Interactive Science Websites

The interactive science websites listed here can be used both in the classroom and at home to teach students.

Edheads provides many virtual teaching activities and supplemental resources. (Click on “Activities” at the top of the page.) Among the topics covered at the website are

• Create a Line of Stem Cells—Learn what a stem cell is and help our scientists create a stem cell line!
• Design a Cell Phone—Help engineering director Elena design and manufacture a cell phone to help senior citizens get the most out of new technology!
• Deep Brain Stimulation—Help Dr. Vanessa Mei cut, probe, and drill her way to helping her patient cope with a movement disorder through brain surgery!
• Crash Scene—Help the highway patrol recreate a deadly crash by examining the evidence and calculating the forces.
• Virtual Hip Resurfacing—Take on the role of the surgeon throughout a hip resurfacing surgery.
• Virtual Hip Replacement—Take on the role of the surgeon throughout a hip replacement surgery.
• The Odd Machine—Learn how forces and simple machines can work together to create The Compound Machine.
• Virtual Knee Surgery—Take on the role of the surgeon throughout a total knee replacement surgery.
• Weather—Learn how to report and predict the weather at the underground W.H.E.D. weather caves.
• Simple Machines—Learn about simple and compound machines while you explore the House and Tool Shed.

Virtual Electron Microscope—Click and drag specimens under the microscope and then match them with the answers on the right.

Virtual Dissections—A variety of websites offer the opportunity to either watch dissections or to do virtual dissections. Here are two.

• Virtual Frog Dissection 
• Cow’s Eye Dissection 

Places to Publish for Gifted Young Writers

Gifted students need “real” audiences for their work. They benefit from seeing their words in print and finding others who have the same interest.

Figment is a place where young people, ages 13 and up, share their writing, connect with other people with similar interests, and discover new stories and authors. The website was started by Dana Goodyear, a staff writer at The New Yorker, and Jacob Lewis, the former Managing Editor at The New Yorker and Condé Nast Portfolio. It contains a variety of sections that will be of interest to young authors, including

• A place where students can post their writing and get feedback in the form of comments and reviews.
• Writing contests.
• Advice from adults who publish young adult books.
• Recommendations of recently published books for young adults.
• A forum where students can connect on a variety of subjects related to their writing.
• A blog that, among other things, contains interviews with published authors of books for young adults.

If your young writer is more independent, suggest that he submit his writing for publication without the feedback and interaction of a group. A Young Authors Guide from NewPages.com provides

• Updated lists of publications that accept submissions from young people, some from children as young as eight.
• A long list of writing contests, listed by month.
• Information about writing programs.
• A list of writing conferences.

The Do-It-Yourself Movement

The Atlantic carried an article titled School for Hackers: The Do-It-Yourself Movement Revives Learning by Doing. The article is consistent with the project-based learning concept where students explore real-world problems and challenges.

Because we have become so used to providing young people with ready-made toys and technology, we often miss opportunities for them to use their own ingenuity to problem solve and create. In addition, we are not passing down what used to be common knowledge about folk crafts, creative cooking, model building, woodworking, gardening, collecting, etc. There is a movement now to revive the do-it-yourself (DIY) philosophy and get kids involved in building and creating.

Through the do-it-yourself movement, students learn research skills, understand subject matter at a deeper level, and are more deeply engaged in their work.

When a young person builds a model rocket, or a kite, or a birdhouse, she not only picks up math, physics, and chemistry along the way, she also develops her creativity, resourcefulness, planning abilities, curiosity, and engagement with the world around her.

There are many resources that will help you introduce kids to the DIY movement.

• Hobby shops—both store fronts and online varieties have all kinds of materials and kits.
• Knitting, sewing, and quilting stores have not only supplies, but often offer free or low cost instruction.
• Home Depot often has building classes specifically for children.
• Local summer camps, workshops, and clubs such as Tinkering School.  
• Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do)—plenty of exciting ways for your children to explore the world around them.
• Magazines such as Make where you will find an archive of fun projects for kids of all ages.

Self-Directed Learning for Gifted Students

Taking the initiative to design one’s own learning may be the ultimate educational experience and can be used with homeschoolers, in the classroom, or independent of any school environment.

Directing one’s own curriculum as a child becomes the basis for lifelong learning as an adult. It opens the door to pursuing subjects and activities that are personally interesting. Passions develop because one is able to choose the content and the timeline. The topic may or may not be a traditional academic subject: both are valuable.

In a typical school situation, students are told what to study and they are given timelines for accomplishing specific tasks. While this traditional method builds many skills and can produce a lot of knowledge, young person may only learn to do what she is told and not learn to love learning for learning’s sake. Parents and teachers can encourage young people to walk down the path of passion.

Resources for self-directed learning include:

• Self-Directed Learning—This site provides ideas for teaching self-directed learning and for becoming a self-directed learner. It also includes articles, archived newsletters, and links to other helpful websites.
• Self-Directed Learning—This article includes an explanation of self-directed learning, lists its benefits, and discusses what teachers can do to help the process.
• The International Society for Self-Directed Learning —For those who really want to study the concept of self-directed learning. Here you will find back issues of this organization's journal.