We use the National Geographic series for our science instruction in fourth grade. There are 3 different books that we will be using this year that cover topics in Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science. Please know that students will only be using only one book at a time and the classroom newsletter or this site will keep you updated as to which they will be using.
Click on the links below for more scientific exploration!
General science: Magic School Bus:Materials on animals, space, the human body, and much more are explored through games and guided tours. Visit: http://scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/
Ology: Learn about the 'ologies', from the American Museum of Natural History. Includes interactive games, interviews with scientists, solving mysteries, and much more. Visit: http://www.amnh.org/ology/paleontology#
Planet Games Arcade: From NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), this site provides several interactive games focused on ocean and air, including saving the beach, humpback whales, recycling, and more. Good for learning centers and filler options. Visit: http://games.noaa.gov/
Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour: Explore the entire Smithsonian Museum of Natural History from your classroom!!! The panorama views have hotspots with even more detail available. Visit: http://www.mnh.si.edu/panoramas/ ********************************************************************************************************************* Life Science/Animals: 4-H Virtual Farm: On a virtual visit to a horse, beef, dairy, poultry, fish, or wheat farm, you have a choice of movies, animation, learning activities, and options for students to learn the science behind farming. Visit: http://www.sites.ext.vt.edu/virtualfarm/main.html Animals- Nat Geo Wild: National Geographic provides great photos and short informational pieces about a variety of animals, as well as a fast facts blurb and a map showing where in the world the animal lives, as well as multimedia options. Students can layer in by category or animal name. Visit: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals Our Wild Neighbors: Animated sites introduce learners to animals found in Alaska. This specific page talks about animal camouflage. Visit: http://alaskacenters.gov/our-wild-neighbors.cfm Panda Webcams: (several to choose from. Note: viewing is limited at the National Zoo to 15 minutes). Visit: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/ (note: use Internet Explorer) http://www.zooatlanta.org/1212/panda_cam http://www.oiccam.com/webcams/index.html?/panda/ San Diego Zoo Animal Cams: Webcams for pandas, polar bears, elephants, and ape habitats can be found here. You can also access a number of other videos and podcasts here. Note: These stream live, so may be slow for individual searches. Visit: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/videos/index.ht CritterCam, Interactive Mission & WildCam: The current National Geographic webcam is in Africa. Choose from CritterCam (a research tool designed to be worn by wild animals. It combines video and audio recording with collection of environmental data such as depth, temperature, and acceleration), Interactive Mission, or WildCam (conservation initiative that uses the Internet to connect people to Earth's last remaining wild places. Using streaming video technology, WildCam Africa brings viewers from all over the world to remote Pete's Pond in Botswana where animals go about their daily lives. Visit: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/crittercam-wildcam Eagles Online: View live webcams on Hornby Island in British Columbia, Canada; at Libby Dam in Libby, MT; and Oklahoma. Visit: http://www.hornbyeagles.com/webcam.htm http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=libby&pagename=eagle_cam_view http://www.suttoncenter.org/pages/live_eagle_camera *************************************************************** Earth Science/Chemistry:
A students’ guide to Global Climate Change: Students can learn a great deal about climate change using this site. Includes both current climate change as well as the history of climate change through the ages. From the EPA. Visit: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html
Chem4Kids: The text and graphics explain the basic concepts of chemistry, with segments on matter, states of matter, solids, liquids, and gases are available, along w/an online quiz for each section. Visit: http://www.chem4kids.com/index.html
Earthquakes for Kids: From the US Geological Survey (USGS), students can find information on the latest quakes, see animations, view earthquake pictures, and much more. Visit: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/
The Virtual Cave: Visit the world of caves and see superb digital images of a wide range of cave formations and cave types. Visit: http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtcave/