This site includes a series of lab activities that demonstrate the concept of electromagnetic induction. The activites vary in complexity, but all of them can be performed using simple electronic lab equipment such as magnetometers and voltmeters. Each activity lists the materials needed, what instructions to give to the students, and what should happen when they perform the experiments.
This site has information about where the tectonic plates were located in the Pleistocene and throughout geologic time. You can view animations of the plates moving or download models.
DATA: Planetary images and geodesy data. TOOL: UNAVCO’s Jules Verne Voyager Map Server. SUMMARY: Generate maps of Earth or any of 19 other planets and moons. Save and import images into presentations or reports.
The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), launched in 2001, has provided an extremely detailed map of the cosmic microwave background, a remnant from the Big Bang and the oldest light in the universe. This false-color image of the cosmic microwave background gives viewers a detailed snapshot of how the universe looked at a very young age. Colors have been assigned to slight fluctuations in temperature: warmer areas are red, while cooler areas are blue. A timeline shows the progression from the Big Bang to the instant of time depicted in the WMAP image to the present-day universe.
This web based instructional material is part of HyperPhysics. HyperPhysics is an exploration environment for concepts in physics which employs concept maps and other linking strategies to facilitate smooth navigation. For the most part, it is laid out in small segments or “cards”, true to its original development in HyperCard. The entire environment is interconnected with thousands of links, reminiscent of a neural network. The bottom bar of each card contains links to major concept maps for divisions of physics, plus a “go back” feature to allow you to retrace the path of an exploration.
This is one of the world’s largest geological web sites, with more than 200 web pages comprised of geological field guides, with hundreds of full screen color photographs of varied geological features, and with associated bibliographies. All of the field guides are for geologic locations in England. Also included is a large directory of internet sites sorted by topic. Topics range from mineral and rock types, to geologic time periods, fossils, plate tectonics, geochronology, mapping, and geologic surveys.
The Genographic Project is a five-year effort of the National Geographic Society in partnership with IBM to collect and analyze more than 100,000 DNA samples, creating a database of anthropological genetic information in order to trace the origins and movement of the human race. This radio broadcast discusses the project goals of mapping human migration and locating more precisely the origin of our common ancestor, a man who lived in Africa 60 thousand years ago. It notes that genetic markers are more prevalent in Africa and what people may learn by participating in the project.
This website is a fact sheet of the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Mapping Applications Center. It explains, with examples, why map scales are necessary, what they do, and how they work. It also discusses common scales that the USGS uses on their topographic maps.
This fun astronomy activity allows learners to experience finding stars in the night sky that will eventually go supernova. This activity is perfect for a star party outdoors. The PDF contains step-by-step instructions, photos, presentation tips, ready-to-print star maps, and links to background information.
