IALS: Student Activity Links
Generally Helpful Sites
Unit A: Experimental Design: Studying People Scientifically
Unit A: Experimental Design: Studying People Scientifically
Activity 2 The Pellagra Story
Activity 3 Testing Medicines: A Clinical Trial
Activity 5 Human Variation
Activity 6 Finding the Nerve
Video on Pellagra - with closed captions
This video segment from A Science Odyssey profiles Dr. Joseph Goldberger and his search for a cure for pellagra, a poorly understood disease that ravaged the American South in the early 1900s. You may right-click on the above link to save the video and view it in full screen. It is recommended that you have the latest version of QuickTime installed to properly view this video. This video is from the Teacher's Domain.
Dr. Joseph Goldberger and the War on Pellagra
Read biographical information and view photos of Dr. Joseph Goldberger, a physician in the U.S. government’s Hygienic Laboratory (predecessor of the National Institutes of Health). Site maintained by Dr. Alan Kraut, a history professor at American University in Washington, D.C.
PBS’s A Science Odyssey: Dr Joseph Goldberger
See more information on Dr. Joseph Goldberger from PBS’s People and Discoveries.
Activity 3
Testing Medicines: A Clinical Trial
Click here to see how your class results compare to the results posted by other classes who did this activity.
Click here to see how your class results compare to the results posted by other classes who did this activity.
Explore activities and other resources on the nervous system. Site maintained by Eric Chudler, a research professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.
Learn about the nervous system and take a trip through a virtual brain during this 30 minute video from the University of Washington television.
Learn more about sound and hearing as you explore this site from the University of Washington, "Neuroscience for Kids."
Learn more about light and vision as you explore this site from the University of Washington, "Neuroscience for Kids."
Unit B: Body Works
Activity 11 Traffic Stop
Activity 12 What’s Happening Inside
Activity 13 Living With Your Liver
Activity 15 Digestion: An Absorbing Tale
Activity 16 Support System: Bones, Joints and Muscles
Activity 17 Gas Exchange
Activity 19 Heart-ily Fit
Activity 21 Inside a Pump
Activity 23 Heart Parts
Activity 25 Healing the Heart
Activity 26 Heart Sounds
Activity 27 The Pressure’s On
Activity 28 Heart Problems
Activity 29 Helping Hearts
Test your knowledge on how alcohol affects teens on this interactive site.
Activity 12
What’s Happening Inside
This site allows an interactive exploration of the human body systems.
Find out some interesting facts about your body systems.
On this site you will find Arnold and must put his organs back into their proper place.
Activity 13
Living With Your Liver
Find out how to keep your liver healthy and read the latest news on liver research. Site maintained by American Liver Foundation.
Learn more about the different types of hepatitis (A, B, C, D, E, & G) and the symptoms of each. Site developed by Vikki Shaw and maintained by Natural Wellness, a maker of nutritional supplements.
What happens when you decide to donate an organ? What if you have to have a kidney transplant? To find out, visit this site by Transweb, a nonprofit educational group based at the University of Michigan.
Activity
15
Digestion: An Absorbing Tale
Calculate the number of calories you burn during 158 activities by filling in your weight and the average amount of time you spend exercising. Site maintained by Fitness Jumpsite, a collaboration between two certified personal trainers.
Food and Nutrition Information Center
Visit the "Just for You" section of "Consumer Corner" to evaluate your health and calculate your risk of disease. The site is part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Explore the food pyramid on this site from the National Dairy Council.
Find more information about the organs of the digestive system on this interactive site.
Tissues of the Digestive System
This site is from the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. It links to a lab manual which includes photographs of microscope slides of the various tissues of digestive organs.
Activity
16
Support System: Bones, Joints and Muscles
Learn more about bones and muscles on this interactive site from the British Broadcasting Company.
Click on this link to learn more about x-rays.
Click on this link to see x-rays of joints, fractures and growth plates.
To find out more about the lungs and how we breathe, click on this link from the National Geographic Society.
Click on the link below to see an animation of lung movement as we breathe.
Get the latest information on the best ways to get fit from WebMD. You can calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI).
To view more information on heart valves and to see an animation on how the valves of the heart work, click on the link above.
To view more information and an animation of the heart and circulatory system, click on the link above.
