evolution
Regulating genes: an interactive genetic mutation game
From NOVA, this is an online game that lets you introduce mutations to the genetic code of a bug, and see the results. The game highlights why different cells express different genes, and how different mutations affect gene expression differently. Includes background information, a lesson plan (under teacher resources) and a student worksheet (under student resources). Be aware that an audio recording of an article titled "sexual canibilism" (about spiders) is highlighted in the sidebar of this page.
Virtual Age- Dating: a free interactive tool that explains "carbon" dating
Virtual age-dating is an interactive tool that describes how geologists and archeologists are able to determine the age of samples. Aimed at high school level and above, but an interested middle school level child could grasp the concepts introduced with help. Students should be familiar with the concept of ions , percentages and how to read data off a graph to do the exercise. FWIW, I think the scale of some of the graphs are poorly chosen, and make it difficult to be as precise as the exercise requires; a per
Ask a Scientist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
"Ask a scientist" welcomes questions about medicine, human biology, animals, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, and evolution. There are links to their top ten questions, careers in science, and science fair project ideas as well.
