The Polar Discovery team has documented science in action from pole to pole during the historic 2007-2009 International Polar Year, and covered five scientific expeditions. The science projects have explored a range of topics from climate change and glaciers, to Earth’s geology, biology, ocean chemistry, circulation, and technology at the icy ends of the earth. Through daily photo essays, we explain how scientists collect data and what they are discovering about the rapidly changing polar regions.

What’s next for the Polar Discovery team?
Even though the International Polar Year has ended, science will continue in the Arctic and Antarctic. Stay tuned for future Polar Discovery expeditions to the icy ends of the earth.

Take a look – it is a treasure trove of information!

The Children’s University of Manchester presents an excellent opportunity for The University of Manchester to share, with the wider community, and particularly primary schools, the excitement of the knowledge created through its pioneering research activities and teaching and learning practices.

Resources include online interactive learning materials for use on whiteboards or PCs; video clips which will bring the University to your desktop; downloadable resources and educational games. Content will be aligned with, and complement existing Key Stage 2 web-based learning resources.

My kids had a really fun time with this site! There are sections on the body and medicine, energy and the environment, ancient Egypt, Earth and beyond, teeth and eating, micro-organisms, the brain and senses, textiles and words.

Note: The site relies heavily on Macromedia Flash to provide interactive learning environments. Flash player 8 or above is necessary to play the interactives.

Integrating Mathematics, Science and Language: An Instructional Program is a two-volume curriculum and resources guide developed by Paso Partners – a partnership of three public schools, an institution of higher education, and SEDL specialists.

The resource is designed to help elementary school teachers organize their classrooms and instructional activities in order to increase achievement of Hispanic primary-grade children whose first language is not English. The guide offers a curriculum plan, instructional strategies and activities, suggested teacher and student materials and assessment procedures that focus on the acquisition of:

* higher-order thinking skills to apply newly learned knowledge and understanding;
* understanding of relations between mathematics and science concepts;
* knowledge, i.e., specific items of information and understanding of relevant concepts; and
* language to gain and communicate knowledge and understanding.

Although written for children whose first language is Spanish, the lesson plans are useful for any teacher. Check them out here.

Yes FREE!!! Woo hoo! Need I say it? :)

A nonprofit subsidiary of the National Geographic Society, JASON connects young students with great explorers and great events to inspire and motivate them to learn science. Its core curriculum units are designed for 5th – 8th grade classrooms but are flexible enough to be adapted for higher or lower grades.

The JASON Project was founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, the scientist and oceanographer who, in 1986, discovered the wreck of the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Ballard’s breakthrough development of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) enabled scientists located far from a research site to remotely observe and record scientific phenomena otherwise inaccessible to them. Impressed by the many requests he received from students who wanted to learn more about his Titanic expedition, Dr. Ballard began to explore ways to bring the excitement of real scientific discovery into the classroom. In 1989, he established The JASON Project, a pioneering organization that uses multimedia tools and cutting-edge technology to engage students in scientific research and expeditions led by leading scientists.

You have to register to access all the materials. After registering, you can create a classroom and then assignments for students. Best of all, there are materials for download! And all for F-R-E-E!

My kid LOVES Science and she was thrilled when she got hold of Mr Q’s Classic Science textbook. It is for kids aged 8 to 12, I believe, but honestly, it was GOOD FUN for me too! How can you not love a teacher that describes Science like so?

“If it stinks, it’s chemistry. If it’s slimy, it’s biology. And if it doesn’t work, it’s physics.”

You can download the entire Elementary Life Science Book for FREE! It includes a teacher’s manual (about 400 pages or so!) and student textbook with experiments, worksheets, tests and answer keys (another 400 pages or so!).

My daughter loves her book so much that she reads it for fun. She also insisted that I download the same crazy fonts Mr Q used for our notebooking papers :)

Check out The Blog of Mr Q and Mr Q’s Lab Notes.