Happy end of summer! Here are some great resources to kick off fall in your classroom and at home.

Contents

1 - NEW COW'S EYE DISSECTION WEB SITE
2 - TOUR DE FRANCE AND THE SCIENCE OF CYCLING
3 - DEEP IMPACT WEBCAST (July 8, 2005)
4 - EINSTEIN'S TOY: NOBEL EXHIBIT ONLINE ACTIVITY
5 - HANDHELD COMPUTERS AND LAPTOPS (PERSONAL DATA ASSISTANTS AND PROBES): CLASSROOM TREASURES FROM THE K-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA CENTER

1 - NEW COW'S EYE DISSECTION WEB SITE
http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/cow_eye/index.html
We are pleased to announce the launch of our redesigned Exploratorium Cow's Eye Dissection Web site. The original Web resource, which launched in 1995, was extraordinarily popular, especially with teachers and students. The new site features improved and expanded content and uses high-resolution video to show how human and cow's eyes function. Step-by-step instructions are accompanied by pictures, video, sound, and written instructions. Try out the interactive eye diagram or hands-on activities.

2 - TOUR DE FRANCE AND THE SCIENCE OF CYCLING
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/index.html
The 2005 Tour de France may be over, but our Science of Cycling Web site should provide plenty of information and activities for cycling enthusiasts, whether serious racers, bike commuters, or weekend riders. The Science of Cycling is a large Web site. There are six main sections, audio and video clips, interactive activities, and lots of images. You'll also find information on the history and unique culture of cycling, and answers to questions such as: What is a gear ratio? What are the best materials for frames? What are the best designs? What forces keep the bicycle from falling over? How does drafting help a cyclist? What is skin friction? Why is the bicycle the most efficient way to travel? How do your muscles work?

3 - DEEP IMPACT WEBCAST (July 8, 2005)
http://events.exploratorium.edu/ramgen/misc/deep_impact-050708.rm
Take a look inside a comet! Launched on January 12, 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft is hurtling through space on a collision course with an enormous comet.

Join senior scientist Paul Dougherty as he explores this new and exciting mission! (This is a 20-minute streaming video/sound file.)

4 - EINSTEIN'S TOY: NOBEL EXHIBIT ONLINE ACTIVITY
http://www.exploratorium.edu/nobel/onlineactivities.html
For his seventy-sixth birthday, Albert Einstein received a simple toy. He enjoyed showing this toy to visitors because it demonstrated a key idea of general relativity, the equivalence principle--the equivalence of gravity and acceleration. Here's how to build a version of that toy.

This activity is part of The Nobel Prize: 100 Years of Creativity exhibition at the Exploratorium. Even if you can't visit the museum, you can learn more about the Nobel Prize with upcoming and archived public programs in Real Audio or MP3 http://www.exploratorium.edu/nobel/publicprograms.html and Nobel Prize Fun Facts http://www.exploratorium.edu/nobel/funfacts.html.

5 - HANDHELD COMPUTERS AND LAPTOPS (PERSONAL DATA ASSISTANTS AND PROBES): CLASSROOM TREASURES FROM THE K-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA CENTER
http://www.k12imc.org/pg1286.cfm
Sharing data about water contents and systems collaboratively within your school district or with neighbors 500 miles away is a smart use of personal data assistants. The convergence of these powerful technologies will allow students to become authentic scientists and collaborate with their peers and established scientists. This work is a wonderful exemplar of the judicious use of technology as a tool to promote motivation and understanding by synergizing real and virtual worlds, which was previously the province of universities. (If your students are sharing those devices or conducting the analyses jointly, brush up on your small group skills at http://www.k12imc.org/pg1100.cfm.)