopy and bugs. http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu.

CHEMISTRY

Northern California Chapter of the American Vacuum Society
The Education Committee of the Northern California Chapter of the American Vacuum Society (AVS is a member group of the American Physics Society) is pleased to announce a new free program for Northern California Science Teachers.

This free program is a set of classroom experiments or demos of Vacuum Science in Physics and Chemistry. One or more of our committee members will bring in the vacuum apparatus to present the program in your classroom, with full student participation.

The program can be modified to fit into the class’s work and the California Standards on pressure, etc. It’s length can be reduced or expanded from the ~40 minutes average, as required.

If you are interested in having a free program in your classroom, please contact our chapter office, listed below. One of our committee members will contact you to set up a date. We look forward to being of service to you and your students.

The web site for Northern California Chapter of AVS is www.nccavs.org. The office e-mail is della@avs.org and telephone is (530) 896-0477.

Chemistry Test Question Bank offers over 7000 chemistry test questions covering 19 topics, two levels of difficulty, and five types of inquiry: multiple choice, serial multiple choice, matching, free response and serial free response. Compiled by retired chemistry teacher of over 39 years. Student-tested and FREE! http://www.boshf.org/chembank/.

Student Alternative Conceptions in Chemistry by Christopher Horton
An extensive review of literature highlighting students' misconceptions--or alternative conceptions--in chemistry. Includes detailed cross-referenced lists of alternative conceptions and extensive reference lists. An updated and expanded version of the article seen in California Journal of Science Education, Vol. VII, Issue 2 - Spring 2007. Full article.
Table 1: Key Student Alternative Conceptions in Science.
Appendix 2: The Alternative Conceptions in Detail with Notes.
Appendix 3: References

Free online chemistry games and quiz generator. Free lesson plans. Check out the Element Quiz game that is a fun and interactive way to learn element symbols, names, and facts. http://funbasedlearning.com/.

EARTH/SPACE

Journey To Plant Earth, the highly acclaimed PBS series hosted/narrated by Academy Award winner Matt Damon, is being offered for a 30-day free preview. Strongly recommended by The School Library Journal, Booklist, The Journal Of Academic Librarianship and the California Instructional Technology Clearinghouse and People Magazine, Journey To Planet Earth correlates some of the National Science Education Standards. For more information, visit http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth, and to receive the 30-day free preview of the entire 10-episode series, contact Marilyn Weiner at screenscope@screenscope.com or (202) 364-0055.

"COSMOS IN THE CLASSROOM 2007" PAPERS & HANDOUTS NOW AVAILABLE. he non-profit Astronomical Society of Pacific announces the publication of the papers, handouts, and resource guides from a national conference held in August 2007 on the most effective ways of teaching the
introductory astronomy course for non-science majors. The 265-page, 3-hole-punched, loose-leaf
format volume includes 73 contributions by over a hundred experienced instructors. Designed for university, college, and high-school faculty who teach the beginning astronomy course, the volume is full of practical advice, reviews of instructional tools, curriculum guides, and class activities you can put to direct use. A special feature is the inclusion of discussion summaries on such topics as:

* Should you have a separate lab course
* What do we need from textbooks
* What topics to drop from a one-semester course
* Special challenges of being a part-time instructor
* Running an on-campus planetarium
* Teaching astronomy on-line.

The cost is $39.95 plus shipping and handling.

For the full Table of Contents, see:
http://www.astrosociety.org/events/cosmos/cosmos07/cosmos07toc.pdf

To order on line, go to Society's AstroShop:
http://www.astrosociety.org/online-store/scstore/p-BO366.html

Astronomy audio recordings of ten public lectures by noted astronomers are now available as free MP3 downloads at the web site of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP): http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html. Recorded at Foothill College as part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, each hour-long lecture on some exciting development in our study of the universe is followed by an extensive question and answer period, in which the speaker gives further details and personal glimpses about the topics under discussion. Among the talks available so far are: Dr. David Morrison, NASA Ames Research Center, "Taking a Hit: Asteroid Impacts and Evolution"; Dr. David Grinspoon, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, "Comparing Worlds: Climate Catastrophes in the Solar System"; Dr. Bruce Margon, University of California, Santa Cruz, "Glimpsing the Edge of the Universe: Results from the Hubble Space Telescope"; Dr. Dale Cruikshank, NASA Ames, "The Planet Pluto: Maligned but Not Forgotten"; Dr. Alex Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley, "Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe"; Dr. Frank Drake, SETI Institute, "Estimating the Chances of Life Out There"; Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, SETI Institute, "The Mars Exploration Rover Mission."

