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Digital Promise: It's Time to Weave Computational Thinking into K-12 -- SteamUniverse

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Digital Promise: It's Time to Weave Computational Thinking into K-12 -- SteamUniverse

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Digital Promise: It's Time to Weave Computational Thinking into K-12

It's high time for students to move beyond an hour of coding exercises and learn computational thinking. That's the message of a new report from Digital Promise that examines what's important to know and be able to do in a "computational world."

Digital Promise is a non-profit that that promotes the use of innovation in education, particularly as it uses digital technologies.

The new report, " Computational Thinking for a Computational World," explains its theme of computational thinking by borrowing a description from a long-ago article published by the Association for Computing Machinery: It is "a way of solving problems, designing systems and understanding human behavior that draws on concepts fundamental to computer science... a fundamental skill for everyone, not just computer scientists." More simply, the report noted, "The skill required to tell a computer what to do is programming. The thought process behind programming is computational thinking." What it isn't is humans thinking like computers. And, according to the report's authors, it's something that needs to be taught across subjects in K-12 schools.

As the report described, "technology is having a dramatic impact on jobs and how we work." Those technologies include smart systems, machine learning and robotics. Yet, while schools do their best to add coding and some computer science studies into the curriculum, it's "highly decentralized." "There is no single authority at the national level guiding the purpose and implementation of opportunities to learn about computing," the report noted. As a result of this uneven coverage of CS in education from state to state and district to district, there's a "severe shortage" of teachers who can teach the subject of computer science; education isn't looking ahead to how CS education should evolve; and "equitable participation" continues to pose a challenge.

Bringing computational thinking into education would outfit students to undertake problem solving where the problems are complex and have many interrelated parts (like a computational model does); to develop processes that are "logical, precise and repeatable" (like algorithms); and to understand how to work with data to support their problem-solving.

The good news, the report offered, was that computational thinking "is already underway in schools." It surfaces in many of the learning standards states have adopted, such as the Next Generation Science Standards. And its inclusion doesn't require additional classes; it can be integrated into existing subjects.

The report listed a number of recommendations for moving the work of computational thinking forward in schools, including advocacy campaigns, curriculum and resource development, professional development for teachers and school leaders and additional research.

Digital Promise has also produced 10 educator microcredentials to support teachers as they develop the competencies to integrate computational thinking into their classrooms. Five cover the key elements and five cover pedagogical practices. Neither set requires experience in computer science or coding as a prerequisite.

The report is openly available on the Digital Promise website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at dian@dischaffhauser.com or on Twitter @schaffhauser.

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recommendations for computational thinking 2018

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Digital Promise: It's Time to Weave Computational Thinking into K-12 -- SteamUniverse

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It's high time for students to move beyond an hour of coding exercises and learn computational thinking. That's the message of a new report from Digital Promise that examines what's important to know and be able to do in a "computational world."

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CareerInSTEM – Your future STEM career, today.

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CareerInSTEM – Your future STEM career, today.

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CareerInSTEM - Your future STEM career, today.

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Bring STEM to Life Using Future Goals - Hockey Scholar

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Bring STEM to Life Using Future Goals - Hockey Scholar

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Bring STEM to Life Using Future Goals - Hockey Scholar

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Engage your students with Hockey Scholar, a web-based course sponsored by the NHL & NHLPA that leverages hockey to teach foundational STEM concepts.

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5 Things you can do with a laser pointer besides play with the cat!

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Connected Science Learning | Linking in-school and out-of-school STEM learning

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Connected Science Learning | Linking in-school and out-of-school STEM learning

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An online journal that highlights STEM education experiences that bridge the gap between in-school and out-of-school settings.

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Program Overview

Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) is an educational program for 5th through 8th grade students with the goal of creating the fastest, most interesting, and best crafted solar-vehicle possible. Students have the opportunity to participate in JSS through TSA chapters, Army hosted locations and middle schools across the country or through their middle school!

During JSS students will:

design, build and race solar powered cars using hands-on engineering skills and principles of science and math,

develop teamwork and problem solving abilities,

investigate environmental issues,

and gain hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills

JSS is designed to support the instruction of STEM exploring topics such as alternative fuels, engineering design, and aerodynamics.

Whether you are a parent, teacher (advisor), volunteer or a student the first step is to register free here. Once registered, access will be provided to the online resources. There is no fee to register.
NATIONAL JSS COMPETITION
The 2018 national JSS competition will be held in conjunction with the national TSA conference, June 22 - June 26, 2018 at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. More information on the national JSS competition will be available in spring 2018.

PROGRAM MILESTONES

Sept-Feb:

Registration

Apr-Jun:

Participate in local and regional JSS races

Aug-Jun:

Online resources available

Nov-May:

Webinars and local training for students and teachers/coaches

Jan-Mar:

Complete JSS lesson plans

Create design sketches and team journal

Obtain solar panels/car kits

Feb-May:

Participate in local and regional competitions

Jun:

National JSS Competition

Hear from our JSS students
CONTACT

1914 Association Drive
Reston, Virginia 20191
703.860.9000
888.860.9010

For more information regarding TSA membership, please contact Suzy Orr at sorr@tsaweb.org.

HISTORY OF THE JSS PROGRAM
Originally created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the 1980's, Junior Solar Sprint has been supported with funding from the US Army Educational Outreach Program since 2001. The Technology Student Association (TSA) has administered the JSS program since 2011. In 2014, JSS became an official TSA middle school competition and the first national JSS competition was held at the national TSA conference in Washington, DC.

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Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) is an educational program for 5th through 8th grade students with the goal of creating the fastest, most interesting, and best crafted solar-vehicle possible. Students have the opportunity to participate in JSS through TSA chapters, Army hosted locations and middle schools across the country or through their middle school!

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10 STEM Books to Use in the K-5 Classroom - STEM JOBS

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10 STEM Books to Use in the K-5 Classroom - STEM JOBS

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Expand younger students' STEM world by incorporating NSTA's best STEM books for students in grades kindergarten through five into your classroom this school year.

This year's NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) Best STEM Book selections include stories of pioneers and fictional characters that reflect the greater diversity within the landscape of the United States and STEM professions. Expand your classroom library or start story time with these STEM books for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade.

1. Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine

By Laurie Wallmark

Grades: Kindergarten and above

Recognized as the first programmer, Ada Lovelace developed programs during the century before the modern computer was introduced. After adding this to the class list of STEM books, introduce children to simple programming activities and ask them what type of programs they want to develop.

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10 STEM Books to Use in the K-5 Classroom - STEM JOBS

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This year's NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) Best STEM Book selections include stories of pioneers and fictional characters that reflect the greater diversity within the landscape of the United States and STEM professions. Expand your classroom library or start story time with these STEM books for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade.

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United States Patent and Trademark Office - An Agency of the Department of Commerce

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Experience lessons for students that combine design thinking, engineering and project-based learning. Explore the design process and connections with English language arts and math to see how these lessons can enhance your curriculum and engage students in problem solving, collaboration, tech tools and making. Our sessions are designed for classroom, after-school or informal settings and are made to build on your experience while connecting you with a community of supportive and creative educators.

Need to get a team of educators energized and prepared to teach engineering and design thinking? The Bowers Institute offers professional development sessions that can fit into your schedule and suit your team's needs. Fill in this form, and a member of our staff will contact you to make arrangements.

All workshops are held at the Bowers Institute @ The Tech, 145 W. San Carlos St., San Jose. Learn more about more information, send an email to parking and payment policies. For bowersinstitute@thetech.org.

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Experience lessons for students that combine design thinking, engineering and project-based learning. Explore the design process and connections with English language arts and math to see how these lessons can enhance your curriculum and engage students in problem solving, collaboration, tech tools and making.

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Posted on by Mary Lord
(Lesson courtesy of NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory's education office and a favorite of education outreach specialist Jojo Aguilar.) Summary
In this fun activity, students of all ages learn about rocket stability by constructing and flying small "indoor" paper rockets, then analyzing flight data and interpreting the results.

