Website: Middle School Chemistry

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHEMISTRY from the American Chemical Society contains lessons and multimedia for educators and their students.

The Lesson Plans section is divided into six chapters. Each chapter contains a series of lessons that include a video and multimedia, lesson plan, activity sheets, readings, standards alignment, and teaching resources.

The Multimedia section takes students step-by-step through the lesson with embedded interactives, illustrations, and videos.

Librarians will find that the lessons and multimedia resources align well with the science curriculum. Of particular note are the Spanish language versions and hands-on activities and animations.

To visit the website, go to http://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/.

Website Review: Royal Institution Games

INTERACTIVE GAMES from The Royal Institution contains dozens of educational games and quizzes exploring science topics.

Users can choose from interactives related to chemistry, engineering, human body, microsites, natural world, and physics. From fighting insect attacks and battling predators to building a skeleton and acting as a forensic scientists, students have many opportunities to apply science knowledge in engaging environments. Students can takes quizzes on topics such as anatomy, DNA, and the periodic table.

Librarians will find these fun games to be useful in learning centers as well as integrating into the STEM curriculum. Fill a learning center with nonfiction STEM books along with a tablet for game playing.

To visit the website, go to http://www.rigb.org/education/games.

Website Review: SolveMe Mobiles

SOLVEME MOBILES provide a fun and engaging way to explore math and problem-solving.

Designed to support algebraic reasoning, this interactive experience presents users with colorful puzzles that help algebra and pre-algebra students strengthen their skills at solving equations for unknown values.

The project contains two sections: play and build.

The Play section asks users to imagine a hanging sculpture. Participants can explore three levels of built-in puzzles, share their own puzzles, list saved puzzles, and like favorites. A variety of tools are available including an electronic hand, pencil, and eraser.

The Build section provides tools so users can create their own mobiles by selecting and placing shapes of specific colors. These puzzles can be saved and shared. The website also provides information for parents and teachers.

Librarians will find this appealing website to be a fun addition to the library along with the math classroom. Consider building the interactive activity into a learning station or maker space featuring books and manipulatives to explore math puzzles.

To learn more, go to http://solveme.edc.org/mobiles/.

Website Review: Scholastic Student Activities

STUDENT ACTIVITIES from Scholastic has been providing high-quality web and whiteboard activities for decades.

Hundreds of activities are available across disciplines. Activities are organized by grade level (PreK-K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8). Categories include games, computer lab, interactive whiteboard, listen and read, and writing activities. While many of the activities are associated with Scholastic products such as books, most can be used without special supplies.

Librarians will find endless ideas for the K-8 curriculum. Mine this website for classroom connections. Of particular note are the “listen and read” activities.

To visit the website, go to https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/student-activities/.

Website Review: Games

GAMES from the National Museums Scotland contains dozens of interactive games for children focusing on topics from history to science.

While some of the games have educational value such as building a wind farm and designing a clinical trial, others are simply for fun such as monkey business lunch.

Librarians will want to mine this website for curriculum related games. For instance, Morse Code for the STEM curriculum and Discover Ancient Egypt for the history curriculum.

To visit the website, go to https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore?type=13119.

Technology Review: Storyplace

STORY PLACE is a children’s digital learning library.

Sponsored by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, this engaging website is filled with engaging activities for children. Available in both English and Spanish, the website provides resources based on dozens of themes. The resources including online stories, web-based activities, videos, reading lists, home activities, and more.

In addition to StoryPlace, the library also houses a preschool activity library and book hive children’s literature section.

Librarians will find the colorful, attractive interactives to be popular with primary-aged children. The website’s thematic approach connects on-computer and off-computer reading and learning activities that teachers can easily adapt for the classroom.

To visit the website, go to https://www.storyplace.org/.

Digital Collection: National Science Foundation Special Reports

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SPECIAL REPORTS

Contents: This collection contains dozens of special reports. While some of these materials are aimed at educators, others are useful for students. The reports are listed in chronological order.

Classroom Connections: From science games and interactives to tools and multimedia projects, each report connects to some aspect of science. Scan through the reports and mine those materials that connect to particular areas of the curriculum.

Featured Digital Objects:
Predicting Seasonal Weather - https://goo.gl/5swZX6
Generation Nano Contest - https://goo.gl/RWs2lp
Let It Snow - https://goo.gl/51q11b

To visit the collection, https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/.

Website Review: Virtual Labs

VIRTUAL LABS help students learn basic science laboratory techniques related to food science.

Developed through university and government agency collaborations, this website includes eight food science lab interactives designed to help students learn laboratory techniques and practice methods used by lab technicians and researchers.

Hands-on activities include testing for corn mold, bacteria sampling, gram staining, using the microscope, the pH scale & meter calibration, testing and adjusting pH, understanding water, and controlling water activity in food. Each activity provide an introduction, tutorial, and lots of opportunities for realistic practice.

Librarians will find these engaging interactives useful in both science classes. They may also be used in a makerspaces related to gardening or related science-based activities.

To try the labs, go to http://virtuallab.nmsu.edu/.

Website Review: The Cyrus Tang Hall of China

THE CYRUS TANG HALL OF CHINA from The Field Museum is an online exhibition exploring the history of China.

Users begin by exploring the exhibition. The exhibition is divided into an introduction, five galleries, and two interactives exploring the diverse landscapes, ethnicities, social statuses, and lived experiences across time and space. Artifacts in the exhibition range thousands of years.

Each highlighted artifact includes background information, visuals, and background information.

The interactive elements allow users to explore information about China through a timeline and map video as well as a 360 virtual exhibit exploration tool.

Librarians will find the online exhibition to be an engaging way to experience the history of China. A supplemental website contains educational materials that focus on object-based learning approaches. These tools connect well with information skills and information inquiry activities in the library.

To visit the website, go to http://chinahall.fieldmuseum.org/.

To visit the educator toolkit, go to http://www.fieldmuseum.org/disc…/on-exhibit/china/educators/.

Technology Review: Digital Stories

DIGITAL STORIES from the Wellcome Collection weaves digitized primary sources into fascinating historical stories.

This London library website currently contains two digital stories: Minecraft and The Collectors.

Using an intriguing web-based format, Minecraft explores a century of madness, murder and mental healing through historical photographs, drawings, paintings, and other primary source documents. In many cases, interactive features are available such as zooming into documents, extended galleries, and informational sidebars. Multimedia elements are also available.

The Collectors is a digital story focusing on the power of curiosity and the naturalists, explorers, scientists, and others who have been involved with collecting in centuries past. This interactive web-based project also features primary source materials and multimedia elements.

Librarians will find this website to be a fascinating way to present archival materials. Use the website when exploring primary sources and design an activity the involves students in writing their own digital stories based on a collection.

To visit the collection, go to http://digitalstories.wellcomecollection.org/.

Website Review: Surging Seas

SURGING SEAS is a fascinating website that provides sea level data, tools, and analysis.

Users can explore four areas including coastal flooding, mapping choices, a risk zone map, and a risk finder.

Coastal Floods provides an interactive showing natural and human-caused flooding in US cities between 1955 and 2014.

Mapping Choices provides maps, fly-overs, images, interactives, and reports comparing flood levels after increased in global temperatures.

The Rise Zone Map contains comparison tools that can be used to examine local sea level projections around the world and determine the risk of flooding.

The Risk Finder provides local information from selected states that can be used for analysis, forecasts, and predictions.

Librarians will find this compelling website to be an effective tool in teaching data literacy skills. The engaging content will actively engage learners in science while helping them explore data sets.

To visit the website, go to http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/.

App Review: PBS Students

PBS STUDENTS by PBS LearningMedia is an app designed to help learners access educational content and create storyboards to share their ideas.

The app was designed to complement the PBS LearningMedia Student portal website. Providing access to thousands of resources across subject areas, students can watch videos, play interactives, download images, and complete activities. Favorite programs including those by Ken Burns, Jim Henson Company, NOVA, National Archives, NASA, and many more are available through the app.

Learners explore content by subject area or search for a topic. Local resources can be accessed by state and community. Students can create an account so they can store favorites and build interactive web pages called Storyboards to share what they’ve learned.

Librarians will find this app to be an effective way to provide access to PBS content in a controlled environment. The easy-to-use building tools are an interesting way for students to create and share an interactive poster containing media, images, a background, and text. A URL is generated that students can share with their teacher.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pbs-students/id972063192.

Website Review: Annenberg Learner

The ANNENBERG LEARNER website contains hundreds of high-quality interactives for teachers and students of all ages.

Educators looking for interactives can narrow their search by grade level, discipline, audience, or software. Disciplines include arts, education, foreign language, language arts, literature, mathematics, science, and social studies/history.

Librarians can align the interactives with specific curriculum needs. The interactives can be integrated into the classroom or used in learning centers in the library.

To explore the interactives, go to https://www.learner.org/interactives/.

Website Review: Learn. Genetics

LEARN. GENETICS from the Genetic Science Learning Center provides high-quality, interactive information about genetics as well as the foundational science related to genetics topics.

Sponsored by the University of Utah, the website is divided into the areas of genetics, cell biology, ecology, human health, neuroscience, and science tools. Each section provides fascinating tutorials and interactives related to core concepts.

The Genetics section begins with a tour of basic genetics. Then, examines specific aspects of the field such as characteristics of inheritance and epigenetics. In addition, it explores practical applications such as pigeon breeding.

Each resource includes interesting information and visuals. Most incorporate interactive elements to keep students interested.

Librarians will find many connections to the science curriculum. Consider working with the science teacher to select specific sections that might be used to introduce or reinforce a science lesson.

To visit the website, go to http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/.

Website Review: Smithsonian's History Explorer

THE SMITHSONIAN’S HISTORY EXPLORER website provides access to high-quality teaching and learning materials.

The Lesson & Activities section contains hundreds of standards-based educational resources. Users can search by key words and filter results by grade, resource type, historical era, and cross curricular connections.

The Interactives & Media area features audio, video, and interactive resources such as 3D tours, learning games, and tutorials.

The Museum Artifacts element uses an object-based learning approach applying artifacts from the Smithsonian’s collection.

The Themes section explores major topics from American history such as immigration, civil rights movement, westward expansion, and War of 1812.

The Books area features selected children’s books that represent particular historical eras. These titles can be organized by reading level.

The Teacher Resources provides materials to help educators teach with primary resources. This section also links to a variety of professional development materials and opportunities.

The Web Links area links to over one hundred useful websites related to American History. These websites are specifically aimed at K-12 youth.

Librarians will find many opportunities to connect classroom teachers with standards-based activities and resources. Specifically seek out those materials that stress inquiry-based learning and primary sources.

To visit the website, go to http://historyexplorer.si.edu.

App Review: Robots

ROBOTS is an interactive reference app exploring over 150 real-world robots.

This award-winning app provides a complete reference guide to the topic of robotics. The engaging app contains hundreds of animations, photos, videos, and articles.

Users select a robot to explore from thumbnail images of 158 robots from 19 countries around the world. Users can examine a 360 degree view of the robot, participate in interactive animations, review technical specifications, read articles, and view photos and videos.

Librarians will find that this app appeals to both beginners as well as experienced robot enthusiasts. Include the app in a display with toy robots, LEGO robots, and books related to the topic.

To download the app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/robots-for-ipad/id566581906.

Technology Review: National Gallery of Art

The NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART’s a website and apps that provide a wealth of resources and activities for youth of all ages.

The website Education area provides access to areas including Teachers, NGAkids, Families, and Teens.

The Teachers area is a place where educators can connect to useful educational resources including lesson plans, teaching packets, and videos. Teachers can also download posters and artwork. The NGA Images link provides access to 45,000 open access digital images for use in teaching and learning.

The NGAkids Art Zone includes over a dozen engaging art interactives for children including Sea-Saws, Brushster, Faces & Places, Jungle, Still Life, Dutch House, Photo Op, Collage Machine, Flow, Paintbox, Swatchbox, Wallovers, 3-D Twirler, Mobile, and Pixelface. These easy-to-use online learning activities focus on art and art history.

Eight of these interactives are also available through the NGAkids Art Zone mobile app. There’s also an app focusing on the Hobby Horse exhibit.

The Adventures in Art area of NGAkids Art Zone features highlights of the collection presented in a kid-friendly, interactive style.

The Families area contains resources of interest to youth of all ages. An Eye for Art is an online resource that explores 50 artists in the collection and Family Guides online booklets share insights into the collection.

The Teens area provides links to current exhibitions and installations. It also connects with audio and video programs associated with art and art history. Many of the interactives from the kids section would be of interest to teens too. The Your Art app provides information about over 130 popular artists and their works.

Librarians will find a wealth of resources for use in the art curriculum. Also, consider this resource when designing STEAM activities that connect art with science, technology, engineering, and math. Weave artwork into social studies and history classes through the use of the NGA Images collection.

To learn more, go to http://www.nga.gov.

Website Review: Edheads

The EDHEADS website provides a wealth of interactive educational resources for all ages.

The website contains a wide range of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) activities.

Resources for elementary and middle school youth include Simple Machines, The Compound Machine, Weather, and Design a Cell Phone.

Resources for middle and high school youth include Trauma, Deep Brain Stimulation, Virtual Knee Surgery, Choose the Prosthetic, Virtual Hip Replacement, Virtual Hip Resurfacing, and Aortic Aneurysm Surgery.

Resources for high school students include Sickle Cell DNA, Crash Scene, Stem Cell Transplant, Stem Cell Heart Repair, and Nanoparticles and Brain Tumors.

The Teacher Resources section encourages educators to participate by exploring materials teachers have created to go with the interactives as well as the opportunity to share ideas.

Librarians will find these high-quality interactives to be popular with both students and teachers. The online activities are attractive, engaging, and educational.

To learn more, go to the website at http://edheads.org.

Website Review: BAM! Body and Mind

BAM! BODY AND MIND from the Center for Disease Control provides information and activities aimed at helping young people make healthy lifestyle choices.

Designed for children 9 to 13 years old, the website contains six sections: Diseases, Food and Nutrition, Physical Activity, Your Safety, Your Life, and Your Body; all are packed with information and activities. For example, the Disease section includes the Disease Detectives and Immune Platoon activities and more. Information about Asthma is found within Disease Detectives and more details are added in Meeting the Challenge in the Physical Activity Section. Acne and its treatment are explained in the Under the Microscope section of Your Body.

In the Teachers Corner, educators can quickly view lessons and activities, handouts, and recommended related materials. Teachers can use BAM! to provide interactive, informative and fun activities in their classrooms; activities that are linked to the national standards for science and health.

Librarians can partner with teachers to plan and deliver a healthy food activity. Setup a blender with needed ingredients and have students try the recipes for drinks and smoothies found in the Food & Nutrition section. Lots of other recipes are provided in Cool Treats. Pair this activity with a cookbook display featuring healthy recipes.

Visit and learn more about BAM! at http://www.cdc.gov/bam/

Website Review: Mocomi

Mocomi is an educational website providing short, informational interactives and reading experiences.

The term “mocomi” stands for MOtion COMIcs. Originally designed for children in India, the website’s goal is to help educate young people around the world through animation and storytelling. Designed for children 12 and under, the website contains over 1500 modules across content areas. The colorful graphics and animation will appeal to elementary grade learners.

The website is divided into “fun” and “learn” sections.

The “fun” section provides interactives in the areas of arts & crafts, drawing, printables, games, stories, poems & rhymes and kid’s wallpaper.

The “learn” section includes resources related to science, math, geography, history, english, civics, culture, environment, the arts, and general knowledge. Keep in mind that these interactives weren’t designed for US schools, so not interactives apply to American education. The interactives vary in their quality and format. While some are mostly linear, informational reading experiences, others contain interactive aspects. Many take the form of infographics.

Although the website contains lots of advertising, it shouldn’t be too distracting for students.

The MocomiKids YouTube channel contains dozens of high-quality educational videos. Go to https://www.youtube.com/user/mocomikids.

Librarians will enjoy working their way through the interactives matching them to the curriculum.

To go to the website, go to http://mocomi.com/.