Links

Textbooks & Pedagogy

"Science Myths" in K-6 Textbooks and Popular Culture
An excellent resource that points out many common mistakes in elementary textbooks that often result from folklore and other sources. Electricity is featured prominently.

Textbook Trust
This resource highlights errors in Earth Science, but also advocates ways to encourage publishers to change.

Science Text Central
the product of the Environmental Literacy Council's look at textbooks

Choosing Middle School Science Textboooks: Is North Carolina Failing Its Students? a policy report from the John Locke Foundation.

Standards and Frameworks
from the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse includes links to math and science standards for each state

Project 2061
Reviews of books at all levels are just a part of this site.

Paideia
"Education for the Whole Child" can be a complete school program or a limited one (on Wednesdays, for example.) Read Mortimer Adler’s three volumes on the program!

Textbook League
This group reviews, very critically, books in all areas of the curriculum including science.

Teachers Clearinghouse
Information on science and society.

The Scientific Method Today
An extensive look at what is referred to as "The Scientific Approach" as opposed to the often misused "The Scientific Method."

Guiding Curriculum Decisions for Middle Grades Science
An important new book that reviews high quality middle school science programs. It's a result of research by the Education Development Center, Inc., in Boston.

Meridian
An online middle school technology journal

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Science Content

Science Activities from Exploratorium Educators
Simple, inexpensive science activities for middle and high school from Paul Doherty, Don Rathjen and Eric Muller.

The Flying Circus of Physics
text by Jearl Walker has an associated web site with about 2000 links to videos, photos, journal citations and sites of interest to the topics covered in the text. There are also many stories being added each month that can be used in class.

Cool Stuff
This is an archived Website from Arbor Scientific (a science equipment supplier) that provides valuable information for teaching, Chris Chiaverina and Paul Hewitt (two great demonstrators) are often highlighted. There are now 25 newsletters called Cool Stuff.

Carolina Biological
also deals with physical science and one can learn a lot simply by wandering through the site.
(Note: I have no connection with either of the above two companies and while I do not normally advertise companies in their entirety, both of these have resources that can be accessed for free that are worthwhile. Their newsletters are free. JLH)

SciWorks
Online science courses for teachers at the University of Kentucky.

Science Inquiry
I taught with Dr. Tik Liem, whose materials are featured on this Website, many years ago and strongly recommend these resources.

Physics to Go
offers resources in physics, astronomy, and the physical sciences to the general public.

Virtual Radiation Museum
For a very good introduction to radiation, go to the museum and click on VRM for some basic information.

Bad Science
This page is maintained by Alistair B. Fraser in an attempt to sensitize teachers and students to examples of the bad science often taught in schools, universities, and offered in popular articles and even textbooks.

WebElements
An excellent, multimedia resource for the periodic table.

Time-Line Posters
The American Physical Society as one of their Centennial projects produced a time-line of events of significance in physics from the last 100 years. The posters have been "sold out" but the web site has them all and much more.

Bad Astronomy
Astronomy stories are fraught with errors — many are corrected here.

How Stuff Works
Just what it says. A book and CD are now available.

How Things Work
Just what it says. The textbook, now in its second edition, is very popular.

Powers of 10
First it was a picture essay, then a movie (at least two versions), and now an interactive CD. To appreciate orders of magnitude, exponential growth, and view a pleasant tour of the Universe, you have to see this.

Physical Science Resource Center

3-D Simulations for Physics Teaching
Interesting, but more than what one would expect for Middle School students.

Amusement Park Physics

Junk Science
It is important to be cautious of claims of various groups that have agenda that might not be obvious. It is easy to fool people who are not willing to look more deeply into claims made by these groups.

Instruments for Natural Philosophy
This site, has pictures and comments on over 1400 pieces of scientific equipment collected by Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr.

HomerSchool.com
Online virtual middle school with some earth science content

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Organizations and Institutes

Newton's Castle
Created by students

The National Association of Biology Teachers
See "Ask an Expert".

The American Chemical Society
Click on "Educators and Students"

AAPT (American Association of Physics Teachers)

NSTA (National Science Teachers Association)

NCSTA (NC Science Teachers Association)

NCSLA (NC Science Leadership Association)

American Physical Society

American Institute of Physics

American Center for Physics

National Academy of Sciences

NASA

National Science Foundation

Physics Instructional Resource Association

U.S. Department of Education

National Institute for Science Education

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Miscellaneous

Access to Energy
This is an excellent "Pro-Science, Pro-Technology, Pro-Free Enterprise Monthly Newsletter" that strongly supports home schooling. It now falls under the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, http://www.oism.org/ where under "Related Sites" you will find "Access to Energy," "Robinson Curriculum," and "Henty Collection."

Asimov Online
Isaac Asimov wrote over 500 books during his lifetime covering topics that appear in every area of the Dewey Decimal System. He probably is most remembered for his science fiction, but his science fact covers material for students in elementary school through adult. There are hundreds of essays and biographies for quick and easy introductions to a wide variety of topics.

Guide to Isaac Asimov
A thorough look at Asimov’s complete writings by a fan who isn’t afraid to point out his dislikes of some of Asimov’s writing.

AAPT Astro Ed. Committee Image Processing page
John Kolena’s material.

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