Grade level: K-12

Time: Less than 30 minutes, start to finish
Standards National Science Education Standards

A: Scientific inquiry

B: Motions and forces

E: Technological design

NCTM Mathematics

Measurement

Patterns and functions

Common Cores State Mathematics Standards
Measure, represent, and interpret data (grades 1 - 5)

ITEA Technology Education:
NT.K-12.3 Technology productivity tools
Learning Objectives
After doing this activity, students should be able to:

Conduct an experiment

Collect, analyze, and interpret data

Draw conclusions from results

Describe how design affects performance

Materials
Per student or team:
Procedure

Who doesn't love rockets? Or blowing through a soda straw? In this experiment, students get a hands-on feel for rocket stability and aerodynamics by constructing and flying small paper rockets propelled by air blown through a straw. The goal is for students to conduct an experiment, analyze the data, and interpret the results. Also to have fun!

JPL's Jojo Aguilar shows how to make the rocket: Cut out the template, wrap the long rectangular section around a pencil, tape the fins, insert a straw and blow! Image credit: NASA/JPL

1. Download and print the soda-straw rocket template, at least one per student or group, from: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/images/pdf/sodastrawrocket.pdf

2. Carefully cut out the pieces and assemble the rockets according to the template's instructions. Once completed, you will have a nice little rocket that stands just over 5 inches tall.

3, Insert a soda straw into the rocket and blow into the straw.

4. Watch your rocket as it flies. How far does it go? Does it fly straight or does it tumble in midair? Record the rocket's length and how far it travels using the template's data log.

5.Launch your rocket a few more times to see if it flies the same way. If you would like to record your rocket flight distances, be sure to launch it from the same place each time, and measure to the landing spot with a tape measure.

6. Next, make rockets of different lengths to see how that affects the results. (Vary the length by cutting the tube that forms the rocket.)
Extensions

Math connection: Have students observe how their rockets landed in a scatter plot, much like a graph.

Start by making simpler rockets without fins. Cut one piece of paper into quarters, wrap one of the paper rectangles around a pencil to form a cylinder, with the long edge of the paper along the length of the pencil, and tape the cylinder closed so it does not unravel (but do not tape it to the pencil). Pinch one end of the cylinder shut and seal it with tape. (This is the "front" end of the rocket.)

When students are finished recording data, see if they can use their findings to improve on their designs (or design entirely new rockets) and fly further on a second trial flight, or reach objects, such as a classroom globe.

Students should work in groups of four to six and build rockets of different sizes. They can share data and discuss how rocket length affects distance.

Let students personalize their rockets by coloring or drawing on them.

Resources
NASA's Flight Testing Newton's Laws uses video clips of test pilots to explain Newton's three laws and spark high school students' interest the physical sciences and mathematics. The 10-lesson course includes a "flight instructor's manual" to help guide teachers and students through thrust, drag, and other concepts.

NASA's Aerospace Activities and Lessons include a wide array of hands-on activities developed by teachers and NASA educators.

Ultimate Straw Rocket! YouTube video [0:51] on how to make a super-high-flying rocket.

Build a Paper Rocket Scientific American's version of this activity includes short, accessible explanation of aerodynamics, force, and drag.

Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5

Tags: Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, Aerospace, Aerospace Engineering, aerospace lessons, inquiry, Mathematics, NASA, rocket, rocket stability, straw rocket

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eGFI - For Teachers " Activity: Straw-Rocket Aeronautics

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Posted on by Mary Lord (Lesson courtesy of NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory's education office and a favorite of education outreach specialist Jojo Aguilar.) Summary In this fun activity, students of all ages learn about rocket stability by constructing and flying small "indoor" paper rockets, then analyzing flight data and interpreting the results.

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[Updated: Jan. 24, 2018] The conversation on the ever-changing jobs market has hit a fever pitch in recent years as advancements in technology redefine the role of the American worker.

Recognizing the need for a platform that dives deeper into the issue, venture capitalist Art Bilger formed WorkingNation, a not-for-profit national campaign dedicated to explaining the high stakes of Structural Unemployment and investigating potential solutions to the problem through innovative storytelling.

Armed with two award-winning producers, Joan Lynch and Melissa Panzer, the team decided on their first project, an animated short "Slope of the Curve," tackling the looming unemployment crisis that threatens the jobs of nearly half the American workforce over the next 20 years.

Directed by Academy Award-nominated documentarian Marshall Curry and narrated by "Black-ish" star Anthony Anderson, the film explains how the U.S. jobs market is rapidly changing as a result of advances in technology, automation, and other factors, and why it's so important for everyday Americans to begin preparing now for an uncertain future.

"This massive issue facing the U.S. isn't being explained to the American public in a way that hits home," Lynch said. "It took a year to break down a complicated topic into an easily digestible story that hopefully anyone can understand."

"We believe that 'Slope of the Curve' will serve as a great introduction to the issue and its causes and get people to start thinking about whether they are ready for the future of work," Panzer added.

Written by Curry and co-producer Dan Koehler, the film digs into the factors contributing to the growing employability gap in the United States and illustrates the impact it's already having - and is poised to have - on millions of middle-class lives.

"I love the challenge of taking complex ideas that might seem dry on the surface and turning them into fun, entertaining, visually-compelling films," Curry said.

Michael Bonitatis, an animation professor and founder of Animation Libation Studios, served as director of animation for the film and created "Slope's" constantly morphing animation style.

WorkingNation partnered with Bonitatis, in part, because of his studios' unique mission to connect newly emerging artists with industry veterans on collaborative projects. Bonitatis recruited recent animation graduates to work on the project who were otherwise out of work or underemployed in the animation field.

For many, it was their first major production and an example of WorkingNation highlighting and working with an organization offering the type of scalable, grassroots skills development and employment solutions that will be required across industries to solve the looming crisis.

Shortly after its release, the film caught the attention of CNNMoney and has been featured in stories related to this issue.

Over the past year, WorkingNation has produced numerous projects for our FutureWork Series, Do Something Awesome series, and social media platforms. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for the latest news and stories that could change your life or the life of someone you know.

Facebook Comments

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Updated: Jan. 24, 2018] The conversation on the ever-changing jobs market has hit a fever pitch in recent years as advancements in technology redefine the role of the American worker.

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Teacher Stuff: Literacy Based STEAM Challenges

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Teacher Stuff: Literacy Based STEAM Challenges

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience, but at no cost to you.

The Maker Movement is big right now, and you can implement one in your own classroom with these STEAM challenges.

The Great Air Race

Begin the challenge with these 2 great books:

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen

What makes a paper airplane fly the farthest? Create your own paper airplane. Experiment with different designs to find the one that will fly the farthest. Give your airplane at least 5 test flights and graph your data. Make a reflection video of your findings that include a recording of your test flights.

This video trailer will help set the stage for your students as they create their own flying machines:

You can also inspire your students by watching the Guinness World Record for the Longest Paper Airplane flight - 226 feet!

CCSS 2.MD.A.4, 2.MD.D.10, W.2.7, W.2.8, 3.MD.B.3, W.3.8, ISTE 4a, 4c, 6c

Become an Inventor

In this challenge, we want students to get their creative juices flowing so they can become inventors. This is a very open-ended challenge, so get students inspired with this great book:

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

and this message from the Kid President:

Time to get creative! Invent something that you think will be useful to others. Start with a problem that you want to solve with your invention. Write a script and create a commercial to describe your invention, how it works, and why you think other people will want to use it.

You have probably heard of the Cardboard Challenge inspired by Caine's Arcade. Inventing something with cardboard could be a great way for students to begin inventing. Include different kinds of boxes and other miscellaneous items in your maker space, and share how Caine's Arcade got started:

This book also has a lot of inspiring ideas for cardboard inventors:

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Another fun addition to your maker space could be the Cardboard Creator Toolkit from Lakeshore. It includes rivets, screws, hinges, and other tools that are made specifically for using with cardboard. My son got one for Christmas, and we have been making a lot of cardboard inventions at our house!

Cardboard Robot Cardboard Car with Steering Wheel

Once students have invented something, it's time to create a commercial. This is a great opportunity to work on opinion writing. Opinion writing is a standard for students grades 1 - 5, and the basic structure is the same.

