Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

A great resource for environmental news and resources run by a non profit organization since 1991, Envirolink is an award-winning bipartisan, well-organized and updated reference source for educators, students, and all those with environmental awareness. It is actually a hotlist of environmental topic links, sorting by the type of environmental concern. Users should be aware of any agendas the different organizations may have.

tag(s): conservation (102), environment (252), news (226)

For everything everyone wants to know about volcanoes, look at this webpage which includes data on current eruptions, startling photos, links to videos of volcanic activity, links to lesson plans, volcano FAQ's, and a glossary. Video links require the Quicktime plugin. The Kids Door takes you to portins appropriate for younger students and virtual field trips to volcanoes suitable for any age.

tag(s): disasters (37), volcanoes (55)

Visualize patterns of change in Earth's atmosphere and environment using these activities from NASA and actual earth images to bring the concepts to life. Each activity is spelled out in the teacher information so you can use visual data to demonstrate the concepts. There are complete questions to ask and animations for each activity. Each one is a comparison over time to illustrate change. Your students will actually get practice OBSERVING. Allow time to download the animations.

tag(s): climate (85), environment (252), pollution (53)

Listen to songs to teach important (and less important) science concepts. This collection of MP3 files was generated from an old set of records (yes, those round vinyl things that had scratches). While the actual copyright holder information is a gray area, you can feel safe in playing the songs from the site. Most likely, these songs from the 1950s and 60s are past copyright at this point. In any case, you can click to play from smaller or larger file versions. Be patient while they load, even over a broadband connection. It will be worth the wait to teach parts of plants, the water cycle, weather, motion, energy, electricity, and MANY other topics with just a computer and set of speakers to help students retain the information. Most of the content is elementary to middle school age, but some is high school level. Learning support teachers seeking alternate study strategies will love this one!

tag(s): animals (293), energy (133), mammals (22), motion (47), plants (147), space (220), water (105), water cycle (22), weather (161)

This information-packed site focuses on calendars through the ages. It includes sections on the astronomy of calendars (e.g. moon cycles), the history of calendars, differences among various international calendars, derivation of the names of the months, and loads of other trivia about calendars.

tag(s): calendars (37)

Take action against global warming and depletion of the ozone layer. Start by using this site's CO2 calculator to estimate your personal impact on the environment and check out the things you can do in your home and travels to improve your behavior. Note: this site is the companion to the documentary An Inconvenient Truth and gets a large amount of traffic, making it very slow to operate at peak times. You may want to use it as a whole-class activity or at-home enrichment if it is running slowly for you at the time you choose to use it.

tag(s): energy (133), environment (252), ozone (7)

NOVA provides a wide array of information on global dimming, a crisis due to the masking effect of pollution on the true impact of global warming. See interactive timelines of global change, some creative pollution solutions, and more. There is a complete teacher's guide, including hands-on classroom activities and extensive related links. This site is a companion to the PBS television broadcast. Though a few links still require Flash, there is so much more information at this site that it is worth a visit

tag(s): climate (85), climate change (100), earth (183), earth day (61), pollution (53), sun (69)

Science teachers searching for the full-on description of the research and implications for global warming will find more than enough to work with in this flash-enabled site. The presentation highlights the various components of the problem - the carbon cycle, greenhouse effects, and research into past data and future predictions. In and interesting twist, the site offers users the chance to experiment with the implications of various responses to this challenge.

tag(s): carbon (16)

Bring the power and drama of an actual earthquake into your classroom with this beautifully designed Web site. In addition to basic information about the science behind this natural phenomenon - including explanations of plate tectonics, faults, and how scientist measure earthquake force - the site provides historical information about some of the world's most devastating quakes and some breathtaking video clips.

tag(s): earth (183), earthquakes (47), plate tectonics (23)

Remember the anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco quake - and learn a lot about earthquakes in general - with this remarkable set of Google Earth overlays from USGS. The set illustrates the 1906 quake, the plate tectonics of western North America, and the history of earthquakes in the area over the past century.

tag(s): earth (183), earthquakes (47), plate tectonics (23)

Take a virtual tour of the current Pompeii exhibit at the Field Museum of Chicago with this site that brings the cataclysmic eruption to life. The true gem of the site is an interactive timeline that details and animates the events of August 24, AD 79. But be sure to check out the photo gallery - which includes images of frescoes, artifacts, and plaster and epoxy resin casts of some of the victims (a bit gruesome).

tag(s): volcanoes (55)

Challenge your students to think more deeply about the immediate world around them with this collection of thirty thought-provoking questions. Take the quiz yourself to discover how perceptive you truly are regarding the environment that supports your lifestyle. Where does your garbage go? What spring wildflower is the first to bloom where you live? What time is sunset today? There are many possibilities for creation of an environmental lesson around this one.
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tag(s): ecosystems (83), environment (252), pollution (53)

Keep track of earthquake activity with this near-real time monitor. Earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.0 or greater are shown as colored circles on the interactive map. Visitors can even go back in time and view all global earthquake activity over the past five years. The USGS National Earthquake Information Center is the main source for the seismic data on this site. Check out the Education Links on the bottom menu that include lesson plans and resources for teachers.

tag(s): earth (183), earthquakes (47), sun (69), tsunamis (15), volcanoes (55)

This Wikipedia article scientifically documents and explains the deadly Indian Ocean quake that caused staggering devastation across thirteen countries. Includes an animated image of the tsunami, a description of its characteristics, data on damage and casualties, and links to ongoing news coverage, videos, and photos.

tag(s): earth (183), earthquakes (47), sun (69), tsunamis (15), waves (14)

This on-line textbook takes a comprehensive approach to investigating the earth. Includes interactive graphics, animated visualizations, simulations, a weekly Earth News reports, and links to local resources and careers in earth science. Designed to accompany Earth Science, a high school textbook authored by Spaulding and Namowitz, this site can easily be adapted to supplement your earth science curriculum.

tag(s): earth (183), news (226)

Teachers and secondary students willing to pore through this newly released report will find sobering conclusions about global warming and the melting of the arctic ice cap. Try this one as the basis for a discussion of global climate change.

tag(s): arctic (40)

View the awe-inspiring attributes of volcanoes on this site that provides impressive photographs and explanations of everything from magma and lahar to fissures and caldera.

tag(s): volcanoes (55)

ScienceBuddies offers a large variety of science resources including science fair projects and free STEM lessons. From the top menu bar, select Science Fair Project to find a Topic Selection Wizard. This tool uses a short questionnaire to guide students to recommended projects based on length of time needed to work on the project, grade level, and topic for research. Be sure to also visit the teachers' portion of the site to find STEM lesson plans for all grade levels, science fair tools, engineering design information, and much more.

tag(s): calories (6), earthquakes (47), electricity (61), energy (133), gravity (43), internet safety (114), recycling (46), robotics (26), science fairs (20), sound (72), STEM (306)

The science behind volcanic eruptions is described with vivid photographs and text in this high-level site, best suited for advanced secondary students. Six distinct topics - eruption types, historical eruptions, volcanic landforms, the dynamics of eruption, volcanism on other worlds, and eruption products - are followed by interactive quizzes. Related links and a printable volcano crossword puzzle are also included.

tag(s): geology (62), volcanoes (55)

Here's a collection of resources that teachers can use to help students understand the effects of an active volcano on the surrounding habitats. You'll also find a nice collection of information on the history of the volcano itself. Worth a visit if you're planning a unit on volcanoes or national forests.

tag(s): forests (30), volcanoes (55)