Wind
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http://www.mistupid.com/science/beaufort.htm Name: MIStupid.com
– The Online Knowledge Magazine This site contains minimal but good quality information on air composition and atmospheric layers. The major components of air are presented in a large 3D pie chart. The concentrations of each major component and other minor but measurable components are listed very neatly into a table. Every component is also listed alongside its chemical symbol. The section on atmospheric layers contains a diagram showing where each layer begins and ends in relation to Earth’s surface. This diagram is accompanied by a table listing each layer and its start & end points in kilometres and miles. This site is very light on text, which may make some students happy. Teachers will like how the site gets right to the point. The information is right in front of you and you never have to hunt for it. However, its lack of in-depth examinations makes this site suitable only for quick reference. Information is well organized and self-explanatory along with large charts and tables. This is a good quick reference site for both teachers and all students. |
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Wind with Miller This fun and interactive website presents concepts, interactive applets, and hands-on activities for students. Its teacher’s guide states that it was developed primarily for students ages 12 to 14. The site begins with a crash course on wind energy, how wind is generated, and how wind turbines convert wind into energy. The second section describes each step of the process in great detail starting with an examination of literally every part of a wind turbine. It then examines in detail the different causes and origins of wind. The third section contains numerous suggestions for hands-on activities, which include online wind turbine simulations and instructions for building wind socks, turbines, generators, lattice towers, and kites. The fourth section of the site is an index containing all examined concepts. The final fifth section is a thorough teacher’s guide outlining how the site can be used with students, complete with professional hints and links to other wind resources. This website is extremely interactive. Users are forced to become active participants in the explanations and activities found throughout the site. It’s rare to find a website that is able to completely pull users into its world. Another rarity is that this website comes in English, Danish, French, Spanish, and German. Clearly a lot of work went into this website’s development. All images are large and colourful. Technical schematics are also colourful and well-labelled. Teachers will really appreciate all the suggestions for activities, while students will appreciate the thorough guidance provided by the fictional character Miller in almost every section. This is a very nice site for both teachers and all students to use. |
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DiscoverySchool.com This site contains complete lesson plans for studying Earth Sciences at any level from K-12, including objectives and suggestions for evaluation in each lesson plan. Teachers can look forward to lesson plans on Earth’s surface, geological phenomena, oceans, weather, and tectonic plates, but this is by no means a complete list of lesson plans that can be found on this site. If that wasn’t good enough, many of the lesson plans even contain suggestions for adapting the lesson for different grade levels. This is hands-down one of the best resources for all teachers, and not just Science teachers. The site is colourful and well laid out. All sections of the site are accessible from the always-present menu. Some of the important concepts even have sound files attached to them so that you can listen to its pronunciation. This site is mainly geared towards teachers. |
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The
Geological Society of America This site contains complete lesson plans for studying Earth Sciences at any level from K-12, including any required worksheets. Lesson plans are organized by specific topics in Earth Sciences. The section on rocks and minerals is impressive on its own. Lessons for each topic are also further subdivided by grade level. Most lessons appear to be lab-based and very hands-on. Finally, there are literally tons of links to other educational resources within each topic. This is another amazing resource for teachers, but definitely geared towards Science teachers only. The site is colourful and well laid out. There are so many lesson plans and resources that are listed that the site even provides a handy function to sort by topic or age group. If that wasn’t enough, the site also provides suggestions for readings and class discussions of critical issues. This site is mainly geared towards teachers. |