New resource guide on Women in Astromony is an updated, expanded resource guide to the role women have played and are playing in the development of astronomy. The guide includes both printed and web-based materials, and has general references on the topic plus specific references to the work and lives of 32 women astronomers of the past and present. All the materials are at the non-technical level and thus appropriate for student papers, curriculum development, or personal enrichment. This resource guide is part of a series that can be found on the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's website, on such topics as the astronomy of many cultures, debunking astronomical pseudoscience, and resources for astronomy education.
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/womenast_bib.html.

The Universe in the Classroom is a free quarterly electronic newsletter for educators who want to help children of all ages learn more about science, astronomy and the universe. From the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, each issue of the Universe in the Classroom contains information on a topic of current astronomical interest, classroom activities to make the topic come alive for students and resource links to take you deeper into the subject. Visit http://www.astrosociety.org/uitc to sign up.

"Astronomy Education Review," the web-based journal/magazine for anyone involved in astronomy education and outreach, announces its 12th issue is now online at the web site: http://aer.noao.edu. There is no charge for reading or downloading full articles in the journal.

In support of the successful debut of The Zula Patrol television series on PBS, sample science and astronomy outreach materials have been developed for children in preschool through second grade. These "master activities" are made available for free to schools, educational organizations, community groups, after-school programs and outreach departments. Some materials, such as activites, games, background information and songs, are available for download at http://www.zula.com. For more information, contact Andrea Tompkins at (818) 508-1668 or atompkins@zula.com.

Moon Mania. Louisiana Public Broadcasting, as part of EduConnect, has developed Moon Mania, a module of 12 technology-rich, cross-curricular lessons designed for use with K-4 students. Lessons include strategies for incorporating the material into instructional planning, rubric assessment techniques to measure student performance and evaluation tools to measure the effectiveness of the technology integration in the classroom. Moon Mania lessons can be used in science, social studies, art, math and language arts. The 12 lessons are: Haiku, Readers' Theatre, Art Project, Moon Folklore, Moon Phases, Moon Craters, Astronauts Trading Cards, Ask an Astronaut, Moon Trip, Space Meal, Design a Plaque and Moon Festival. These lessons are available free of charge and are aligned with national curriculum standards. Moon Mania lessons are available on the LPB web site: http://www.lpb.org/education/classroom/MoonMania/.

MarsQuest Online. Join the rovers on their historic exploration of Mars. The Mars Quest Online website provides easy access to the full set of images from the Mars rovers, in an intuitive point-and-click exploration environment. Explore the glorious full-color panoramic views of Gusev Crater and Meridiani Plain http://www.marsquestonline.org/mer.

JPL/NASA. Take a virtual tour of Jet Propulson Lab: http://virtualfieldtrip.jpl.nasa.gov. NASA has numerous resources for teachers, students, and informal science educators. Check it out on the NASA home page, http://education.nasa.gov/home/index.html.

ENERGY

Power Shift: Energy + Sustainability, hosted and narrated by Cameron Diaz. Astronauts in the Space Station. Villagers in the Amazon. An actress in Hollywood. What do these people have in common? Circling the globe, Power Shift explores the remarkable ways that energy touches our daily lives. Designed to open a conversation about energy and sustainability, this 26-minute PBS special serves as an excellent thought-starter and discussion tool. Primary themes include solar and wind power, energy efficiency, green buildings, and global climate change. Power Shift provides vital context to the issues, guiding students from a global perspective to individual action steps. Forty percent discount for CSTA members. Produced by WorldLink Media, 415-561-2141 or www.powershiftnow.org.

D&R International’s School Energy Efficiency (SEE) Program offers a variety of free educational resources to teach students about energy and provides technical support to assist schools in evaluating and implementing energy-efficiency facility upgrades. These services are available to K-12 school districts in select areas of Central and Northern California. Please visit www.SchoolEnergyEfficiency.com to learn more.

