Your students will frequently be using the internet to complete their assignments, and may not be able to distinguish between sources of credible physics information and ones that aren't so great. Website evaluation is a skill necessary for information literacy, which is a component of accreditation of educational programs at all levels. Your librarian can help you with teaching information literacy.
Investigative Science Learning Environment ISLE Physics Network "Helping Students Learn to do Science"
Scientific Abilities Created by Rutgers Physics and Astronomy Education Research group to help with assessment
The Universe and More Interactive games that help teach physics concepts
PHET simulations Physics Education Technology has simulations in physics, math, and other sciences
Science Tracer Bullets Online The Science Tracer Bullet Series from the Library of Congress "contains research guides that help you locate information on science and technology subjects."
ComPADRE From the American Association of Physics Teachers, "ComPADRE Digital Library is a network of free online resource collections supporting faculty, students, and teachers in Physics and Astronomy Education."
History of Physics/AIP From the American Institute of Physics, a digital collection of the history of physics in sound, images, and websites.
MIT Net Advance of Physics From MIT, the "history of physics organized by fields of physics with famous experiments."
The Physics Classroom created by an experienced physics teacher from Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois. The site has been in existence since 1996, and contains lesson plans, demonstrations, and other tools for teaching physics.
The Battery and Ohms Law (Volta) http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:Volta%27s_Electrical_Battery_Invention,_1799
The discovery of the electron (Thomson, J.J.) http://www.aip.org/history/electron/
Nuclear Fission http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current-and-Future-Generation/Outline-History-of-Nuclear-Energy/
Gravitational Waves http://www.aapt.org/Resources/GravitationalWavesResource.cfm
Criteria for a credible website (From the Website Evaluation Guide by Zara Wilkinson and Katie Anderson, Rutgers Robeson Library)
Accuracy: Is the information presented accurate? Are the facts verifiable?
Authority: Who is the author? What expertise does the author have on the topic? Who sponsors the site? What is the domain name?
Objectivity: What is the purpose of this site? Check the About link? What position or opinion is presented? Is it biased?
Currency: On what date was the page created? Do you need more current information?
Use: Is the information from this Web Page appropriate for a research paper or for planning a lesson?
Below is a website evaluation guide from EasyBib with examples of websites that are credible, possibly credible, and not credible.
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