Websites for Biology

The hundred or so web sites below only scratch the surface.
Please add good sites by sending a letter or e-mail to Alison Honeyman.

ICT Training Officer
IT Unit
ASDARC
Woodend Road
Cardenden
KY5 0NE
alison.honeyman@fife.gov.uk

Sites recommended by Stuart Falconer, St Columba's HS

Biology humour
Scientific humour from Maynooth Biology Society http://www.nuimsu.com/socs/biology/main.htm
Strange matters site provides 374 Biology cartoons. Add a cartoon to your e-mails or worksheets.Sign up and they will e-mail you a cartoon each week http://www.strange-matter.com/bio.html
Cartoons in the lecture notes from Leif Saul. Some useful animations too. http://www.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/personal/faculty/saull/sect8/resous8.html
 
Fun things
Mensa workout. Apparently prepares you for the real Mensa test. http://www.mensa.org/workout.html
   
S1/2 and S3/4 Science
Great site that illustrates the five kingdoms and then tests the understanding. http://www.vilenski.org/science/safari/menu/menu.html
Field Museum site that has a wealth of material about butterflies. http://www.fmnh.org/butterfly/default.htm
Colourful site with lots of detail about the organisms within the five kingdoms. Probably, for brighter pupils. http://www.perspective.com/nature/index.html
Animal classification site. Very detailed. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/
A Biology4Kids site about invertebrate groups. A page of pictures and facts for each. http://www.biology4kids.com/files/invert_main.html
Fact sheets from the Mammal Society about a long list of UK mammals. Not too exciting but useful for projects http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/facts.htm
Arkive gives pictures and information about endangered species. At two levels of detail for "kids" and early learners. Teacher site is still being built. http://www.arkive.org.uk/
Great sites for the popular Dinosaur projects.
http://www.jpinstitute.com/index.jsp
http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/dinosaurs/
Complex games that reconstruct cures from the past (today) sometime in the future. May be fascinating for bright pupils. http://reconstructors.rice.edu/
Excellent NASA site for all aspects of space and space travel http://www.nasa.gov/
East of Scotland Water Board has a web site with lots of information and a good animation of the water cycle. A few water related games too.  
Renewable energy trail looks into various sources of alternative energy. Two age levels. http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewable/ed_pack/index.html
Zephyrus provides facts and quizzes for many topics in Biology, Physics and Chemistry at a level appropriate to S1/2. Good. http://www.zephyrus.co.uk/index.html
BrainPop is a pay site. Surprisingly, it seems to work when you log on. Shows cartoon videos to explain scientific principles. At a simple level. http://www.brainpop.com/science/seeall.weml
SERENGETI PHOTO SAFARI allows you to drive a jeep around the plain taking photos which you view at the end. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/serengeti/game.html
Whale-watching web provides many links for this ever popular subject for projects
http://www.physics.helsinki.fi/whale/
Garbage is a site about different types of waste and recycling. http://www.learner.org/exhibits/garbage/solidwaste.html
Environment Agency K Zone has activities for pupils. All singing and dancing. The site on waste is just right for SG Science. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/kids/kzone/?version=1
Escher images http://www.worldofescher.com/gallery/
Site with a wealth of optical illusions. http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/f_exhibits.html
Arctic animal site. Including a pairing game. http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/wildlife.html
The electronic zoo is a web link to many animal sites by group. Good for the ever popular animal projects. http://netvet.wustl.edu/ssi.htm
An endangered species website. Good for projects. Also a page of web links. http://eelink.net/EndSpp/
Amazing animal senses just tells the pupils the senses used by a large range of animals use. No more.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/amaze.html
Biodiversity bingo site. Not as bad as it sounds. Pupils have to match animals with their correct habitat.
http://www.rom.on.ca/quiz/biobingo/index.html
Sounds game highlights the sense of hearing by testing pupils ability to recognise a situation by sound alone. Picture follows sound for instant "I told you so". http://www.educate.org.uk/teacher_zone/classroom/music/sounds_game.htm
Site that explores the meaning of pH. http://www.miamisci.org/ph/
Swim on the virtual Barrier Reef and identify the organisms by clicking on them. Details given.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/reef/gbr.html
Human Body Adventure gives simple information about body systems. Most have self test quizzes. http://vilenski.org/science/humanbody/hb_html/map.html
Science museum website called Challenge of Materials. Examples, making and selecting the most appropriate materials. Colourful yet limited. http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/challenge/index.asp
Great interactive way to practice building simple electric circuits. http://www.pearsondigital.net/interactive/circuit/circuit.html
A UK wide pupil census that provides data for data handling. Your pupils can answer a questionnaire to add to the data. http://www.censusatschool.ntu.ac.uk/default.asp
The Science explorer. Site of experiments that could be done at home. Homework? http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/
The energy story gives enough information about the different sources of energy. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/index.html
Excellent interactive sites for testing the strength of structures. Good for Standard Science. http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/launch/bridge/bridge.asp
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/forces.html
Chem4kids website that gives details of the more common elements. http://www.chem4kids.com/files/elem_intro.html
Interactive periodic table. Point to a symbol and the name and details are shown. http://www.webelements.com/webelements/scholar/index.html
How stuff works - explains how just about everything works.
http://c1.zedo.com/OzoDB/6/o/7016/zz_reliaquote1soundoff.html
   
