Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Another Great Site for Science (and other subject areas):)

July 2010 ELL Teacher Pros Newsletter

Our July issue will be dedicated to a science website that includes not only a wide range of quality readings in all areas of science (earth science, engineering, everyday science, life science, military science, physical science, space, and supernatural science), but other subject areas such as geography, history, etc.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/space-channel.htm


I will select ASTRONOMY for this newsletter. Why this subject? First of all, it is a passion of mine. After all, what is there not to love about being able to explore the universe safely from my couch at home? Second of all, I don’t know many students who aren’t interested in it. We all hope that the discovery of life outside our big blue marble is just around the corner, and with its discovery, life on earth will be forever changed! We will have proof positive that we are not alone.

I will “thread” the description to help you navigate the site. By doing it this way, you will see how the site can be used for maximum benefit for your students be they student teachers, colleagues new to the site, or your classroom students.

This site lets you explore space and humanity’s continuing efforts to eventually settle on other worlds. You will also be able to learn about the Big Bang (among other theories), the International Space Station, future space travel and exploration, etc.

You will find 5 key subject areas here: Astronomy, Future Space, Spaceflight, Space Exploration, and Space Transportation Systems.

Click on ASTRONOMY, for example, and you will first be presented with the option to click “see more” which will take you to a new page with several choices. Go to “EXPLORE THESE TOPICS” to learn more about our own solar system. This will include a general tour, a close look at several planets, how this solar system came to be, meteors, the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet, etc.

Next, you will see a featured link. Here, the subject is How Nebulae Work. Click on that and you will be presented with both the highlights of the article (in case you are looking for something specific) as well as the complete article. A VIDEO clip is located at the end of the article to support the efforts of a novice to the topic in understanding it. In fact, this site has a wide range of free video clips from NASA, JPL, Discovery, and the Science Channel to engage even the most disengaged student!



After the article link is an astronomy video library. You can explore the videos one at a time, or input a specific topic (like astronaut training) in the search bar and the site will look for it for you.

After studying the content of this site, you might be inspired to buy a telescope! For those on a tighter budge, there is always the option of using a pair of moderately priced binoculars.

I see this site as an excellent supplement to any science topic. Though not the focus of this newsletter, I expect you will feel the same about the other subject links on this site.



Note: Our astronomy instructor, Gene Cross-optics engineer, was a member of the design team in the construction of the Hubble. He will be monitoring your comments here so you are in good hands.



Enjoy!



Denise, Cheryl, and Marnie

1 comment:

  1. An easy supplement to this awesome site is of course www.nasa.gov:)

    Denise

    www.ellteacherpros.com

    www.teachingsuccesseswithells.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete