Science, Nature, & Mathematics
Earth Trends: The Environmental Information Portal (The World Resources Institute)
A collection of online databases that provide access to massive amounts of data relating to the environment, geography and economics of countries around the world. Topics covered include: coastal and marine ecosystems, climate and atmosphere, agriculture and food, energy and resources.
eNature.com (Shearwater Marketing Group) (Contains advertisements and sponsored links)
Audubon field guides online and searchable, with descriptions and color photos of almost 5000 North American plants and animals. Although the site is not often updated, the information on North American plants, birds, and other wildlife is excellent.
Exploring Data (Education Queensland)
An easy to navigate, indexed site exploring the world of statistics, with activities, worksheets, and datasets. Provides material for both beginning and advanced students of statistics.
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (US Department of Education)
Lists hundreds of educational websites supported by US government agencies. Subjects include arts, history, health and physical education, language arts, mathematics, science, and world studies.
Girls Health (Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Covers a wide range of health topics specifically for young women, such as fitness, nutrition, relationships, bullying, drugs, smoking, and others.
Healthfinder (National Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Serves as an all-purpose source of free medical and health information for the general public. Features a health library, a section on doctors, dentists, hospitals and insurance, and a directory of selected health information websites from government agencies, clearinghouses, nonprofits, and universities.
Homework Center (Multnomah County Library)
A selection of internet resources, organized by topics most commonly requested for homework assignments. Selected and annotated by librarians.
How Products are Made (Thomson Gale) Contains advertising.
Each entry includes background, history, diagrams, descriptions of raw materials and the manufacturing process, future projections, a bibliography, and (be warned) advertising links for the products described.
Iemily (iEmily Inc.)
Includes information on herbs, natural remedies, beauty tips, yoga, sexuality and other matters of lifestyle. Offers essays written by girls about a range of issues, including grief, self-image, self-injury and disabilities.
INFOMINE (Regents of the University of California)
Provides access to a collection of resources (many free) like databases, electronic journals, bulletin boards, mailing lists, online library catalogs, articles, directories of researchers, and other types of information assembled by librarians at 30 contributing universities. Sometimes this site is slow to load – it may take a few attempts, but it’s worth the effort!
Infrared Astronomy (Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology)
Provides a wide range of material on the study of infrared astronomy. Includes infrared images and video, activities and information about the science and technology of infrared science.
Ipl2 (The Internet Public Library 2) (iSchool at Drexel University in partnership with several other universities)
A virtual library providing easy access to many reference resources, books, magazines and other websites selected by librarians. Organized by subject. Also has a section especially for teens.
JetStream: An Online School for Weather (National Weather Service Southern Region)
Covers the fundamentals of weather and severe weather. The major areas addressed are: forecasting, the atmosphere, the ocean, global weather, synoptic meteorology, thunderstorms, tropical weather, remote sensing and the National Weather Service.
Kepler’s Three Laws of Planetary Motion (David P. Stern, retired physicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center)
Consists of an overview of Kepler’s laws, with examples, applications, problems and related history.
Medical Dictionary (MedicineNet.com) (Contains banner ads)
Contains well written explanations of over 16,000 medical terms, as well as recent news items that address different health issues.
Medline Plus (National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health)
Devoted to medical and health information for the public and health professionals. Features information on conditions, diseases and wellness topics, an encyclopedia, drug information, directories, access to medical organizations and more.
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Interactive Mathematics (Utah State University/National Science Foundation)
A collection of online mathematics activities, organized by grade level and subsections such as Numbers & Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Analysis and Probability.
NationMaster.com (NationMaster.com; Luke Metcalfe, a web publisher and data miner from Sydney, Australia) (Contains banner ads)
A vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Resources Institute, UNESCO, UNICEF, and OECD.
North American Mammals (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History)
Over 400 profiles of mammals of North America, with scientific information, maps, habits, images, some audio clips and more.
Physlets (Wolfgang Christian from Davidson University)
Dedicated to helping students understand processes and concepts of physics. Includes graphics illustrating such processes as linear momentum, elastic linear collisions, the movement of sound waves, and others.
The PLANTS Database (US Department of Agriculture)
A database of plant information listed by both common and scientific names. Special topics include ecological site information, alternative crops, cultural significance, and fact sheets on specific plants.
Science Buddies (Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation)
Focuses on promoting and assisting student-based science projects. Covers the basics of science projects, such as project selection, methods and strategies. Extra resources include tips for engineering and programming projects, Ask the Expert, and information about judging and evaluation standards.
Science Café (University of California, San Francisco)
Multimedia presentations and ongoing discussions from top researchers on a variety of medical topics.
SciLinks (National Science Teacher’s Association)
A partnership between textbook publishers and the NSTA, this site provides access to web sites that will expand student’s understanding of scientific concepts, provide current science news and present activities to supplement material found in high school and college science textbooks. Though it may appear otherwise, NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Seaturtle.org (Seaturtle.org)
Contains everything from the latest scientific research on seaturtles, to reports on conservation efforts, to career information in the field of marine biology. Includes podcasts and other multimedia presentations.
SOS Math (Math Medics, LLC) (contains banner ads)
Provides tutorials and practice exams on elementary to college-level mathematics.
Star Journey (National Geographic) (Contains banner ads)
Provides a star chart, photographs from the Hubble space telescope, and articles on astronomical matters.
Treehouses on the Tree of Life (for all ages) (Tree of Life Project)
Composed of more than 2000 web pages providing information about phylogeny and biodiversity.
US Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications: Data Services (US Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department)
Provides information on all types of astronomical phenomena, including moon phases, seasons, eclipses and more.
Weather Scope: an Investigative Study of Weather and Climate (for all ages) (Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at Stevens Institute of Technology)
Immerses students in a hands-on, data-driven approach to the study of weather and climate. Includes instructions on constructing weather instruments, data collection and analysis, and several projects. Although this site doesn’t have ads, some of the sites it links to are commercial sites.
Webopedia (INT Media Group, Inc.) Contains banner advertisements and sponsored links.
An online dictionary and search engine for computer and Internet technology information. Includes a quick reference section for information on everything technological.
Wise: Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (Wise, UC Berkeley)
A web-based science learning environment that helps students to learn about and respond to scientific controversies through designing, debating and critiquing solutions. Topics include hybrid cars, static electricity and global warming. Requires free membership.