Standard Grade
An attempt to make plants interesting for pupils. Successful in parts. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/gpe.html
Gondar Design Biology is of variable quality. A site that covers most of SG Biology. Good for leaf structure.
http://www.purchon.com/biology/index.htm
Active Science from GlaxoSmithKline provides interactive activities / games on a range of topics. They must be used to different pupils than I come across. Standard Grade is equivalent to their 8+. http://www.activescience-gsk.com/home.cfm
   
Circulation system
Blood the river of life. Wordy; but a couple of good animations http://library.thinkquest.org/C0115080/?c=main
How the body works - The circulation system. Simple; but good. Very good heart cycle animation. http://kidshealth.org/misc_pages/bodyworks/circ.html
Your gross and cool body gives a simple treatment of all the body systems. Kids like this site as the same information that we would access by choosing heart, lungs etc can also be accessed by bodily functions like belch, zits, pee etc. Games and quizzes too. http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/noflash/body/pg000131.html
Kidney structure and function from the Schoolscience site http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/biology/abpi/kidneys/index.html
Electric heart provides a fairly average animation of the pulmonary circulation. Quite good valve action sequence. In addition, a non syllabus, but fun, interactive heart transplant operation in 19 steps. Have to select the scalpel etc. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/eheart/
Texas Heart Institute provides in depth information about the heart. At Higher Human / A Higher level.
http://texasheartinstitute.org/anatomy.html
 
Breathing
How the body works - The respiratory system. Short sequence to name parts and animation of breathing movements. Also shows sneeze, cough and hiccup.
http://kidshealth.org/misc_pages/bodyworks/resp.html
Lungs are For Life is a site which shows the structure and function of the lungs in a simple and colourful way. Information on the effect of smoking and pollution on health too. A fun game to end. http://www.sk.lung.ca/education/student/student.html
Discovery.Health provides an excellent animation to show air moving into the lungs and the symptoms of asthma.http://www.oxfam.org.uk
   
Digestive system
Kids health provides an easy to read site about the different parts of the body including tooth types.
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/teeth_SW.html
Human anatomy online practices the naming of body parts by playing mouse pointer at organ. Sometimes names that pupils do not need to know. Covers most systems http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
Hillendale Health site for facts and quizzes on digestion. http://hes.ucf.k12.pa.us/gclaypo/digestive_system.html
Anatomy and Physiology is electronic book for US High School pupils. Good diagrams to illustrate the digestion story. Switch off the sound as the gurgling sound becomes repetitive. http://www.msms.doe.k12.ms.us/biology/anatomy/apmain.html
   
Senses
Information, videos and quizzes on hearing. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/kids/index.htm
Anatomy of the eye shows the structure of the eye using video and interactive labelling.
http://www.macula.org/anatomy/eyeframe.html
Thinkquest eye site that includes a number of optical illusions http://library.thinkquest.org/J002330/
Sighting the first sense provides comprehensive information on the eye and its problems. Check out the vision lab. More detail than required for Standard Grade. http://library.thinkquest.org/C001464/cgi-bin/main.cgi?
   
