Best of the
Science Sites of the Week
spring 2017
Mark Francek
Central Michigan University
Geology and Geography……………………………………………………………………….p.4
1. Earthquake Google Earth/KML Files
2. Video on the Cause and Effects of Wasting Food
3. Minute Earth Plate Tectonics Explained
4. Minute Earth Film on Soil Salinization
5. Minute Earth Film: Why Do Rivers Have Deltas?
6. Using GIS to Teach Plate Tectonics
7. Earth Science Songs to Sing: Mr. Flick’s Earth Science Central!
8. 27 Ideas for Teaching With and About Topographic Maps
9. How to Classify Volcanoes, What are Volcanic Hazards? and Magma Viscosity, Gas Content & Milkshakes
10. Using Easy-to-Draw Illustrations to Teach About Plate Tectonics
11. Checklist for Classifying Rocks
12. 13 Glittering, Record-Setting Gems to Ogle
13. GIS App for View and Record Soil Profiles
14. Before/After Interactive Gallery of Landscape Change
15. 2004 Sumatra Quake & Tsunami- Seismic Waves
16. New Map Shows Where Earth has Gained and Lost Land
17. Continental Drift: Alfred Wegner Song by the Amoeba People
18. Demo to Model Pothole Formation
19. We’re Over-Salting Our Food, and it’s Not What You Think
20. Minute Earth: Soil Liquefaction?
21. Minute Earth: How Tall Can Mountains Be?
Weather…………………………………………………………………………..………..….p.11
1. Rain’s Dirty Little Secret: Role of Condensation Nucleii
2. Minute Earth: How Do Greenhouse Gasses Actually Work?
3. Minute Earth: Is Climate Change Just a lot of Hot Air?
4. Video: Following Carbon Dioxide Through the Atmosphere
5. Minute Earth Film: How Mushrooms Make it Rain – Condensation Nuclei
6. Minute Earth Film: Why Does Earth Have Deserts?
7. Video of Passenger Plane Landing in EXTREME fog
8. Ten Trillionths of your Suntan Comes From Beyond our Galaxy
9. Minute Earth: Why Are There Clouds?
10. Minute Earth: Why Climate Change is Happening or is it Just a lot of Hot Air?
11. Minute Earth Video: How Your Perception is Impacted by Extreme Weather
12. Six Graphics that Explain Climate Change
13. Go to Source for Climate Change: EPA’s Climate Site.
14. Using Google Earth to Explore the Rain Shadow of Death Valley
15. A Comic Timeline of Earth’s Average Temperature since the Pleistocene
16. Interactive Showing how Natural and Industrial, Contribute to Global Warming
17. EPA’s Student Guide to Global Climate Change
18. NASA’s Global Climate Change- Vital Signs of the Planet
19. Where is the Hottest Place on Earth?
Space………………………………………………………………………………….…..…...p.18
1. Ask an Astronomer: Find an Answer to your Space Question
2. Minute Earth Film:Tidal Locking | Why Do We Only See One Side of the Moon?
3. Astronomy Simulations and Animations
4. What’s up in the Night Sky for February?
5. Fly and Examine the Exoplanet of your Choice
6. Go to, Wonderful Collection of Astronomy Related Videos
7. Video: Introduction to Astronomy
8. Hubble Deep Field Video: with Pink Floyd Background Music
9. Animation: The Size of Huddle’s Deep Field Image in Relation to the Rest of the Night Sky
10. Time and Place Eclipse-Maps
11. Video on How to Create a Comet with Dry Ice
12. Physics – Interactively Animate Velocity Vectors
13. Education Resources to Accompany “The Martian” Movie
Water…………………………………………………………………………...……………..p.23
1. Interactive tool for Monitoring Arctic Ice Recession
2. Minute Earth:Where Did Earth's Water Come From?
3. Minute Earth: Ocean Confetti – the Plastic that Doesn’t Degrade
4. Water Follies: Wasting Water
Environmental………………………………………………………………………………..p.24
1. 20 Climate Change Facts for Deniers
2. Environment- Top Documentary Films Free for the Viewing.
3. Macroinvertebrate Project Guide
4. Video: Death by Plastic of Albatross on Midway Island
5. Video on Extreme Chinese Industrialization
Demos…………………………………………………………………………………………p.30
1. Using Cell Phones to Measure Weathering
General…………………………………………………………………….………………….p.30
1. The World’s Largest Natural Sound Archive Just Went up Online
2. Minute Earth: How do Trees Survive Winter?
3. Minute Earth Film: How Much Does Meat Actually Cost?
4. Biosciences Time Lapse Video
5. Scroll through the Scale of the Universe 2
6. Monarch Watch Network
7. Guide to Implementing Water Rockets in the Classroom
8. World Wildlife Fund Report: ‘Wildlife Falls by 58% in 40 Years’
9. Interactive on the Elements, Cells, and Other Trivia Relating to your Body
10. Teach Students How to Ask Questions
11. Smarter Everyday Video Series Exploring Science
12. Correlation, Causation, and Coincidence: Statistics don’t Always Say What You Think they Might
13. 30,000 Spurious Correlations Graphs
14. Earth Systems Investigations for the Classroom
15. CK-12 Interactive Physics and Chemistry Simulations
16. Watch Fox Diving Headfirst Into Snow: Role of Magnetic Pole
17. Why Doodling is OK
18. Guidelines for Productive Classroom Questioning
19. How Science Works: The Flowchart
Teaching…………………………………………………………………………………….p.37
