Volcano World Web Site

Volcano World is neat place to find all sorts of information about volcanoes. According to webmaster Stephanie Grocke, "Volcano World was founded by Dr. Chuck Wood in 1995. Since that time over fifty professionals and hundreds of students have contributed content or time to Volcano World". The web site is hosted by the Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University and kept alive by ongoing volunteer efforts. CLICK HERE to go the the homepage or HERE to see the site map, which provides links to all sorts of interesting stuff related to volcanoes, such as "Volcano Factoids" (my personal favorite). Photo courtesy of the USGS.

Convection: The Straw that Stirs the Drink

As you know, convection plays a major role in Earth systems. Here is video that shows a colorful way for students to cause convection . . . and then watch as it happens. The video shows the second part of a two-part activity that helps students understand the role convection plays in causing wind. Both parts, as well as the student handout, are included in a kit available from WARD's. CLICK HERE to see the kit, which also includes an activity related to ocean currents. CLICK HERE to watch a video of that activity. The student handouts (one for the wind lab, and the other for the ocean currents lab) challenge students to apply what they have observed to wind and ocean currents in a way that contributes to a deeper understanding of these Earth systems.

30 Earth Science PowerPoints

The New York Science Teacher is one of the best resources for Earth Science teachers PERIOD! The goal of "New York Science Teacher" is to create a central point where all Science Teachers can come to access the vast resources created by other teachers. Christopher Sheehan is the webmaster for this amazing site. CLICK HERE to access the 30 Earth Science PowerPoint presentations that were created by teachers and posted by Sheehan.

U.S.G.S. Water Science for Schools

Some of the most important issues facing communities throughout the world are problems related to water quality and quantity. Earth Science teachers play an important role in helping future adults understand water systems so that they can make sound decisions about this important resource. The USGS has provided a multitude of resources on their "Water Science for Schools" web site to help us do this. The site is well-organized and very user-friendly. CLICK HERE to see what it has to offer.