PBS KIDS' Design Squad Nation - great STEM resources and lessons

PBS KIDS' Design Squad Nation is an Emmy Award winning program with STEM related videos, activities, games and an interactive community. There is also a Parents and Educators section with lesson plans, curriculum guides, and more. 

There are some great new features to it, including a Solar System unit with games, activities, and lesson resources about our solar system, a roller coaster project where students compete to build the best roller coaster out of poster board, and a variety of other resources. 

Topics include science, flying, hobbies, sports, and much more. 

This is a great, free resource for educators, parents and students and well worth the time to explore it. 

How To Smile - collection of math and science resources

How To Smile is a collection of math and science resources for teachers and students. There are activities that help teachers connect science and math to pretty much anything, including things in the students' homes.

The site is hosted by a group of science museums and collects STEM education materials from the web, as well as from educators.

The site is searchable, has tons of activities organized by topic and searchable, comments and sharing, and much more. There is a newsletter to keep up to date on changes to the site, as well as a mobile app.

There are some really great activities that can help students learn and explore topics in science and math.

What Engineering, the E in STEM, means to K-12 education

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is a term used to describe having these four topics integrated into K-12 education. It is an important topic and integrating STEM topics into any class can help students learn and explore. However, many educators aren't sure what this means or how to incorporate STEM topics into their classrooms, especially the "engineering" part.

The Opportunity Equation has a great article, "The “E” in STEM: Clarifying What Engineering Education Means for K-12". This article helps to explain what engineering would look like in K-12 education. Engineering and education experts shared their thoughts about the following questions:  What is engineering and what are the essential components that you feel ought to be included in K-12 education? What is the value of engineering education at the K-12 level? What are some examples of promising practices in K-12 engineering education?

This is a great resource to help explain the concept of engineering in K-12 education and how to implement it.

As a former engineer, I use engineering concepts in my classes on a regular basis and I see how it helps my students. I also use engineering concepts in my daily life, showing how important and useful this topic is to anyone.


Related:

STEM Resources for Education

Free Online Science Journal from US Forest Service

The US Forest Service has a very cool site called the Investi-gator, that is an upper elementary school science education journal. There are articles on leaves and why they change colors, ozone, soil activity, and much more, with discussion questions, interviews with scientists, lesson plans and assessments to use with students. You can download the journal issues, view them online, or order free copies for your classroom.

This is another great educational resource for teachers. http://www.scienceinvestigator.org/

Science Niblets - The Science Behind Everyday Topics

Science Niblets is a cool site I learned about from my PLN on Twitter today that explores the science of everyday topics.

The site has articles that describe and explain scientific topics including natural phenomena, biology, technology, physics, and more all related to things we experience in our daily lives.

The articles are geared towards the general public and are short and easy to understand. They provide a great way for students to learn more about science topics and can be useful for beginning learners, ESL/ELL, and even for advanced science students to learn something new. You can search the site by topic too.

You can also ask science questions on the site and they will post an answer, as well as reader answers. There is even a section on teaching reading using science. There are also recommendations and reviews of science books and educational toys.

I'm going to use it as a starting point for some of my lessons, as well as ideas for relating topics to everyday life.

Take a look and share it with your students and colleagues.


Related:

Head Rush - fun science show from Discovery with great website
STEM Resource for Educators - lots of great science, technology, engineering and math resources

EngineerGuy - great videos and resources on how things work

EngineerGuy is a very cool site by Bill Hammack. He explores and explains technology and the human side of technology, in videos and radio pieces, along with some books.

He teaches at the University of Illinois, was a US Diplomat (Senior Science Adviser at the Department of State), and has received awards for his work.

The videos and radio shows have explored nanotechnology, smart phones, mood rings, new inventions, light bulbs, smoke detectors, the accelerometer in a smart phone and much more. The videos are well done, explain the technology in an easy to understand way, and are very interesting.

