Finding your way around the Sip³ web site

Welcome!

The Sip³ web site has been designed to facilitate four specific types of users: visitors, students, scientists and teachers. We hope you'll find getting around the site extremely simple. If you don't, please send your suggestions on how we might improve it to sip3@botany.org.

Home: This is the entry page for the site. We will always post messages and announcements here. It is also where you will find links taking you to information throughout the site, including: "About Sip", "Research Topics", "Resources", and "How to Participate (including the Sip³ Online Security and Privacy Policy)."

Research Projects: VISITORS - this is where you'll want to go!! Student research, scientist interactions, and research project information are linked from here. This is the heart and soul of the Sip³ project.

Click on the Research Project link in the left-hand column of menu buttons. This will take you to a page offering a choice of:
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS - student research projects that are active at this moment) or
RESEARCH PROJECT ARCHIVE (historical record of all past Sip³ student research.
Click on the link that takes you where you want to go.

Once on a student research page, there are three main areas of interest. Each is accessible from links at the top of the page.
In the upper portion of the page you will find all of the research project information and support materials: participating school, team name, our project discussions (brainstorming and thoughts on how we decided what to explore), our research question (what we will explore and test), our predictions (what we think will happen), our experimental design (how we will test and measure our research question) and, when completed, our uploaded journal (a full copy of all journal entries in a word format), our conclusion (a summary of what our research data has shown us). Here you will also see links to any/all support materials: images, movies and data sheets.

Our Journal - The middle portion of the page (scroll down or easy access by clicking on the "View Our Online Journal" link at the top of the page) is the students online research journal. This provides a daily/running display of research progress and keeps the team's Sip³ scientist (and you) up-to-date.

Comments - The lower portion of the page (scroll down or easy access by clicking on the "View Scientist/Peer Comments" link at the top of the page) is where students and scientists exchange ideas and discuss the science and scientific process happening within the research project. This is the piece that puts a Sip³ scientist on each research team and takes Sip³ scientists into classrooms around the country.

Students: This is the starting point for all student participants in the program. Here you will find the information & links you'll need to access and use the Sip³ site, design meaningful research project and share your study with scientists and peers. Please note: once you have set up your site access and logged in, this will also take you to your research page.

Scientists: This is the starting point for all scientist mentors. As a non-registered scientist, you will see information on how you might participate. As a registered and logged in scientist mentor, this will become your mentoring page. The Sip³ Team will already have your access arranged and will forward you your login information. Clicking on the scientist button will take you to your mentoring page. Here you will see a list of the teams that you are mentoring (each name on the list is a link to that team's research page), the last action each team has taken, and your last response. You will also find suggested information on how best to mentor your teams.

Teachers: This is the starting point for all teachers. As a non-registered teacher, you will see information on how you might participate and the general resources available for each topic. As a registered and logged in teacher, this will become your class page. The Sip³ Team will already have arranged your access and provided your login information. Clicking on the teacher button will take you to your class page. Here you will see a list of your class teams (each name on the list is a link to that team's research page), a list of the members on each team, and the type and number of actions each team/individual has taken. You will also find more detailed information for each topic.

Research Topic: Here you will find a list of the inquiry units currently available on the Sip³ site, including the supporting resources.

Research Topic: Here you will find a list of the general resources available on the Sip³ site.

Questions - email Sip³ staff: sip3@botany.org

Enjoy Science!