Review by Kristina Duncan, Common Sense Education | Updated April 2014
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Scitable

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Useful teacher tools, with articles suited for advanced bio students

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • Science
Skills
  • Critical Thinking
  • College & Career Prep
Grades This grade range is a recommendation by Common Sense Education and not the developer/publisher.
9–12
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (1 Review)
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website

Take a look inside

4 images
The Blogs page has a wide range of topics to keep students interested.
Access the Ask an Expert feature through the STUDENTS link at the top of the main page.
Create a Biology network, then add students, teachers, and scientists.
The intermediate-level articles may be too advanced for some high schoolers.

Pros: There's scientifically accurate information, great teacher tools, and social media connections with the scientific community.

Cons: It can be challenging to find help features; more support for struggling readers and ELLs would be nice.

Bottom Line: Good resource for teachers looking to make a virtual classroom; the articles on current issues in science are great for more advanced students.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Teachers of advanced science students will appreciate the authentic nature of the articles, all of which are written and reviewed by scientists. The Scientific Communication topic room is great for students who are completing research projects, and the Career Planning room has tons of information about scientific careers. Teachers of more basic science can use the blog posts, Spotlights, and Knowledge Project sections to highlight science issues in everyday life -- all important for building students' interest in science.

Another useful aspect here is teachers' ability to set up a virtual classroom, which allows the creation of a custom online reading list. Teachers can assign Scitable's articles, post and moderate discussion groups, and create a science news feed. Teachers can also use and assign ebooks, or modify an existing one by rearranging or adding their own information, including web links and references.

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Standards:

Scitable is a searchable database of articles, blogs, and discussion groups focusing mainly on genetics, cell biology, scientific communications, and scientific career planning. The topic rooms have article listings, discussion groups, and ebooks (with detailed introductions for the various topics). Mainly a college-level resource, articles are often labeled as basic (intro university), intermediate, or advanced (graduate level). There's also a library of video resources, including content animations and interviews with scientists, and a built-in social media function to help build interest in the scientific community.

Standout features include the Ask an Expert page, which allows students to question and get an answer from a practicing scientist within 48 hours, and the Career Planning topic room, which is an excellent resource for students who want to pursue a future in science.

Teachers should know that the articles here are written at a college level (and beyond), making the site appropriate mostly for advanced high schoolers. There are a few embedded language supports, like graphics and a rollover scientific glossary for each article. A convenient search from the home page brings up a list of related definitions, articles, blogs, images, and discussions, making it easy to access the site's various resources. Alternately, content found in the Knowledge Project section comes at a more basic reading level -- it's accessible to a wider range of students. But the subjects here differ from those in the main topic rooms mentioned above, and they're covered in less depth.

Students may have trouble finding help, as there aren't obvious links to the site's help topics, setup tutorials, or the Ask an Expert feature. The most obvious help features are a FAQ page (accessed through a tiny contact link at the bottom of the main page) and a short tutorial accessed from the multimedia page. Clearer access to support features would make the site more accessible to a wider range of students.

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Students can take part in discussion groups, which helps draw them in to the scientific world. The Spotlights and blog articles cover hot issues in popular science and academic research.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Biology topics are covered in depth by writers who are scientists, though the reading level seems more geared toward college. Teachers can create a virtual classroom with readings, discussions, and other supplemental info for their students.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

Help pages and tutorials are hard to find. However, there's an "ask an expert" feature, and articles have a rollover glossary for scientific words. The library of videos and animations can help illustrate concepts.

Common Sense Reviewer
Kristina Duncan Classroom teacher
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Reading Science/Technical

  • RST.11-12.7

    Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

  • RST.11-12.9

    Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.

Writing HS/S/T

  • WHST.11-12.8

    Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

  • WHST.11-12.9

    Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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Key Standards Supported

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

  • HS-LS4-3

    Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.

  • HS-LS4-4

    Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

  • HS-LS1-1

    Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.

  • HS-LS1-4

    Use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms.

  • HS-LS1-6

    Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.

  • HS-LS1-7

    Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

  • HS-LS3-1

    Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring.

  • HS-LS3-3

    Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.

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Teacher Reviews

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Featured review by
Emily P. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Authentic Scientific Journal Articles for High School Students
Many teachers struggle to find authentic scientific text that is available for free on the internet. Scitable has a massive article library which means that kids have a choice in what they read. This is an incredible resource especially for older high school students or advanced learners.
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