To help students write their own commercial scripts, start by analyzing infomercials that follow the same basic structure. Using Edpuzzle, I annotated these infomercials to identify the elements of opinion writing.

I would suggest having students create their own commercials using iMovie or Shadow Puppet EDU once they have written their own scripts.

CCSSW.1.1, W.1.6, SL.1.5, W.2.1, W.2.6,SL.2.5, W.3.1, W.3.6, SL.3.5, W.4.1, W.4.6, SL.4.5, W.5.1, W.5.6, SL.5.5 , ISTE 4a, 4d, 6a, 6b,6c, 6d

My Mixed Up Chameleon

This challenge is based on the story The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle:

First, students get to create their own mixed up chameleon using the app pic collage for kids. Erintegration had a great blog post called Eric Carle Style Digital Collages On Pic Collage. She gives step by step instructions on how to create these collages. Using this really cool digital collage technique, students can create their own mixed up chameleon on the iPad.

If your mixed up chameleon was a real animal, what kind of animal would it be?

Next, students analyze all the different animal parts that make up their mixed up chameleon.

Thinking about the animal classification, the habitat, and the diet of all the animals that make up their mixed up Chameleon, students have to decide how they would classify their mixed up chameleon and justify their reasons. Using pic collage for kids, shadow puppet EDU, and putting it in Book Creator as an interactive digital notebook, I created an example of what it could look like:

CCSS RL.1.7, SL.1.5, RL.2.7, SL.2.5, NGSS 2-LS4-1, ISTE 6a, 6b

How to Create a Tangram Animal

This math challenge begins with the story Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert:

Choose one of the tangram animals in the story and create it. Create a step by step "How to" guide using pictures to show someone how to recreate it. Be sure to use mathematical language.

*Bonus* Create your own tangram animal and directions. Remember that you must use all 7 shapes.

Students can create their own set of 7 tangrams with the instructions from this video:

Then, they can study one of the tangram animals from the book and create a "how to" story. By taking pictures of each step in the creation of a tangram animal, students can illustrate their "how to" story with their own pictures. The easiest way to do this is on the iPad using the book creator app to create each page of the story with the student's own pictures. Students can even use the app vimo to highlight important parts of their "how to" story. Here is an example:

The next step in this challenge is to create a video glossary for geometry terms related to the tangrams.

Although the following video is not one of the terms listed above, it is a student example of what the terms in this video glossary might look like. This video was created using Shadow Puppet EDU.

CCSS 2.G.A.1, W.2.2, W.2.6, SL.2.5, 3.G.A.1, W.3.2, W.3.6, SL.3.5, 4.G.A.1, W.4.2, W.4.6, SL.4.5 ISTE 6c

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience, but at no cost to you. The Maker Movement is big right now, and you can implement one in your own classroom with these STEAM challenges. The Great Air Race Begin the challenge with these 2 great books: Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen What makes a paper airplane fly the farthest?

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Engage your students in the classroom with IET Faraday teaching resources and activities to encourage the learning and uptake of science, design and technology, engineering, maths and computing.

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The jobs of the future – and two skills you need to get them | World Economic Forum

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The jobs of the future – and two skills you need to get them | World Economic Forum

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The jobs of the future - and two skills you need to get them

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Maths ability will get you furthest, says Harvard's Davis Deming. As long as you've got the social skills to go with it.

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UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education

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UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education

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UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education

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UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education (C-STEM) --- Research and Outreach

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The Cubes in Space program will engage students and teachers from around the world to design unique experiments, that must fit into a 40mm cube, to be launched into space.

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14 top tech toys for kids that focus on STEM and coding | afr.com

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14 top tech toys for kids that focus on STEM and coding | afr.com

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LUMI quad-copter users can choreograph a series of flight moves and play them back to music selected from their music library. WowWee

by Jennifer Berger

Every year, the Toy Insider panel of experts chooses the hottest toys for the upcoming Christmas season and these typically are the most in-demand playthings for kids all year long.

The tech-based toys incorporate the latest in digital play, creativity and innovation, including those based on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), from the basics of coding and circuitry to complex robotics.

1. Air Hogs Helix Sentinel

This first-person view video drone allows kids to connect multiple devices to stream live video. There's a built-in, high-speed camera to capture fast moving objects, which can be stored on the included 4GB memory card. The goggles give kids the chance to see things from the drone's perspective. $US199.99. More information. Find the best price.

2. Think & Learn Code-A-Pillar

Kids can develop coding skills with the Think & Learn Code-A-Pillar by arranging the segments in many combinations to send the creature on his path (forward, left, right and more). You can configure the segments in such a way that the toy can reach targets throughout a room; $US49.99 at fisher-price.com. Find the best price.

3. Mebo

Using a touch-screen app, kids can drive the high-tech robot Mebo around the house to pick up snacks, spy on people or even have conversations. There's a point-of-view camera that streams live in high definition. Other features include two-way audio streaming and six-wheel suspension. $US149.99. More information. Find the best price.

4. Sky Rover Voice Command Drone

The Sky Rover Voice Command Drone from Auldey Toys responds to 12 commands when spoken through the included headset. Say "take-off" and watch as the drone changes direction and does amazing stunts like 360-degree flips in response to commands. $US59.99. More information. Find the best price.

5. VEX Robotics Zip Flyer

This robotic gadget can shoot propellers more than 30 feet in the air once kids build the structure using snap-together pieces. Pull the zip-cord stick to release -- the faster you pull, the higher up they'll go. $US12.99. More information. Find the best price.

6. Sky Viper Hover Racer

The Hover Racer combines drone racing with video game battling. It can fly 20 mp/h (32 km/h) while hovering three feet off the ground. Using the freetoplay app and infrared beacons, players race and battle in a course of their own design. $US99.99. More information. Find the best price.

7. Barbie STEM Kit

This kit includes plastic building pieces and science experiment materials, as well as a Barbie or Nikki doll. Kids can design outfits for Barbie to wear, build a washing machine, rotating closet and more, all compatible with the Barbie Dreamhouse. $US29.95. More information. Find the best price.

8. BOSEbuild Speaker Cube

Build your own speaker and learn how a magnet and coil make a sound and how a speaker reproduces music. Kids can be coached through the building process through a free companion app that confirms success along the way. Kids can also add coloured LED lights and silhouette covers. $US149. More information. Find the best price.

9. Code Gamer

Using the Arduino-compatible gamepad, which connects wirelessly to a tablet, kids can learn coding while playing games. In each level of the game, kids can learn a piece of the Arduino programming language and how to use it in order to solve puzzles and challenges and move forward in the game. Kids will also learn to write programs on their computer using the four sensors and invent new applications. $US149.95. More information.

10. CHiP

CHiP (Canine Home Intelligent Pet) is a robotic dog that recognises and responds to commands using the included SmartBand, a rechargeable wearable controller. CHiP responds to hand gestures and voice commands. He also plays fetch and fun games with his SmartBall, interacting all the ways a real dog would. At the end of the day, CHiP knows to head to his special SmartBed to recharge. $US199.99. More information. Find the best price.

11. Zoomer Chimp

With lifelike movements and realistic chimp sounds, Zoomer Chimp can follow you, stand up on his own and recognise commands through his voice recognition technology. He performs tricks, follows voice commands and more. $US119. More information. Find the best price.

12. LUMI

This quad-copter can be used indoors and with a smartphone or tablet. Kids can select one-touch stunts, follow-me mode or take control and fly LUMI while avoiding furniture and walls. Players can also choreograph a series of flight moves and play them back to music selected from their music library. $US79.99. More information; Find the best price.

13. Pokemon Sun & Moon

The new additions to Pokemon video games for Nintendo 3DS feature mysterious creatures known as Ultra Beasts. $39.99 each. More information. Find the best price.

14. Kurio Watch

Made specifically for kids, this smartwatch features a touchscreen, alarm, calculator, music and video players, front-facing camera, activity tracker and mini games that detect wrist movement. Kids can also message friends and family via other Kurio or Android devices. $US59.99. More information. Find the best price.

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14 top tech toys for kids that focus on STEM and coding

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by Jennifer Berger Every year, the Toy Insider panel of experts chooses the hottest toys for the upcoming Christmas season and these typically are the most in-demand playthings for kids all year long. The tech-based toys incorporate the latest in digital play, creativity and innovation, including those based on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), from the basics of coding and circuitry to complex robotics.