Learn more about the structure of the heart from the Texas Heart Institute. This page is also available in Spanish.
Nova Online: Pioneers of Heart Surgery
Learn how military doctors pioneered advances in antibiotics, anesthesia, and blood transfusions during World War II. There’s also information on treating heart disease. Site maintained by PBS’s NOVA Online.
The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
Read about past and present African American scientists that have contributed to the fields of science and engineering. Site maintained by Mitchell C. Brown of Princeton University.
Follow the link above to learn more about the life of Daniel Hale Williams.
Follow the link above to learn more about the life of Daniel Hale Williams.
View an animation of a healthy heart pumping blood by clicking on the links above.
View an animation of a clogged artery by clicking on the link below.
Healthy and Not So Healthy Hearts
Click on this link to learn more about keeping your heart healthy and what doctors can do when things go wrong.
To view an animation of a coronary bypass, click on the link below.
To view a video segment on coronary angioplasty, go to the link below.
The American Heart Association
What do you want to know about heart disease and strokes? You can find it on this site maintained by the American Heart Association.
Normal and Abnormal Heart Sounds (take a listen!)
Synapse Publishing Inc. provides 12 different heart sounds on its site, including the sounds of a normal heart, heart murmurs, and heart defects.
Unit C: Cell Biology and Disease
Activity 31 The Range of Disease
Activity 33 From One to Another
Activity 34 The Story of Leprosy
Activity 36 Looking for Signs of Micro-Life
Activity 37 The History of the Germ Theory of Disease
Activity 42 A Closer Look
Activity 45 The World of Microbes
Activity 46 Disease Fighters
Activity 50 Fighting Back
Activity 52 Miracle Drugs—Or Not?
Activity 53 Modern Outbreaks
Activity 31
The Range of Disease
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Health Topics A-Z
Use an alphabetical list of disease and health topics to find out more on this U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site.
Healthfinder Diseases and Conditions
An easy-to-use site with lots of information on human health. Site maintained by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Activity 33
From One to Another
Video on Bubonic Plague - with closed captions
This video segment from A Science Odyssey recounts the tactics employed by San Francisco’s health officials to prevent bubonic plague from reaching America’s West Coast. You may right-click on the above link to save the video and view it in full screen. It is recommended that you have the latest version of QuickTime installed to properly view this video. This video is from the Teacher's Domain.
Read more about the Bubonic Plague on this site from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. View historical drawings of how people tried to avoid the plague and a photo of the plaque causing flea.
Activity 34
The Story of Leprosy
National Hansen’s Disease Programs
How is Hansen’s disease treated? Check out this U.S. Department of Health and Human Services site that describes treatment programs throughout the U.S.
Information about Hansen’s Disease
Download a fact sheet about Hansen’s disease from the New York State Department of Health.
Activity
36
Looking for Signs of Micro-Life
Click on an organism in pond water to find out more about it! Follow the links to the "smallest page on the web" to see actual photographs of these microbes.
View interactive models of plant and animal cells. You can also click on cell animations to see the cell cycle and cell reproduction.
Activity 37
The History of the Germ Theory of Disease
University of California Museum of Paleontology: Biography of Robert Hooke
See images from Robert Hooke’s Micrographia in this biography of the seventeenth century scientist and inventor. Site maintained by University of California Museum of Paleontology.
A site devoted to recognizing Robert Hooke’s accomplishments and inventions. Site hosted by Westminster School in London, England.
When Worlds Collide—Micro versus Macro
Learn more about the microbes that cause disease and the effect the work of scientists such as Leeuwenhoek, Pasteur and Koch had on our knowledge of diseases and how they spread. Click on "The Invisible Made Visible," and "Pasteur and Koch – Bacteriology," at the left of the page.
Take a tour of a virtual cell. Click on any part of the cell and find out its function.
Watch a 30 minute video about microbes in your body and the world around you, from Annenberg media. Free registration required.
Dennis Kunkel Microscopy Education Web Page
Learn about science and photography through microscopy. Site maintained by Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc.
One of the many interesting things you can do on James Sullivan’s site is download and watch video of cells during mitosis.
Activity 45
The World of Microbes
Explore the world of microbes that live in nature and are represented in this “zoo.” The Microbe Zoo is part of a project at Michigan State University.