Renewables Are Ready: A Guide to Teaching Renewable Energy in Junior and Senior High School Classrooms
This newly revised teacher's guide provides all the necessary tools for teaching a unit on renewable energy. The guide illustrates basic scientific principles and includes hands-on activities, games, action projects, and a resource guide. To download or purchase the guide, visit the Union of Concerned Scientists website. Any further questions or comments please contact Jeff Deyette cleanenergy@ucsusa.org.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has recently coordinated with an organization in California called Educators for the Environment. Their newest resource is called, "Energy for Keeps -- Electricity from Renewable Energy." It is one of the few quality comprehensive renewable energy publications for middle and high school education available. http://www.energyforkeeps.org.

Get Energized! The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is offering California science educators a package of free material, including CD, DVD, videos, and teachers' guide on energy use, production, conservation, and the role of public lands in energy production. Contact Jan Bedrosian at janet_bedrosian@ca.blm.gov; mention you saw this offer on the CSTA website. A brochure entitled "A Teacher's Guide to Energy on Public Lands" produced by the NEED (National Energy Education Development) Project is also available online at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy.html.

ENGINEERING

The Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC) have produced a five-minute DVD to introduce students to career opportunities in engineering and land surveying. The video describes the attributes of the profession and demonstrates the many ways that engineers and land surveyors improve the world around us, and why there is a great need for people to choose these professions into the future. To view the video online and order copies for your classroom, visit http://www.designourfuture.info, or call Rebecca Nicholas at 916-340-6308.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

NEW Free Resource! The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is pleased to release its latest edition of the Acid Rain Teacher’s Guide. With feedback and contributions from teachers across the nation, EPA has updated and enhanced this educational resource for the 2008 school year. Designed for middle school teachers, Learning About Acid Rain: A Teacher’s Guide for Grades 6 through 8 provides a basic overview of acid rain, its effects on ecosystems, and ecosystem recovery. The guide includes nine laboratory-based science experiments to enhance the students’ understanding of acid rain and the problems it causes, as well as create a greater interest in its resolution and in applied environmental science in general.

The guide includes:

• Key definitions of acidity, acid rain and air pollution
• Illustrations depicting how both natural and man-made pollutants contribute to the formation of acid rain
• Effects of acid rain on diverse ecosystems
• Effects of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution on humans
• Effects of acid rain on man-made materials
• EPA programs and monitoring systems that address acid rain
• What individuals can do to help prevent acid rain and address other environmental problems
• Nine science experiments investigating various aspects of acidity and acid rain
• Cross-disciplinary activities that explore other aspects of the acid rain issue
• Crossword puzzle and word search of key terms

To obtain a copy of the Learning About Acid Rain: A Teacher’s Guide for Grades 6 through 8 visit www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/teachersguide.pdf or request a printed copy by calling the Acid Rain Hotline (202.343.9620).

BAY NATURE Magazine is an independent, nonprofit quarterly magazine dedicated to exploring, understanding, and celebrating the natural world of the San Francisco Bay Area. BAY NATURE magazine is hard at work producing a special supplement about the importance of soils in ecosystem health. "From Backyard to Back Country: Soil Matters" explores the nature of soil and the importance of healthy soils for healthy gardens and wildlife habitat. Visit http://www.baynature.com for more information.

Earth & Sky radio programs feature stories for teachers and students about conservation and earth stewardship. Learn about forests, climate, the atmosphere, oceans and other environmental topics by clicking on: http://www.earthsky.org/shows/earthcare.

The California Water Board has a program to help educate students about a major environmental and public health issue now facing California--polluted runoff. Their free Water Quality Service Learning Program and the Water Quality Detectives After School Program meet stringent academic requirements. Both of these free programs are located at http://www.waterlessons.org. The service learning program is designed for grades 4-6, while the after school program is for all grade levels.

Climate Change Resources are available at http://www.climatechangeeducation.org and http://www.globalwarmingCalifornia.org.

The David Suzuki Foundation Nature Challenge. The Foundation has researched the 10 most effective ways we can help conserve nature and improve our quality of life. Students can sign up to take the challenge at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/WOL/Challenge/.