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The mission of the NEED Project is to promote an energy conscious and educated society by creating effective networks of students, educators, business, government and community leaders to design and deliver objective, multi-sided energy education programs. NEED works with energy companies, agencies and organizations to bring balanced energy programs to the nation's schools with a focus on strong teacher professional development, timely and balanced curriculum materials, signature program capabilities and turn-key program management.

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Jack Kilby and the Integrated Circuit - YouTube

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Jack Kilby and the Integrated Circuit - YouTube

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Did you know that many of the electronic products you or your family own probably have several ICs? And many of the ICs found in these electronics were made by Texas Instruments (TI). In fact, a TI engineer made the very first working IC - also called a chip or semiconductor - on September 12, 1958.

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These resources will explore these questions and more, including how the new atomic weight intervals came to be, and how to use them. Here you will explore the interactive, electronic version of the IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes, and discover some of the many ways in which knowledge of isotopes matters.

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Mechanical Hand using only fast food straws - Straw Builder Project #1

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Mechanical Hand using only fast food straws - Straw Builder Project #1

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Introduction: Mechanical Hand Using Only Fast Food Straws - Straw Builder Project #1

Straw Builder Project #1: Mechanical Hand using only fast food straws

As with all of my straw projects, you can take pride in using freely available materials. Unlike other constructions toys, the fastening process is part of the building material. After finishing this project, snapping together expensive injected molded blocks will feel like cheating.

This is a great project for kids and parents or as a classroom project. The project will require a bit of patience and take a few hours to fully build and assemble. If not assisted by an adult, I would suggest a starting age of 10 years old since the force needed to use the paper punch is too much for younger kids.

Parts Needed:
25-30 Straws

Tools Needed:
Scissors
Paper Punch
Ruler (optional)
Wooden Skewer (optional)
Permanent Marker (optional)

That's it. The elegance of this design is that it is basically free and the assembly is pretty simple. Yet, this design achieves fully mechanical hand that rebounds back to its original state when the tendons release their tension.

For this project, the goal was to build a fully functional hand using only straws. The diameter of a McDonalds straw is just about perfect. You can substitute straws from Chick-Fil-A clear straws. I prefer the McDonalds straws because they have a yellow and red band that run the length of the straw which makes cutting easier. The yellow and red bands act as a visual guide and results in straight cuts.

The magic of this project is that it uses no glue, welding, staples or securing other than by creative use of the source building material. Straws are incredible building materials. They come in a wide variety of dimensions but share inherent strength, flexibility, and availability attributes.

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Step 3: Finger Digits (Phalanges)

Think of the finger build as having two parts. You will build four fingers and four tendons. The fingers are a straw tube with cuts to allow joint movement and retain enough material to bounce back into shape. The tendons consist of a finger nail, tendon, and pull ring. The tendons are one straw piece each and are the secret-sauce to the finger working properly.

All four straw fingers can be made identically. If you wish, you can make the knuckle locations in proportion to a real hand with various lengths. That simply adds more complexity to the build.

You will notice that each finger consists of seven paper punches. You will make four equally spaced paper punches at the bottom of each finger. These will later allow us to create a palm to hold the fingers together. The three punches you make above the palm are at 90 degrees to the palm punches. These are the knuckles and you can hold a straw up to your hand to determine the best location for these punches.

The knuckles require a bit more work to function. You need to remove half of the straw below the hold punch. You can either use scissors to make a nice V shape or just double punch offset below the first. After a lot of experimenting, I think the V shape is both faster and gives a superior 'bounce' for returning the finger to its resting position. Play around with the knuckles by flexing the finger to check for a nice easy bend. Look for plastic crimping and remove that material. The finger should snap back to a straight line when released. If not, you removed too much material.

We will build the opposable thumb as separate series of steps later in this guide.

Step 5: Finger and Tendon Assembly

This is a very satisfying milestone in the build process. You will finally start to see your efforts come together and even demonstrate the mechanics in operation.

At this point the fingers and tendons are almost complete. Before you can join these two pieces together, you need to make two more cuts per finger.

First, cut the top of the finger along the same parallel line as the knuckle joints. Only go down about a 1/8 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch. You don't want to cut to the first knuckle, as that would destroy the finger. This cut is what will anchor the finger nail.

Second, cut a section off the bottom of the finger so that the final ring pull can be grabbed.

Thread the tendon by pushing the fingernail up from the bottom of the finger. It will slide up the tube easily and shouldn't pose a problem. Anchor the fingernail at the top of the finger. Grab the ring pull and gently pull it while hold the finger. With just the right amount of tension, the tendon will force the knuckle joints to collapse and the finger will bend.

Use this time to remove addition material as necessary to allow the knuckle joint to operate properly.

I find it best to 'break in' the knuckle joint by manually flexing them a few times using my hands instead of the ring pull.

Step 6: Palm

After the last series of steps, you may want to take a break. The following steps are less exciting and take a lot of time. In some respects, it is a long haul of cutting to get to another major milestone in the build process and it may be wise to take a break versus rush the rest of the project.

The palm starts off easy enough but the addition of an opposable thumb will truly test your patience. Take your time.

Begin by cutting four shorter straws to act as a matrix for the fingers. The picture below shows a suggested length of approximately 1/3 the full length of a straw.

Step 7: Thumb Supports

The thumb is horribly time consuming. In order to be fully opposable, you will need to build supports that extend out beyond the palm . To do this as efficiently as possible, you will 'overlay' the thumb support over the palm.

While we used four straws for the palm, we will only need three for the thumb. More than three will prevent the thumb opposable movement. We will be striking a balance of strength and flexibility.

For the each of the three straws, punch four holes in the exact same location as the palm holes. Very carefully cut the straw in half between the holes and stop about 1/4 inch past the last hole.

Insert one palm straw into each thumb support. Align the holes.

Step 9: Hand Assembly

To assemble the hand, we will be threading the finger through the palm and thumb supports. To do this, you will use your fingers to crimp the straw, squeeze and push. It will be a bit frustrating but with a bit of patience, it should only take about 20 minutes maximum. Just take your time. It is critical that you thread the finger through the palm with the tendon in place. You will not be able to thread the tendon after the finger is in the palm. You've been warned.

The first picture shows that the thumb supports are arranged with one at the top of the hand and two at the bottom of the hand. The picture also shows that we have not yet cut the length or punched holes. This is intentional as the final cuts are not known until the first four digits are in place.

Also pictured is the optional wooden skewer. This can be used to push inside the finger and return the straw back to its normal tube shape if the crimping was excessive. Don't worry about having it look perfect. All that is important is the free movement of the tendon inside the tube of the palm. If it can move freely and the fingers are roughly aligned by the fingernail, you have assembled it correctly.

Having threaded the four fingers through the palm, place the free floating thumb assembly on top of the extending thumb supports at an angle roughly approximate to your own hand. You know have a rough guide as to where to punch the holes for threading the thumb.

Step 10: More Thumb Work

Thread the thumb through the hold you punched for the palm thumb supports. Cut off the excess straw extending past the thumb.

In order for the thumb to be opposable, you will need to allow the thumb to collapse into the palm. Flip the hand over and punch holes for access between the thumb and finger. Cut a generous amount of material out of these locations.

Check your work by making sure the thumb can collapse and fold into the palm. The picture shows the free movement of the thumb by 90 degrees. Nice.

Step 12: Have Fun and Next Steps

Watch with amusement as kids explore the mechanics and ask questions about their own skeleton, muscles, and tendons. There is a lot going on in this simple mechanical hand. You can easily extend this project by making a simple wrist and arm. You will need to take into account linking the tendons by chaining the ring pulls with a zip tie cutting pattern.

Future projects we will be posting include straw gears, straw pendulums, straw springs, straw water bell siphons, and straw bridges. Straws are great. They are an easy builder entry point for kids and the cost makes it nearly irresistible.

Have fun.

