I recently discovered a great site created by the University of Nottingham in the UK called The Periodic Table of Videos. On this site you can click on each individual element and watch a video about that element and it's characteristics. All of these videos can also be access on their YouTube site which also has other videos about scientific stories as well as their latest creation The Molecular Videos which are focused on molecules and compounds.
Now What?
The Periodic Table of Videos is a great site to use while teaching about the different elements and what makes them special. The videos on their channel are very short (for the most part one minute or two) and very informative. While we are talking about elements, you can check out this interactive period table which allows you to sort them in all different ways and this visual periodic table which has some great information about each element. Ready to test your knowledge...check out these games by Sheppard Software broken out by knowledge.
Sponge Lab is a beta site which has been developed by a group of scientists, teachers, animators, artists, and programmers passionate about science education. The purpose of Sponge Lab...make available cutting-edge technology and stunning interactive media for everyone, regardless of fiscal constraints. Exploring around the site as a guest, I found Sponge Lab to be easy to use and full of resources. The content available for searching includes graphics and images, games and simulations, animations and video, case studies, lesson plans, and quizzes.
Watch the short trailer below about Spongelab Interactive...
Now What?
Sponge Lab looks to be an excellent resource for science teachers as well as students completing a project or looking for some information about a variety of science topics. I liked the ability to search by subject area as well as by topic. Sponge Lab is kind of like Googling for information without having to Google it because everything you are looking for is in one place for you to explore. One of the resources that I found previously and bookmarked was the Build A Body simulation which is great for students learning about the body's systems.