The videos are a great way to learn about technology and different topics, as well as to share with your students. The videos can be viewed on his site (they are hosted on YouTube) and you can also listen to his radio shows and read different white papers he has written.

I will be using some of the videos as introductions to topics or to get my students engaged and excited about some topics.


Check it out: http://www.engineerguy.com/


More great STEM Resources.

Google Earth Day - resources to celebrate Earth Day, Everyday

Earth Day was this past Sunday, April 22nd, but we shouldn't just do things to help our planet one day out of the year.

Google Earth Day is a great site that has some great resources to help anyone celebrate Earth Day, Everyday.

The site has information on starting your own garden, finding discount seeds, connecting with other gardeners, gardening tips, recipes, helping find a community garden, and much more.

http://www.google.com/campaigns/plantforearthday/



Related:

Earth Day Resources for Educators

Google Resources for Education - tips, resources, links, help, how-to's, apps, lesson ideas, and more.

Earth Day is April 22 - here are some great resources for educators

Earth Day, April 22nd, is a great time to talk to your students about the environment. Many schools, including most in Connecticut, will be on break during that time, but you can always talk about it after break.


Earth Day was started in 1962 as a way to bring attention to environmental issues. As polution increases, and the environment is continually affected by humans, it is a great time to get our students thinking about environmental issues. 




Here are some resources you can use with your students:





National Environmental Education Week - This week (April 10-16) is Environmental Education Week. This site has an entire section with resources for educators that includes curricula, quizzes, professional development and more. 







Earth Day Network - this is another great resource for teaching about the environment and Earth Day. The educator resource page has lesson plans, Green your School guide, grant programs and more to help educators. 

Science Museum Climate Science Info Zone - information and resources on climate change, carbon footprint, and more. 

Think Green from Discovery Education - Think Green is another great free resource from Discovery Education that contains lesson plans, videos, and activities for teachers to use in their classroom. The resources are sorted by grade level and are interactive and educational. 


You can also go to the Think Green Resource Page to search for more resources by grade, topic, or resource. 




Discovery Education, Siemens STEM Academy also has some great resources. 


Every classroom can, and should, talk about Earth Day and the environment. We all need to help make sure that the Earth will be a healthy, viable, place for generations to come. It's also a great way to incorporate STEM topics into any classroom and relate STEM topics to the environment. 


English classes could write about the environment, including persuasive essays and letters on different topics. 


History classes could look at the history of Earth Day and the Environmentalist movement, along with the history of different environment events. 


Science classes can delve into the science of the environment, energy resources, energy production and more. 




What do you do for Earth Day in your classroom?




Some More Environmental Resources


Discovery Education Dawn Junior Wildlife Champions-free lesson plans about oil spills and wildlife

The Road Ahead - resources on electricity generation from Discovery Education

Discovery Education Turfmutt - environmental science lessons

25 Free Resources from Discovery Education

Discovery News - science news

Disney Planet Challenge - project based environmental contest with resources

My GCSE Science - science resources for teachers and students

My GCSE Science is a site that has video lessons and resources on Biology, Chemistry and Physics. They were developed for a specific curriculum and program, but can be used by anyone for these topics.

The videos are good and there are notes pages that go with them. The notes pages have images from the video along with space to write your own notes. The video listing has the length of the video also.

They are organized by subject and topic and the videos are hosted on YouTube.

This is good for students to use for review, missed work, and help, and for teachers to use in class or for absent students.

Here's some of the Chemistry and Physics videos. Click on the video or "Learn" to get to the video. "Notes" brings you to the PDF notes for the video.

Notes page example:

Whatchamacology - cool app to learn scientific terms

Whatchamacology is a cool app for iPhone and Android that helps students learn scientific terms through games and analogies. The terminology is from the grade 9-12 Ontario Science Curriculum. You can also submit your own terms and clues to share.

Terms are from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Space Science and Environmental Science. Games include password, pictionary and more.