1. Sit With UsLunchroom App Helps Students Find A Place To Sit With A Welcoming Group
2. Science and Math: Put in the Search Term and the Song Appears (if it’s in the Database)
Humor……………………………………………………………………………………….p.38
1. Cat Herders in the Old West
2. How to Catch Fish in the Sewer
3. On the Value of Persistence: a Puppy’s Best Friend.
______
Geology and Geography
Site Name / Earthquake Google Earth/KML FilesSite URL / http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kml.php
Site Author / U. S. Geological Survey
Suggested By / John Patterson
Description / This website has great maps of tectonic plates and shake maps where earthquakes are likely to occur. Learn and explore everything about earthquakes here on this site.
Site Name / Video on the Cause and Effects of Wasting Food
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5i-dCv7O8o&feature=youtu.be
Site Author / Minute Earth
Suggested By / Mark Francek
Description / This You Tube video does a great job explaining the causes and effects of wasting food. Watch the video to learn about surprising facts and see what you can do to prevent food waste.
Site Name / Minute Earth Plate Tectonics Explained
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwfNGatxUJI&feature=youtu.be
Site Author / Minute Earth
Suggested By / Mark Francek
Description / Watch this short You Tube video to learn about the different kinds of tectonic plates, how they have changed overtime and why they are similar to a conveyer belt.
Site Name / Minute Earth Film on Soil Salinization
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL0Fai06OhU&feature=youtu.be
Site Author / Minute Earth
Suggested By / Mark Francek
Description / Loads of salt aren’t just bad for humans, but plants as wall. Plants absorb the salt through their roots, potentially cutting off their water supply, causing for dead plants. Watch this video to learn what farmers are doing to reduce the high levels of salt in the soil.
Site Name / Minute Earth Video: Why Do Rivers Have Deltas?
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A47ythEcz74&feature=youtu.be
Site Author / Minute Earth
Suggested By / Mark Francek
Description / “Where rivers meet the ocean, coastlines tends to bend either inward or outward, creating estuaries and deltas. But how do they get those shapes?” Watch the video to learn the answer.
Site Name / Using GIS to Teach Plate Tectonics
Site URL / http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/tectonics/index.html
Site Author / Eli Environmental Literacy and Inquiry
Suggested By / Mary Colson
Description / “Tectonicsis a series of six Web GIS investigations designed to augment a traditional existing middle school Earth science curriculum. The investigations are aligned to Disciplinary Core Ideas: Earth and Space Science from the National Research Council’s (2012)Framework for K-12 Science EducationESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large Scale System Interactions.The learning activities are also aligned to tectonics benchmark ideas articulated in the AAAS Project 2061 (2007)Atlas of Science Literacy.A Web GIS is also provided for open-ended tectonics investigations for students.”
Site Name / Earth Science Songs to Sing: Mr. Flick’s Earth Science Central!
Site URL / http://www.nscsd.org/webpages/gflick/earth.cfm?subpage=26685
Site Author / Greg Flick
Suggested By / Greg Flick
Description / “These are song parodies that I've written: most are new lyrics to familiar melodies with an Earth Science theme, but one is completely original. As the year goes on I post my songs as I introduce them in class.You can also find videos of some of my songs, and some of my students work at myYouTube webpage -www.youtube.com/user/ssgrf”
Site Name / 27 Ideas for Teaching With and About Topographic Maps
Site URL / https://education.usgs.gov/lessons/teachingtopomaps.html
Site Author / USGS
Suggested By / Bill Jaggers
Description / “TheUSGS offers free topographic mapsfor most of the United States. The maps can be downloaded as PDFs through the USGS store. The maps can be used in the27 suggested topographic maps lessonsfound in the USGS education site. All of the lessons are rated by grade level and time required for completing the activity.”
Site Name / How to Classify Volcanoes
What are Volcanic Hazards?
Magma Viscosity, Gas Content & Milkshakes
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iavbdqsSC1o&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCm6xTZj-vk&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iaqE0xmsHI&feature=youtu.be
Site Author / GeoScience Videos
Suggested By / David McConnell
Description / “Three simple short (~6 minute) videos that come with quizzes (follow link to blog in notes section below each video). We use these as priceless assignments to free up time in class for other learning activities.”