Download the winter 2006-07 issue of Green Teacher magazine FREE until July 1st. To celebrate the launch of an electronic edition of Green Teacher, we invite you to download a free copy of the Winter 2006-2007 edition of our non-profit magazine. Please share the following website URL (address) with your friends and colleagues. http://www.greenteacher.com/freeIssue80.html.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science for Schools offers information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where you can give opinions and test your water knowledge. The site is available in English http://water.usgs.gov/droplet/ or Spanish: http://water.usgs.gov/gotita/.

The California Environmental Education Interagency Network (CEEIN), a consortium of environmental educators representing California state departments, boards and commissions of the Department of Education, California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Resources Agency. http://www.calepa.ca.gov/education/CEEIN.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is pleased to offer - free of charge - a newly developed curriculum guide focused on the likely impacts of global warming, one of the most pressing problems facing California and the world. This guide is based on the 1999 report "Confronting Climate Change in California: Ecological Impacts on the Golden State," which was jointly produced by UCS and the Ecological Society of America (ESA). The curriculum guide consists of a set of eight activities, which are closely tied to and build upon the report. The teaching materials are geared towards students and teachers in grades 9-12, although individual exercises are adaptable to different grade levels. To obtain a copy, download the curriculum guide from the website at http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/CA_Curriculum_guide_FINAL.pdf; or to obtain a hardcopy of the curriculum guide, the report, and/or some supplemental materials, contact Jason Mathers at jmathers@ucsusa.org or 800-666-8276.

Environmental education/action materials from Global Response. Young Environmentalist Actions bulletins (grades K-8) and Eco-Club Actions bulletins (grades 9-12) inform students of specific urgent environmental problems occurring in the world, scientific aspects of these problems, and local people and organizations that are working to protect their environment. Students then write personal letters to appropriate officials, urging them to make environmentally sound decisions. For sample bulletins, contact Global Response-Environmental Action and Education Network, PO Box 7490, Boulder, CO 80306-7490; 303-444-0306; fax 303-449-9794; e-mail globeresponse@igc.org; or see www.globalresponse.org.

Drawing from Nature: A Science and Art Lesson for Children is a series published the first Sunday of the month in the Los Angeles Times, featuring artwork by children 5-12. Children must do research on a subject from nature and apply what they have learned in an illustration. http://www.latimes.com/features/kids/readingroom/.

John Muir's Science Lesson Plans
Developed by the Sierra Club and aligned to the California Science Content Standards, the lesson plans are inspired by John Muir's adventures and explorations. http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/lessons/science/

Campus ecology guide from the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program. The guide offers resources for greening the campus: information that is available through NWF resource packets, publications and membership services. While geared toward the higher education campus, the material can also be applied to K-12 institutional settings. Contact NWF, Campus Ecology Program, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22184; 410-516-6583; www.nwf.org/campusecology/.

The California Forest Products Commission has free videos available to lend for educators. Several topics are available. For more information, call 877-replant, or visit www.calforests.org.

The Water in Your Life Ecowater Educational Program, which offers materials that explain some common water problems, such as acid water and hardness, to middle school students. Materials also describe ways students can get involved to make the water in their communities safer. Call 800-869-2837.

The Wyland Foundations offers the Wyland Ocean Challenge, "Clean Water for the 21st Century," featuring lesson plans (K-3, 4-6) available online to teachers, a nationwide art contest, and will conclude with a Wyland-created "Underwater Village" tour. The new online curriculum and teacher's guide meet all national science standards and are downloadable from any classroom computer. Information about the first stage of the program, oceanic habitats, is now available for grades K-6 and can be found at www.wylandoceanchallenge.org.

Project Learning Tree, leading environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation, has developed new instructional tools for educators of PreK-8th grade students that focus on energy concepts and conservation. "Energy & Society," features a music CD and video written and performed by well- known children's performing artist and songwriter Bill Brennan, with step-by-step dance instructions. The kit also includes an activity guide and complimentary energy posters. Order your kit at www.plt.org.

