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THis is not my link, but it was shared on a national STEM board. Great Resource!

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Looking for an easy way to quickly browse through STEM Supplies' stellar selection of products? Shop our Digital Catalog today!

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Cool STEM Career Resource for 5th/6th Grade students FREE

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Cool STEM Career Resource for 5th/6th Grade students FREE

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This is a free platform and the STEM Career Exploration is super cool.

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STEM Career Exploration for Middle School | EVERFI Endeavor

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Inspire STEM career exploration through online simulations that help students connect STEM classroom activities to real world problem solving.

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Did you update your lab and now need a registration code? Here it is!

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Browse our library of lesson plans created by educators for educators! All lessons are NGSS and CASEL aligned and designed for middle and high school classrooms. Each lesson links to a compatible X-STEM All Access episode featuring an inspiring STEM role model. View the full lineup of X-STEM All Access episodes HERE.

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Looking for an easy way to quickly browse through STEM Supplies' stellar selection of products? Shop our Digital Catalog today!

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Great idea to get start with simple tasks for sphero 

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Great idea to get start with simple tasks for sphero 

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https://www.instagram.com/p/Bto_HpUAKOA_kGKvWWoTgyPpG2vLfqpLACGpac0/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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10 times teachers were legends with micro:bits

There are lots of creative ways to bring coding to life with micro:bits, and we've picked some of our favourites to celebrate World Teachers' Day. Thank you to all the incredible educators who are bringing digital skills into classrooms all over the world.

Bringing students together with micro:bit

Madeline, a 6th grade student in California, USA, is fighting an aggressive bone cancer so can't go to school. But she's keeping in touch with her classmates over video link, and was introduced to micro:bit by her teacher, Lisa. With the micro:bit, she's able to learn and collaborate together with her classmates, and is a certified coding convert.

Her favourite projects have been coding dice so she can play a game, a fortune teller that gives people a response to questions they ask, and a candle that blows out when you blow on the micro:bit. She enjoys the creativity and endless projects that the micro:bit provides.

Thanks so much to Lisa and Madeline for sharing your story, we're sending Madeline all the best wishes for a good recovery.

Jose Gonzalez, a teacher in Compton, USA, works with his students to create micro:bit projects such as this bike indicator glove

Inspirational ideas from around the world

Here's nine more super stories that have been shared with us through social media:

Chris Aitkin with Noss Primary School, Scotland: making a high-five counter with gloves and micro:bits

Cora Yang, Hong Kong: using an image model to help recognise colours

Diane Horvath, Massachusetts, USA: a fun way to encourage students to Decode My Joke

Doris Katia Lokossou, Benin, Africa: teaching girls tech from a STEM bus

Jose Gonzales, California, USA: mentoring a student tech team to inspire even more students and teachers to use the micro:bit - here's how they made a bike indicator light on a glove

Julie Arsenault, Edmonton, Canada: adapted the Test the Circuit activity to include sound, so her partially sighted student could participate

The Makers Place, Ghana, Africa: absolute joy on the pupils' faces after coding and building with micro:bits

Odin Shen, Taiwan: reaching out to rural schools with Code4Fun2gether

Raja Rina, Malaysia: doing lots of amazing things, including running a micro:bit Code Battle

Have you seen a great example of how micro:bits have been used creatively in the classroom? We'd love to hear it. Get in touch with us with your stories:

In the meantime, if you want to try some ideas of your own, start with our Make it: code it projects.

Latest stories

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10 times teachers were legends with micro:bits

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Celebrating World Teacher's Day with fun examples of micro:bit teaching

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STEM Curriculum, Activities & Resources K-8 | STEM Sports

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STEM Sports® provides STEM curriculum that introduces concepts through sports to encourage inquiry and project-based learning to students. Learn more today!

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I love this site! It's free to use when you sign up and covers everything cyber from digital citizenship to career exploration. I used it last year for an integrated WWII unit with 6th graders, studying cryptography in the past and now, and making a micro:bit Enigma machine.

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CYBER.ORG empowers educators to teach cyber confidently, resulting in students with the skills and passion needed to succeed in the cyber workforce.

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Another tool for digital citizenship that simulates realistic digital dilemmas and scenarios that kids may encounter as they enter the social media world.  It's aligned with Common Sense Media and covers privacy, online identities, cyberbullying, and more. I have used it mostly with 6th grade.

