Monday, December 3, 2012

Useful Biology Websites



Biology Website Evaluations


1. Name of Website: Khan Academy

2. Website Address: http://www.khanacademy.org/

3. Copyright date/Last Update: ©2008 - 2012 Khan Academy. All rights reserved.

4. Author/Organization Credentials: Khan Academy is a not-for-profit educational organization started and owned by Salman Khan in 2008. Users and submitters of this site are just asked to follow the Creative Commons Attributions-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License terms of use.

5. Website Design and Ease of Navigation: This website is extremely easy to use and navigate. The home page doesn’t overwhelm you with a large amount of options to click on or things to see. The design is very simple and not overly done which makes it accessible and easy to use for everyone of all ages. At the home page, all the different subjects are listed right there for you with specific topics below each subject. There are also tabs at the top that allow to access different videos, practice the things that you have learned, and tell you more about their purpose and background. There is also a huge search bar on the home page for you to search a particular topic or video if it isn’t listed. I really like the design because it is clean looking and organized which means less confusion on the user’s part.

6. Response and Recommendation for Use: I would recommend this website to all teachers and students. This isn’t just for biology/science related topics. It also includes math, computer science, humanities, test prep, and several other science fields. This website is great for students for learning about a certain topic they may be struggling with. Salman Khan created over 3500 videos that teach students all kinds of different material. The videos are wonderful because they are explained in a way that everyone can understand and go at a steady pace. During the video, he shows several examples and provides drawings and representations of what he is discussing. The videos also provide practice assessments and progress tracking. The science section alone covers a wide variety of areas including chemistry, physics, astronomy, and medicine. The biology section has a total of 72 videos. This site is a great learning tool for any classroom. If I had a student struggling, I would have them view these videos to see if it helps them with their understanding and I could check their understanding via the practice assessments. The best part is that students can use this outside of the classroom. If they are stuck on a problem, they can use the computer at their house or library and look at these videos for support. Khan Academy provides educational tools and supplements to everyone at no charge.




1. Name of Website: How Stuff Works

2. Website Address: http://www.howstuffworks.com/

3. Copyright date/Last Update: ©1998 - 2012 HowStuffWorks Inc. All rights reserved.

4. Author/Organization Credentials: How Stuff Works is a wholly owned subsidiary of Discovery Communications founded by North Carolina State University Professor Marshall Brain in 1998. There are several authors that contribute to the website.

5. Website Design and Ease of Navigation: The first thing I noticed on the home page is that there is a lot of stuff to look at and might overwhelm someone at first. All of the material is sorted into an organized fashion though so once you adjust to it, it isn’t that difficult to find what you are looking for. The tabs at the top are organized into the different topic areas such as auto, science, culture, tech, etc. There is also an area next to those tabs that include games, quizzes, videos, etc. The homepage also shows new items that have been added to the website and also has a list of the most popular links on their website. There is also a large search bar at the top right corner of the page which is easy to find for people looking for a particular thing. On the science page, it shows different current news topics. On the right hand side of the page it list the most popular topics and most watched videos. Overall, the website is well organized and is designed in a way that will be easy to use for majority of people.

6. Response and Recommendation for Use: I really like this website because it doesn’t just include straight out of the textbook definitions and explanations. It also has news articles, interesting facts, puzzles, games, videos, diagrams, photographs, and animation. It caters to every type of learning style. You have photographs and animations for the visual learners, videos and sound clips for the audio learners, and games and puzzles for the more kinesthetic learners. I just find this site to also be really engaging and fun. Like I said, instead of just reading articles you can actually see how it works and why it works. I would say this is one of the more fun and interesting websites. It also has a huge variety of science topics such as chemistry, forensics, nuclear science, engineering, matter, space, etc. This would be a great site for students to use when writing a report or having to give a presentation. They can get a lot of information about the topic they are researching but in several different formats and presentations. I could also use this site if I need to present a video or animation to the class. This site could also be used during free time in the classroom. Students could get on the computer and play on the interactive games and puzzles about science. The best part about this site is that it is for the curious minds. When students want to know why this happens, how that works, or how that is possible, this site can answer those questions.




