Jefferson Lab: Educational Website

Instructors and learners interested in the fields of science, mathematics and technology, this user friendly website is for you. Jefferson Lab is a research center located in Newport News, Virginia dedicated to addressing the gap women and minorities tend to have in those academic subjects. One way the issue is tackled is via its online resources neatly organized into four categories - Teacher Resources, Student Zone, Games & Puzzles and Programs & Events.

Teacher Resources provides instructors with information on employment opportunities, professional development programs, workshops, on-line continuing education courses, and reference materials for lesson plans. There are hands-on activities, seatwork assignments and computer coursework as well as recommended projects. Links to Virginia schools' websites and external educational sites present another perspective into what other institutions are doing to attract learners to the science, math and technology arenas of study.

Student Zone offers students assistance with homework, information about internships and access to on-line games and puzzles. The activities concentrate on the periodic table of elements, computation skills and science terminology. Students need access to a browser enabling JavaScript. Mac users experiencing difficulty can download Firefox for free. Like teachers, students are also able to visit Virginia schools' homepages and other educational sites.

Games & Puzzles has five categories - Science, Math, Element, Word Games and Just for Fun. This section can also be accessed from the Teacher Resources and Student Zone pages. Children answer questions, take standardized practice tests used in the State of Virginia and review vocabulary by playing hangman, doing crossword puzzles and unscrambling words. Speed games reinforce computation skills while other activities strengthen concepts including place value and logic. Similar strategies are also used to help students learn the periodic table of elements. Reading comprehension practice is provided via Word Games, and Just for Fun is a coloring outlet for learners of any age.

Program & Events is another link for educators listing educational events dealing with Physics, lectures for middle and high school age students and programs created to boost enthusiasm amongst students pursuing math and science studies. Student internships and teacher classifieds are listed again on this page along with distance learning opportunities.

There is a Contact JLAB tab at the top of the page providing a more advanced scientific side of the website dealing with theories, ongoing experiments and research as well as available publications. While Jefferson Lab is headquartered in Virginia and frequently works with the State of Virginia education system, the site's informative materials are an applicable and beneficial resource for all scientists, educators and learners regardless of location. Check it out and close the gap.