This is a fun way for students to learn scientific terms in a way that will help them remember them, and be able to figure out other scientific terms.

It's $0.99 for either version.

5 Great Smartphone Apps for the High School Science Classroom - Guest Post

5 Great Smartphone Apps for the High School Science Classroom
Technology is a crucial part of the modern classroom. Especially in science, teachers who embrace the use of new technologies provide their students with learning tools that are both fun and useful. Apps for smartphones are just the latest way to integrate learning and technology. Below are some of the best new apps for high school science classrooms.


Frog Dissection by Emantras Inc
Available for iPad and iOS for just $3.99, Frog Dissection is a great ethical alternative to the classic biology lab. For those students who conscientiously object to opening up an actual frog on their lab tables, the Frog Dissection app gives them the chance to explore anatomy in a new way. The realistic app mimics the actual procedure of dissecting using step by step instructions and virtual dissection tools. Clear 3D imaging allows students to see each organ in vivid detail. In addition to the dissection, the app contains information about classification, organ functions, and the lifecycle of frogs, as well as a comparison to human anatomy.


Atomium: Periodic Table by Henri Hansen
Chemistry students are constantly referring to the periodic table of the elements to find atomic masses, atomic numbers, and other important facts. With a periodic table app, students can have the information at their fingertips. Atomium, available on iOs and iPad for $0.99, is a great reference app that provides more information about each element than any student could hope for. It also allows users to regroup and recolor the elements according to properties. This is a great way to help students visualize the trends and patterns that are otherwise tough to see in a static table.


Science Friday BE by ScienceFriday Inc.
Most high school students are likely unaware of NPRs Friday talk show. The app for iPhone and Android is a great way to introduce students to the show that makes science relevant and fun. Teachers can use stories from the program as teachable moments and to further explore concepts taught in the classroom. A new aspect of the SciFri app is the show’s science and the arts section. It can help to engage students who are more interested in creative subjects. And best of all, the app is free.


Skeptical Science by Shine Technolgies
High school students are full of questions. One of the most contentious and political debates today is the one over global warming. Science teachers are often bombarded with questions regarding the ins and outs of the debate. With this free app, students can explore the whole range of doubts, questions, and skeptical arguments made regarding climate change. Skeptical Science keeps up to date with all new arguments made against climate change and offers counter arguments backed by hard science.


Vernier Video Physics by Vernier Software and Technology
Vernier has long provided teachers with technology for the physics classroom. Now, for just $2.99, students can visualize and analyze motion with this Vernier app. Students film the motion of an object  with their phones and the app displays the path of the object on a graph for analysis. This is a great tool for taking basic physics concepts into the real world.

Mary Ellen Ellis is a science teacher and writer for Teacher Certification Degrees, a career site for individuals interested in researching how to become a teacher in their state and featuring interviews with current teachers and leaders in the education field.






Related:


Android for Education resources and apps

Science Scene - collection of resources for physical science and environmental

ScienceScene is a site with some great resources for Physical Science and Environment Science classes.

There are links, useful software to use in the class, news, virtual museums, references and much more.

It is a good place to go for some great ideas to use in these classes.

NASA Rockets Educator Guide - updated and free - great resource

NASA is an excellent resource for educators with sites, lesson resources, and more available.

One of the resources I really like, and use each year, is the Rockets Educator Guide. NASA has recently updated it with some new information and materials. It's available as a free PDF download here.

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The NASA - The Rockets Educator Guide includes lesson plans and activity ideas. This guide has some great activities like rockets using film canisters, baking soda, and vinegar, paper rockets, altitude trackers and more. There is even a part on the history of rockets.

I use this at the end of the year in a project on Rockets, combining topics from throughout the year in a fun project.

Here's more on the project: http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/05/rockets-great-project-for-end-of-year.html


More NASA Resources:

Quickly find free NASA educational resources
Here are a lot more great, free Educational Resources from NASA