Instructional Activity One

http://animal.discovery.com/cams/bird.html

At Animal Discovery, you will see a live cam of a bird feeder. Over the next week, we will be visiting this site periodically to record the different kinds of birds we see. Using the characteristics of common local birds, identify the species of the birds and then make a list of the specific characteristics that you identified. While it is not possible to require a certain number of different species (we can’t control who comes to eat!), please note how often you see one type of bird. Who knows, you may begin to recognize one as a “frequent flier”!

Instructional Activity Two

http://newyorkwild.org/webcams/webcams.htm

At this site you will be able to view three different birds, the osprey, the screech owl, and the great horned owl. With this site and additional resources, present a mini-research project to the rest of the class. Visit this site as often as possible and record the time, date, and what you see. Keep a daily record of the birds’ habits and activities. To accompany this “real world” observation, search the encyclopedia and/or the internet for additional information. Be prepared to present this according to the specified guidelines.

Instructional Activity Three

http://www.niagaraparks.com/

This Niagra Falls webcam is almost as good as being beside the falls! In this miniature math project, you will research the falls and calculate how many gallons of water fall per second, per hour, per day, per week, and per year. After viewing the falls on the webcam, you should have a grasp on the sheer power of water and the amazing rate at which it travels. Research the falls and find the following information: width of the falls, depth of the falls, and the rate of flow.

Instructional Activity Four

http://www.nps.gov/yell/oldfaithfulcam.htm

A science teacher can have a good time with his students while watching Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful at. Here, a webcam updates the geyser’s activities every thirty seconds. After teaching a lesson on these types of phenomena, students can link onto the webcam and track how often the geyser erupts, create a small slide show or cartoon of the stages of eruption, and write a small paragraph describing what he or she saw.

Instructional Activity Five

http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth/action?opt=-m&img=Moon.evif

http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth/action?opt=-s&img=Moon.evif

Travel to the following sites to see A view from the Earth and a view from the sun. Notice the differences between the two images. Why do these changes occur? What causes the shading across the surface of the moon in the view from the sun? Using the information from class and these two webcams, create an illustration that clearly explains the phenomena.