Skeleton
BBC Online - science - Human Body provides a simple interactive activity to become aware of the position of human organs and tissues. http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/enhanced/index.shtml
Bone zone names the bones of the human skeleton and then provides a labelling quiz.
http://www.imcpl.org/kids_skel.htm
   
Reproduction
Embryo pictures and a movie of the day-by-day development of a human from when the egg is first fertilized until birth. Movie take a long time to load. Complex explanations but great illustrations http://www.med.upenn.edu/meded/public/berp/overview/BV_1.html?1
First nine months is a multimedia journey through the first nine months of an unborn child's life. Follow its progress and development. http://www.parentsplace.com/first9months/main.html
Inheritance
An interactive site with mostly physics activities. Try breeding the mice. http://www.explorelearning.com/
   
Biotechnology
The wonder of microbes site provides lots of information about microbes and their uses. Nice photographs that includes yeast and E. coli. http://www.microbeworld.org/mlc/pages/tools/frame2.htm
Microbe Zoo has more about microbes than a SG pupil needs to know. Good. http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo/
   
Standard Grade consolidation / revision
Anglia Campus is a paysite. You can use their Nutrition revision activity for free as a come-on. Label the digestive system is good.
http://www.angliacampus.com/public/sec/science/
BBC Standard Grade Biology Bitesize revision does just that. Visit the ask a teacher section to find out what our pupils find difficult. http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/revision/biology/
   
Big sites
The BBC has an enormous site full of interest. Set aside a day for browsing if you include all the suggested web sites. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/beasts/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webguide/education/schools/subcat.shtml?biology/1618/0
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/enhanced/index.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/lzone/progssci_win.shtml
Excellent SSERC website. Loads of links to other science sites. Log in to get your password. All Fife schools are members. http://www.sserc.co.uk/
PBS is an enormous site that includes sub sites for science and technology and nature and wildlife. There is a huge list of activities too.
http://www.pbs.org/neighborhoods/nature/
http://www.pbs.org/neighborhoods/science/
http://www.pbs.org/neighborhoods/fun/
Discovery channel provides many interesting articles and animations. Related to programmes which they are showing and so are constantly changing. Go to Animal Planet and Discovery health for more. http://dsc.discovery.com/ads/ad_popup_fill2.html
Kids Health has sites for younger pupils, teens and parents. A massive site that is well worth exploring. http://www.kidshealth.org/index.html
A big site that covers most biology topics in a simple way. Electronic book format; not interactive. http://www.biology4kids.com/
Field Museum online exhibits. Many and good. http://www.fmnh.org/exhibits/online_exhib.htm
Channel 4 Science is a biggish site. Changes with the programmes to be broadcast.
http://www.channel4.com/science/index.html
   
Higher
DNA
Big site for all aspects of genetics. Try the online interactive activities such as build a DNA molecule. Well worth a look. http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/
The You Try It site has a section about DNA with an interactive nucleotide matching activity for both replication and transcription.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/
BBC AS Guru provides consolidation for you work on DNA. Graphics take some time to load. Some good interactive stuff such as complementary base pairing practice.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/asguru/biology/intro.shtml
Evolution
Triumph of life illustrates evolution and includes a multimedia evolutionary timeline that is worth visiting. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/triumphoflife/
Wonderful site about human evolution. Shame it is not really in our syllabus. http://www.becominghuman.org/
Boxmind e-lectures. A paysite. A free lecture by Prof Dawkins. http://www.boxmind.com/
Genetics
Mendel web allows you to read the original book by Mendel and provides many web links on genetics http://www.netspace.org/MendelWeb/
A big genetics site. Lots of ways to go with the links.
http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/
The Biology Project provides problems for mono, dihybrid and sex-linked crosses. Best I could find now that fly lab has become a paysite. http://www.biology.arizona.edu/mendelian_genetics/mendelian_genetics.html
A site about menstruation. Useful for Human Biology and girls reaching puberty. Lots about the emotions as well as the biology. http://onewoman.com/redspot/
Biology online is an electronic textbook at Higher standard. Links to many other biology sites. http://biology-online.org/default.htm
Huge site for DNA and genetics and health (see PKU) from Cold Spring Harbor Lab. http://www.dnalc.org/
Access excellence is a big site. Just a wee part of it does DNA & genetics (but can you trust a site that states that Mendels' wrinkled peas had sperm) http://www.accessexcellence.org/
Movement in plants. Time lapse photography of phototropism etc. The Arabidopsis movies are the best. http://sunflower.bio.indiana.edu/~rhangart/plantsinmotion.html
   