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Mechanical Hand Using Only Fast Food Straws - Straw Builder Project #1

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Straw Builder Project #1: Mechanical Hand using only fast food straws As with all of my straw projects, you can take pride in using freely available materials. Unlike other constructions toys, the fastening process is part of the building material. After finishing this project, snapping together expensive injected molded blocks will feel like cheating.

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Sharing resources, ideas, and opportunities in STEM Education!

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5 In a Bag Challenge - Bunhead With Duct Tape: Making Learning Stick

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5 In a Bag Challenge - Bunhead With Duct Tape: Making Learning Stick

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Bunhead With Duct Tape: Making Learning Stick

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Could you really run a makerspace that is fun, dynamic, engaging, thought-provoking and inexpensive? Take the twice a month "5 In a Bag" challenge using only household and easily obtainable items....

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5 Videos for Parents to Learn About Importance of STEM Education - EdTechReview™ (ETR)

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5 Videos for Parents to Learn About Importance of STEM Education - EdTechReview™ (ETR)

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Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are achievements that reflect our humanity, power, our economy, and constitute fundamental aspects of our lives as citizens, consumers, parents, and members of the workforce.

Besides, STEM is everywhere; it shapes our everyday experiences. Considering how STEM effects what is closest and dearest to us "children", look closer at this vital part of education system and the importance of the same.

Below are 5 videos that will help you understand more about the importance of STEM education.

1. The 2013 White House Science Fair

The video takes you behind the scenes of one of President Barack Obama's favorite events of the year-The Annual White House Science Fair. "One of the things that I've been focused on as President is how we create an all-hands-on-deck approach to science, technology, engineering, and math... We need to make this a priority to train an army of new teachers in these subject areas, and to make sure that all of us as a country are lifting up these subjects for the respect that they deserve," said President Obama during a White House briefing.

2. STEM Education: Developing 21st century Problem Solvers

Highlighting the importance of STEM education, National Teacher of the Year Finalist, Rob Stephenson, explains why STEM is important and how students with background of STEM are going to be the problem solvers for the 21 st century.

3. Inspiring STEM Education

Watch kids experimenting and showing their passion and dedication towards the STEM education. This video is reason enough to push your kids and make them understand about the Stem education.

4. The future of STEM education: Roni Ellington

Another Ted Talk on STEM education by a lady who thought she deserves more. Sharing her own story, Roni Ellington explains the power of STEM education and the effect that is good for all.

5. Transforming Teaching and Learning Through STEM Education

This last video by Dr. Wehrell-Grabowski highlights how STEM education will play a major role in transforming education worldwide. STEM education indeed may be one of the answers to turning around our educational system and workforce.

What are your views about the importance of STEM education?

To know more about STEM Ed, also check:

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5 Videos for Parents to Learn About Importance of STEM Education

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Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are achievements that reflect our humanity, power, our economy, and constitute fundamental aspects of our lives as citizens, consumers, parents, and members of the workforce. Besides, STEM is everywhere; it shapes our everyday experiences.

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Robots in the Classroom: What Are They Good For? | MindShift | KQED News

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Robots in the Classroom: What Are They Good For? | MindShift | KQED News

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"We are trying to use the power of visual learning to bridge all the 'I'm not a math person' stuff," Inbar said. "They can actually use their senses to understand it."

For example, a lesson about quadratic functions uses a quadcopter robot to demonstrate what the equation means in real life by correlating the area viewed on a camera attached to the bottom, with the graph. If programmed with a quadratic equation, the quadcopter rises to specific heights, demonstrating the visible relationship between the hovering robot and the area captured by the camera.

"They want to work with the robot for as long as possible. Every time their lesson is done they're disappointed."

After students have been introduced to the concept and have seen it demonstrated on the robot, they can try to program the robot themselves. The hands-on aspect helps students to understand that they can manipulate the robot themselves with the right code, Ibar said.

"We have teachers who are doing project-based learning and they give the robots to the students with the tablet and they say, 'You figure it out and come back and tell me what you learned,'" Inbar said. While his product includes curriculum and lessons teachers can use, the robot itself is just a platform that can be programmed by tinkering students just as effectively as by a teacher.

Jerry Moldenhauer has been using VEX and Lego Mindstorm robots in his engineering classes at Eastside Memorial High School in Austin, Texas for several years. Until now, he's mostly used them to offer advanced students challenge problems, giving them opportunities to design concepts and practice programming. This year, he started using the RobotLab BOX kit with his whole class, and he's found that it boosts engagement and crystallizes difficult concepts.

"They have solved a big problem and that is bringing in curriculum, especially for math and physics," Moldenhauer said. He prefers teaching with project-based methods, but said it can be challenging for math teachers to come up with engaging and relevant projects that also get students to practice enough math to solidify what they've learned.

"[The robot] gives the instructors a tool to get them interested in the learning and then the math behind it is a surprise to them," Moldenhauer said. Kids are calculating the velocity of the robot without realizing they're using algebra. "It really makes the connection better for them," he said. Moldenhauer finds the robot especially useful for explaining the math behind more advanced engineering topics his class will work towards. They often don't have a firm grasp of the algebra they'll need and using the robot to visually demonstrate the concepts helps them review.

Moldenhauer is especially grateful for the extra engagement and excitement students show when working with the robot at this time of year, when most are already checking out for the summer. He used funds his department set aside for the engineering program to purchase the RobotLab BOX, but expects to use it across science and math departments. Sharing the robots that way helps justify the cost, but even without it, Moldenhauer says it was well worth the expense for the change he's seen in his student's ability to understand abstract concepts.
INCREASES ENGAGEMENT
In Onslow County, North Carolina, Gretchen Robinson is using robots with students at Northwoods Elementary School of Technology and Innovation. She's started out slowly, incorporating the humanoid NAO robot her school purchased into a few lessons with each grade K-5. Different models of the NAO robot range from $16,000 to $20,000. Students named the robot ABBI, short for Awesome Bot Bringing Innovation, the winner of a student name contest.

Whereas many schools are focusing on using robots to teach science, technology, engineering and math, Robinson's school is focusing on literacy. The kindergarten class has been learning about basic storytelling, so Robinson programmed a story the teacher wrote into the robot for it to read aloud to students. Afterwards the students answered questions the ABBI posed to them.

The second-graders were learning common economic vocabulary like "income" or "expense." ABBI described a term without using the word itself and a small group of students discussed which answer to choose from a pile of 20 flashcards. When they reached a decision, they held up the vocabulary term and the robot used visual recognition to "read" what they had written and tell them if they'd gotten it right or wrong. "Through trial and error I learned that the students really liked the vision recognition," Robinson said.

While she's pleased with the engagement the robot has generated -- students never want the lesson to end when ABBI is involved -- Robinson said learning to program it was a steep learning curve. "Learning to program the robot at the beginning of the year was very time-consuming," Robinson said. She spent around 40 hours programming a single lesson. Now that she's had more practice she can do the same lesson in just a few hours.

Robinson has started to teach students the programming language and is helping the winners of a poetry contest code their work into ABBI so it will recite it back to them. Next year she hopes to do some small group programming work to at least expose kids to programming concepts before they move onto middle and high school where they might take it up more seriously.

"We're a school of technology so I think it will be something that's useful for us," Robinson said. She's aware that right now the robot is taking more time than it should, but she wants her students to be exposed to the many ways it can be programmed early to pique their interest in robotics and programming for more exploration down the road.

She's also noticed that students are more willing to retry answering a question again without argument when ABBI tells them they are wrong. "The kids sometimes work better not for their teacher," Robinson said. "Because the robot is cool and unusual they are excited about working with him." The robot also gets everyone participating. "A lot of kids don't want to disappoint their teacher, so they either won't answer or they'll mumble an answer," Robinson said. "Whereas with the robot everybody wants to answer.

But Robinson doesn't take it personally. She sees it as just another tool to help reach all kids, even the quiet ones. Her school has only been experimenting with the robot for a short time and hasn't even had a chance to poll students on the differences between learning from a teacher or from the robot.

Robinson sees students' willingness to engage, to collaborate and to work on a lesson for as long as it takes to understand the content as positive signs of learning. "They want to work with the robot for as long as possible," Robinson said. "Every time their lesson is done they're disappointed." She's also quizzed students on content after they're done working with the robot and has found them to have a greater grasp of the information.