Look at microscope photos of protists and algae at this University of Montreal site.
This site from the University of Arizona explores the controversy of classification and contains movies and images of many forms of life.
American Association of Blood Banks
Did you know that 45% of the US population has Type O blood? More information about blood, blood donation, and blood-borne diseases can be found on this site.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Find out more about sickle cell anemia and other blood diseases at this National Institutes of Health site.
Video on the Discovery of Penicillin - with closed captions
In this video segment from A Science Odyssey on the Teacher's Domain, learn what led British researcher Alexander Fleming to the chance discovery of antibacterial properties in a mold extract he later named penicillin. It is recommended that you have the latest version of QuickTime installed to properly view this video.
Video on Producing Penicillin - with closed captions
In this video segment from A Science Odyssey on the Teacher's Domain, learn about the team of scientists from Oxford University that conducted tests on penicillin, in addition to the mass production of this new drug. It is recommended that you have the latest version of QuickTime installed to properly view this video.
Activity 52
Miracle Drugs—Or Not?
The Whyfiles: When the Antibiotics Quit Working
You’ll find a lot more information on how antibiotic-resistant microbes are becoming a serious problem in the treatment of disease on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School site.
Yellow Jackie is an online science mystery created for Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum (AE@NHM), a national science education program. In this interactive story, students read clues and determine what the disease is and what should be the next course of action.
This is a futuristic game produced by The Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning at Rice University. You can to play the role of scientist, historian, and detective in various missions to understand how infectious diseases are spread. It is also available in Spanish.
Unit D: Genetics
Activity 54 Investigating Human Traits
Activity 56 Joe’s Dilemma
Activity 57 Reproduction
Activity 59 Gene Combo
Activity 61 Gene Squares
Activity 62 Analyzing Genetic Data
Activity 63 Show me the Genes!
Activity 64 Nature and Nurture
Activity 67 What Would You Do?
Activity 69 Evidence from DNA
Activity 71 Should We?
Activity
54
Investigating Human Traits
Although a child's eye color is determined by more than one gene, this interactive site simplifies the process so you can predict eye color.
Keep updated on the latest research on Marfan syndrome and its treatment on the National Marfan Foundation site.
Your Genes, Your Health: What is Marfan Syndrome?
Watch videos on what it’s like to have Marfan’s syndrome and learn more about the condition. Site maintained by the Dolan DNA Learning Center, a public science center and a division of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a molecular genetics research center.
Find out more about cloning from the Human Genome Project’s Cloning Fact Sheet.
Use this interactive cloning simulation to clone a mouse!
Watch an animation of cell reproduction in an onion root from this University of Arizona website.
Click here to see how your class results compare to the results posted by other classes who did this activity.
Find out more about genetics and heredity including additional Punnett Square practice on this site from Athro, Limited.
Activity
62
Analyzing Genetic Data
Click here to see how your class results compare to the results posted by other classes who did this activity.
Activity 63
Show Me the Genes!
Compare the differences between sexual and asexual cell reproduction on this website from NOVA.
Are mutations helpful or harmful? View a five minute video on a mutation in West Africa that prevents malaria but lead to sickle cell anemia. Needs RealPlayer or Quicktime video.
Watch an interactive animation of cell mitosis from the Cells Alive! website.
Watch an interactive animation of cell meiosis from the Cells Alive! website.
Activity
64
Nature and Nurture
Click here to see how your class results compare to the results posted by other classes who did this activity.
Try to breed a dog with specific traits with this interactive game using Punnett squares.
Activity 67
What Would You Do?
Genetic tests use a variety of laboratory techniques to determine if a person has or is likely to get a genetic disease. Learn about the different types of genetic testing as well as legal, ethical, and social issues involved in genetic testing. Site maintained by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Medline Plus Health Information: Genetic Testing/Counseling
Information, news, and research on genetic testing and genetics at a site produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
Information on Genetic Disorders
A-Z directory of genetic disorders and links to related sites collected by the Yahoo search engine.
Human Genome Project Information
Find out about the goals, progress, and other issues associated with the Human Genome Project at their site.
This site, from the Tech Museum in San Jose, CA, contains a series of photos which show the relative size of DNA.
