Subject: Free multi-media website portal offering podcasts, short videos, audio, articles, and pictures on multiple science topics
Grades:All ages

Quality Science Media
In April, 2009 National Science Foundation (NSF) launched their beta version of Science 360. Science 360’s focus is to be a portal for quality science videos, short articles, audio, daily podcasts, and pictures. No need to cut science out of the school budget. It’s readily available at this portal.

The idea is to bring “the most interesting, coolest science and engineering that’s out there, and trying to make it available through this portal site”.

I clicked on a few videos and television casts. They range from 1.5 to 5 minutes long. The video loads up quickly, and the content is very interesting.

Nine Categories
Categories range from Earth & Environment, Astronomy & Space, Mathematics, Physics, etc.

Here are few topics in the various categories:

Microscopes – you can really discover what a seals eat with microscopes? Looking at seal poop? NOAA will be offering their new MicroWorld series.
Need to learn about speed and G force? Who better to discuss G force effects than a Nascar driver.
Planetary exploration on different planets? We can do that right here designing experiments before we attempt Mars.
Learning about sound? Fast can be loud, especially when breaks are squealing and mufflers are roaring.
Biofuel – it’s more than just about corn. Got beets, algae, or wood? This material can all be processed into “green gas”.

Three Viewer Functions
To make content accessible, NSF allows the viewer to:

• Listen to that podcast that day,

• Put podcast into a “content portfolio” similar to Pandora and listen to different broadcasts at your leisure, and

• Download those podcasts. “It’s a one-click download, so we want to make it as simple as possible, and we also want to honor our partnerships with others so that it build traffic on their site as well.”

Still Working Out Some Bugs
Since the website is still in beta, there are a few bugs to work out (About Us and Contact us button weren’t working, category pictures didn’t pop up). Yet, the content is uploaded, accessible and interesting. With support by NSF, the material is quality.

Here’s an article for additional information: NSF Set to Provide Cool Science Online.

And one from NSF: NSF
Teams with NASCAR to Reveal “The Science of Speed”.

System Requirements: Web based browser
Contact: www.Science360.gov
Cost: Free

Subject Matter:

Drawing Fun for the Little Ones
A teacher mentioned Kerpoof in a Twitter. Hmm…what’s Kerpoof? There’s not many free, quality offerings for PreK to early elementary students, but Kerpoof fits the bill. Kerpoof is a free, colorful, online application that lets the young ones make pictures, a card, short animated movie clip, a story, and practice their drawing.  Viewers can select seven different languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, plus I think Russian and Japanese).  Kerpoof Studio was acquired by Disney.

Pictures, Movie and More!
Open up Super Doodle, and a colorful drawing board with side tools opens up. The drawing palette is easy to identify and use. Viewers can use their mouse, a notebook touch board, or drawing stylus. Young drawers can doodle, splash on paint, change font colors, make the drawing line thin or thick, and print their creation. Check out the multicolor doodle pen. It’s fun!

Make a Move lets students choose a storyline, pick a scene, then provides different characters, backdrop and special effects. Different music can also be added. Scenes can be inserted, choreographed, then dropped into the timeline. Watch the tutorial first, and it becomes pretty obvious how to create a movie.

Play around with all the activities. There’s plenty to keep young and old entertained.

Neat Effects
When clicking on different characters in the various activities, they poof!, disappear, and new characters appear. Some of the movie characters move around. Don’t like what was made, click on the sizzling red bomb, and Kablooey!, it’s gone. Users earn gold coins for applying more advanced tools, which can be redeemed if a member.

Membership, you say? Yes, it costs a monthly fee. Members can unlock additional characters, add music, buy movies, buddy draw, form groups, chat and more.

Learning Sophisticated Illustration Tools
Yet, viewers don’t have to be members to enjoy the initial activities. And Disney is helping budding illustrators, movie makers, graphic artists and designers learn important skills. The tool setup found in these fun activities are simple, yet teach the beginning work flow used in more sophisticated media and illustration software programs (like Adobe Premier Elements and Illustrator, ToonBoom Studio and FlipBoom, Apple FinalCut).

For tutorials, click on the “How To Play” at the top of the website.

I haven’t shown my teenagers this website yet, but I will. I don’t think I’ll have an easy time prying them off the computer when they start designing their movie set.

For another review, check out Virtual World News.

System Requirements: Web based browser (Firefox & Internet Explorer 7 recommended); Flash Player 9 (download for free at Adobe Flash)
Contact: Kerpoof.com
Cost: Free for initial activities; Extra Features Membership required (1 month @$4.39; 6 months @ $24.79; 1 year @$44.79)

Grades:

Brainpop offers numerous creative videos that explain a wide range of subjects for 3rd to 12th grade students. Two animated characters, Tim and Moby, help explain simple to difficult subject matter, from art history, algebra to chemical equations. Families and schools use this visual teaching method to introduce and reinforce simple to complex topics.

For state specific material, click on the state standards button, choose your state and grade, and related videos pop up for required material. Most video clips run two to five minutes, and incorporate a quiz with an experiment activity. Many of the videos also offer lesson plans and additional related topics. Students can respond to Brainpop with questions. Brainpop also offers teacher’s curriculum assistance.

The videos are simple, yet they do get the point across. They’re short enough that students won’t lose attention. The experiments and lessons plans are simple, yet not all videos contain these items.

Brainpop is available in English and Spanish.  Check online for the different pricing schedules.

System Requirements: Web based browser
Contact: brainpop.com
Cost: Family $99; Classroom $195; Home School $195; Media Lab $595; School Access $995; District & Virtual School – contact Brainpop. Check online for Spanish speaking prices.