The Whiteboard Blog » Science Resources

Weather Forecasting Resource

Danny — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:42:48 +0000

Here’s a really clever little resource for geography that lets students produce their own weather forecast by dragging symbols onto a google map. They can even customise it with their own logo.

When they’re done, you can then run the presentation on an IWB and the screen will sweep around the map just like on the professional weather forecasts.

You can access the weather map here : http://www.watbot.co.uk/ria/wxforecast

7 Mythbusters Clips for Science Teachers

Danny — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:16:09 +0000

If you ever put the Discovery channel on, the chances are that very soon you’ll encounter an episode of Mythbusters. It’s one of my favourite shows on TV at the moment. OK, the kid in me never tires of watching large explosions, but there is some very good science going on too. They put movie myths, old wives tales, urban legends, thought experiments and internet viral videos to the test. If you’ve ever wanted to know if you can find a needle in a haystack, or teach an old dog new tricks then this is the show for you.

I’m still amazed when I meet science teachers who have never heard of the Mythbusters. In every situation the team use proper scientific method to break down each myth and put it to the test. Often they go one step further on busted myths to see if they can replicate the intended outcome of the myth (which is usually where the explosions happen!)

There are plenty of clips from the shows up on YouTube that are perfect for use in Science lessons to illustrate concepts or to demonstrate thought experiments. Here are a few of my favourites:

Bullet Drop

A classic thought experiment. If you fire a bullet from a gun, and at the same time drop a bullet straight down from the same height, will they hit the ground at the same time. Physics says yes, but most peoples common sense says no. The Mythbusters put it to the test.

Throwing an object from a moving car

If you have a car travelling at 60mph, and you throw an object out the back at 60mph, will the two velocities cancel each other out and the object appear to an observer to fall straight down?

(fast forward to 2min 30)

Can you really build a lead balloon?

If you do it right, can you build a balloon out of lead that can actually float?

Thermite and Ice

If you combine the thermite reaction with a lump of ice, it turns into something a lot more explosive!

Alkali Metals (Debunking the Brainiac video)

This is the Mythbusters take on the famous (and sadly faked) Brainiac video of alkali metals in a bathtub.

Water on a chip pan fire

An amazing video which demonstrates exactly why you don’t pour water onto a chip pan fire. Scary.

Can you cut down a tree with a minigun?

OK, not a lot of science here (although could demonstrate friction) – but I just love this clip of Kari cutting down a tree with a minigun.

There are loads of other great examples out there. If you haven’t seen the Mythbusters before, go check them out!

Lesson Starter Ideas for your Whiteboard

Danny — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:21:14 +0000

Here are a few ideas taken from some of the talks I have given this academic year for ideas on using your Interactive Whiteboard during lesson starters. They could also be used as plenary tasks. Some of the ideas you may have seen before in various places (such as the Canada, Germany talks), but I’m bundling them up into one file for you to download.

Here are some of the activities that are in the file:

Organ Reveal : A student comes to the board and pulls out an organ. They then have one minute to talk about the organ and its role in the body without repetition or pauses…. I’ve also included the fishing rod and balloon activities from previous presentations.

Put it in the box : This activity makes use of the layer feature. One group of objects will go into the box, the other group will not go into the box. In this example drag the insects into the box…. Easily adaptable for any two groups of objects.

To customise. Add all the items to the page. Unlock the front of the box and “send to front”. Relock. Then select all the objects that do not go into the box and “send to front”. They will stay outside, while the other objects will now go inside the box again.

Keyword Bingo : Pupils use a selection of words to create a bingo grid on a piece of paper. Teacher can then reveal definitions at random. Cross it off the grid and see who can get three in a row and a full house.

Plenary Circle : Simple idea, but can be used at all key stages. Pull in pairs of words to make “I know that…. ” sentences. If you have a more able group, you could leave one word in for the next pupil to use in their sentence – this means you have to think more carefully about the range of words you put around the edge of the circle.

Word Builder : How many words can you make that relate to science. Give everyone time to make as many words as they can. Students can come to the board to show examples of the words they have made.

Use the links below to download a version of the file for your whiteboard:

Promethean ActivInspireVersion : Download here

Smart Notebook 10 Version : Download here

If you use the files, I’d love to hear how they went. If you do adapt them for your own subject, please let me know what you did – I’d be interested in having a copy. It’s always good to get ideas from other subjects. All my resources are covered by a Creative Commons Share-Alike license. I am more than happy for you to pass on, rework and modify any of the files that I produce. BUT…. share alike. You got it for free, pass it on for free

And a subtle plug – if you ever want training sessions on how to make these kind of resources – please get in touch. I’m happy to travel around the UK and can go further afield if dates allow. Email me for more information.