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Welcome to the Social Media TestDrive official website!

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Social Media Test Drive simulates realistic digital dilemmas and scenarios that young people may encounter as they enter the social media world.  I have used it with 5th and 6th grade as a way for them to test their skills.  It also aligns with Common Sense Media's curriculum.

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Welcome to the Social Media TestDrive official website!

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This site provides curricula, training, and resources to support teachers in cyber education.

I used this site last year for a WWII micro:bit cryptography unit.  It is free after you sign up, and you can find just about anything on it, from digital citizenship to career exploration.

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CYBER.ORG empowers educators to teach cyber confidently, resulting in students with the skills and passion needed to succeed in the cyber workforce.

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Entire guide for completing a past Sphero Challenge Mission.

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Jami Howe shared this with me from TikTok...basically you cut cardboard to form the top of the drain (you can make it as challenging as possible) and put that over your trash can. At the bottom of the can you put your keys, cell phone, ticket, etc and students have to engineer a way to retrieve the items from the bottom of the "drain."

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This is a different type of Kahoot where a video plays and questions are asked throughout. It's a super cool tour of an Amazon fulfillment center and shows how humans and robots interact to create a system to deliver packages as quickly as possible. A fun follow up activity is to use one of your robots (we used Ozobot) to model the process from pick, to pack, to ship. I did this with 3rd graders and it was a big hit!

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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This site contains affiliate links. Please see policies for more information. Thanks for supporting Desert Chica.
S'mores are one of my favorite desserts, combine that with my background in science and naturally, I have been dying to make solar oven smores. Solely in the interest of science education of course. 😉

DIY Solar Oven Smores

Easy Solar Oven Smores

It has been CRAZY hot lately, so we took advantage of the scorching sun this past weekend and made the best solar oven. Why is it the best? We already had all the supplies on hand, I love it when a fun plan comes together inexpensively!

Solar Oven DIY

The base of the project was a couple of personal size pizza boxes I saved in my craft stash just for this project. The boys loved making and decorating their own personal solar ovens but a big pizza box would work too.

How to make a solar oven for kids

This project is fairly easy and older kids can do most of the steps themselves. Just have an adult use a craft knife or scissors to cut the solar oven door.

1) Cut the "oven door" flap on the top of the pizza box. The size depends on what you are cooking and how much access you need. Our door was large to maximize our s'mores capacity!

2) Decorate your solar oven with sharpies. This is a fun *optional* step.

DIY Solar Oven For Kids

3) Glue black construction paper to the bottom of the box. The black color absorbs the heat inside of the box.

4) Glue aluminum foil to the inside of the door. The foil reflects the sun into the oven.

5) Tape the plastic over the opening of the door. This will allow the air inside the box to heat up but keep the heat trapped inside the box.

How to make a solar oven

6) Add a graham cracker, marshmallow, and piece of chocolate inside the oven.

7) Place your oven outside in the sun. I taped a wooden skewer to prop the lid open at an ideal angle.

This project works best on hot summer days. The chocolate naturally started melting quickly.

Our 'done' indicator was the marshmallows, we waited until they had puffed up from the heat. It took about 90 minutes to bake our s'mores.

When making these in less extreme temperatures, we just waited until the chocolate melted and called it good enough.

Easy Solar Oven Project

This project was easy, a lot of fun and perfect for preschool through middle school. Older kids could design their own boxes, or conduct scientific experiments by varying factors like the box size, oven door size, construction paper color, cooking time, outside temperature, etc. We talked about what was happening while we waited for the s'mores to bake.

Easy Solar Oven Project Supplies:

Then we feasted on our solar oven s'mores, I'm pretty sure everyone can get behind that scientific result. 😉

Your own solar cooker will not get as hot as a conventional oven but it can still be hot enough to need an oven mitt.

STEM Solar Oven Project Discussion Points

The sun as a heat source

"A process called nuclear fusion converts hydrogen to helium deep in the sun's core, where temperatures hit a balmy 18 million degrees Fahrenheit (15.7 million degrees Celsius). Fusion creates energy that travels to the sun's surface in a journey that lasts a million years. " Learn more from National Geographic Kids

What would happen if you used different color construction paper?
We use a sheet of black paper to help absorb the heat. Black absorbs the most heat (white absorbs the least) so any other color would absorb less heat and negatively affect the success of the solar oven.

