THE MUSEUM S SCIENCE WEB SITE FOR KIDS

Transcription

1 THE MUSEUM S SCIENCE WEB SITE FOR KIDS After-School Educator s Guide to OLogy Site Maps Table of Contents INTRODUCTION SCIENCE HOMEPAGES ARCHAEOLOGY ASTRONOMY BIODIVERSITY EINSTEIN GENETICS MARINE BIOLOGY PALEONTOLOGY Copyright 2004, American Museum of Natural History.

2 Introduction Each OLogy topic contains a wide range of resources that can fit different after-school formats and interests. The first site map, of the OLogy homepage, shows where all the science topics can be found. It s followed by maps of the homepages of each of these topics, annotated to describe the contents and format of each feature within it. All the hands-on activities in each OLogy, such as Biodiversity or Einstein, are highlighted in a box labeled Stuff to Do. Printable versions of Content Guides for each of these topics are, or will be, available at For a wider or more detailed search (by keyword, topic, resource type, grade level, or completion time), visit the OLogy Special Collection Index at This index is a part of a free, easy-to-navigate online database of the Museum s extensive educational, called Resources for Learning: 1

3 Science Homepages From the OLogy homepage you can reach all of the topics offered on OLogy. Each topic homepage lists the features within it. Over time, more topics will be added. ASTRONOMY ARCHAEOLOGY GENETICS MARINE BIOLOGY OLOGY HOMEPAGE BIODIVERSITY PHYSICS PALEONTOLOGY 2

4 Site Map - ARCHAEOLOGY: Clues from the Past Explore ancient buildings and the artifacts found there, then do what archaeologists do try to figure out what the buildings were used for A kid interviews a ceramic jar to learn about the Zapotec people of ancient Mexico, and what it s like to move from a funeral mound to a big-city museum An introduction to how archaeologists study past life through what s been left behind Take a virtual tour of this world-famous archaeological site its tombs, churches, streets, and theaters, and the artifacts found there Meet archaeologist Chuck Spencer and three kids who love digging into the past If Trash Could Talk Mint Your Own Coin Piecing It All Together Make a Field Journal Map Your World Create Your Own Time Capsule Archaeology Books Make Your Own Stationery Build a comic strip in this interactive game by choosing the tools that archaeologists use as they face challenges in the field and lab A multiple-choice quiz that tests your grasp of fundamental concepts in archaeology Kids can have fun away from the computer with projects that use easy-tofind 3

5 Site Map - ASTRONOMY: Our Place in Space Animations explain what gravity does, and thought experiments investigate what would happen if gravity stopped A photo gallery of the tools scientists use to investigate the red planet, and a look at all of the planets in our solar system An introduction to the study of the entire universe and everything in it Stella Stardust interviews the Sun to get the inside scoop on its past, present, and future Mind-boggling facts and stargazing tips about the very BIG subject of astronomy This song explains your long address where you fit in the vastness of the universe Play this matching game about space phenomena like planets, galaxies, and nebulae Moon Flip Book Interview with Mars Scavenger Hunt Stargazing Space Travel Guide Big Dipper Mobile Cosmic Cookies Astro Books Make Your Own Stationery Kids can have fun away from the computer with projects that use easy-tofind Answer a question and find out how your answers match up against other visitors opinions Meet astronomer Neil de Grasse Tyson and three kids who think space is awesome Facts about our galaxy, supplemented by a Q&A with an astronomer and exercises that bring the concept of billions down to earth Find out how astronomers figured out that an expanding universe started with the Big Bang, plus an interactive cosmic timeline A multiple-choice quiz that tests your grasp of fundamental concepts in astronomy 4

6 Site Map - BIODIVERSITY: Everything Counts Explore the interactive cladogram a family tree that shows how all living things are related Scientists in the field the Bahamas, Madagascar, and Australia show how they study rare plants and animals A look at all the benefits of biodiversity, from natural resources to the products we rely on every day An introduction to the study of the amazing variety of life on Earth An interactive exploration reveals the hidden biodiversity of a city park A Connect the Dots game that shows how organisms interact in three different rain forest habitats, and introduces experts who work in all three Meet conservation biologist Eleanor Sterling and three kids who help protect the environment Answer a question and find out how your answers match up against other visitors opinions A photo gallery of species lost forever, and an explanation of the many causes of extinction A multiple-choice quiz that tests your grasp of fundamental concepts in biodiversity Facts and questions about the surprising origins of many of the foods in our kitchen cabinets Draw a Monarch Butterfly How to Help Biodiversity Endangered! Web of Life Flying Frog Fable Feed the Birds Biodiversity Books Make Your Own Stationery Kids can have fun away from the computer with projects that use easy-to-find 5