Advanced Higher
Harvard University web links for cell & molecular biology http://mcb.harvard.edu/BioLinks.html
Cells alive provides information and animations that illustrate aspects of the Cell & Molecular course. Includes Quizzes. Try out mitosis - good for SG too. http://www.perspective.com/nature/index.html
Excellent interactive sites for the cell cycle. Links to articles about each stage. Definitely worth a look. http://www.nature.com/celldivision/library/index.html
http://www.nature.com/celldivision/milestones/index.html
University of Arizona provides tutorials and quizzes that are semi-appropriate for Cell & Molecular. http://www.biology.arizona.edu/molecular_bio/molecular_bio.html
DNA profiling technique from the University of Arizona http://www.biology.arizona.edu/human_bio/activities/blackett2/overview.html
Simple to understand example of DNA profiling. Maybe too simple. http://ology.amnh.org/genetics/dnadetective/index.html
BBC AS Guru provides notes, interactive exercises and tests for some aspects of the AH Higher course. Worth a look. http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/asguru/biology/02biologicalmolecules/index.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/asguru/biology/01cellbiology/index.shtml
NHGRI home site and web links for the Human Genome Project. The glossary of genetic terms has a short definition and also an audio of more detailed explanation. http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/Data/
http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/HGP/
http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/DIR/VIP/Glossary/pub_glossary.cgi
Nature site devoted to the Human Genome Project. http://www.fruitfly.org/
Drosophila genome site. Lots of links. http://www.sosig.ac.uk/environmental_sciences_and_issues/
Muscular Dystrophy Association gives students lots of information on the condition and treatment. Links with the online magazine Quest which provides topical articles on gene therapy etc. http://www.mdausa.org/
Virtual Biochemistry laboratory. Takes a long time to load. Also interactive tutorials on DNA & protein synthesis. http://www.nobel.se/chemistry/educational/vbl/vbl.html
http://www.nobel.se/chemistry/educational/dna/index.html
CF & MD information from Cold Spring Harbor Lab. http://www.yourgenesyourhealth.org/ygyh/
The Schoolscience site has a number of references appropriate to A Higher http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/index.asp
BBC site with articles giving pros and cons of GM foods. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_278000/278354.stm
DNA for dinner is a thought provoking site about GM foods. Both sides of the argument. http://www.gis.net/~peacewp/webquest.htm
Lots of articles on GM foods and the Human Genome Project. http://www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk/
http://www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk/NCBE/HUMAN/menu.html
Site that explains how the Bt gene was added to cotton and why. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/4338/index.html
Climate change and biodiversity. About the right level of complexity for A Higher. http://www.wcmc.org.uk/climate/home.htm
A site that explains the cause and effects of global warming. Includes a quiz. http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/schools/12-16/index.htm
Postcode plants database tells the student the species of plants that should be growing in their area. A start to a project? http://www.nhm.ac.uk/science/projects/fff/
   