What's the purpose of the foil?
The sun's rays are collected by the reflective panel and concentrated inside the box. This converts the sun's energy into thermal energy which is how solar ovens work.

The purpose of the plastic wrap?
The plastic wrap helps trap the sun's heat in the pizza box ovens and lessens heat loss.

How various weather conditions would affect the result?
Direct sunlight gives the best result, cloudy days will lessen the success of solar cooking.

Books about Solar Power

Have you made a DIY solar oven before?
Post originally published August 15, 2012
More fun learning activities like Solar Oven Smores:

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Isabella The Girl Who Didn't Have Science Project Ideas

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DIY Solar Oven Smores {Kids Science Experiment}

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Making a DIY solar oven is an easy science project at home involving solar cooking for kids. Learn how to make a solar oven for kids and then add chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows for delicious Solar Oven Smores!

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Link to Lesson

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Use Convertio to convert images into files that can be pulled into Tinkercad for 3D design. Tinkercad accepts the following files for upload .stl, .obj, and .svg.

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300+ formats supported

We support more than 25600 different conversions between more than 300 different file formats. More than any other converter.

Fast and easy

Just drop your files on the page, choose an output format and click "Convert" button. Wait a little for the process to complete. We aim to do all our conversions in under 1-2 minutes.

In the cloud

All conversions take place in the cloud and will not consume any capacity from your computer.

Custom settings

Most conversion types support advanced options. For example with a video converter you can choose quality, aspect ratio, codec and other settings, rotate and flip.

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We delete uploaded files instantly and converted ones after 24 hours. No one has access to your files and privacy is 100% guaranteed. Read more about security.

All devices supported

Convertio is browser-based and works for all platforms. There is no need to download and install any software.

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Convertio - Easy tool to convert files online. More than 309 different document, image, spreadsheet, ebook, archive, presentation, audio and video formats supported.

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STEM grade level Ozobot lessons.

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The 2022-2023 school year is here and we've got great STEAM lessons for every grade. Ozobot is here to help make teachers' lives easier! We've put together our top STEAM lessons in Ozobot Classroom, from kindergarten through middle school, for teachers to add to their lesson plans.

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Checkout the new app for the Ozobot Evo robots.

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Meet your go-to companion to learn, create and connect with Evo, all from your smartphone or tablet. For use at school or home, the Evo App offers quick access to Ozobot Blockly, Classroom, FAQs and more to get the most out of your Ozobot experience.

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Our dearest colleague Devan Jones (Now at Clemson University) shared this with me. This is an online STEM competition sponsored by the Army.

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Ozobot now has a 3D CAD Library of .stl files that you can download and use or tinker to use with your Ozobots!

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Evo and Bit robots are used in over 30,000 classrooms to teach kids to program and inspire creativity. Check out STEAM Classroom Kits and a free Lesson Library.

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This blog post is great for defining the various "actors" in the world of cybersecurity. When we are more versed in what we are teaching, the better we can explain to students these real-world issues in the digital spaces we engage in.

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Cybersecurity can be a difficult subject to wrap your head around, especially considering all the different terms and concepts associated with it. Illegal hackers, ethical hackers, cybercriminals, insiders: are these all the same thing? What do these terms mean and why is it important we know about them?

Cyber crimes are an increasing threat worldwide. According to a comprehensive article on Forbes.com, cybercriminals, or those who engage in illegal activity using computers and the internet , can currently enter 93% of company networks. This includes the networks of financial organizations, educational institutions, government bodies, IT companies, and fuel and energy companies.

In addition, in 2021, partially due to the huge shift to remote work brought on by the pandemic, businesses reported becoming victims to 50% more weekly cyberattacks compared with previous years. Knowing the proper terms for bad actors in cybersecurity is the first step in understanding the threat cybercrime presents and how we might tackle it.

What's a bad actor called in cybersecurity?

Generally speaking, bad actors in cybersecurity attack and infiltrate digital systems and are motivated by money, politics, or some other malicious intent. They may be referred to as cyber threat actors (CTA), threat actors, and malicious actors.