Make your own simulated DNA fingerprint on this interactive site from NOVA.
Links to many different sources of information about genetics can be found at the Access Excellence’s National Health Museum Resource Center site.
Learn more about ethics and genetics as well as some of the current topics in this newsletter from the Tech Museum in San Jose, CA.
Learn more about current topics and research in genetics on this site from the University of Utah.
Watch a 12 minute video about the pros and cons of personal DNA testing from NOVA. Find out how it is done and what information the results reveal.
Unit E: Ecology
Activity 72 The Miracle Fish?
Activity 73 Introduced Species
Activity 76 People, Birds, and Bats
Activity 78 Coughing Up Clues
Activity 79 Eating for Energy
Activity 80 Nature’s Recyclers
Activity 83 A Suitable Habitat
Activity 87 Too Many Mussels?
The Global Invasive Species Database
Find current information about the ecology, distribution and management efforts of the Nile perch on The Global Invasive Species Database.
Kudzu
Kudzu was classified as a pest in 1972 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Find out more at Alabama’s Cooperative Extension site.
Did you know that people make kudzu baskets, kudzu jelly, and kudzu hay? You can link to recipes and other kudzu innovations at the University of Alabama Center for Public Television & Radio site.
Asian Tiger Mosquito
The Washington Post: Asian Tiger Mosquito Spreads Trouble
Find out what the Asian tiger mosquito looks like, where it can be found, and more at the on-line version of The Washington Post newspaper.
More information on the Asian tiger mosquito from the US Department of Agriculture.
Nutria
The history and biology of nutria can be found on the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries site.
Read about the growth of nutria and its spread across Texas. Site maintained Texas Tech University.
Hydrilla
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species: Hydrilla
Learn why this aquatic plant, also known as water thyme, is considered a problem. Site maintained by U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s Center for National Invasive Species Information Center.
University of Florida, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: Hydrilla
What does research say about getting rid of this invasive plant? What can you do to help? Find out this and more at the University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants site.
Asian Longhorn Beetle
Asian Longhorn Beetle Fact Sheet
Find all the latest information on the Asian longhorn beetle at the University of Vermont’s site.
U.S. Department of Agriculture: Asian Longhorn Beetle
What is the U.S. government doing to stop the spread of this insect? Find out this and more at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service site.
Purple Loosestrife
Purple Loosestrife - Plant Conservation Alliance
Find current information about Purple Loosestrife on the Plant Conservation Alliances’s Alien Plant Work site.
Get the facts on this invasive plant at Cornell University’s Ecology and Management of Invasive Plants Program site.
Starling
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology: European Starling
You can listen to the sounds of a European starling while learning about its diet, habitat, and nesting behavior. Site maintained by Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology.
Animal Diversity Web: European Starling
Find the European starling’s biological classification and much more at this site supported in part by the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology.
Brown Tree Snake
Where do you find brown tree snakes? How poisonous is its bite? Find the answer to these questions and more at this site developed by U.S. Geological Survey’s Fort Collins, Colorado Science Center.
Invasive Species: Brown Tree Snake Profile
The life cycle of the brown tree snake, its classification, and its habitat are just some of the types of information that can be found at this site.
Nile Perch
Find current information about the ecology, distribution and management efforts of the Nile Perch on the Global Invasive Species Database.
Activity 76
People, Birds, and Bats
Learn how the various classes of animals can be studied with infrared light visit the Infrared Zoo, a site maintained by NASA’s Infrared processing and Analysis Center.
Animal Classification and Habitats
Learn about the classification, habitats and characteristics of some common animals on this site maintained by Sea World.
Find out how many animals are classified on this site maintained by the University of Michigan’s Zoology department.
Perform a virtual owl pellet dissection on this site.
Dynamic Map of Zebra Mussel Distribution
You can find out how far zebra mussels have spread each year in the United States on this interactive map produced by the U.S. government.
Activity 80
Nature’s Recyclers
Explore grassland food webs in Australia and Africa as well as in the arctic and in the ocean, on this interactive site.
Activity 83
A Suitable Habitat
Find information about biomes and the global threats they are under on this site from the University of California’s Museum of Paleontology.
Learn more about the earth’s biomes on this site maintained by NASA.
