Energy is an important issue in the news right now. Students have probably heard about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and a lot of talk about the impact the oil spill may have on our future. I chose to look for websites that taught students about sources of energy and also gave information about alternative fuel sources that may be renewable or less harmful to our planet. I found several informational websites that put information into kid friendly terms, but my favorite site allowed children the opportunity to interact with, connect to, and clarify information of their choice.
The site I found taught students to go beyond just reading information. This site called, NOVA: Science in the News, took news stories and allowed students to read an article about current events and science issues. This website: http://www.science.org.au/nova/phys.htm went further by providing a glossary, related activities, websites, and further reading suggestions. The activities offered ranged from graphic organizers to critical thinking pieces that helped children make sense of what they were reading or even apply a newly acquired skill.
The website encouraged various 21st century skills that would increase interest in science. It also provided guidance so that children could apply their scientific knowledge. I was mostly impressed with the activities that the sites suggested. The article about geothermal energy had a related activity that asked students to evaluate geothermal energy. This site provided detailed questions that should be asked and put students in a real-life scenario. This sort of activity encourages students to practice the problem solving and collaboration skills that are such an important part of science.
The aspect of this website that I especially liked was the choice it offered young scientists. Although all articles were about energy, students could pick an area that interested them and in many cases, after reading the article, they could pick a follow up activity, be directed to another related site or find alternative reading material about the topic. The way this site was set up allowed students to inquire and investigate in a guided way, but still allowed them to make selections of their choice.
This Australian Academy of Science website did not just have information about energy. Students could explore various physical science concepts. I think this site would be an excellent source for sidebar studies. I often encourage my students to begin investigations of their own based on the information we are studying in science class. Sometimes students have a hard time finding a topic when they are given limitless possibilities. This site would be an excellent source for students to chose an article and then begin an investigation with guidance. I could definitely use this site to introduce my students to the concepts of sidebar studies. “Most students, regardless of age, need extensive practice to develop their inquiry abilities and understandings to a point where they can conduct their own investigation form start to finish” (Banchi & Bell, 2008). I believe that this website will help my students build skills they need to do scientific research on their own.
Although I am excited about using this source, one of the biggest challenges I have is access to technology. Ideally, I would have the students in the computer lab researching once a week, but we are lucky to get the lab once every two weeks. Also, even when we get to use the computer lab, we are plagued by broken computers, lost passwords and other obstacles to learning.
References

Banchi, H., & Bell, R. 2008. The many levels of inquiry. Science & Children, 46(2), 26–
29.
NOVA: Science in the news. Retrived on June 12, 2010 from:
http://www.science.org.au/nova/phys.htm