Every computer has some type of security to keep strangers out. Even a smartphone requires a password to get inside. Computer passwords are used like a lock on a door. If you have the right key, you can enter. Those who don't have access to the key (or password) have to ask for permission to get in. You have to ask someone in authority for the right password to unlock the system.

Computers have passwords guarding the information kept in them because this information is important and personal. If someone accesses your bank account online, for example, they can potentially steal your money by transferring it to their own account. This is like stealing your wallet or breaking into your home and taking expensive things.

When cybercriminals get access to your personal information like your full name, address, phone number, and your photos, they can potentially pretend to be you and steal your identity. Furthermore, when cybercriminals access the information in the databases of large companies, they can do what's called "holding it for ransom." Criminals can block the company from accessing their own data and demand the company pay large sums of money in order to regain control of their own systems.

There are many types of bad actors in cybersecurity. We've outlined the different types of bad actors and their various names and labels below.

Types of Bad Actors in Cybersecurity

1. Cybercriminals

"Cybercriminals" is the umbrella term for people who commit crimes over the internet or who breach cybersecurity. Cybercriminals hack into systems for their own financial or personal gain.

2. Unethical Hackers

An unethical hacker, commonly known as a black hat, is someone who hacks into an organization's data system without permission. They violate cybersecurity on purpose with malicious intentions. This person aims to steal information for their own benefit, or hold it for ransom.

Kevin Mitnick is a famous black hat hacker who hacked into various high profile systems including those of IBM, Motorola, and the US National Defense Warning System. He served multiple years in prison for his attacks.

3. Neutral Hackers

As the term suggests, a neutral hacker, or commonly referred to as a gray hat hacker, is someone who sits somewhere in between the good and the bad. These hackers do not work with organizations in an official capacity. They do, however, try to breach the cybersecurity of large corporations and government entities. When they succeed, neutral hackers notify the organizations of the digital vulnerabilities they have found. In this way, neutral hackers act illegally but with good intentions.

4. Insiders

It's most common for a malicious hacker to come from outside an organization. Sometimes, however, the danger sits right inside the office. An insider is a hacker from within an organization or business. This person may be a current or previous employee, a business partner, or a contractor with access to data. This type of cybercriminal attacks from the inside to steal data or sabotage systems. Sometimes these criminals sell the data they have access to.

An example of an insider is the former director of research and development at Garrett Popcorn Shops. This woman stole around 3GB of data that included popcorn recipes and trade secrets . She emailed the information to herself and copied it onto a USB key and took it home.

5. Hacktivists

Hacktivists are a unique breed of cybercriminals. Hacktivists attack the systems of organizations they consider to be immoral. This type of cybercriminal is known to gain unauthorized access to the data of organizations and cause disruption from within. They may spread political messages, and find incriminating information.

Examples of famous hacktivists are and . Wikileaks' most notable act was releasing hundreds of thousands of U.S military documents as well as video footage from the Iraq and Afghan wars.

6. Cyberterrorists

Cyberterrorists are hackers who attack critical computer systems in order to cause damage. For example, a cyberterrorist may hack into computers used in maintaining a city's water supply. They might adjust information therein, such as how much chlorine has been added to the public's water, causing the water to become contaminated and dangerous to drink. Cyberterrorism is considered to be a national threat for many countries globally.

7. Government/State-sponsored Hackers

Sometimes, hackers are hired by their own government as spies. They engage in espionage by hacking into the data systems of other governments in order to obtain sensitive and restricted political or military information from other countries.

What are Ethical Hackers? Understanding White Hat Hackers

Hacking isn't always a crime, and some hackers aren't cybercriminals. Every digital security system has its weak points. An ethical hacker, also commonly referred to as a white hat hacker, is someone who is paid to work with organizations to find cracks and weaknesses in their computer security in order to fix them. An ethical hacker tries to hack into an organization's computer system. If they succeed, they reveal to the organization how they did it and what must be changed in order to make the system stronger to prevent cyber criminals from entering.

Banks and other large organizations work with ethical hackers to strengthen their data security. Famous examples of white hat hackers include Apple founder Steve Wozniak and the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee . Berners-Lee was banned from using his university's computers when he hacked into them with a friend and gained access to restricted information.

How to Defend Against Bad Actors

The US government has made cybersecurity a major part of the Department of Homeland Security's overall goal and mission. This can help protect people at a national level.

