Nature & Science Links Back to Main Links

PLANTS AND ECO-SYSTEMS

Biology of Plants
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/bioplants/main.html
A basic primer from the Missouri Botanical Garden about plant life with helpful pictures.  The site is organized into a handful of areas covering plant parts, making food, pollination, seed dispersal, plant adaptation, plants and life on earth.

My First Garden
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/firstgarden/index.html
This website is meant for 4th grade students to learn about the beauty of gardens, and the care involved in planning, nurturing and enjoying the benefits of gardening in a variety of spaces and places.  Also in Spanish.

Exploring the Secret Life of Trees
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees2/index.html
“Exploring the Secret Life of Trees” is designed to help 3rd to 5th grade students gain an appreciation of trees, observe trees in their everyday lives, and develop an interest in discovering more about trees.  A talking acorn is your guide.  You can use the “Index” to help you jump through the story at your own pace.  Also in Spanish.

The Great Plant Escape
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/index.html
Soil, seeds, flowers and plants: it’s all here.  Geared to 4th and 5th grade students, this site is designed to introduce students to plant science and increase understanding of how foods grow by asking them to solve a number of cases with Detective Leplant and his partners Bud and Sprout.  Each case includes a case brief, case facts, mysteries to solve and activities to be done off-line.  A helpful glossary is also available.  Also in Spanish.

The Autobiography of Squirmin’ Herman the Worm
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/worms/index.html
Learn all about the biological life of an earthworm first-hand and why the earthworm is one of nature’s “top soil scientists.”  Also in Spanish.

Explore the Fantastic Forest
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/forest/index.html
Here you’ll encounter a variety of habitats—places perfectly suited for particular plants and animals. These are important parts of the forest—and our environment. Think of them as pieces of a global jigsaw puzzle.  Created by National Geographic.