Themepark

exploration
Science

The purpose of scientific exploration is to find explanations for the things that happen in the world around us. All the scientific knowledge we currently have is the product of centuries of questioning, research, and observation--the process referred to as "the scientific method."

The basis of the scientific method is asking questions and then trying to come up with the answers. Consequently, anyone engaged in the scientific method can be considered an explorer.

 

Places To Go    People To See    Things To Do    Teacher Resources    Bibliography

Places To Go

A Science Odyssey
A Science Odyssey presents the people and the discoveries of twentieth century science and technology in a variety of accessible, entertaining, and interactive Web features. 
Exploratorium
This site is part of the San Francisco museum that features 650 exhibits on science, art, and human perception. Among other things, you can find out about the current solar cycle, learn about the science of baseball, and explore the unknown world inside your brain.
The Franklin Institute
An online community of educators, students, schools, science museums and other institutions demonstrating a new model for inquiry science education.
Live Science
This site is a reliable and useful source for cool science news. It focuses on the exciting fields of Earth, space and weather science and covers a sprinkling of other hot topics on the edge.
The Why Files
This site explores the science behind the news by providing cogent, accurate and often droll explanations of the science and technology that underlie the news of the day.

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People To See

4000 Years of Women in Science
This site focuses on the contributions women have made to the technological advancement of society. The list, which emphasizes women of the past (mainly pre-20th Century) can be searched alphabetically, chronologically, or by field of study.
Bill Nye
Pop into his online lab and meet Bill Nye, the science guy. While you're there, you can email Bill a question, check out science demonstrations, find information about his TV show, and learn about other cool science stuff.
Einstein's Big Idea
This site contains a thoughtful overview of the life and science of Albert Einstein, the scientist Time Magazine referred to as the most influential person of the 20th Century. The site explains Einstein's theories in plain English and diagrams, and it also has links to other Einstein resources.
Eric Weisstein's Treasure Trove of Scientific Biography
This site contains over a thousand biographical citations about various scientists. It is cross-referenced and can be searched alphabetically, historically, by scientific discipline, nationality or gender of the scientist, as well as by scientific prize winners.
The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
Profiled here are African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science and engineering.
MadSci Network
MadSci Network is a collection of scientists that provide answers to science questions. 
Scientific American's Ask the Experts
Ask your own science-related questions or view the archives to view the answers to previous questions.

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Things To Do

Helping Your Child Learn Science
This online publication sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement serves as a basic science primer for parents interested in exposing their children to basic science concepts. It provides suggestions for science activities to do at home and in the community. 
Science Made Simple
Get fun science project ideas and conduct science experiments using household materials. The site also provides detailed answers to children's science questions.
Try Science
This site has fun "do-at-home" experiments for kids and adults alike on diverse topics in science. An explanation of what's going on and a list of cool links are also provided for each experiment. More than 400 science learning institutions contributed experiments to this site.

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Teacher Resources

Science Fiction Stories with Good Science
This is a selective list of some science-related stories that use more or less accurate science and can be used for teaching or reinforcing astronomy or physics concepts.
Lesson Plans/Webquests

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Bibliography

  • Bortz, Alfred B. and Fred Bortz. To the Young Scientist: Reflections on Doing and Living Science. Franklin Watts, Incorporated, 1997.
  • Churchill, E. Richard, et al. 365 Simple Science Experiments With Everyday Materials. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishing, 1997.
  • Doris, Ellen. Doing What Scientists Do: Children Learn to Investigate Their World. Heinemann, 1991.
  • Gleick, James and Jesse Cohen. The Best American Science Writing 2000. Ecco Press, 2000.
  • Lehn, Barbara and Carol Krauss. What Is a Scientist? Millbrook Press, 1999.
  • Macaulay, David. The New Way Things Work. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.
  • Platt, Richard and Stephen Biesty. Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections. Knopf, 1992.
  • Renahan, Edward J. Scientific American Guide to Science on the Internet. Ibooks, 2000.
  • Vancleave, Janice. Science Around the Year. John Wiley & Sons, 2000.
  • Suplee, Curt. Milestones of Science. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
  • White, Michael. Leonardo: The First Scientist. St Martins Press, 2000.
  • Wiese, Jim. Rocket Science: 50 Flying, Floating, Flipping, Spinning Gadgets Kids Create Themselves. John Wiley & Sons, 1995.
  • Wood, Robert W. The McGraw-Hill Big Book of Science Activities: Fun and Easy Experiments for Kids. McGraw-Hill, 1999.
  • Zeman, Anne and Kate Kelly. Everything You Need to Know About Science Homework. Scholastic Trade, 1994.