While Robinson has programmed ABBI to teach short group lessons on things like how to read a bar graph or vocabulary, she's never tried to have the robot lead an entire lesson. She thinks its possible, but would be a heavy programming lift and probably isn't possible anytime soon without some changes to the coding software.
EXPOSURE TO COMPUTATIONAL THINKING
A big selling point for robots in classrooms is their novelty. Educators are hoping to turn student excitement into a passion for learning how to program and manipulate a robotic platform.

Robot company founders, like Inbar, know the novelty factor is working in their favor, but they don't see robots getting old. The robot is just a platform for students and teachers to manipulate, after all, and its applications can constantly change and evolve.

Robinson isn't concerned her students will get tired of their robot anytime soon. Her school only has one, so students only engage with it once or twice a month, for lessons that lend themselves to it. "I do think the robot is a powerful learning tool," Robinson said. "However, I do not feel like it would be as commanding if it was used on a daily basis as an instructional tool, students may lose interest."

"It's about opening up the world of computational thinking in an age appropriate way for them," said Vikas Gupta, CEO of Play-i, a nascent educational robotics company with aspirations in both the consumer and education markets. The robot can be controlled with simple swipes on a tablet, and was designed for children as young as five. Gupta insists that even without writing code, children are beginning to develop "computational thinking," the ability to break down a problem into its parts, understand those individual elements and then rearrange them.

"For kids who see this technology all around them, if we can give them a mental model for how things work, that's really important," Gupta said. As kids manipulate the tablet, they watch the robot dance or sing and realize their power to create in a software-driven world. For older kids, Play-i has software to allow kids to see blocks of code that they can string together to dictate the robots actions.
GIRLS AND ROBOTS
An interesting observation struck both Gupta and Inbar as they designed their robots. When testing a prototype of his robot with kids, Gupta discovered that girls were uninterested in the robot when it had visible wheels and wires. Little girls quickly identified that first version of the robot as a mechanical toy meant for boys. The company then developed a robot with rounded curves, more of a fantastical critter than the stereotypical boxy robot. "It became something that they could see in their imaginations," said Gupta. "There was no stereotype they could apply."

As educators think about the benefits and drawbacks of using robots in the classroom, drawing in girls has become an important focus. Anectdotally, Inbar said teachers report that girls outperform boys in computer science when they're in all-female environments. "If you go to an all-girls school you will see that the performance is actually higher than in all-boys schools," Inbar said. But if girls aren't exposed early to science and technology, many quickly succumb to stereotypes that those fields aren't appropriate for girls.

"We want to show robots and programming is not just for boys," Inbar said. RobotLab is currently running two contests, a fashion show in Austin and a Robot Idol competition between schools in Northern and Southern California. Inbar found girls were more interested in programming robots if it was connected to designing something creative. "There is no problem with girls' engagement in STEM subjects," Inbar said. Educators just have to help them realize they like it and try to downplay the competition with boys, which can sometimes make girls withdraw.

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Robots in the Classroom: What Are They Good For?

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"We are trying to use the power of visual learning to bridge all the 'I'm not a math person' stuff," Inbar said. "They can actually use their senses to understand it." For example, a lesson about quadratic functions uses a quadcopter robot to demonstrate what the equation means in real life by correlating the area viewed on a camera attached to the bottom, with the graph.

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Like everything else, technology has transformed education. Students' backpacks don't just include pencils and notebooks anymore, but also chromebooks and tablets. Although some parents may argue those gadgets are distracting them from their studies, there is no denying that technology is also enabling greater learning for kids of all ages.

There are hundreds of apps available on iPhones and Android devices that are making science, technology, engineering, and math ( STEM) fun for kids. Although apps can't replace traditional teaching methods, they represent the kind of self-paced learning that's guided by technology. By enabling interactive learning, apps can spark an interest in students for STEM-related careers at an early age.

Here are seven mobile apps that are enabling STEM education. Some of these apps follow a games-based approach, while others use videos or quizzes as the medium for teaching STEM concepts. One thing all of these apps have in common, however, is making the learning experience interactive and engaging for kids.

Simple Machines

Kids can discover how machines work or conduct their own experiments by exploring the playful side of physics in the Simple Machines app that features six machines: levers, pulleys, inclined planes, wedges, wheels and axels, and screws. They can alter and test each machine to learn about force and motion, actions and reactions, inputs and outputs, conservation of energy, and mechanical advantages. The app also offers a free handbook download for better understanding of the concepts.

Tinkercad

Created by a former Google engineer, the 3D design app Tinkercad helps create and print 3D models. With its simple and intuitive interface, this browser-based app could be a first step in computer aided design (CAD) for makers of all ages. Tinkercad seems suitable for middle- and high-school kids aiming to learn CAD skills and apply them for professional design, just like the tween Ritik Mehta did to create 3D glasses.

Blokify

Another app that encourages creativity in 3D printing for children is Blokify. It's a block-based 3D modeling software that enables kids to make virtual things on their iPhone or iPad, and then get them printed out as physical models, either on their own 3D printer or through Blokify's service. Since it only allows users to build with cubes, it's a lot like building with LEGOs or in Minecraft, making the app fun and educational at the same time.

Scratch Jr.

A collaboration between the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT Media Lab, the Developmental Technologies research group at Tufts University, and the Playful Invention Company, Scratch Jr. was inspired by the popular Scratch programming language. The app helps young children learn coding as they program their own interactive stories and games. By snapping together graphical programming blocks and using math and language, children can make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In the process, they learn to solve problems and design projects.

The Robot Factory

Most kids love humanoid robots and now they can design their own bots with exoskeletons, zephyr mechanisms, hydrostatic tentacles, G-Force mixers, monster feet, megascopes, hooks, magnets, and more with the Robot Factory app. Once a robot is ready, its ability to move, jump, and avoid obstacles can be tested in a physics-based obstacle course. This award-winning educational app teaches kids problem-solving aimed at improving their designs and testing how far their robot can run before it runs out of health.

NASA

From solar systems to space shuttles, this official NASA app showcases thousands of images and videos from around the agency. Besides being a repository of spectacular images and videos, this frequently updated app also offers space-focused content including engaging features and news stories. Tapping on an image pulls up an in-depth article about each NASA mission. With a portal to NASA TV and radio, and a live stream of tweets (even from space), this app will appeal to all space nerds.

BrainPOP

Available for both Android and iOS, BrainPop uses the visual medium of movies to keep students engaged in hundreds of topics, including STEM. Aimed at students, the app features a new animated documentary every day, followed by quizzes and games related to the topic that help kids connect the scientific concepts to the real world. As a middle-school teacher explains in her blog, the app inspired kids in her class to follow the scientific method for problem-solving.

By enabling interactive learning, apps can spark an interest in students for STEM-related careers at an early age.

by Chitra Sethi, Managing Editor, ASME.org

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Like everything else, technology has transformed education. Students' backpacks don't just include pencils and notebooks anymore, but also chromebooks and tablets. Although some parents may argue those gadgets are distracting them from their studies, there is no denying that technology is also enabling greater learning for kids of all ages.

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20 Super Cool Summer STEM Activities | Project Lead The Way

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20 Super Cool Summer STEM Activities | Project Lead The Way

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School may be winding down, but that doesn't mean learning has to! In fact, it is vital that it doesn't. When students let their brains take a break over the summer, they can lose the equivalent of two months of their grade-level math and reading skills. To combat summer learning loss and keep those STEM skills fresh over the summer, Project Lead The Way put together a list of super simple (and FUN!) STEM activities you can do with your children over summer break.

1. Create a discovery jar. Sit down with your child at the beginning of the summer and brainstorm all of the questions or ideas your student is curious about. Maybe it is why grass is green or how space travel started. Or how many varieties of leaves exist on the trees in the yard. Then put all of the questions into a mason jar. Pull one out each day for your child to research and explore. PLTW Director of Assessment Claudia Guerere (@ClaudiaGuerere) recommends this activity, which she says engages kids' natural curiosity and discovery.