On a personal front, you can reduce your risk of becoming a victim of a cybercrime by limiting the personal information you share online. Keep your online social media profiles private, or for your friends only. Don't share your exact location. Keep your operating systems up-to-date, and use strong passwords that include upper and lower case letters, special characters, and numbers.

Companies and organizations use a number of sophisticated tactics to prevent cyberattacks at a detailed level that involve well-developed digital protocols and tools.

Learn About Bad Actors and Other Cybersecurity Topics

Cybersecurity is a fascinating topic everyone who uses a computer needs to know about. To learn more about cybersecurity and teaching kids safe practices, you can access Sphero's free cybersecurity lessons . Students are our future and through engagement with accessible tools that ignite exploration, like programmable robots , they will lead the way for new developments in exciting times.

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What Are Bad Actors in Cybersecurity Called? | Sphero Blog

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Cybersecurity can be a difficult subject to wrap your head around, especially considering all the different terms and concepts associated with it. Illegal hackers, ethical hackers, cybercriminals, insiders: are these all the same thing? What do these terms mean and why is it important we know about them?

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Tinkercad has an entire new way for students to explore electricity. Checkout the their guide to Tinkercad Circuits!

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Tinkercad Blog: Official Guide to Tinkercad Circuits | Tinkercad

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In this comprehensive guide we’ll cover everything educators need to know to get their students started with Tinkercad Circuits.

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This is a great article on five different young ladies who are having hug impact on our world. Would be a really neat way to help students realize that even at a young age they too can have impact!

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International Women's Day: 5 Young Women in STEM

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Eduporium has an article that shares hints and tips on using a block coding app with Tello drones. Tello drones are what most of our phase 3 labs are equipped with. This might be a great resource for some ideas.

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1. DroneBlocks helps educators learn how to program DJI drones with block coding .
2. The software is compatible with Chrome, iPad, and Android devices.
3. It supports the DJI Phantom 3 and 4, Mavic Pro and Air, Spark, Tello, and Tello EDU drones.
4. Droneblocks curriculum and virtual PD is also available.

With DroneBlocks , STEM educators can build on student interest in flying drones and take it one step further with drones they can program! DroneBlocks is a free app that is compatible with Chrome, iPad, and Android devices and supports teaching coding with the DJI Phantom 3 and 4, Mavic Pro and Air, Spark, Tello, and Tello EDU drones. It's a fun way to introduce or continue to teach programming concepts along with drone safety and flying techniques. The DroneBlocks app is very valuable in educational settings since it is supported by curriculum that teaches beginner and advanced drone programming with DroneBlocks and in Python , as well as virtual PD to train teachers on using the curriculum and the app.

Here at our office, we've experimented with coding the Tello EDU with DroneBlocks in the past and have some helpful insights to offer educators. DroneBlocks has the following block categories for coding: Take Off, Navigation, Flip, Loops, Logic, Math, Variables, and Land. It is best to write your program before powering on and connecting to the drone you are using as most DJI drones have an average flight time of around 13 minutes. To code the Tello EDU (our favorite option) on iOS and Chrome devices, you must select the Tello Blocks from the menu icon, whereas on Android they will automatically load.

The TakeOff block is what instructs your drone to take flight. No value is needed as it tells the drone to automatically hover at 4-5 feet. To change the altitude from its current height, you can use a Fly Up or Down block and enter the exact distance for the drone to move in inches or centimeters. You need to monitor the max height or any obstacles that your drone could fly into when flying upwards, but when flying down, the drone will stop when it reaches the minimum distance required for landing.

You can also navigate forwards and backwards by using the Fly Forward or Backward block and enter the exact inches or centimeters you'd like the drone to travel again. Keep in mind, the Tello EDU uses internal sensors to determine distances (not GPS), so it is not precisely accurate. Furthermore, Yaw blocks can be used to change which direction the nose of the drone is facing and Loop blocks can be added to refactor code and repeat blocks!