1. Name of Website: National Geographic


 3. Copyright date/Last Update:  ©1996-2012 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.

4. Author/Organization Credentials: This website is a collaboration of many authors associated or employed with National Geographic Society. The copyright serves as the organization’s credentials even though no editors are specifically listed on the home page. Each article generally lists its author, but there are many associated with the organization.

5. Website Design and Ease of Navigation: The home page is full of a lot of different items but it is very well organized and materials are easy to find. There is a search bar in the top right corner of the page for those looking for specific items. There are tabs at the top of the page dealing with different content areas and below each main tab is a smaller tab that includes every specific thing involved with that subject. They also list different daily news topics, editor’s picks, blogs, events, etc. Everything works and is up to date on the site. The only problem I encountered is that ads do pop up every once in a while when going to a new page but that is only a slight inconvenience. They can be immediately closed.

6. Response and Recommendation for Use: This site has a lot of great learning tools specifically dealing with animals, the environment, and travel. I would use this website primarily when discussing animal behavior, taxonomy, and ecology. There are a lot of great videos and pictures on the website. This would be great to use while teaching lessons. I could use the videos off the site to explain different animal behaviors or environmental issues. For example, when discussing the predators vs. prey concept in class, I could show the students a video showing how the larger cats such as cheetahs, lions, and panthers stalk their prey and camouflage themselves in the environment before attacking. This website provides several different attention getting and exciting videos that will definitely keep students entertained and pay close attention. The website also has a kids tab which includes photos and videos. This site can therefore be used not only at the secondary level but also at the lower grade levels. National Geographic also provides teacher resources such as maps, references, news, activities, and lessons. I will definitely use this website in the classroom because of its high quality and interesting videos of nature and abundance of resources.





1. Name of Website: Biology Corner

2. Website Address: http://www.biologycorner.com/

3. Copyright date/Last Update: ©2001 – 2012

4. Author/Organization Credentials: The author of the website is Shannan Muskopf. The users and submitters of this site are just asked to follow the Creative Commons Attributions-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License terms of use.

5. Website Design and Ease of Navigation: I find this website to be very easy to navigate. It is organized in sections which are laid out on the left and right sides of the site. It is divided up by classes, worksheets, tools, educational websites, news, etc. It is simple and easy to find what you need and you won't have to spend a lot of time looking. I also like how when you click on a class, it has all the chapters of the class listed on the next page. The site background has a couple different shades of light green which brings a little bit of life and color to the page. The website also uses normal font and a couple pictures which keeps the page appealing and interesting while also keeping it structured and painless.

6. Response and Recommendation for Use: This is a great website for any science teacher because it provides a huge amount of resources. I definitely can use this website in the future for my classroom when coming up with different lesson ideas. I find this site very helpful because each of the different classes whether it be AP biology, biology 1 or 2, or anatomy are all broken up into chapters. The chapters each include notes for the teacher and student, labs, assignments, worksheets, reviews, and quizzes. A teacher could get a lot of ideas for labs, experiments, and topics to go over with the class. There are also PowerPoint presentations available and final exam review guides. This website also provides a guide to different animal dissections. There are numerous high quality dissection photos of the typical animals used in classroom dissections such as rats, frogs, and pigs. These photos are labeled and the dissections are very precisely done. Biology Corner also provides a lot of tools for teachers. These tools are extremely helpful to any teacher. Some of the tools help with the conversion of documents, creation of graphs and diagrams, designing quizzes and tests, and building puzzles. Finally, it provides a great list of education websites. There are a total of thirteen sites listed and they are all very well known and helpful sites that provide a lot of information and resources for teachers in their classrooms. Overall, this website is an excellent tool for any science teacher.






1. Name of Website: Teachnology

2. Website Address: http://www.teach-nology.com

3. Copyright date/Last Update: © 1999—2012 Teachnology, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

4. Author/Organization Credentials: Teachnology is a collaboration of many authors, contributors, and editorial staff associated or employed with Teachnology Incorporated.

5. Website Design and Ease of Navigation: This website is fairly easy to navigate and find what you need. The only problem is that the design is a bit plain and boring. It doesn't look like a very interesting site visually although it contains a lot of great material.  The page is a bit jumbled with a lot of words and links so I would prefer it if it was a bit more cleaned up and organized. It is pretty straightforward though with different links so you can quickly find where you need to know. My only suggestion is making the website look a bit more lively and inviting to users.

