Happy spring! We hope that the school year is going well and that our resources are helpful in your teaching.

Contents

1 - MICRCOSCOPE IMAGING STATION
2 - SPACE WEATHER RESEARCH EXPLORER
3 - NSTA IN DALLAS
4 - SELF-PORTRAIT SILHOUETTES ACTIVITY
5 - CELLS FOR LIFE: CLASSROOM TREASURES FROM THE K-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA CENTER

1 - MICRCOSCOPE IMAGING STATION
http://www.exploratorium.edu/imaging_station/index.html
A dazzling new collection of life science resources has recently been added to the Exploratorium's Web site. The Microscope Imaging Station site is an online sampling of still images and time-lapse movies of live specimens created using the museum's research-quality high-powered microscopes. The live demonstrations on the museum floor of specimens used in biological research--drosophila, zebrafish, sea urchins, etc.--have become a very popular addition to the museum experience. Now, educators and students can view time-lapse imagery of sea urchin embryo cell division, crawling amoebas, human white blood cell phagocytosis, moving chloroplasts, mitochondria within leaf cells, and more online.

2 - SPACE WEATHER RESEARCH EXPLORER
http://www.exploratorium.edu/spaceweather
Can there really be weather in space? You bet. The sun's constant change affects conditions in space and can affect us here on earth as well. Solar flares, auroras, and other space weather affect satellites, spacecraft, shortwave radio communication, and electric power transmission. Learn about "space weather modeling" and see scientist-narrated animations of space weather effects.

3 - NSTA IN DALLAS
http://www.exploratorium.edu/webcasts
Staff from our Teacher Institute, Learning Tools, and the Educator Online Network greeted many attendees of the NSTA annual meeting in Dallas in April. Those who stopped by the Exploratorium booth saw hands-on activity demonstrations, learned about Exploratorium Web site resources, and could enter a drawing for prizes.

Congratulations to Joanne Peterson of Putnam City Schools in Moore, Oklahoma. She was one of hundreds of educators who stopped by our booth and gave us written feedback about their use of digital resources in the classroom.   Joanne's name was randomly selected from the pool of respondents to receive a $50 gift certificate redeemable at the Exploratorium online store http://www.exploratoriumstore.com/.   Thanks to all of you who visited us in Dallas, especially to those of you who took the time to help us better understand your educator needs and how our Web site can help meet those needs.   Your feedback is valued!

4 - SELF-PORTRAIT SILHOUETTES ACTIVITY
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/bodies_mag/portrait.html
You don't need a camera to make a photographic image. With a light source, an object to block the light, and light-sensitive paper, you can create wonderful silhouette-like images known as photograms. Create a self-portrait photogram using either the sun or artificial light.

5 - CELLS FOR LIFE: CLASSROOM TREASURES FROM THE K-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA CENTER
http://www.k12imc.org/pg3185.cfm
Cells Alive, The Virtual Cell, Primordial Soup Kitchen, the Biology Project and Biology in Motion are excellent resources on all things about cells. Molecular visualization freeware provides 3D visualization models of proteins and acids, helpful for grasping the concepts in several of the above sites.