Augmented reality lemur

Danny — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:37:42 +0000

Here’s a rather cute use of Augmented Reality technology. Produced by London Zoo it gives you the chance to have your very own Augmented reality lemur, Loris, sitting in the palm of your hand.

Loris doesn’t do a lot, and you can’t really interact with her. But she’s very cute.

You’ll need a webcam to get this to work, and you’ll need to print out a special marker on a page for the camera to detect. Find out more here.

Free Labskills Science Software

Danny — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:43:03 +0000

LabSkills is an interactive software resource designed to help teachers and their students get more out of chemistry laboratory sessions at A-level and GCSE levels.

Available as a USB stick, a teacher can use the material to prepare students for a laboratory session. LabSkills supports and encourages the student and enhances the practical work. It is not designed to be a substitute for practical work in science. It can however play an important role in promoting best practice in lab skills in a stimulating and engaging way.

This resource helps to develop problem-solving skills and encourage a life-long learning approach to education. Created by Learning Science and the University of Bristol, and promoted through the Discover Chemistry Programme run by the RSC and Pfizer, these resources are available to all state secondary schools and FE colleges across the UK throughout the spring and summer of 2010, free of charge. One USB stick for each school or college.

Schools can register to receive the free resources at www.discoverlabskills.org. Register now to receive your resources before the end of term. Any teacher or technician can register their school.

Schools that do not qualify for the FREE Resources can purchase them from www.labskills.co.uk at a cost of £34.99 per USB stick.

World Cup Resource from Smart Exchange

dannynic — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:08:06 +0000

You may have noticed a small football tournament started today. To celebrate, Smart have made available a World Cup resource from Skoool, which you can download and add to your Smart Gallery.

Skoool football has been developed to engage students in a range of activities that will improve their understanding of maths and science. All activities open with a challenge. Should students require support to complete the challenge successfully they can access theory on the mathematical or scientific concpet by clicking on the theory button. Most of the activities contain random elements so more than likely when students enter the activity again they will be presented with a new scenario.

Download the resource from the Smart Exchange here.

Oxygen Animation

dannynic — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:04:58 +0000

Via the Bad Astronomy Blog, here’s a cool little video that would be a nice way of introducing some of the reactions of Oxygen:

Promethean Guest Post – Science Resources

dannynic — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:49:28 +0000

I’m quite chuffed to have been asked to produce a guest post for the Promethean Planet website. I’ve written about my favourite 10 science websites.

To see the Blog Post go here.

This updated blog is part of a big redesign of the Promethean Planet website and community area. If you are a Promethean user then it’s well worth registering with the site and taking a look at the resources that you can download.

I’m looking forward to writing more blog posts for them in the future.. watch this space!

Chemical Education Digital Library

dannynic — Mon, 24 May 2010 09:10:46 +0000

Here’s a useful resource for Chemistry teachers : The Chemical Education Digital Library

The Chemical Education Digital Library(ChemEd DL) is the destination for digital content intended for chemical science education. They aim to be the place where you can contribute, share, and organize chemistry education materials. With oversight provided by the various communities that comprise ChemEd DL, we strive to provide the best of what chemical education has to offer.

Check it out here: http://www.chemeddl.org/

Bang Goes the Theory Resource Pack

dannynic — Mon, 10 May 2010 17:05:08 +0000

Bang Goes The Theory is a BBC television programme which aims to get people trying science for themselves. The Hands-on Science section of the website has printable instructions and video guides for stunts, demos and experiments you can do at home or out and about.

Many of the activities could be useful in schools so BBC Learning has drafted curriculum notes to accompany each one.

BBC Learning has compiled a BBC resource pack using some of the best clips from the first two series of BBC One’s Bang Goes The Theory. Each clip is accompanied by curriculum-based lesson plans and resources that teachers can use to produce science lessons at Key Stage 3.

The resource pack includes a DVD that is divided into sections and has been edited from the first two series of Bang Goes The Theory. Each section looks at a topic from the National Curriculum for science and is accompanied by a corresponding lesson plan and resources.

The pack has been designed and produced in collaboration with education and science experts. It aims to inspire learning in young people and provide new and creative ways to teach the Key Stage 3 science curriculum.

To get your free copy of this pack, click here.