6. Response and Recommendation for Use: This website is for teacher use only. It can be used for any content area. It provides a lot of resources for teachers to use in the classroom and some wonderful lesson plans. It provides worksheets, lesson plans, graphic organizers, rubrics, tools and printables. The only problem with this site is that not all of these resources are available unless you have a membership. It is an annual membership though and they can be found at a reasonable price. There are a lot of free things on the website though so a membership is not necessary. I think it is worth the price since it provides a wide variety of materials. Under the rubrics tab, there a ton of options and generators for creating your own rubric. Under the lesson plans tab, there are numerous different content areas available and they have a lot of lesson plans to offer for each field. I would use this when I start teaching for lesson ideas and worksheets for different units. I could also use it to generate my own rubric for different classroom assignments. Overall, the website is lacking but visually but it makes up for it with its ample choices of classroom materials.

Recommended Biology Books



Reading Response Log
Rationale:
            Ever since I was a small child, I have had a strong fascination with science. I have always been extremely curious about how and why things occur and work around us. One thing I noticed about my science classes though in high school was that they lacked interesting and engaging books. When I was in school, we were only provided with our textbooks and very few handouts. My goal as a teacher is that I can get all of my students excited about the world around them and curious about their environment by providing them with a wide variety of scientific books and materials.
            I realize that my classes will always be composed of a wide array of students who possess different learning abilities and skills. Therefore, I wanted to choose books that would be appropriate for all levels of students. I don’t want my book choices to be too complicated but at the same time I don’t want them to be too childish and simple. I am going to be teaching 8-12 grade students and in my opinion, I feel that picture books are a bit below their level. They need to read books that are engaging, stimulating, and appropriate for their age group. The books that I have chosen are exactly that. They will allow my students to really think about their world and bring up questions that are necessary for the understanding of their lives. I have also chosen books that cover several different scientific areas including genetics, the human body, the universe, and interesting science facts in general. By providing books that are engaging for everyone and also cover an assortment of science material, I have confidence that I can really get my students more attentive and involved with their science studies.




1.     Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
Written:  by Matt Ridley
Published:  by Harper Perennial
Copyright:  1999 by Matt Ridley
ISBN: 978-0060894085
Genre: Non-fiction
Library Location: Amarillo Public Library, Northwest Branch


Summary: This book discusses genetics, DNA, and the human genome. There are 23 chapters that represent and discuss each of the 23 human chromosomes of our body in detail. Ridley also discusses how the Human Genome Project got under way and how it led to such major scientific discovers about our DNA.

Personal Comments: I enjoy this book because you don't need to know a lot of biology jargon or background. It builds a solid foundation about human genetics and our DNA. The book delves into how our DNA and chromosomes can play a role in our personalities, memories, development, environment, etc. It's a great book for learning about ourselves as a species and why we are the way we are. 

Suggested Classroom Use: I could use this during a genetics unit in biology class. Most biology classrooms talk about human genetics, diseases, traits, genes, chromosomes, meiosis, etc. This would be the perfect book to assign for students to read. Since it discusses the 23 chromosomes in our body and that is the usual size of a high school classroom, I could have the students each choose a chromosome to research up on, create a project based around it, and present it to the class.




2.     Strange Universe: The Weird and Wild Science of Everyday Life- On Earth and Beyond
Written: by Bob Berman
Published: by Times Books
Copyright: 2003 by Bob Berman
ISBN: 978-0805073287
Genre: Non-fiction
Library Location: Amarillo Public Library, Central Branch

Summary: This book deals with the universe and how it affects us in our daily lives and routines. It brings up a lot of mundane things that we see all the time and shows us how they are actually very interesting science phenomena and concepts. 

Personal Comments: This book really opens your eyes up to all the different science related things we see every day without ever realizing it and just how amazing it truly is. Berman is able to take very complex scientific principles and break them down in a very accessible manner. The chapters are also relatively short which makes the book have a quick easy pace and enjoyable feel. 

Suggested Classroom Use: This book could be used as just a reading assignment at the beginning of the school year. Some students aren't as enthusiastic about science as I am and I think that is partly due to the fact that they just haven't had their eyes opened up to all the amazing science happening around them. This book could be an eye opener to just how many scientific principles actually occur around us and how much we take them for granted. After reading this book, students will never look at a rainbow, cloud formations, or the moon the same way again. Great introductory book to any biology related course.



