Angle of the Sun
Grades: 3-12
Ongoing? Yes
This project focuses on measuring, communicating, collaborating, analyzing data, and making inferences. The main activity is to determine how high the sun actually is above the horizon where an individual lives. The more measurements the better, so the site encourages collaboration with the community to get the most possible. Angle of the Sun includes a calculator on the site for converting measurements with the meter stick to the sun’s angle (the equation is included if you would prefer your students to do the math themselves). Students are then asked to analyze the pooled data from all other submissions to look for patterns. The site walks students through the process, provides a specific format for submitting data, an idea for a research project, and a set of questions to consider.

Froot Loops to the Max
Grades: K-8
Ongoing? No
This project is a pooled data analysis that presents a hypothesis of which color will appear most frequently in one box of Froot Loops. Students are asked to weigh their box of cereal and compare the actual weight with the one stated on the box. Then, students are to divide the Froot Loops into categories by color; guidelines are given for broken pieces, pieces that appear to be more than one color, and pieces that are stuck together. Once the cereal is sorted, students count how many Froot Loops are in each color category and post their data on the Web site. Each school’s data will be presented with a graph. Once all data from participating schools has been received the truth of the hypothesis will be evaluated. The site contains several pages that are helpful to teachers: one where teachers can discuss the project with each other; one providing all the worksheets and lesson plans for related activities; a Froot Loop Jeopardy! link; and a page with many links to Froot Loop-related sites.

Getting the Media Message
Grades: 6-8
Ongoing? Not sure
Getting the Media Message is a research project designed by professors at Ohio State University to study what effects the media exposure of middle school students has on the development of gender and racial diversity in the field of Information Technology (IT). The study developed from observations that there are very few women and minorities choosing IT as a career field. The research team is gathering data to ascertain whether the media environment experienced by students during their formative middle school years has any bearing on their career choices later in life, specifically with regard to IT. Students in grades 6-8 are asked to help gather and analyze data for the one of the two tracks of research. The study developers have created an imbedded, interdisciplinary curriculum that promotes problem solving skills through the consideration of real-world issues.

The GLOBE Program
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
Students from over 6,500 schools in over 80 countries use the Internet to report scientifically measured environmental observations, then analyze data pooled across sites with tools GLOBE online tools. This site is full of resources, discussion boards, data, and guides on how to plan an implement GLOBE research with students. This project will help students to become scientists with a worldwide audience!

Human Genetics: A Worldwide Search for the Dominant Trait
Grades: 6-12
Ongoing? Yes
By gathering and studying data on physical characteristics of people around the world, participants form (and test) hypotheses to determine which traits are controlled by dominant genes.

Kidlympics 
Grades: 3-10
Ongoing? No
Students across the world sent in their best times in running, skipping, swimming, and cycling in a virtual 1996 Olympics.

Monarch Watch 
Grades: K-8
Ongoing? Yes
This informative site offers guidelines and instructions that will help students rear, tag, and monitor migrations of monarch butterflies. Research projects entitled Tagging Monarchs, Larval Monitoring, Monarch Size andMass, Monarch Flight Vectors, and Hydrogen Isotopes "rely on student-scientist partnerships."

The Noon Day Project
Grades: 5-12
Ongoing? Yes
This project offers teachers and students an opportunity to recreate Eratosthenes' amazing 2200-year-old experiment by collaborating online with teachers and students from other schools throughout the world. Students in different geographic locations measure the length of a shadow cast by a stick a meter long at approximately the same time of day, share these data electronically, use scale drawings and a spreadsheet to make comparisons, then use this information to estimate the circumference of the Earth.

One Out of Two Homes in America:
Kenmore Appliances On-Line Collaboration Project
Grades: 3-8
Ongoing? Yes
Kenmore claims that one out of every two homes in America contains a Kenmore appliance. In this online collaboration project, students hypothesize whether or not Kenmore’s claim is true. Using the survey provided at the Web site, students then collect data on the prevalence of Kenmore appliances in the households with which they are familiar. Once the data have been collected it will be reported and then analyzed to test the validity of the students’ hypotheses. There are also extension activities provided on the Activities page.

Online Schoolyard & Classroom Investigations
Grades: K-12 (depending on project)
Ongoing? Yes
This portal site lists 30 scientific and mathematical investigations that can be conducted by students in their schoolyards. Once the data are collected, it is submitted to the site using an online form, and all of the data are compiled as an Excel spreadsheet for students’ use or study. Activities range from “Swing Set Physics” to “Acid Rain: the Effect of Air Pollution.” Project descriptions include detailed instructions, general age ranges, assessment ideas and links to other Web sites for additional reference.

Online Science-athon
Grades: 3-8
Continuing? Yes
Using the Online Science-athon, students uncover the science in daily life by applying the scientific method to help answer what at first appears to be a simple question--but isn't. The site includes three projects: The Marble Roll, How Tall Am I?, and Catching Sunshine. Each project gives teachers refreshingly clear instructions and links to provide students with scientific explanations written in language children can understand. Once classes are enrolled (at no cost) and have completed their data gathering, the site provides students with an easy-to-use online databas! e in which to input their information. Next, students can use a simple table format to display their findings and use graphs to check the validity of their predictions. Included on the site are a variety of assessment ideas for each project.

Oreo Online Project
Grades: 3-8?
Ongoing? No
Your students will eat this one up! Participants survey the various ways in which kids eat Oreos, hypothesize about the results, and submit their data to the site. Results are broken down by state, gender, and represented in colorful graphs and charts. You will find the site’s crème filling of the site on the results page – it includes a short, but very clear illustration of the importance of a clearly written hypothesis.

Pet Census (formerly National Pet Census Project)
Grades: K-4
Ongoing? No
Students around the country gather and submit data to answer these questions: What is the most common pet found in America? Are some pets morepopular in specific regions of the country? Students then collaboratively explore different ways to graph and make inferences from the data.

RoadKill  
Grades: 4-9 (adaptable for K-12)
Ongoing? Not sure
Created by Brewster Bartlett, a.k.a. Dr. Splatt, RoadKill is a project to teach scientific inquiry by asking students to collect data on the type and quantity of dead animals on the roadside as they travel to and from school. The Web site is well organized with a plethora of information including lessons, activities, and web resources. There is also a post office where students can submit their data and an interactive message board. The alignment of the RoadKill project with the National Science Standards is also detailed.

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI@home)
Grades: 4-12
Ongoing? Yes
Astronomy buffs and aficionados of supernatural phenomena will rush to assist the SETI Program at the University of California at Berkeley. Using a downloadable software, students can join the massive effort to detect radio waves from other planets--from their own computers! The project's rationale is that the more people that interpret (the "monstrous" amounts of) telescopic data, the more likely we'll be able to detect extraterrestrial intelligence.

The Sun Times: The Global Sun/Temperature Project
Grades: 4-8
Ongoing? Yes
For one week, students around the world collect local temperatureand sunlight data, and submit it, along with their latitude and longitude,to the Web site. Students around the world then analyze and decipher scientific patterns in all of this information.

Taming the Tube
Grades: 4-6
Ongoing? No
Raise your students’ awareness of the impact of television on their lives! Participating classes collect and submit data about the numbers of hours of TV watched per student per week and statistical analysis of this data (broken down by gender), the favorite TV shows by gender, and a survey measuring student attitudes toward TV and its influence on them. Once submitted, the data are analyzed worldwide and posted online. Teacher resources include detailed instructions for completing the project and links to information about television.