Digital Dozen

We're always fond of the interactive sites that make math and science come to life, but this month seems particularly full of these engaging materials. You can operate on a knee, see trignometric functions come to life, or wire an electrical circuit. The learning doesn't stop there, though--see for yourself! 

April 2004

1. COSI virtual knee surgery
   Grade(s): 6 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 029410
   Synopsis: Arthroscopic surgery is a common fact of life for many athletes, young and old. Now you can call the shots at a complete knee replacement surgery! This site is perfect for the budding surgeon, as you get to saw bones and suture flesh--all virtually, of course. There is an option to view real-life photos of an actual knee replacement surgery, but only for those with a stout stomach.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
2. Edheads simple machines activities
   Grade(s): 4 - 10 ENC#: 029518
   Synopsis: Find out what it means to be an edhead at this web site, where edheads know cool things about cool things, like wedges, pulleys, levers, and other simple machines. Test your knowledge of the basic mechanisms that power our everyday lives by touring the online house and identifying the simple machines found in the garage, the bedroom, the bathroom, and the kitchen. For more complex tools, check out the tool shed.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
3. Eloquent logic: a world of physics and math
   Grade(s): 9 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 029406
   Synopsis: This ThinkQuest site, so elegantly named, eloquently unites physics and game playing to provide a powerful teaching tool disguised as fun. Visitors play their way to understanding vector kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum, equilibrium, circular motion and gravitation.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
4. Exploring precalculus
   Grade(s): 10 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 029291
   Synopsis: The picture on the home page of this site--a disorderly living room heaped with papers that form lovely arcs, waves, and other functions--is an endearing indication of the site's down-to-earth approach to a traditionally difficult branch of mathematics. Drawings, illustrations, diagrams, and other visuals help shed light on such topics as logarithmic functions, transformations, and implicit functions. Related worksheets for Mathcad or StudyWorks software are available for download.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
5. Field map: a multidisciplinary exploration of nature
   Grade(s): 9 - 12 ENC#: 029511
   Synopsis: Self-paced, inquiry-based, field-specific, online-placed learning! Nature lovers will immerse themselves in this site, where they'll find wind-blown trees, grapefruit-sized rocks, and the acid-base scale in chemistry. Activities, labs, and explorations in biology, geology, astronomy, and chemistry put knowledge behind the love of the world around us.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
6. Figure this!: math challenges for families
   Grade(s): 5 - 8 ENC#: 016884
   Synopsis: This site is a Digital Dozen Classic, meaning that we've featured it before and probably will again, because it's just that good. Take the challenge--can you find an algorithm to determine what day of the week you were born on? Or can you determine how long it would take your heart to beat 1000 times? These and other challenges abound at this family-friendly site, where you can stretch your brain while enjoying time with your loved ones. Resources include ways parents can help their kids learn math.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
7. Great Canadian scientists
   Grade(s): 5 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 013070
   Synopsis: Did you know that Canada is home to 10 Nobel Prize winners? Find out what the talented and dedicated scientists are up to up north of the border. You'll meet people like Patricia Baird, who is a leading international voice in the current dialogue on the implications of new knowledge in genetics and reproductive biology. The site features news of new developments in Canadian science; profiles of notable scientists and their achievements; and activities, experiments, and quizzes for student visitors.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
8. Innovation: life, inspired
   Grade(s): 4 - 12 ENC#: 029520
   Synopsis: One word: Wow. Based on the PBS series of the same name, this site looks in mesmerizing detail at how the world around us inspires and incites human inventiveness. Get dizzyingly close to tall buildings and the builders of the world's tallest structures; meld human and machine at the Human Body Shop, where you can help Erik put on his prosthetic leg; or you can experience shock and awe at all the hi-tech innovations we've added to the historic art of waging war on each other. As episodes air, additional content will be added to the site, so stay tuned for more modern marvels.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
9. National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
   Grade(s): K - 12 ENC#: 008592
   Synopsis: To celebrate the national conference April 1-4 in Atlanta--and the support NSTA gives science teachers every day--we're featuring the NSTA web site. The site is packed with resources to help educators in their classrooms, to guide their professional reading and lifelong learning, and to encourage networking, collaboration, and deepening content knowledge.
   (For more details, see ENC Record.)
   
   
10. Symmetries and their properties
    Grade(s): 9 - 12 ENC#: 029362
    Synopsis: A four-part unit on translations, rotations, reflections, and glide reflections! Does math get any better? Those folks at NCTM sure know their stuff. These iMaths units, part of the Illuminations site, take an in-depth mathematical look at symmetry in human-made designs and in nature.
    (For more details, see ENC Record.)
    
    
11. The blobz guide to electric circuits
    Grade(s): 5 - 9 ENC#: 029517
    Synopsis: Get those mental circuits lit up at this zappy game designed to teach students about electric circuits. The game, which can be played alone or in a group, has five sections that talk about what makes a circuit work, conductors and insulators, switches, changing circuits, and circuit diagrams.
    (For more details, see ENC Record.)
    
    
12. Trigonometry
    Grade(s): 10 - Post-Sec. ENC#: 029343
    Synopsis: Did you know that the Ferris wheel is a thrilling example of a trigonometric function? One Java applet illustrates what happens to a gondola car on a Ferris wheel as it spins. And that's just one example of the awesome applets on this site. Check out the graph of y=cos x, for example, or the formula for sin(A+B). Trigonometry springs to life!
    (For more details, see ENC Record.)