3.     
     Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
Written: by Neil Shubin
Published: by Pantheon Books
Copyright: 2008 by Neil Shubin
ISBN: 978-0375424472
Genre: Non-fiction
Library Location: Amarillo Public Library, Central Branch


Summary: This book shows how humans are related to all other organisms on our planet. Humans usually view ourselves as the most superior organism on Earth but this book shows just how much we have in common with other life forms. Shubin looks into the fossils and DNA of other species and compares them to humans.

Personal Comments: Shubin is a fish paleontologist that is able to shed light on human anatomy by looking way back into the past at other life forms. He shows us how we were able to develop some of our senses, anatomy, and physiology from other creatures that you would never even think would be connected to us. This book is very easy to read and also humorous. Really shows just how interconnected all organisms are to each other on Earth. He simply describes the history of life and anatomy, as revealed by fossils, DNA, and embryology. This book will get any person interested in human anatomy and the how we evolved to what we are today.  

Suggested Classroom Use: This book would be great to share with the class when discussing human evolution and anatomy in relation to other species. When discussing homologous and analogous structures among different species, this would be a
wonderful book to have the students read up on for extra credit.




4.     A Short History of Nearly Everything

Written: by Bill Bryson
Published: by Broadway Books
Copyright: 2003 by Bill Bryson
ISBN: 978-0767908177
Genre: Non-fiction
Library Location:  Amarillo Public Library, Northwest Branch

Summary: This book is simply about finding the answers to life, the universe, earth, and phenomena that occur around us all the time. Bill Bryson questions the world around him and through research, interviews, questions, and the search for answers, is able to compile a wonderful book explaining the science all around us.

Personal Comments: I really enjoyed this book because Bryson is just like most of us. He isn't a world renowned scientist or an expert in any scientific field. He is just an ordinary guy that decided he wanted to learn about the world around him and become more knowledgeable about science. This book is an easy and interesting read that I believe most people and students can relate to. The author is about to explain why and how things occur around us in a way that easy to comprehend and understand. He is able to make science relevant to the average person. Instead of giving us the textbook answers about scientific principles, he gives us insight into the little known facts about how these things were discovered and studied.

Suggested Classroom Use: I think this book would inspire some of my students to become future scientist, biologist, or just give them the ability to question the things around them instead of just accepting it without finding the answers. This book shows that you don't need to be a super intellectual to have a passion for science and the fuel to search for answers. If you have the determination and drive, you can do anything. I think this book is a real confidence booster and will get my students thinking and questioning the world around them without the feeling of doubt or intimidation.




5.     Cosmos
Written: by Carl Sagan
Published: by Random House
Copyright: 1980 by Carl Sagan Productions, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0394715964
Genre: Non-fiction
Library Location: Amarillo Public Library, Northwest Branch

Summary: Carl Sagan is one of the greatest scientist of the 20th century. His book deals with the past, present, and future of science. The book really breaks down how we began to question the universe, how we got to where we are today, and where we will likely be going in the future and the amazing discoveries will likely find. This book mainly deals with the science of space but it also touches on different areas of science including astronomy, genetics, physics, chemistry, biology, etc. 

Personal Comments: The book is written in simple terms and is understandable to those without a background in science. I also love this book because Sagan has such an excitement and enthusiasm that can clearly be seen in his writing. This book will get mostly anyone interested and want to keep reading just because of the great simplistic writing style. The book is also full of great visuals, photographs, and charts that will keep the reader entertained. Even though this book was written over 30 years ago, it is still very relevant to the world around us today.

Suggested Classroom Use: I could use this book to show students that science can only expand and improve upon itself. The studies, findings, and theories never get outdated but rather build upon themselves and enlighten us and expand our knowledge of the cosmos. This is a great book for showing students just how important science is to all of us. Since this book covers so many different topics, it would be a great book to do a short book report or presentation on about their favorite scientific field. I also believe this book would open students eyes to just how massive the universe is and how it effects us. Sagan also talks about the things he wishes he knew more about in our universe and would like to be able to explain. This would show students that questioning the world around them is not a bad thing and that no matter how much we know, there is always so much more we can expand upon and explore.