2. Do try it at home! Matt Arnold (@ArnoldSTEM), PLTW instructional specialist, is a big fan of the Lemelson Center's collection of 'Do Try This at Home!' activities, through which students develop their innovation and creativity. Try one of these free and fun activities.

3. Bug out! Did you know that insects outnumber humans 200 million to one? No matter where you live, insects are a vital part of your community and play an important role in everything from recycling waste to helping plants spread pollen. what bugs live in your neighborhood, and try to those you haven't seen before.

4. Explore computer science.You don't need to be a professional to create computer Apps! Help your student learn basic computer science principles with these easy-to-use computer science platforms. PLTW's computer science curriculum developers recommend these resources:

Scratch Jr. (PreK-3) - Scratch Jr. is a free App available on both iPad and Android tablets that allows even the youngest students to learn to code.

Scratch (grades 3-9) - Scratch is a free platform for students to program interactive stories, games, and animations. All you need is a laptop and creativity.

App Inventor (grades 5+) - This platform allows students to create their own Apps in less than an hour. To use, you'll need two devices: a Web browser on computer, as well as an Android device. Both must be able to access the same wireless Internet network.

Tynker (grades 4-5) - Tynker is a blocks-based programming platform available on desktops, laptops, and tablets that helps students learn to code. Both free and paid memberships are available.

DroidScript - DroidScript lets students of all skill levels easily and quickly write Apps for Android using JavaScript. Use a PC and an Android phone, tablet, or Smart Watch. Both must be connected to the same wireless Internet network.

- Lightbot is an educational video game for learning software programming concepts. Paid versions ($2.59-$4.99) exist for both Apple and Android tablets, as well as Windows and Mac devices.

5. Bake! It's one of the best ways to teach young children math and science. Work on their math vocabulary and measurement skills as you measure out ingredients. And explore where ingredients come from, or how solids and liquids transform during baking for a basic science lesson. Then reward them with a chocolate chip cookie or a Rice Krispies® treat!

6. Explore architecture and public works! @BennettBrownIA recommends taking children on a fieldtrip to your local infrastructure facilities - the waste water treatment plan, electric plant, or manufacturing plant - to learn about civil engineering and architecture. Most do free tours if you call ahead.

7. Take a snack break. Several members of the PLTW Programs Team recommend the Exploratorium's Science Snacksfor hundreds of ideas, sorted by subject. Some of our favorites require few materials and even provide talking points for parents.

8. Upcycle! Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction Joanne Donnan (@JoanneDonnan) loves to see what students create when handed a bin full of recyclables. Gather your old materials and this kit of connectors ($12.50) and turn your kids loose. Modern Parents Messy Kids has another take on this creativity-inspiring activity.

9. Grow a salad. Explore life sciences with this fun activity. Grow lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes in your garden or in separate pots. Students will learn the growth cycle of plants and the impact of soil, sun, water, and nutrition on plants' growth.

10. Take the egg drop challenge. What happens when you drop an egg from ceiling-height? It cracks and creates a giant mess, right? Challenge your child to engineer a vessel that will protect the egg and keep it from breaking when dropped.

11. Go star gazing! Warm nights and clear skies allow for fun interstellar observation, with or without a telescope, says PLTW Director of Curriculum and Instruction Gerald Holt (@Holt10). , built by a team of amateur astronomers who work at Google, helps Android users locate stars and planets in the night sky. NASA also provides a fun way to locate the International Space Station with its Spot The Station website.

12. Help your children boost their critical thinking skills."Instant challenges" are go-to resources for many on PLTW's Programs Team with their own children. These challenges, set to a specific amount of time, force children to think on their feet, work in teams, and use their critical thinking skills. Google 'Instant Challenge' for ideas, or check out some of @Vanessa_PLTW's favorites:

13. Build a paper rollercoaster. @JoanneDonnan recommends 's printer-friendly roller coaster template and corresponding instructions. Print and assemble your very own paper roller coaster, and then assemble your coaster car and race it around the track.

Take a picture as you enjoy these activities with your children, and share it with us on social media! Tag PLTW on Twitter @PLTWorg, on Facebook at 'Project Lead The Way - PLTW', or on Instagram at PLTWorg.

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School may be winding down, but that doesn't mean learning has to! In fact, it is vital that it doesn't. When students let their brains take a break over the summer, they can lose the equivalent of two months of their grade-level math and reading skills.

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50+ Genius STEM Activities for Kids - The Stem Laboratory

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50+ Genius STEM Activities for Kids - The Stem Laboratory

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With a name like The STEM Laboratory, it's no surprise that we're obsessed about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities for kids. These 50+ STEM projects are sure to keep little scientists engaged, learning and well-prepared for their STEM-filled future.
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Science Projects

There are countless science experiments for kids but these 14 projects are our hands-down favorites!

Make a mini model of the water cycle with just a Ziploc bag!

Turn your name into crystals!

Find out why the sky is blue. // Rookie Parenting

Test whether objects are magnetic. // The Measured Mom

Whip up some frothy, foamy toothpaste.

Pour ice that is warm to the touch but freezes.

Make one orange sink and another one float!

Pour a rainbow into a jar.

Capture fireworks in a jar using just a few common household supplies. // I Can Teach My Child

Go fishing for ice.

Learn about color mixing when you make water walk! // Parenting Chaos

Catch a cloud in a jar.

Build a sand volcano that really erupts. // Growing a Jeweled Rose

Play with Magnetic Slime. // Frugal Fun 4 Boys

Technology Activities

Build robots that really walk, talk and "think". // Amazon

Teach kids about coding!

Let kids have a little screen time playing 20 teacher-approved apps.

Program a set of kid-friendly robot friends: Dash and Dot. // Amazon

Or build a Kano computer! // Amazon

Engineering Projects

Solve a batch of LEGO challenge cards.

Fold paper into building blocks that really stack. // Babble Dabble Do

Use plastic cups and craft sticks to create four brilliant challenges. // Frugal Fun 4 Boys

Build with straws and tape. // Lemon Lime Adventures

Build structures with marshmallows and pretzels.

Design a pom pom drop that guides the pom pom from one paper towel roll to the next. // Coffee Cups and Crayons

Learn about bridges and then build your own. // Carrots are Orange

Make a craft stick catapult that really launches!

Try a classic! Organize an egg drop challenge. Can you build a structure that will keep the egg from breaking?! // Buggy and Buddy

Build a batch of exploding boomerangs. // I Can Teach My Child

Test the strength of a piece of paper. // Creekside Learning

Make a moveable pulley! // Carrots Are Orange

Work as a team to build with pipe cleaners and aluminum foil. // Housing a Forest

Math Activities

Practice counting with some truck playdough mats. // Pre Kinders

Or add googly eyes to monsters!

Teach kids about odd and even numbers with some hands-on activity sheets.

Clip 2-dimensional shapes. // The Measured Mom

And piece together shape puzzles.

Introduce addition and subtraction with mini activity books. // Liz's Early Learning Spot

Turn a Ziploc into a math problem solver. // Mrs. T's First Grade Class

Build addition facts with LEGOS!

Play a fun round of Math Fact Jenga. // The First Grade Parade

Work on coin values and adding. // 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Learn about AM/PM and telling time to the nearest 5-minute interval.

Introduce fractions with one of kids' favorite things: pizza!

Teach kids a quick trick for solving multiplication problems in a jiffy. // Teach Mama

30 Jaw Dropping Science Experiments

For even more inspiration, grab a copy of our Super Cool Science Kit filled with 30 addictively fun projects and a kid-friendly science journal!

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50+ Genius STEM Activities for Kids - The Stem Laboratory

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With a name like The STEM Laboratory, it's no surprise that we're obsessed about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities for kids. These 50+ STEM projects are sure to keep little scientists engaged, learning and well-prepared for their STEM-filled future. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

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Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools

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Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools

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Science Project Pathways New

A new tool to easily plan, manage, and assign science projects in Google Classroom.

Enter a start date, and we'll create a schedule with assignments. Customize the schedule for your classes, then post assignments in Google Classroom with the click of a button.

Explore how a pandemic evolves by visualizing different scenarios in graphs that depict infections, symptomatic individuals, deaths, and immunity. Try vaccinations and other mitigations. Ask "What If?" and see what happens!

