21st-Century Learning Tools

There are many education resources that can be utilized by both teachers and students. When searching for online resources that can be used to teach students about the three states of matter, I found several excellent websites.

Many textbook publishing companies also have educational websites designed for elementary students. The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company has an excellent website, www.harcourtschool.com. The states of matter link, http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/states_of_matter/, shows animated models of how the particles are positioned in a solid, liquid and gas.

Scholastic is another publishing company that has great online resources. Through this website, www.scholastic.com, students can research different concepts in science or other content areas. They have a “student activities” tab that includes links to numerous online activities and interactive resources. After selecting this link, students can search for the subject and content area of their choice. Many concepts have links to “Study Jams” which include animated videos, songs with lyrics, vocabulary reviews, and quizzes. The link for their activities on the states of matter can be found at: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/matter_states/.

There are also websites available that teachers can use as guided lessons with their students. Andrew Rader Studios has several online science resources through www.chem4kids.com. Students can use the links on this website, http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_intro.html, to gather basic chemistry information. Most of this information includes detailed descriptions and diagrams designed specifically for elementary students.

The website http://science.pppst.com/ includes links to free presentations in PowerPoint format and also has links to other websites with interactive activities for students. The PowerPoint presentation on the states of matter, http://science.pppst.com/matter.html, could easily be utilized by individual students provided they have access to a computer and the Internet. The links to the interactive activities make for a great reinforcement of just about any concept in science.

These are just a few of the many websites that can be used by both teachers and students for educational purposes. Feel free to share any of your favorites sites to add to this list.

Exploring Heat Transfer

I recently conducted an experiment exploring heat transfer. The purpose of this experiment was to identify materials that act as better insulators than others. Four identical ceramic mugs were used.

The four materials to be tested were a cotton wash cloth, aluminum foil, wax paper, and plastic wrap. I chose these variables because each one was a completely different material than the others. My original prediction was that the cotton wash cloth would provide the best insulation and the tin foil would provide the least.


An equal amount of water measuring 120 degrees Fahrenheit was poured into each much and a rubber band was used to attach each material securely.

After thirty minutes, each cover was removed and the temperatures of water were recorded.

The cotton wash cloth worked the best with the water measuring 103 degrees Fahrenheit. The mugs covered with aluminum foil and wax paper both measured 102 degrees Fahrenheit. The plastic wrap provided the least insulation with a temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since these results were so close, I decided to conduct the experiment a second time. I decided to wait forty-five minutes before removing the covers to see how much the outcome would change. The cotton wash cloth still provided the best insulation with the water measuring a temperature of 98 degrees Fahrenheit. The aluminum foil and wax paper did not yield the same results after waiting the additional time. The aluminum foil measured 97 degrees and the wax paper measured 96 degrees Fahrenheit. With the water temperature measuring 94 degree Fahrenheit, the plastic wrap again provided the least amount of insulation.

If I was to repeat this experiment, I would choose different materials to test. I would test a piece of wool against the cotton wash cloth too determine which one provides the best insulation. My prediction is that the wool would provide better insulation than the cotton wash cloth. Another idea would be to cut equal size squares of four different materials to place on top of each mug. Four materials that would be great to test are cardboard, Styrofoam, plastic, and rubber. My prediction for this test is that the rubber will provide the best insulation and the cardboard will provide the least. Do you agree or disagree with these predictions? Why do you feel this way?