Homework Resources

Life Sciences

Animals and Biology

• Biology4Kids
  Covers cells, microorganisms, plants, invertebrates, vertebrates and animal systems.

• Bug Guide
  An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images and information.

• Crash Course Biology
  This course taught by Hank Green is based on the AP Biology curriculum and includes several sessions on introductory anatomy. For more in-depth information on anatomy, watch Green's Anatomy & Physiology Crash Course which is based on an introductory college-level curriculum.

• Dino Directory
  Search dinosaurs by name, timeline, geographic location or body shape. Sponsored by the British Natural History Museum.

• Encyclopedia of Life
  The vision of this free online encyclopedia is to document all of the living species on Earth. Learn about plants, animals, fungi and bacteria. Images, sounds and videos are available for some of the species.

• Endangered Species

  • Endangered Species Program
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides profiles of species included on the Federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. The site also provides lists of "how many and which" species are in particular categories as well as maps by U.S. state or territory.

  • Wildlife Factsheets
    Factsheets on endangered species in North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Arctic and Antarctica, and habitats (such as coral reefs, grasslands, wetlands, etc.) Information is provided by Defenders of Wildlife, an organization dedicated to wildlife conservation.

• Human Body — DK Findout!
  Learn all about the amazing human body including bones, brain and nerves, heart and blood, senses and more.

Botany

• Biology of Plants
  Elementary school students can learn about plant parts, pollination, how plants make food and more.

• Native Plant Information Network
  Affiliated with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (established in 1982), this site's purpose is to make available scientifically accurate information on native plants of the United States. You can search by scientific or common name, or by state. Information includes description, color photo, distribution and habitat preference, endangered status and bloom calendar.

• Plants Database
  Maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Offers names, checklists, identification information, distributional data, etc. Also provides links to global plant checklists; conservation fact sheets; and information on threatened and endangered plants searchable by family, genus or state.

Environment and Ecology

• Biomes

  • Biomes Around the World
    Elementary school students can explore rainforest, tundra, taiga, desert, temperate and grasslands biomes as well as freshwater and marine ecosystems. Provided by the Missouri Botanical Garden.

  • Major Biomes of the World
    Factual, college-level presentation of the global distribution and structural characteristics of eight major biomes. Site created and maintained by Radford University.

• Energy Kids
  Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the information on this site is suitable for elementary school students and covers a range of topics. The Energy Basics section includes global sources and uses of energy and tips on how to save energy. The Energy History area contains timelines and brief biographical profiles of scientific pioneers in the field. A glossary offers hypertext cross references to additional explanatory materials.

• Field Guide to Fairfax County’s Plants and Wildlife
  A guide to some of the common plants and animals that are likely to be seen in neighborhoods, schoolyards, parks and other outdoor areas of Fairfax County.

Physical Sciences

Astronomy and Space Exploration

• Crash Course Astronomy
  Taught by astronomer Phil Plait, this course helps you learn about the universe and how it works as well as your place in it and more.

• NASA — National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  Read news on space exploration and find out about humans in space and flight. Discover the cosmos through images or photographs of the universe in the Astronomy Picture of the Day.

• The Solar System
  A visually arresting and content-rich offering from NASA. Younger elementary school students will benefit from the site's companion pages.

• StarDate Online
  A guide to stargazing: advice on what to look for in the sky, where to look and when to look by date and time. The site includes a calendar of celestial events, an "Astro" glossary and more.

Chemistry

• Chem4Kids
  Covers the basic concepts of chemistry related to matter, atoms, elements, reactions and biochemistry.

• Crash Course Chemistry
  Hank Green teaches this course which is based on the 2012 AP Chemistry curriculum and includes a few episodes on organic chemistry.

• Crash Course Organic Chemistry
  This course covering the chemistry of carbon uses your knowledge of general chemistry and takes it to the next level. It is hosted by Deboki Chakravarti who has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and now works as a science writer/communicator.

• Periodic Table of the Elements
  Provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory's Chemistry Division.

Geology

• Earthquakes for Kids
  On this informative site one can investigate earthquake factsheets, find science project ideas, research "today in earthquake history," read about careers in geophysics and learn about the science of seismology.

• Geology.com
  Offers articles and news on various geological topics, a geology dictionary, career information and teacher resources. Includes a collection of U.S. state maps and satellite images as well as country maps paired with Landsat images.

• NASA Climate Kids
  Games, activities and articles help kids in upper-elementary grade levels understand the story of our changing planet.

Physics

• Crash Course Physics
  Dr. Shini Somara covers AP Physics 1 & 2 to help you understand how the universe works. Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios.

• Physics Central
  Read about current research in physics, try physics experiments and get your physics questions answered by a physicist. Provided by the American Physical Society.

• The Physics Classroom
  Developed by a high school physics and chemistry teacher for beginning physics students, this site covers basic physics topics and includes "Check Your Understanding" sections.

Weather

• NOAA SciJinks — All About Weather
  What causes a thunderstorm? How do snowflakes form? Learn the answers to these questions and more. Topics include weather; hurricanes and storms; clouds, water and ice; tides and oceans; atmosphere; seasons; satellites and technology; and space weather. See the glossary to explore weather terms. For upper-elementary and middle school students. From NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

• Owlie Skywarn
  Kids can learn about weather and safety from the National Weather Service.

• Weather History and Data Archive
  Type your zip code, city, state, airport code or country to find historical weather information for a specific date.

Technology and Engineering

Computer Science

• CODE
  Learn the basics of computer science using drag and drop programming. The "Hour of Code" programs are designed for students of all ages and include characters such Moana, Anna and Elsa, or worlds such as Minecraft and Star Wars. The site also features a 20-hour course which introduces core computer science and programming concepts.

• Crash Course Computer Science
  This course taught by Carrie Anne Philbin is based on the AP Computer Science Principles curriculum as well as introductory college-level material.

• Scratch
  Program your own stories, games and animations and share your creations. Provided by MIT Media Lab.

• Tinkercad
  Create 3D designs with this free software that you can use in your web browser.

Engineering

• Crash Course Engineering
  See how engineers identify problems and try to solve them. Dr. Shini Somara teaches this course based on introductory college-level material and includes multiple disciplines including civil, mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering.

• Cyberchase
  Learn engineering with the Cybersquad as you explore activities, play games and watch videos in this site based on the PBS "Cyberchase" show.

• Design Squad Nation
  Try out engineering: watch videos, play games and build things (an unpoppable balloon, a robo arm, a rubber band car and many more) using this site from PBS Kids.

• Engineer Girl
  A site designed for girls to discover engineering careers and find dream jobs. Learn about engineers, what they do and how to get there..