Happy end of summer to our readers in the Northern Hemisphere and happy end of winter to you folks in the southern half of the planet.

Contents

1 - NEW IRON SCIENCE TEACHER EPISODES ONLINE
2 - GETTING READY FOR THE CLASSROOM
3 - EXPLORATORIUM EXHIBITS NEAR YOU
4 - PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS

1 - NEW IRON SCIENCE TEACHER EPISODES ONLINE
http://www.exploratorium.edu/iron_science
Summer brings a new group of teachers to the Teacher Institute summer workshops. One fun aspect of these workshops is "Iron Science Teacher," a takeoff on the Japanese TV show "Iron Chef." Teachers compete before a live audience in the Exploratorium Webcast studio to create the best classroom activity using a "secret ingredient." There were three new episodes in June and July using batteries, nuts and bolts, and oil:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/webcasts/archive.php?cmd=browse&project=11

The next Iron Science Teacher live Webscast will on Sunday, November 8, at 2:00 p.m. PST (-8 UT).

2 - GETTING READY FOR THE CLASSROOM
http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/handson.htm
Our Northern Hemisphere readers are gearing up for fall, when students eagerly—or not so eagerly—return to school. Do you need some ideas for that first day of class? How about ideas for hands-on activities? If so, the Exploratorium's hands-on activities page is for you. Note that at the bottom of the second column are "Activity Collections" that contain hundreds of hands-on activities. Check out these tried and true activities to bring excitement and enthusiasm to your classroom.

3 - EXPLORATORIUM EXHIBITS NEAR YOU
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cmp/exnet/index.htm
Did you know that the Exploratorium partners with museums all over the world to bring Exploratorium exhibits to people outside of the San Francisco Bay Area? The Exploratorium Network for Exhibit-Based Teaching (ExNET) is a hybrid exhibit and teaching program that shares the fruits of forty years of research by the Exploratorium and affiliated partners with a diverse group of science-rich institutions.

See which museums have some of our exhibits:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cmp/exnet/partners/index.html
We hope you'll find one close to you. However, to get the full Exploratorium effect, plan a trip to San Francisco. You'll find yourself immersed in a wonderful, amazing, and stimulating environment unlike any other place in the world.

Can't get here? Check out some amazing images from the Exploratorium image archive:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/imagery/index.html

4 - PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS
http://www.ptable.com
Students, unfortunately, can find the all-important periodic table boring. This interactive version takes all the boredom away. There's a wealth of information available on this one page, and the viewer can configure it in various ways. There are links to plenty of visuals as well, with video and photos of each element.