Grassland and Tropical Rainforest Biomes
Find information about the grassland and tropical rainforest biomes on this site maintained by Sea World.
Interactions within Ecosystems
Find out more about the relationships of living things within ecosystems on this fact sheet from Edquest. Learn about symbiosis, mutualism, parasitism and commensalism.
Learn about adaptations and relationships among living things on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. There is competition for space, food and mates. Some are dependent on each other and all are either predators or prey or sometimes both. Flash Interactive.
Biodiversity in the Dzangha-Sangha Rain Forest
Follow clues to find out how animals in this rain forest depend on each other. Identify feeding relationships, animal behaviors and resources in this interactive game.
Identify the living and non-living components of an ecosystem and the find the producers and consumers in this interactive activity.
The Zebra Mussel Research Program looks into different types of technology that can be used to control zebra mussels. It is funded by the U.S. government.
Invasive Species: Zebra Mussel Profile
The latest information on the zebra mussel, including laws and news, can be found at this site.
Unit F: Evolution
Activity 89 Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Activity 92 Time for Change
Activity 99 A Whale of a Tale
Activity 101 Birds of a Feather
Activity 89
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?
WWF African Elephant Fact Sheet
These fact sheets contain population estimates, species information, and the latest news on efforts by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to preserve these species.
Bringing the Mammoth Back to Life?
A nearly intact mammoth was found frozen in Siberia. Read about the progress scientists are making in extracting DNA from a frozen mammoth.
Read an article about how scientists have actually recovered DNA from a wooly mammoth.
Watch this short (one minute) video on animal camouflage. Requires Real Player or Quicktime video.
Are mutations helpful or harmful? View a five minute video on a mutation in West Africa that prevents malaria but lead to sickle cell anemia. Requires RealPlayer or Quicktime video.
Learn more about geologic time on this interactive site from the University of California, Berkeley.
Research on the Origins of Whales
View a drawing and diagram on the evolution of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). Site developed by Dr. J. G. M. “Hans” Thewissen, a professor at the Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine.
Introduction to Whales and Dolphins
Scroll down this site to find information and photos on whale evolution and to link to related sites. Site maintained by University of California Museum of Paleontology.
View an artist’s drawing of Ambulocetus from the British Broadcasting Company. Read the physical description, habitat, diet and behavior of this "walking whale that swims."
Activity 101
Birds of a Feather?
Endangered and Extinct Species List
Find information on endangered plants and animals in a list compiled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You can also view a map of the U.S. to find regional examples. Site maintained by EE-Link, a project of the North American Association for Environmental Education.
Extinct Dodo Related to Pigeons, DNA Shows
Read the National Geographic news article that details scientists’ research that shows the dodo bird and the pigeon are related.
Unit G: Bioengineering
Activity 103 Bioengineering Case Studies
Activity 105 Designing Artificial Bones
Activity 107 Designing an Energy Bar
Activity 108 Technology and the Life Sciences
Activity 103
Bioengineering Case Studies
Watch a short, inspiring video about a man born without legs and the tools he uses and adaptations he has made.
Activity 105
Designing Artificial Bones
Click on these links from “How Stuff Works,” to view two videos about bionics and the future of biotechnology. Each video segment is approximately 25 minutes long.
Activity
107
Designing an Energy Bar
Calculate the number of calories you burn during 158 activities by filling in your weight and the average amount of time you spend exercising. Site maintained by Fitness Jumpsite, a collaboration between two certified personal trainers.
Food and Nutrition Information Center
Visit the "Just for You" section of "Consumer Corner" to evaluate your health and calculate your risk of disease. The site is part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Activity
108
Technology and the Life Sciences
The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
Read about past and present African American scientists that have contributed to the fields of science and engineering. Site maintained by Mitchell C. Brown of Princeton University.
Use this page to link to scientist biographies by category, such as Nobel Laureate prize winners. Site created by teacher-librarian M.L. Krone.
The Hall of Science and Exploration
See pictures and read biographies of scientists and explorers of the present. The site is part of the Academy of Achievement, an on-line museum of living history.
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Search the National Inventors Hall of Fame on-line library by inventor, invention, or decade. The site is a part of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Read biographies of 16 women who made significant contributions and received recognition in their field of study. The site is maintained by the San Diego Super Computer Center.