Our writers recommended these independent websites as background information and content supplements for Collecting and Examining Life lessons.

Allard's Ground Cricket Call

http://buzz.ifas.ufl.edu/539a.htm

This is an awesome site with recordings of all sorts of insects - including several species of crickets.

Brine Shrimp in the Great Salt Lake

http://www.earthsky.com/Features/Articles/brine-shrimp1.html

An excellent, illustrated article about the ecology and life history of brine shrimp from the Great Salt Lake.

eNature.com

http://www.enature.com/main/home.asp

The eNature web site offers online field guides to plants and animals, including local guides and habitat guides. It also supports teachers by providing a form for creating an ongoing classroom species list.

Insecta Inspecta World

http://www.insecta-inspecta.com

For students with a strong interest in insects, this site provides a good source of additional information.

Project FeederWatch

http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw

Project Feeder Watch provides an opportunity for your class to submit observations about the birds that visit your class feeder from November through April. By joining ($15 fee), you will receive an instruction booklet, a handbook, a subscription to the newsletter, a colorful wall calendar, a bird identification poster, and more.

Science Songs

http://students.washington.edu/crowther/SciSongs/scilinks.html#earthsci

This page contains links to songs to sing about rocks, minerals, and soil.

The Yukkiest Site on the Internet

http://yucky.kids.discovery.com

Wendell the Worm, host of the "Yuckiest site on the Internet," welcomes visitors to "Worm World." A Teacher

What is a Flower?

http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/3715/flower.html

Produced by an elementary classroom on the ThinkQuest web site, this link to "What is a Flower?" provides clear drawings and child-friendly cartoons that illustrate some basic topics about flowers.

Why Does Bread Mold?

http://www.flowersbakeries.com/kids_bread_mold.html

Why Does Bread Mold? is the name of the Flash movie at this web site. (You can get the Flash plug-in at the site.) This movie is narrated in a very conversational tone so you will need a sound card on your computer to hear it. It offers good illustrations and basic animation; for example, close-up zooms of fungus spores.