The National Science Digital Library (NSDL) was created by the National Science Foundation to provide organized access to high quality resources and tools that support innovations in teaching and learning at all levels of science,technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
Overview
The rapid acceleration of information available via the Internet makes locating high-quality, accurate, and truly useful educational resources challenging for teachers and learners. Educators, in particular, need efficient and reliable methods to discover and use science and math materials that will help them meet the demands of instruction, assessment, and professional development.
NSDL was established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2000 as an online library which directs users to exemplary resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research. NSDL provides an organized point of access to STEM content that is aggregated from a variety of other digital libraries, NSF-funded projects, and NSDL-reviewed web sites. NSDL also provides access to services and tools that enhance the use of this content in a variety of contexts. NSDL is designed primarily for K-16 educators, but anyone can access NSDL.org and search the library at no cost. Access to most of the resources discovered through NSDL is free; however, some content providers may require a login, or a nominal fee or subscription to retrieve their specific resources.
NSDL serves as a nexus for educators, researchers, policy makers and the public by building bridges:
• Between private sector and public interests by providing access to resources such as publishers' journal articles, teacher-created lesson plans and real-time data sets from scientists
• Between the scientific, research and educational communities by applying advanced technologies to stimulate new ways for educators and learners to access and use scientific information
• Between teachers and learners at all levels, in all locations by supplying content and tools in open-access, non-propietary formats in an easily accessible online environment.
Use the Chemical Sketch tool to draw or edit a molecule. The resulting SMILES or InChI string may be used to search for matching molecules in the PDB Chemical Component Dictionary.
With Wolfram|Alpha, you can explore data about chemical compounds, the reactions they undergo, solubility and chemical graph theory. It also has information about chemical quantities, unit conversion, molarity calculations and stoichiometry. Use Wolfram|Alpha to answer your chemistry questions, whether they are for homework or general curiosity.
Virtual Chemistry Lab, or the Chemistry Collective, provides scenario-based learning activities for in-class or homework assignments for students. Educators can find activities for their courses, provide feedback on them, create and share activities with others, and discuss issues related to chemistry education. The ChemCollective is part of the National Science Digital Library, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video, most of which are in the public domain.
The NOAA Digital Library collections reflect NOAA’s broad mission of advancing science “from the bottom of the ocean to the surface of the sun.” Images within are contributed by NOAA staff and help depict NOAA’s work to explain and interpret our changing environment.
The topical directory above provides an alternate way to browse USGS science programs and activities. Explore within each topic by data, news, images, video, social media, and much more.
Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is a database of animal natural history, distribution, classification, and conservation biology at the University of Michigan.
The Encyclopedia of Life provides global access to knowledge about life on Earth, including species information, conservation status, and ecological data.
The DNALC’s award-winning suite of websites includes primers on DNA structure and function, genetic disorders, the molecular basis of cancer, the history of maize cultivation, and the American eugenics movement.
The eSkeletons Project is a website with digitized images and animations of human and primate skeletons for the study of comparative anatomy. Students can view regions of skeletons from any orientation as well as muscle and joint information. Browser plugins may be required for optimal viewing.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) is a congressionally mandated program that delivers current, consistent, and credible information about the status of forests and forest resources within the United States by continually collecting and analyzing data about these forests and the values they provide.
NatureServe is the definitive source for information on rare and endangered species and ecosystems in the Americas. This online guide provides information on the 100,000 species and ecosystems that we track.