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Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools

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Free Topic Selection Wizard, science fair project ideas, step by step how to do a science fair project, Ask an Expert discussion board, and science fair tips for success.

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Education World: 18 STEM Activity Ideas, Resources to Promote Summer Learning

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Education World: 18 STEM Activity Ideas, Resources to Promote Summer Learning

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Just because school's out for the summer doesn't mean learning should stop, too, especially since continued learning can help counteract that dreaded summer learning loss.

Here's a list of 24 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities that we highly recommend you introduce to your child or student this summer.

Make Your Own Lava Lamp: For kids, lava lamps never go out of style. Using every-day household items, use these instructions to have your student build his or her very own lava lamp. Enjoy the show!

Find the Best Buy: Help your student learn how important math is in the real-world with this activity that encourages them to find the best deal. To make the activity even more fun, use real incentives to have your child guess correctly--like a get-out-of-chores free pass!

Teach the Importance of Protecting the Earth: Unfortunately, kids might not be learning all they need to know about climate change in the classroom due to the highly politicized nature of the conversation. Do your part to keep learning happening by introducing your child to The Greens, a site that inspires kids to protect the planet through a web series and corresponding games.

Related Resources:

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor

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18 STEM Activity Ideas, Resources to Promote Summer Learning | Education World

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Just because school's out for the summer doesn't mean learning should stop, too, especially since continued learning can help counteract that dreaded summer learning loss. Here's a list of 24 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities that we highly recommend you introduce to your child or student this summer.

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Science Journal - Android Apps on Google Play

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Science Journal - Android Apps on Google Play

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Science Journal is the free digital science notebook brought to you by Google.Whether you're a science educator or a hobbyist doing science at home, you can keep your notes, photos, and observations all in one convenient place.

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Making & Science | Science Journal | Materials

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Making & Science | Science Journal | Materials

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Making & Science | Science Journal | Activities

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Making & Science | Science Journal | Activities

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Schools seeking to enhance students' learning of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are adopting in-school STEM enrichment programs that reach student populations in need of additional learning opportunities, connect students with scientists, and/or provide more challenging curriculum. One such program, Science from Scientists (SfS), was established in 2002 "to help teachers with challenges in presenting science content," says Erika Ebbel Angle, SfS founder and executive director. "Some teachers may have taken only one science course, or [find that] students need more science for test preparation," she observes. "Teachers have told us that the only way to reach all of their students is through an in-school program."

SfS offers an In-School Module-Based STEM enrichment program that brings two scientists to grades 4-8 classrooms every other week during the school year "to work with teachers and bring content [that supports] the NGSS [ Next Generation Science Standards] and MCAS [Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System]," explains Angle. Teachers can choose from more than 85 hands-on STEM lessons, and the scientists "bring the necessary materials with them."

The program aims "to inspire students and improve both attitudes and aptitudes," she notes. The scientists conduct "pre- and post-assessments every other week" to chart students' progress, she relates.

"The program succeeds because teachers see us as a great resource to bolster their curriculum and let students interact with scientists as role models," Angle contends. While SfS "isn't genderspecific," it exposes boys and girls to female role models, she notes.

SfS has been adopted by 46 schools in Massachusetts and California, and "many districts seek us out," she notes. Assessments have shown that "SfS raises standardized test scores by an average of 25% in our partner schools," she reports.

SfS is provided free to public schools during the first two years. (Privateschools must pay for the entire program.) During year three, public schools start bearing the program's costs. SfS "can help schools get grants and offers fundraising ideas," says Angle. The goal for year four is "to have the program be self-funded in districts where we have relationships," she explains, but SfS can help with funding if a district isn't able to cover all the costs. "If we have classroom teachers who want us, we are committed," she maintains.

"Twelve years ago, we were looking for out-of-the-box-type science improvement programs for Jewish day schools in the United States," recalls Judy Lebovits, vice president and director of the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE). CIJE connected with the Israel Center for Excellence through Education to bring the Excellence 2000 (E2K) program to Jewish schools in the United States. Aimed at highly motivated math and science students, the program also has been adopted by several U.S. public schools and implemented in 77 schools nationwide, she reports.

E2K's 24 modules involve "teaching totally hands-on, cultivating personal excellence, fostering creativity, and learning how to learn," and appeal to "students who...like to tinker," she contends. Each module starts with a story and a problem to solve, then students begin to experiment. "The kids come up with the formula on their own...They can take the answer and apply it to other situations," she observes.

Carmel Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut, uses E2K with gifted sixth and seventh graders. Grades 6-8 science teacher and E2K coach Rhonda Ginsberg says the program "is a chance for students to do pure science" and design their own experiments. Last year, students designed and tested insulation for a polar bear's cave, for example.

Often E2K students "bring back what they've learned to the regular science class," and Ginsberg says she has "moved some of the E2K material into the regular science class."

E2K students compete in national and international competitions and have won 10 awards, which "has created excitement around science," she relates. They compete online with students from 25 other schools in a competition held in Israel. "The scientists in Israel were blown away at how fast my kids answered the questions," she reports.

Not all gifted students are admitted to E2K. Ginsberg evaluates fifth-grade candidates, meeting with their science and math teachers to determine their "thinking ability," she explains. Her biggest challenge is "how to say no to a kid who isn't yet there analytically and to [his or her] parents. It's tough."

When the Batavia, Illinois, Public Schools downsized kindergarten classes from full-day to half-day, some parents complained. Seeking a solution, the district contacted the Batavia Park District, which supervises the area's parks and recreation facilities and activities. The Batavia Park District designed an enrichment program, now in its fourth year, to extend the school day to six-and-a-half hours for kindergarteners whose parents were willing to pay for it. "About one-third of [area] kindergarteners are enrolled in our program," says Sarah Schneider, kindergarten enrichment teacher for the Batavia Park District.

The program runs in each of the school district's six elementary schools, with its own classroom and teacher. "In half-day kindergarten, the kids are only able to do core literacy and math; there's not a lot of time for science and social studies," Schneider observes. "We have a solid science program to get kids interested in science early on.

"We have a Delta Education [science] curriculum consisting of six different lessons: oceans, trees, insects and spiders, weather, body and senses, and health and nutrition...[S]ome of us also study the rainforest, arctic animals, space, pumpkins, and basic chemical mixtures," she explains. "[We chose the curriculum] because we didn't want to teach the same topics taught by the [school district's teachers] in preschool," she relates.

"Our kids are very well prepared for first grade because they're in school for a full day and getting extra content," she reports. "We don't worry about [test] scores; we just make sure students are engaged, growing, and getting something positive out of it." Without the testing, "we're able to hold smaller classes with more creative projects."

Schneider notes there is a trend in some districts to return to all-day kindergarten, which would mean the end of the enrichment program. She believes this could be a real loss for students because district teachers "won't have the flexibility that we do."

This article originally appeared in the February 2016 issue of NSTA Reports, the member newspaper of the National Science Teachers Association. Each month, NSTA members receive NSTA Reports featuring news on science education, the association, and more. Not a member? Learn how NSTA can help you become the best science teacher you can be.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
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Schools seeking to enhance students' learning of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are adopting in-school STEM enrichment programs that reach student populations in need of additional learning opportunities, connect students with scientists, and/or provide more challenging curriculum.

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The Sidney Public School District (Cheyenne County School District #1) is a state and NCA-accredited public school system located in the Nebraska Panhandle 100 miles east of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The District consists of 120 square miles including and surrounding the city of Sidney, the Cheyenne County seat with a population of 6500 people.

The District educates approximately 1200 students in grades K-12 at seven separate campuses: South Elementary (grades K-1), North Elementary (grades 2-3), Central Elementary (grade 4), West Elementary (grades 5-6), Sidney Middle School (grades 7-8), Sidney High School (grades 9-12), and the Alternative Education Center. In-town busing services are provided with stops at each of the campuses.

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The Sidney Public School District (Cheyenne County School District #1) is a state and NCA-accredited public school system located in the Nebraska Panhandle 100 miles east of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The District consists of 120 square miles including and surrounding the city of Sidney, the Cheyenne County seat with a population of 6500 people.