Online Simulations
Chapter 3 of the text (Bell, R., Gess-Newsome, J., & Luft, J. (2008) Educational Technology in the Science Classroom. NSTA Press) lists a wide variety of online simulations. Visit a handful of those that you find interesting. Are they user friendly? Could you use them with your students? (Blog post fodder!)
Browse the web for additional simulations appropriate to what you teach and add them to this wiki (either by editing the page or in the comment section).
Comments (18)
Annie Hesterman said
at 4:52 pm on Jun 24, 2010
Okay, I think this is where I should be posting what I found. Actually, I kind of cheated. This is a website that I already use for simulations but love it and wanted to share: http://phet.colorado.edu/
There are mostly Physics simulations but you can find others as well. Seeing is believing and I love that with the use of projectors in classrooms we can actually show our students what we are talking about. Live demonstrations are wonderful but sometimes, we are limited in time and resources so it's great we have the technology to drive home concepts.
Shannon Knodel said
at 9:49 pm on Jun 24, 2010
Annie! I love the "phet site" as I and my students call it. I have used it for several years now, mostly for electricity, and my students have learned a lot. And they have a lot of fun...I have a few assignments written where they investigate the simulations themselves as they follow a worksheet I wrote...it is often difficult to keep them moving from one simulation to the next because they get soooo involved with them!
Kelly Burke said
at 5:57 pm on Jul 2, 2010
I too have used this site before, it's basically posted on the summer 2009 list. But this link takes you to the "Cool Science" page. There are a lot of resources for educators in general, if you click on Biointeractive you can then go to videos and animations:
http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/
Jeremy Fuller said
at 4:58 pm on Jul 4, 2010
If you teach AP biology you know it can be tough (impossible) to get through all the material. To save a few days usually spent knocking out and counting hundreds of fruit flies for the genetics lab I have been ordering a few adult flies to look at and then have the students get free one day memberships to this site http://biologylab.awlonline.com/
They can then set up several virtual crosses and statistically analyze the crosses to identify the parent genotypes. I’m sure working with real fruit flies has it benefits, but it is just too time consuming for me.
Emily currier said
at 8:24 pm on Jul 5, 2010
I really like: http://www.sciencecourseware.org/VirtualEarthquake/
And the middle school inquiry simulations that Tom Snyder Productions puts out are super for that age group. http://www.tomsnyder.com/products/product.asp?SKU=SSKSSK
Joy Mayer said
at 9:39 pm on Jul 5, 2010
I use a genetics site http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/tour/
A electron transport chain demonstration http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/Bio231/etc.html
A site on glycolysis http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/Bio231/glycolysis.html
Nancy Bryant said
at 11:41 am on Jul 6, 2010
The students always have a hard time understanding protein synthesis. I have used many different animations, but I like this one the best:
http://www.lpscience.fatcow.com/jwanamaker/animations/Protein%20Synthesis%20-%20long.html
This site also has animations for mitosis / meiosis /and DNA replication.
Thanks to all for the great animation sites!
david buck said
at 10:31 am on Jul 7, 2010
Here's one put together by the Maine Math and Science Alliance: PRISMS (Phenomena and Representations for Instruction in Middle School Science). http://prisms.mmsa.org/
Despite the convoluted name, it is a pretty good resource for assessing the appropriateness of different simulations, visuals and online tools. Pretty reliable, with sites reviewed by teachers.
Jill Mahoney said
at 6:53 pm on Jul 7, 2010
Like Annie and Shannon, the PhET site is one of my (and my students') favourites. Here is one that has awesome simulations to use for waves: http://surendranath.tripod.com/Apps.html
The list from 2009 was quite extensive. I hope I haven't duplicated any.
Dalton McCurdy said
at 7:04 pm on Jul 7, 2010
I can't take any credit for this.....
In the other MSSE class I am taking the teacher referenced this awesome website for interactive animations relevant to biology.
Definitely worth sharing:
http://www.wiley.com/legacy/college/boyer/0470003790/animations/animations.htm
Cynthia Misner said
at 8:32 pm on Jul 7, 2010
I have been trying to get the animations or simulations to work..but nothing comes up..or I am sent to page after page of stuff...when I am look at the animations from last years class.I am guessing that I need something loaded on my computer that I do not have to run these...which might be why I cannot embed the videos when I am tring to do so...Cyn
Annie Hesterman said
at 1:02 pm on Jul 8, 2010
Joy - I love the University of Utah Genetics site, too and had forgotten about it. My students loved doing the cloning activity with mimi the mouse and loved reading about genetic disorders. We even had to book some more days in the computer lab because they didn't want to stop.
Kelly Burke said
at 1:17 pm on Jul 14, 2010
Now look at what you can download on your iPad....http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/frog-dissection/id377626675?mt=8
Mr. Basaraba said
at 10:16 pm on Jul 5, 2011
Here is a link to some simulations I have used in my physics classroom that were created by researchers in my home town..
http://www.kcvs.ca/site/index.html
Sarah Van Dyke said
at 2:34 pm on Jul 8, 2011
To other Earth Science teachers. this "Virtual Earthquake" simulation is great for teaching students about seismic waves and how scientists predict the location of the epicenter of an earthquake. http://www.sciencecourseware.com/eec/earthquake/
dana blomquist said
at 8:39 pm on Jul 8, 2011
There is a great volcano simulation for young kids at PBSkids.org.
Danielle Wilczak said
at 10:38 am on Jul 9, 2011
Earth science interactive simulations:
http://www.learningscience.org/esc2astructureearthsystem.htm has many great simulations for Earth science teachers.
At http://kids.discovery.com/games/build-play/volcano-explorer you can build your own volcano, change the viscosity and gas content and then watch it erupt. Way cool!
There are many Earth science online animations at http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072528079/student_view0/animations.html#.
Here is an interactive simulation on the greenhouse effect: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse.
Plate tectonics simulation: http://www.worldartswest.org/plm/guide/locator/tectonics.shtml.
Lots of Earth science interactives at http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/ and http://webs.cmich.edu/resgi/topics.asp?mc=Other%20Resource%20Links&ca=95&cad=Earth%20Science%20Animationshttp://
Interactive lesson on density: http://ww2.unime.it/dipart/i_fismed/wbt/mirror/ExplrSci/dswmedia/density.htm
dana blomquist said
at 5:18 pm on Jul 12, 2011
I blogged about the sites I liked. Shall I put them here as well?
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