EVOLUTION

FLASH! New Free Resource! The National Academy of Sciences' latest publication on evolution, Science, Evolution, and Creationism, can be downloaded for free. http://www.nap.edu/sec. A printed copy can also be ordered from that site.

Understanding Evolution!
The UC Museum of Paleontology, in Partnership with the National Center for Science Education, is pleased to announce a new website on evolution developed especially for teachers, grades K-12. It's purpose is to provide content and resources for teachers at all grade and experience levels. In addition, strategies for overcoming resistance and potential "roadblocks" are addressed. http://www.evolution.berkeley.edu.

National Center for Science Education
The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a not-for-profit, membership organization providing information and resources for schools, parents and concerned citizens working to keep evolution in public school science education. We educate the press and public about the scientific, educational, and legal aspects of the creation and evolution controversy, and supply needed information and advice to defend good science education at local, state, and national levels. http://www.natcenscied.org

Find additional evolution resources on the CSTA website at Evolution Resources.

MARINE SCIENCE

Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association provides support to teachers and students in the field of marine science through the ongoing Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS: find out more at http://limpets.noaa.gov/), bringing students onto sandy beaches and into tide pools to help the National Marine Sanctuaries monitor wildlife as students learn about the marine environment. FMSA also provides teacher training workshops, curriculum, and materials to support science education and the marine sanctuaries. More information can be found at www.farallones.org.

Sea Otter Education Unit
From Defenders of Wildlife, the lesson plans in the Sea Otter Unit are geared to middle school students in California, Washington and Oregon, but can be easily modified for older and younger students and for students in other states. The lessons include both individual and group learning activities and are designed to integrate reading, writing, social studies, and technology into your science curriculum. Teacher notes and materials lists are provided at the beginning of each lesson. Available in Spanish and English.
http://www.kidsplanet.org/tt/seaotter/home.html.

Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds is a classroom activity guide for teachers from the California Coastal Commission that addresses California's critical coastal and marine issues such as endangered species, marine debris, coastal geology, water use, and much more. It is carefully aligned to the California State Science Content Standards for grades 3 through 8, and includes Community Action lessons adaptable for all ages up to and beyond grade 12. The connection between inland areas and the ocean is emphasized throughout, so the lessons are relevant for students living in all regions of California. The book can be ordered for free online at
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/waves/waves1.html.

MATH / TECHNOLOGY

Instant HOBO Data Logger Loaner program loans HOBO portable probeware free for two months to K-12 teachers and students. Request a free loaner class set of (8) HOBOs and download any of our 100+ free labs for every grade level to use with your HOBO. Loaner packages will include the software and cable which will need to be returned. Visit www.iscienceproject.com.

The Math Explorer Kit is a collection of creative, hands-on mathematics activities designed to engage young people in standards-based mathematics learning while also meeting teachers' needs. The Math Explorer Kit includes all supplies required for activities and is available at http://explo.stores.yahoo.net/mathexplorer.html.

Go Engineering! is a new, free electronic newsletter from the American Society of Engineering Education(ASEE). A valuable resource for anyone in the K-12 community. To sign up, e-mail j.douglas@asee.org

PHYSICS

The web site for Northern California Chapter of AVS is www.nccavs.org. The office e-mail is della@avs.org and telephone is (530) 896-0477.

Perimeter Explorations
Offers series of in-class educational resources is designed to help teachers explain a range of important topics in physics. Perimeter Explorations is the product of extensive collaboration between international researchers, Perimeter Institute’s outreach staff and experienced teachers. Each module has been designed with both the expert and novice teacher in mind and has been thoroughly tested in classrooms. Perimeter Explorations are being made available to teachers as a service by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) situated in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. PI is an independent, non-profit organization that has the twin mandates to conduct scientific research and educational outreach at international levels.

The DVD, Teachers Guide and Student Worksheets can be viewed online and are free to order (by teachers only), while quantities last. Their first offering, The Mystery of Dark Matter, is available on-line: http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/Perimeter_Explorations/General/Perimeter_Explorations/

MIT Open Courseware for Science offers free online material from MIT's introductory courses to support students as they study and educators as they teach the AP® Biology curriculum. Biology curriculum also available. Visit MIT at http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/hs/physics/physics/index.htm.

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