Teacher resources
SQA website to download exam timetables, Arrangements and specimen exams. An e-mail address, so you can contact them about any problems. http://www.sqa.org.uk/
Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology. http://www.harcourt.com/dictionary/browse/life.html
The Why Files "give the science behind the news" http://whyfiles.org/
Scientific American. You can read some articles in full. http://www.sciam.com/2000/0100issue/0100scicit1.html
Excellent Nature magazine website. Loads of articles and links. http://www.nature.com/nature/
You are allowed to read 3000 articles in the Encyclopedia of Life sciences free as a non subscriber. http://www.els.net/
Greenpeace site. http://www.greenpeace.org/
Friends of the Earth site. http://www.foe.co.uk/
I quote "The Genetics Forum is the only independent organisation in the UK concerned with the use of new genetic technologies and their public policy implications. It was founded in 1989 by a group of scientists, lawyers and advocates from the animal welfare, environmental and consumer movements concerned about the long-term impact of rapid developments in the genetic sciences." http://www.geneticsforum.org.uk/
ASE site. Gives abstracts of articles. http://www.ase.org.uk/publish/jnews/ssr/index.html
The Environment Agency has sites for the Environment, Science and Research. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/?lang=_e
Learning and Teaching Scotland site gives information about inservice courses and software evaluations. The Scottish Schools online link allows you to have a look at every school in Scotland with a website. http://www.ltscotland.com/index.asp
The useful SAPS website + the Scottish SAPS. H & AH protocols. http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/sapshom.html
http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/info/sapscot.htm
Learning resources from the WWF. http://www.wwflearning.co.uk/resource/
BBC Tomorrow World website. Always interesting. http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/tw/2002/
National Centre for Biotechnology Education (NCBE) for protocols, materials and links. http://www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk/
Scholar for AH materials. Need a password. (We can lend you a temporary one) http://scholar.hw.ac.uk/
Virtual Teachers Centre. http://www.vtc.ngfl.gov.uk/
National Grid for Learning. Useful for software reviews and possibly more. http://www.censusatschool.ntu.ac.uk/default.asp
BBC Antenna for science news. http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/wellcome-wing/antenna/antenna_frm.asp?pg=index.html
Biology as it relates to space travel. http://www.astrobiology.com/
Science net has articles about a broad range of biological topics. http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/Resources/bioresources.html
Science Year website. http://www.scienceyear.com/wired/index.html
MIT Biology Hyperbook. Not too exciting for students. Just an electronic book. You might like to take a look before an AH class. http://esg-www.mit.edu:8001/esgbio/7001main.html
Online Biology book at A Higher standard. Nice diagrams. Web links too. http://gened.emc.maricopa.edu/bio/bio181/BIOBK/BioBookTOC.html
Access Excellence graphic website. Useful diagrams. Good for OHPs or worksheets for Cell & Molecular topics. http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/GG/
The London Natural History Museum website. Check the interactive online exhibitions. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/index.html
Beyond discovery links scientific discovery to applications. http://www4.nas.edu/beyond/beyonddiscovery.nsf
   
Teaching Resources/Lesson Plans
Angelsoft Contains scores of links to other sites with educational content http://www.angelsoft.co.uk/links.htm
Teachnet Links to lots of useful resources. http://www.teachnet.com/resources/index.html
Teachervision Lesson plans, games and other resources. http://teachervision.com/
Schoolzone Lots of useful resources. http://www.schoolzone.co.uk/resources/biology.htm
Just for teachers Useful links, downloadable resources and much more. http://www.justforteachers.co.uk/
Puzzlemaker Puzzles, wordsearch generator and much more. http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/

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Sites recommended by Stuart Falconer, St Columba's HS
I have found the following web sites listed below to be particularly useful in the classroom:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/revision/biology/ an invaluable resource, not only for Standard Grade pupils but also Biology for S2 (particularly plant reproduction)
http://www.parentsplace.com/first9months/main.html very useful for S2 reproduction topic in monitoring the development of the human embryo
http://www.biology4kids.com/files.invert_main.html very helpful for S1 pupils in the Classification and Variation of Organisms topic. The pupils enjoyed this site.
http://www.perspective.com/nature/index.html this site was very useful for S1 pupils who required extra extension work in Classification and Variation.
http://www.purchon.com/biology/index.htm used a revision aid for S4 prior to Standard Grade exams