Surfing the Net with Kids: Cell Biology

July 13, 2001 Dear Reader, Summer is a great time to renew our relationship with books. And the free Surfnetkids Email Book Clubs are a fun way to preview fifty- two different books a year. We have two clubs: one for grown ups and one for teens. Learn more at https://www.surfnetkids.com/bookclubs.htm. I am continuing to produce each weekly feature in Adobe Acrobat PDF format for printing and viewing. Although they haven’t been wildly popular, I think they’ll gather more interest when school starts up. You can see what we have at https://www.surfnetkids.com/pdf-store.htm. Today’s Cell Biology topic is accompanied by the following game: Cell Biology Word Search

Today’s newsletter is made possible by:

• 1 in 4 children are exposed to unwanted sexually explicit
  pictures online. Some are harassed or threatened. Only 25%
  tell their parents. You CAN let your children surf safely
  while preventing them from becoming an online statistic
  with Cyber Patrol, the world’s most trusted Internet filtering
  software. You decide what they can or cannot see! Don’t delay,
  protecting your kids is too important to put off!
  Try it for free!

• 100 Best Science Sites for Middle School e-Book
  The Internet offers fabulous science enrichment. But do you know
  which sites are best? Explore science on the Web with your
  middle-school student. Syndicated columnist Barbara J. Feldman
  reveals her 100 all-time favorite science Web sites for
  middle-school students and teachers in her newest e-book.
  

Cell Biology

https://www.surfnetkids.com/cells.htm

Purchase a printer-friendly handout for just $1.00

Cells are the Lego’s of all living things. Everything living is built from cells. Some organisms (such as amoeba and bacteria) consist of only one cell. At the other end of the scale, our bodies have more than ten trillion cells. Yet all cells, whether they are plant or animal, have many similarities. Want to know what you have in common with a dandelion? Follow me.

http://www.brainpop.com/health/basicsandcells/cells/

“What is the process by which water flows through cells? A: hydrorefusion B: osmosis C: pinocytosis” This fun page explaining cells is just one of dozens that BrainPOP offers on science, technology and health — and I’ve recommended them frequently over the years. BrainPOP Cells features a Flash movie, followed by a quiz and a few printable activities. As for the answer to the quiz question, you’ll just have to log on, watch the movie, and take the self-grading quiz yourself.

http://www.cellsalive.com/

The best clicks for high-school students (and adults) are found on the left-hand menu starting with Plant Cells, Animal Cells and Mitosis. Each chapter includes a dozen sub-topics (such as nucleus and cell membrane) that are covered with their own illustrated page. Additional highlights of the site are the amazing photographs found in Cell Cams, Cell Gallery and on free e-postcards to send to friends from your biology class. Think you know your stuff? Try the three tough quizzes on Cell Structure, Microbes and The Immune System.

http://www.icnet.uk/kids/cellsrus/cellsrus.html

Starting with the union of two special cells (“Once upon a time, before you were born, two cells collided, one big, one small.”) Cells R Us tells the story of the “building blocks of life” in an online slide show. Topics defined and introduced include cells, DNA and chromosomes. Cells R Us was created by Imperial Cancer Research Fund (of London, England) for upper elementary grades.

http://www.eurekascience.com/ICanDoThat/bacteria_cells.htm

Created specifically to encourage upper elementary and middle-school students to delve into science, I Can Do That explains plant and animal cells with a cartoon-like approach. “I’m Chloe the chloroplast. I’m a part of a plant cell. My job is to turn sunlight into sugar! Isn’t that a grand job? Plant cells, and animal cells for that matter, are pretty sophisticated.” Additional topics include DNA, synthesis and cloning. Some students might find the comic book approach annoying, while others will love it.

http://www.kapili.com/c/cell.html

The imaginary Kapili Islands are home to a variety of research labs which produce the wonderfully educational Kapili.com. Their site on cells is my pick of the day! Great illustrations and a breezy writing style make this site a winner for middle and high school students as well as us older learners. After cells, check out the Topic List for more biology (biochemistry and ecology,) physics, chemistry and astronomy.

Surfing the Calendar Family Feud Premieres Jul 12, 1976 Disneyland Opens Jul 17, 1955 Man Walks on the Moon Jul 20, 1969 Amelia Earhart’s Birthday Jul 24, 1897 More Calendar

Related Book (in association with Amazon.com)