Site Name / Using Easy-to-Draw Illustrations to Teach About Plate Tectonics
Site URL / http://geology.com/nsta/pt_drawings.pdf
Site Author / Hobart M. King
Suggested By / Science Core Curriculum
Description / “Next time you teach plate tectonics, consider a draw with me presentation that will engage your students and help them understand the spatial and movement aspects of plate boundary environment.” This website provides illustrations that students can color to help them better learn about plate tectonics.
Site Name / Checklist for Classifying Rocks
Site URL / http://www.charlesburrows.com/earth/activities.labs/01COMPOSITION.CRUST/rocks.wrksht.pdf
Site Author / Charles Burrows
Suggested By / Charles Burrows
Description / Check out this PDF for three useful worksheets for students on Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rocks.
Site Name / 13 Glittering, Record-Setting Gems to Ogle
Site URL / http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/glittering-record-setting-gems-to-ogle
Site Author / Angela Nelson
Suggested By / Mike Nolan
Description / “Yes, these gem stones are surprisingly big. Yes, they're rare, sparkly and extremely valuable — priceless even. But with each piece of eye candy comes a fascinating history. From huge pink diamonds to flawless clear ones, from glittering topaz to a giant pearl, read on for tales of royal birthday gifts, international smuggling and a fisherman's forgotten find.”
Site Name / GIS App for View and Record Soil Profiles
Site URL / https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDANRCS/bulletins/16dc2f4
Site Author / USDA
Suggested By / USDA
Description / “Pedon Vault gives users nationwide a way to share data by populating a national database of sites that can be used by educators, scientists, farmers, landowners, schools, soil judging teams, the general public and many more according to Jason Nemecek, Wisconsin State Soil Scientist. According to Nemecek, the app records soil exposures across the country and populates a national database. Interested users can identify field sites that demonstrate good soil profiles with accompanying data.”
Site Name / Before/After Interactive Gallery of Landscape Change
Site URL / https://climate.nasa.gov/images-of-change?id=599#599-antarcticas-pine-island-glacier-calves-iceberg
Site Author / NASA
Suggested By / Zach Miller
Description / “Our Images of Change gallery features images of different locations on planet Earth, showing change over time periods ranging from centuries to days. Some of these effects are related to climate change, some are not. Some document the effects of urbanization, or the ravage of natural hazards such as fires and floods. All show our planet in a state of flux.”
Site Name / Interactive Visualization of 2004 Sumatra Quake Seismic Waves
Site URL / http://ds.iris.edu/seismon/swaves/
Site Author / IRIS
Suggested By / Fred Beyer
Description / “A visualization of earthquake waves traveling both through Earth’s interior and radiating outward on the surface.” Check out this website to see how an earthquake can affect various parts of the world by playing the animation.
Site Name / New Map Shows Where Earth has Gained and Lost Land
Site URL / http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/water-land-sea-levels-shift-map/
Site Author / Betsy Mason
Suggested By / Mike Nolan
Description / “With sea level rising and ice caps melting, it’s easy to believe that more of Earth’s land is covered by water every year. While this is certainly true in some places, a new study found that there is actually slightly more land surface exposed than there was 30 years ago.” Read the article to learn more about this surprising discovery.
Site Name / Continental Drift: Alfred Wegner Song by the Amoeba People
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1-cES1Ekto&feature=player_embedded
Site Author / The Amoeba People
Suggested By / Alice Kasten
Description / “The Amoeba People present "The Posthumous Triumph of Alfred Wegener", the sad but true story of a scientist and his hypothesis.” Watch the video to learn more.
Site Name / Demo to Model Pothole Formation
Site URL / http://www.earthlearningidea.com/PDF/259_Bucket_pothole.pdf
Site Author / Earth Learning idea
Suggested by / Virginia Malone
Description / An activity that uses a little math to model the formation of a pothole. The identification of assumptions strengthens this activity. The instructions are easy to follow. If you do not have buckets gallon milk containers with the tops cut down should work as well.
Site Name / We’re Over-Salting Our Food, and it’s Not What You Think
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL0Fai06OhU&feature=youtu.be
Site Author / Minute Earth: The Problem of Salt in Soil
Suggested By / Mark Francek
Description / Loads of salt aren’t just bad for humans, but plants as well. Plants absorb the salt through their roots, potentially cutting off their water supply, causing for dead plants. Watch this video to learn what farmers are doing to reduce the high levels of salt in the soil.
Site Name / Minute Earth: Soil Liquifaction
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Uwxr42JqYQ&feature=youtu.be
Site Author / Minute Earth
Suggested By / Mark Francek
Description / This You Tube clip does a great job explaining what liquefaction is and why it causes buildings and cars to collapse and sink into the ground.
Site Name / Minute Earth: How Tall Can Mountains Be?
Site URL / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIWhzYq16Ro&feature=youtu.be
Site Author / Minute Earth
Suggested By / Mark Francek
Description / “Given all of the factors that conspire to limit the height of mountains, for example, sinking into the earth’s mantle, fractures and erosion, I wouldn’t bet on our tallest mountains getting much taller than they already are.” Watch this video to learn more about mountains and where the tallest one in our solar system is located.
Weather