INTEC Software Selection - Environmental/Earth Science

If you teach Environmental/Earth Science, you might like...

BioQUEST: Environmental Decision Making offers an elegant systems simulation tool for life science investigation. EDM uses an icon based interface to build model ecosystems. Student can do 'what if' experiments with what BioQUEST calls a 'strategic simulation'. These simulations capture core ideas in life science and open them for inquiry. A fishing, logging, and prairie fire system are the first models. An investigation of a simulation of BIOSPHERE2 rounds out the EDM module. EDM is well suited to students in upper elementary to secondary life science. It is usable throughout the year.
What do I get? A complete guide to EDM and permission to mount EDM on any computer used by an INTEC teacher or his/her students at the site. EDM is available on BOTH Windows and Mac.
What do I need to use it? Windows or Macintosh computers with 4 meg of disk space and 16 meg of RAM.
What content is in a lesson? Click here to view an activity for EDM. The tools of the EDM simulation are explored. How does one build a simple ecosystem to model predator/prey relationships? Experts are on-line to give a vision on how the tool works in a classroom.

global lab logo Global Labfocuses on air quality testing and telecollaborative science worldwide. INTEC participants do the INDOOR air module from the full Global Lab curriculum. Global Lab was developed at TERC. In INDOOR AIR students devise a an experimental design to measure air quality at their school. Several tools are used. The first one, the Drager tube, permits measurement of CO₂ concentrations. Particulate matter is also measured. Stunning results are possible with good design and collaborative work. Results are posted on the web and compared with measurements from other schools in the INTEC project who are also doing INDOOR AIR. INDOOR AIR is well suited to upper elementary to secondary life science students.
What do I get? A set of two different kinds of Drager tubes (diffusion and sampling) for CO₂. A pair of TERC air pumps, and instructions on how to sample CO₂.
What do I need to use it? Web connections to post results.
What content is in a lesson? Click here to view an activity for Global Lab. How does one measure the quality of indoor air? What factors go into the measurement? What protocols would one use to make best use of the Drager tubes?

mars tear bar The Mars Project builds on the current wave of NASA exploration of the planet Mars to bring elegant inquiry to earth science students in the middle grades. The Mars Project was written by TERC and JPL. Through image analysis and physical modeling students inquire into the landforms on Mars and make comparisons with those on earth. "Was there water on Mars?" "What landforms indicate erosion by water, which indicate erosion by wind?" "Which can be said conclusively to have been made by water erosion?
Students make hypotheses, find evidence from images and from physical models. The Mars Project forms a replacement unit for studies earth science seeking inquiry-based study incorporating technology and links to current NASA exploration.
What do I get? A classroom set of booklets introducing Mars Exploration and the Great Martian Floods, plus a set of images for student analysis.
What do I need to use it? The Mars Project requires lab tables and some outside experimentation.
What content is in a lesson? Click here to view an activity for the Mars Project. What distinguishes landforms made by water, from those made by wind? What factors go into the carving of land forms? The image set and physical models of sculpting provide several levels of hypotheses and confirmation.

Click HERE to return to the tools selection table.

INTEC, A project of The Concord Consortium.
Copyright © 1997-8, All rights reserved.

BioQUEST: Environmental Decision Making offers an elegant systems simulation tool for life science investigation. EDM uses an icon based interface to build model ecosystems. Student can do 'what if' experiments with what BioQUEST calls a 'strategic simulation'. These simulations capture core ideas in life science and open them for inquiry. A fishing, logging, and prairie fire system are the first models. An investigation of a simulation of BIOSPHERE2 rounds out the EDM module. EDM is well suited to students in upper elementary to secondary life science. It is usable throughout the year. What do I get? A complete guide to EDM and permission to mount EDM on any computer used by an INTEC teacher or his/her students at the site. EDM is available on BOTH Windows and Mac. What do I need to use it? Windows or Macintosh computers with 4 meg of disk space and 16 meg of RAM. What content is in a lesson? Click here to view an activity for EDM. The tools of the EDM simulation are explored. How does one build a simple ecosystem to model predator/prey relationships? Experts are on-line to give a vision on how the tool works in a classroom.
Global Labfocuses on air quality testing and telecollaborative science worldwide. INTEC participants do the INDOOR air module from the full Global Lab curriculum. Global Lab was developed at TERC. In INDOOR AIR students devise a an experimental design to measure air quality at their school. Several tools are used. The first one, the Drager tube, permits measurement of CO₂ concentrations. Particulate matter is also measured. Stunning results are possible with good design and collaborative work. Results are posted on the web and compared with measurements from other schools in the INTEC project who are also doing INDOOR AIR. INDOOR AIR is well suited to upper elementary to secondary life science students. What do I get? A set of two different kinds of Drager tubes (diffusion and sampling) for CO₂. A pair of TERC air pumps, and instructions on how to sample CO₂. What do I need to use it? Web connections to post results. What content is in a lesson? Click here to view an activity for Global Lab. How does one measure the quality of indoor air? What factors go into the measurement? What protocols would one use to make best use of the Drager tubes?
The Mars Project builds on the current wave of NASA exploration of the planet Mars to bring elegant inquiry to earth science students in the middle grades. The Mars Project was written by TERC and JPL. Through image analysis and physical modeling students inquire into the landforms on Mars and make comparisons with those on earth. "Was there water on Mars?" "What landforms indicate erosion by water, which indicate erosion by wind?" "Which can be said conclusively to have been made by water erosion? Students make hypotheses, find evidence from images and from physical models. The Mars Project forms a replacement unit for studies earth science seeking inquiry-based study incorporating technology and links to current NASA exploration. What do I get? A classroom set of booklets introducing Mars Exploration and the Great Martian Floods, plus a set of images for student analysis. What do I need to use it? The Mars Project requires lab tables and some outside experimentation. What content is in a lesson? Click here to view an activity for the Mars Project. What distinguishes landforms made by water, from those made by wind? What factors go into the carving of land forms? The image set and physical models of sculpting provide several levels of hypotheses and confirmation.
Click HERE to return to the tools selection table.


INTEC, A project of The Concord Consortium. Copyright © 1997-8, All rights reserved.