ICT 4 ELT Portals

Science and Technology

Compiled and annotated by
Kateřina Kubešová.

• Culture Lab UK

  http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-culture-lab-archive.htm

  Reliable and frequently updated guide to style, culture and technology in the UK. Ready to use online activies for teachers and students of English.

• BBC News: Science

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/default.stm

  BBC News: Technology

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/default.stm

  List of newspaper articles on science and technology. Very topical, language not adapted though. If you want a piece of news adapted for the use with your students, go to.

• BBC Learning English

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2006/03/060313_mars.shtml

  Words in the News, article on Mars Orbiter Success.

• BBC Science Vocabulary

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/vocabulary/

  Learn science vocabulary, scientists favourite words and science cliches. From this page you can go to Quizzes in Science and Invention, Computers and the interenet and read more science stories linked to the Science museum.

• Science Magazine: 125 Questions

  http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/125th/

  A special, free news feature in Science explores 125 big questions that face scientific inquiry over the next quarter-century; accompanying the feature are several online extras including a reader's forum on the big questions.

• Engaging Science: Online Games

  http://www.engagingscience.org/games/

  Play some games, have some fun, and learn some science! Topics covered in the games are life science, physical science, and earth and space science. These games were a joint production between Science World, the Vancouver Aquarium, and the HR MacMillan Space Centre. You'll need the free Flash player. To use with younger kids.

• Lemelson – MIT Program Website: Invention of the Week

  http://web.mit.edu/invent/

  Massachussets Institute of Technology. This institution cannot be missing in this list. Also go to

• Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse

  http://www.mit.edu/afs/athena/org/i/invent/www/ima/

  This MIT site offers interactive online games on inventions. You will need to download Shockwave Player and also the activity itself is slightly time consuming but very informative and practises logical thinking and making connections. Intermediate to advanced students.

• Museum of Ancient Inventions

  http://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/hsclist.htm

  From Smith College History of Science: Did you know the first battery was invented around 250 B.C.E.? Can you imagine what it looked like? This cool virtual museum of ancient inventions has photos of replicas of fascinating inventions and tells how these models were made. When using it as a teaching tool, you can easily find a modern version of each invention online. Since this activity is visually based, you can use it also with beginners.

• Kids National Geographic: Space and Science

  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/space.html

  Check the articles about space and science with related links. The language is not adapted for non-native speakers, therefore I suggest to use it as a source for webquest activities. Also check the news section and photo in the news – students may comment on it and produce a lot of speaking.

• NASA Kids Club

  http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/home/

  Offers activities, instructive videos and slide shows with simple commentary about universe, sun, planets and space research, esp. for younger kids. You can expect to find reliable information on space-related topics, as well as games, WebQuests, and even chats with NASA experts.

• Amazing Space

  http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/eds/tools/

  Teacher-friendly site linked to NASA and Hubble telescope ? enormous visual resource of space with teaching tools that provide educators and developers access to all the teaching materials available at Amazing Space. This index includes an 'Overview' with each resource.

• Nye Lab

  http://billnye.com/

  Wonderfully designed webpage of Cornell University graduate in mechanical engineering with a lot of practical funstuff. If you wish your kids to carry out some experiments in basic physics while following English instructions, this is it. Not very demanding as for materials you will need in the classroom. Trivia information at the bottom of page that is changing periodically can be used as a source of activity.

• Other links in Science and Technology

  http://www.exploratorium.com/learning_studio/cool/general.html

  Explore for yourself 10 COOL SITES recommended by Exploratorium educational website.