Science Resources

First, did you check out library materials? Memphis Public Library has a great online catalog that can show you where to find materials in our branches. For instance, here are search results for science fairs. If preparing for science fair is your main concern, definitely see MPLIC's Science Department's Science Fair Information guide.

General Topics

OLogy - The American Museum of Natural History wants to know what your OLogy is - paleontology, archaeology, or some other ology? Find out at this super fun site.

Exploratorium - The Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception in San Francisco has a wonderful website for interactive features. For example, play in the Geometry Playground or the Tinkering Studio, or discover Science in the City.

Bill Nye the Science Guy - We all know and love Bill Nye. On his webpage and blog, he gives us a personal view of his interactions with science, as well as videos and awesome home experiments. You will definitely want to check out the Home Demos under the For Parents and Kids link.

Radiolab - WNYC presents this podcast about the Big Ideas - time, space, memory, language - in a way that will entertain, fascinate and invigorate your sense of wonder. Older kids and parents will love it.

NOVA scienceNow - PBS presents a whimsical look at the Big Questions in science, guided by astrophyscist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Watch the show online and check out extra content that delves deeper into the subjects on the show.
 

Life Science

Encyclopedia of Life  - Explore all the species of earth in as much detail as you like. Truly an encyclopedia, this site is searchable, easy to use, and provides maps, videos and pictures alongside the extensive information about any alive thing you can think of.

My Body - A kid-friendly site exploring the major systems of the body. Introduces anatomical vocabulary and explains through clear language and illustrations how our parts work together to keep us alive.

Yucky Gross and Cool Body - Boogers, belches, and ear wax! We know our bodies do gross things, but why? Kids learn about the body by exploring the gross stuff they are naturally curious about.

The Environment and Planet Earth

Environmental Health Student Portal - The environment - the natural and manmade world around us - effects us as we effect it. Our health is directly related to our environment, whether from exposure to sun or air pollution. Learn more about the give and take of humans and nature, and how our bodies relate to the environment, at this timely and interesting site.

EekoWorld - Build your own crazy EekoCreature and earn points in EekoWorld, all while learning about your environment and how you can make a difference.

GreenSquad - The Green Squad kids point out all the things in your school that may be bad for the environment - or for you! They have lots of tips on simple things you can do to make a difference at your school.

What's It Like Where You Live? - Explore biomes with the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Space!

NASA Space Place - The Space Place is one the funnest, coolest and most interesting science sites out there. It makes sense, it was put together by the brains at NASA. This highly interactive site lets you explore outerspace, the solar system, Earth, and space technology through simulation, games, puzzles and activities.

Astronomy Picture of the Day - NASA provides you with a different picture of our cosmos everyday. Guaranteed to blow your mind.

Robots and the Smallest of the Small

What is Nano? - Nano is teeny teeny tiny - so tiny you can't see it, but nanotechnology is found in nature everywhere and is being used by scientist in exciting and revolutionary ways. Find out more about nano at this site created by NISE Net - the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network.

Cleverbot - Ever wanted to talk to a robot? Try out Cleverbot, the smartest artificial intelligence out there - according to the Machine Intelligence test, it is 42% human! Parents, Cleverbot learns from real human interaction, so be sure to supervise when your child experiments.

The Bentley Snow Crystal Collection - We all know that every snow flake is unique, but have you ever seen one up close? Meet William A. Bentley, the first person to ever photograph a snowflake in microscopic detail, and see his stunning photographs.