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Science Resources

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The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) offers a variety of resources to help families support learning in social studies at home. Access a full list of current VDOE science resources.

General Science

Astronomy and Space Exploration

  • Crash Course Astronomy - Taught by astronomer Phil Plait, this course helps you learn about the universe and how it works as well as your place in it and more.
  • NASA — National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Read news on space exploration and find out about humans in space and flight. Discover the cosmos through images or photographs of the universe in the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
  • The Solar System - See spectacular photos of the sun, planets, moons, asteroids and more! Learn about our galactic neighborhood from NASA. Try the site’s companion pages of fun activities for younger kids.
  • StarDate Online - This guide to stargazing has advice on what to look for in the sky. The site includes a calendar of celestial events, an "Astro" glossary and more.

Biology

  • Crash Course in Biology - Parents can watch select videos with their child to gain a shared understanding of specific science concepts. Secondary science courses can be hard for parents to help children with at home. This video series provides short, animated videos that explain general biology concepts.

Chemistry

  • Adventures in Chemistry - Try experiments, play games and learn about science. This site is for students in grades K-5 and is from the American Chemical Society (ACS). 
  • Crash Course Chemistry - Hank Green teaches this course which is based on the 2012 AP Chemistry curriculum. It also includes a few episodes on organic chemistry.
  • Crash Course Organic Chemistry - This course covers the chemistry of carbon. It uses your knowledge of general chemistry and takes it to the next level. The host, Deboki Chakravarti, has a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering. She works as a science writer/communicator.
  • Periodic Table of the Elements - This source gives students the number, symbol, weight and other data of each element in the Periodic Table. You can also see an element’s history and properties, where it is found, how it is used and more. Provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory's Chemistry Division.

Environment and Ecology

  • Mission: Biomes - Learn about weather, precipitation and types of plants in seven biomes. Play games to test what you learned.

  • Energy Kids - Students in elementary school can learn all about energy. The Energy Basics section describes energy and how it is used. The Energy History area has timelines of different energy sources and short biographies of scientists. See the Games and Activities section for fun things to do. This site is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Literacy and Science

  • Explora - Books, journals and more. Scroll down to the Science and Math section, or enter a search term to locate a topic.
  • Gale In Context: Elementary - For the research needs of students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. It features a graphic interface, a subject search and full-text, age-appropriate magazines and newspapers on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.
  • Read It! - A collection of short informative articles on a variety of topics. The articles are designed for English Language Learners. Text can be translated into more than 25 different languages or read out loud in English.

Physics

  • Crash Course Physics - Dr. Shini Somara covers AP Physics 1 & 2. Produced with PBS Digital Studios.
  • The Physics Classroom - This site helps beginning physics students review basic topics. You can “Check Your Understanding” at the end of each section.

Weather

  • NOAA SciJinks — All About Weather - What causes a thunderstorm? How do snowflakes form? Learn the answers to these questions and more. Topics include weather; hurricanes and storms; clouds, water and ice; tides and oceans; atmosphere; seasons; satellites and technology; and space weather. See the glossary to explore weather terms. For upper-elementary and middle school students. From NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  • Weather History and Data Archive - Find historical weather information for a specific date. Search by zip code, city or airport code.