Science as a Human Endeavor (5-12)

*  Women and men of various social and ethnic backgrounds engage in the activities of science, engineering, and related fields. Some scientists work in teams, and some alone, but all communicate extensively with others.  * Science requires different abilities.  * Scientists have ethical traditions. Scientists value peer review, truthful reporting about the methods and outcomes of investigations, and making public the results. *Scientists are influenced by societal, cultural, and personal beliefs and ways of viewing the world.  (NSES, 1996)

This web site is called Becoming a Scientist. It features famous scientists talking about what it takes to be a scientist. This comes to us from a wonderful organization dedicated to science and science education, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Explore the life and writings of one of the world's greatest scientist, Albert Einstein. Einstein Archives Online is a joint project of the Einstein Papers Project and the Albert Einstein Archives.

This "learning tool" is called How Cancer Grows and comes to us from the Nova television series. This episode was called Cancer Warrior. The program follows the extraordinary odyssey of surgeon-turned-researcher Dr. Judah Folkman, who, together with colleagues at Children's Hospital in Boston, has spent over 30 years searching for ways to curb cancer by cutting off blood flow to tumors.

This cartoon lesson is called Paralyzing Polio and recounts the pioneering work of Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin. This comes to us from a segment of PBS's production called A Science Odyssey. In the section called On the Edge, they feature other stories on David Ho and AIDS research, Rachel Carlson and Silent Spring among others.

This "learning tool" is called Inventors' Stories. In this site, student scan explore the stories of inventors, both famous and little-known, whose creative habits of mind began in childhood play and resulted in a variety of useful contributions. Developed by the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.

This learning tool is called Darwin's Diary. This is from the wonderful PBS series entitled Evolution. When you get to the tool, simple click on Darwin's Diary to learn about Charles Darwin in his own words.

In the Ways of Knowing Trail, students visit a rain forest in the village of Epulu in central Africa to get to know the people and animals who live there. Some local kids will help you learn the secrets of the Ways of Knowing Trail.  This “learning tool” is brought to us by the Brookfield Zoo.

Few scientists have been as influential as Galileo. This link to the PBS series of the same name is filled with articles, timelines and interactive shockwave displays. The title of this web visual lesson is Galileo's Battle for the Heavens.

Spectacular web site called Making the Modern World comes to us from the Science Museum. This learning tool brings you powerful stories about science and invention from the eighteenth century to today. It explains the development and the global spread of modern industrial society and its effects on all our lives. The site expands upon the permanent landmark gallery at the Science Museum.