http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/
"Cool Science for Curious Kids"
http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/sunclock.html
make a sundial, among other things
http://www.cln.org/themes/recycle.html
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Theme Page, with links to
activities and lesson plans
http://www.smm.org/sln/tf/nav/tfatoz.html
The Thinking Fountain - lots of activities from Science
Museum of Minnesota
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/
(See Pook in the World: http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/pook/index.html)
http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amasci.html
a huge compendium of amateur science sites
http://www.cut-the-knot.com/content.html
Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles
http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/ChemMystery/
http://stanley.chem.lsu.edu/Outreach-stanley.htm
Chemistry Demos and experiments from LSU - well
written
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/activities/astroacts.html
Astronomy Activities on the World Wide Web
http://vector.cshl.org/dnaftb/
DNA from the Beginning: an animated primer on DNA,
genes, and heredity
http://faculty.vassar.edu/~lowry/VassarStats.html
for older teens and adults -- good site on using
statistics
http://newscenter.cancer.gov/sciencebehind/uc/ucframe.htm
for older teens and adults -- good explanation of the
science (and genes) behind cancer
NEW
http://campy.org/article.asp?id=11
Math Games, challenges, and help from CAMPY:
Connecticut Association for Mathematically Precocious
Youth.
Three quick bits of fun with what's already in the
kitchen:
1. The power of carbon dioxide. You've probably done
the basic experiment of pouring vinegar on baking soda to
see it fizz as carbon dioxide is released. (Adding a drop
of food coloring makes this more impressive for young
kids.) Now, get a balloon, a bit of paper towel, and a
plastic drink bottle. Wrap up some baking soda in a bit
of paper towel so that it's like a long hard candy, with
twisted ends. The package has to be narrow enough to fit
through the neck of the bottle. After the package of
baking soda is inside, gently pour vinegar into the
bottle over it, and quickly attach the balloon to the
neck of the bottle. Now, swirl to mix the vinegar and let
the package open, and watch the balloon expand as carbon
dioxide is released in the confined space. (Note that it
gets cold, due to thermodynamics of gas expansion.) For a
related but longer experiment, put a regular chicken's
egg in a jar, and pour vinegar over it. For the next two
days, you'll see bubbles around the shell, as the vinegar
dissolves the calcium carbonate of the shell and releases
the carbon dioxide. At the end of 2 or 3 days, take out
the de-shelled egg, and feel how tough but flexible the
membrane inside is.
2. Mobile rainbows. Four Ingredients: a cup or two of
whole milk, food coloring, a pan or tray, dish
detergent (the kind you wash dishes by hand with). Pour
the milk into the bowl or tray, to make a shallow layer.
Let the kids each drop a drop or two of different food
colorings on different parts of the puddle. Now, drop ONE
drop of dish detergent somewhere on the puddle. You can
watch for several minutes as the colors move around in
ripples like marbled paper. When it slows down, another
drop of dish detergent may restart it. WHY? Whole milk is
homogenized, so the hydrophobic milkfat is suspended in
tiny droplets in the otherwise hydrophilic milk.
Detergent molecules dissolve grease in dishwater by
having one hydrophobic end (which interacts well with the
fat) and one hydrophilic end (which interacts well with
the dishwater or aqueous part of the milk). In this case,
you are watching the detergent undo the homogenization,
by breaking up the droplets.
3. Red Cabbage pH indicator. You can make a pH color
indicator dye from Red Cabbage. Just cut up about a
quarter of a cabbage, cover with water, and boil for a
few minutes. (I find microwaving easiest.) Strain, cool,
and the purple juice is the indicator. Pour into clear or
white bowls or cups, and add samples of acids (vinegar,
lemon juice) and bases (most detergents, ammonia, Tums,
baking soda, onion) and assorted other kitchen samples
you want to test. The beautiful pinks and greens are the
most memorable part.
Where to get good science toys and
supplies:
As you can tell from the experiments above, I get a
lot of them from the supermarket or hardware store. For
mores specialized purposes, I find Amato's Toy and Hobby
on Main Street the best place for science toys in
Middletown CT (ask at the back desk for chemistry set
supplies), and Edmund Scientifics is my favorite science
toys catalog -- their on-line version is at
http://www.scientificsonline.com/. DISCLAIMER -- I don't
represent these vendors, or get money from them, just am
a satisfied customer.
For concerned parents, teachers, and other childcare
providers: why I think antibacterial soap and getting
anti-Anthrax drugs "just in case" are bad ideas:
Alliance
for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics and May
2001 Scientific American article
NOTE: More genetics, genomics, bioethics, and
biomedical sites suitable for more advanced students are
compiled on my Genomics Links page (see link below).