Navigating NSDL: A Faculty Member’s Experience
As a chemist, I initially learned about NSDL through an online workshop offered by ChemEd DL, NSDL’s Chemistry Pathway. I quickly discovered the utility of the library by exploring the Chemistry and Physics resources. NSDL resources of special interest to school teachers in your district can be found by choosing the National Digital Science Library link in GALILEO then choosing the appropriate tab at the top. After choosing the Chemistry and Physics tab you will find that the next page displays links on the left side to Resources for K-12 and Higher Ed Teachers. K-12 teachers frequently ask about the availability of a virtual chemistry lab, one of which can be found in the NSDL. To access the virtual lab choose the Resources for K-12 Teachers, click on the Resources of Interest link, then scroll down to the ChemCollective: Online Resources for Teaching and Learning Chemistry. The Virtual Chemistry Lab appears after you click on the Find Activities link. You will have to download some software onto your computer but included in each lab are instructions for the experiment and simulated beakers, glassware, pH meters, and so forth. Your students can literally perform a lab from their computers. The Virtual Chemistry lab includes lesson plans and assessment ideas for high school and undergraduate level Chemistry courses.
A second highly useful resource is the Teachers’ Domain Pathway to Multimedia Resources for the Classroom which is found near the bottom of the K-12 Teachers Pathways link. To use this free resource you will have to register as a member but nothing else is required. When the Teacher’s Domain page appears, choose the Physical Science link to have access to nearly 400 different multimedia pages for classroom use. Your students will certainly enjoy some of the clever activities under the Chemical Change link. Choosing the movies link on the right side will allow them to see rockets and cars propelled by the reaction of lemon juice and baking soda or how fireworks are designed to generate their dazzling displays. The NSDL is a huge resource that every teacher in Georgia can now access and use in their classrooms. Please direct them to this new GALILEO link.
