Discovery

A Pot-Pourri

From the inner space of medicines to outer space, there's a Web site that's interesting, not to mention educational.

http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/education/tg/teach1.html
Here's a Teacher's Guide to the Moon, includes lesson plans in chunks for easy downloading, and a great model you can make of the lunar prospector using marshmallows and foil.

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/wright/teachers/index.html
NASA's Quest Project looks at using Internet resources in the classroom. Take a look at the second URL above to see an interesting approach on teaching aerodynamics using the Wright brothers' biplane as a test vehicle.

http://www.earthwatch.org/ed/home.html
This is the education section for the excellent organisation Earthwatch. Try participating in virtual expeditions to study the raptors on Mull, Amazon katydids, or echidnas on Kangaroo Island. There are teacher resources, lesson plans, field journals and school artwork.

http://www.natcenscied.org
The US-based National Center for Science Education provides information and advice to keep evolution in the science classroom and "scientific creationism" out.

http://www.mtn.org/quack/index.htm
The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices has a wonderful collection of quackery and some amazingly fraudulent gadgets. While not directly educational per se, it does provide some interesting background on the various ways people have tried treat ailments over the years.

Vicki Hyde is the editor of New Zealand Science Monthly.