7 Site Map - PHYSICS: Way to Go, Einstein! Find out what Einstein s famous equation (E=mc 2 ) is all about, with an introduction to light, the scientists who came before Einstein, and Einstein s effect on our daily lives An exploration of your address in the fourth dimension (time), relativity, time travel, and a brush with a black hole A step-by-step introduction to doing thought experiments, with examples on the speed of light and on maintaining an orbit A timeline of the life of this extraordinary scientist and humanitarian Find the nine inventions in Al s Junk Shop that owe their existence to Einstein s ideas Space Jell-O Views from Windows See the Light Thinking in 3-D Atomic Mobile Light Quest Physics Books Make Your Own Stationery Kids can have fun away from the computer with projects that use easy-to-find Check out Einstein s famous unfinished work a theory of everything 6

8 Site Map - GENETICS: The Gene Scene Animations and rhymes lead you through a zoom into a cell and explain the mechanics of heredity An interactive game that gives examples of how genes and the environment interact An introduction to the science of genes and traits An introduction to common and not-so-common inherited traits, with a poll Scientists explain their genetic research on whales, tigers, lemurs, and other creatures A TV news show where kids define a genome and explain the potential of the Human Genome Project How a sheep named Dolly was cloned, and what it means for science and society Comic strips show how genetic modification works, and ask whether genetically modified foods are a good idea Answer a question and find out how your answers match up against other visitors opinions Meet molecular biologist Rob DeSalle and three kids who think genetics is cool A multiple-choice quiz that tests your grasp of fundamental concepts in genetics The story of a biologist who used genetics to protect an endangered reptile, plus a matching game for young detectives A look at some of the choices that new genetic technologies will soon make possible DNA Model DNA in a Blender What Makes You YOU? Wear a Chimp on Your Wrist Field Journal Genetics Books Make Your Own Stationery Kids can have fun away from the computer with projects that use easy-to-find 7

9 Site Map - MARINE BIOLOGY: The Living Oceans A game where kids can choose an ecosystem Deep Sea, Coral Reef, or Continental Shelf and link the species that live there A Q&A about how scientists study ocean ecosystems, and the chance to sample species in a mangrove swamp using a magical magnifying glass An introduction to the study of life in the oceans Answer a question and find out how your answers match up against other visitors opinions An introduction to the oceans incredible diversity of life, with a matching game, a timeline showing when it all began, and the story of the Museum s famous blue whale Meet ichthyologist Melanie Stiassny and three kids who think life in and near the ocean is awesome A multiple-choice quiz that tests your grasp of fundamental concepts in marine biology Sing along with Glowing in the Ocean to learn about bioluminescence, and meet some glow-in-the-dark creatures Be an Ocean Helper Rubber Blubber Gloves Supersaturated Salinity Slowing the Flow Crazy Camouflage Create a Coral Reef Ocean Books Make Your Own Stationery Play this interactive game to find out some of the adaptations that help fish, birds, mollusks, and other marine organisms survive A matching game shows how living in water affects the way ocean creatures breathe, eat, and move Kids can have fun away from the computer with projects that use easy-tofind 8

10 Site Map - PALEONTOLOGY: The BIG Dig A photo gallery documents the Museum s annual fossilhunting trip to Mongolia, including expedition planning, a day in the field, and memorable specimens Locate strange and familiar dinosaurs and see how they relate to each other on this interactive family tree, or cladogram Deena Soris conducts an interview with a Protoceratops fossil to find out what it was like when this dinosaur was alive and how it became a fossil HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES Drawing Dinosaurs Buried Bones Finding Fossils Mesozoic Museum Paleontology Books Make Your Own Stationery Kids can have fun away from the computer with projects that use easy-to-find An introduction to the study of fossils and what they tell us about the plants and animals that lived thousands, millions, and billions of years ago A multiple-choice quiz that tests your grasp of fundamental concepts in paleontology See a fossil of two dinosaurs locked in combat through a paleontologist s eyes, examine clues to figure out how they died, and play a fossil matching game Meet paleontologist Mark Norell and three kids who think fossils are cool Answer a question and find out how your answers match up against other visitors opinions 9