10 TOOLS

10 Best Science Tools for High School

High school science readies students for college and careers, and ensures they grow into informed adults with regard to environmental issues, technology choices, healthcare decisions, and more. In the classroom, students are learning to harness technology to dig deeper into specialized topics and work on solutions that can have a local and global impact. Here we've gathered a list of the most content-rich tools that also weave in real-world connections, design thinking, and community features.

PhET Interactive Simulations

Massive collection of excellent (and free!) science and math simulations

Bottom Line: Instantly add meaningful lab experiences to math and science classrooms for exactly $0? It's tough to beat that.

Grades: 3–12
Price:
Free

Learn.Genetics

Dreamland of multimedia resources for budding biologists

Bottom Line: Biology teachers and students will find a lot of useful multimedia here to help them teach and understand complex genetics topics.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

NASA Global Climate Change - Vital Signs of the Planet

Tons of climate change info from expert sources in one easy place

Bottom Line: This is a one-stop shop for climate change info, from basic intro content to practical guides and raw data; good for middle schoolers and up.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

NOVA Labs

Online science, mastered: exceptional content within meaningful tasks

Bottom Line: Serious, sophisticated science engagement -- but be prepared to take some prep time to connect these labs with your classroom.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

Arduino Science Journal

Turn your phone into a lab sensor to collect and analyze data

Bottom Line: Science Journal does a good job recording real-time motion, sound, and light data using phones.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

BioDigital

Explore every bit of the human body in this powerful, interactive 3D tour

Bottom Line: This visually stunning, incredibly useful way to virtually explore the human body is a must for the anatomy classroom.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Free

Ptable

Definitive periodic table with all the bells and whistles

Bottom Line: You won't need any other once you have probed the depths of this truly complete reference resource.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Free

OER Project

Expansive world history courses powered by great open-source materials

Bottom Line: A stellar program for exploring foundational concepts in history, humanities, critical thinking, and science with tons of support for teachers.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Free

BioInteractive

High-quality multimedia brings biological research to life

Bottom Line: Superb multimedia tools and lesson plans help kids explore biology through real-world examples.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Free

Kerbal Space Program

Design and launch a rocket into space in realistic astrophysics sim

Bottom Line: This accurate rocket sim encourages trial-and-error learning and makes for great (and often explosive) physics and engineering experiments.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Paid

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