When you've written your code and are ready to fly, you need to connect your drone to your device. You do this within your Wi-Fi settings rather than within Bluetooth settings. Start by powering on your drone and connect to the Tello's Wi-Fi hotspot ( Tello-XXXXXX) in your device's settings. Then, head back to the DroneBlocks app and click 'Connect.' Once you're connected, you'll see Tello and the battery percentage at the top. You can then click Launch Mission button from the menu icon to fly! If you're drone isn't flying, check the following tips below:

1. Ensure you are connected to the right Wi-Fi hotspot. If using multiple Tello drones, it is helpful to label each of them with a sticker and their hotspot number. This way, you'll know which drone you are connecting to from within your Wi-Fi settings.

2. Make sure your program begins with a TakeOff block and ends with a Land block.

3. When finished, remember to power the Tello off, close out of the DroneBlocks app, return your device to regular Wi-Fi, re-launch the DroneBlocks app, and repeat the connection process.

You can click 'Show Mission Code' from the menu icon to view the actual text code of your program at any time. When you are ready to start a new program, you can drag the previous program into the trash or you can log in to a Google account to save your missions. This is recommended for classroom use or when sharing devices.

DroneBlocks is a great way for 21st century educators to teach STEAM with block coding and drones! If you are already using DroneBlocks and have a DJI Tello EDU in your school or are looking for insight on whether it is the right tool for your students, we hope this blog gave you some helpful tips for moving forward! You can find the DroneBlocks Curriculum, PD, and DJI Tello EDU drone packs on our store by clicking below. If you have any questions or would like to make a purchase, please let us know! Be sure to follow us on and as well for more EdTech !

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With DroneBlocks, STEM educators can build on student interest in flying drones and take it one step further with drones they can program! DroneBlocks is a free app that is compatible with Chrome, iPad, and Android devices and supports teaching coding wit

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Wyoming PBS has curated an impressive video and resource library you can use in your classrooms. They even have a section on Engineering & Technology. There are some great videos that help students understand the design process.

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PBS LearningMedia | Teaching Resources For Students And Teachers

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Inspire your students with thousands of free teaching resources including videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards.

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Grace Hopper Queen of Computer Code by: Laurie Wallmark & Katy Wu

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Grace Hopper Queen of Computer Code by: Laurie Wallmark & Katy Wu

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This is a GREAT book to share the story of Grace Hopper and her contribution to the STEM world.

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Karl's New Beak: 3D Printing Builds a Bird a Better Life by: Lela Nargi

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Karl's New Beak: 3D Printing Builds a Bird a Better Life by: Lela Nargi

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At the Innovations Conference I discovered this book in one of my sessions. It is amazing how it brings instant relevance to 3D printing in relation to a real world problem and the design process. I think students would really respond to the this text as an anchor for a 3D printing engagement.

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This is another site I love for lesson resources. The visuals are beautiful and so engaging for students. The resources are really easy to use as well!

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Discovery Education | Your Daily Learning Platform

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Discovery Education inspires educators to go beyond traditional learning with award-winning digital content and professional development. Learn more today!

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This was shared at the Innovations Conference and there is so much here! You will need to make a free account but after that most things you find can be shared through Google Classroom or just used as lesson resources.

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PBS LearningMedia | Teaching Resources For Students And Teachers

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Inspire your students with thousands of free teaching resources including videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards.

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Susan's presentation has stuck with me. I never knew that it has become so easy to connect with experts in the field. She shared information about connecting with the National Forest Service. I do plan on connecting there.  I also learned that Deanna is someone who knows several (powerful) someones. Networking is the take away... I need to move forward. :)

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Something I tried that is giving me a lot of success is making a STEM Student of the Week. I wanted to reward those students who work really hard in the lab and show a growth mindset. Each week (you could do less- once a month) I (along with the teachers) choose one student (sometimes a teacher or a whole class) who has demonstrated that they are working hard in the lab. They are announced on Monday and then get to visit me to do a 3D print during their free time. I have seen a huge difference in my students! Here are a few of my winners.

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Grades 1-2
During October, I read this book. Students need to use the Engineering Design Process to come up with a plan for their monsters. They can only use 2 supplies (straws, toothpicks, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and craft puffs). They can only use up to 2 play-doh colors ( I choose to make homemade play-doh to keep costs down). Their monster could not be taller than 4 inches. The following week, students made beds out of legos to hide their monster under. Beds had to be made 6inches tall by 5 inches wide. This project was perfect for incorporating measurement!

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STEM and STEAM Activities with Meredith Anderson- Momgineer

Great resource with all things STEM!
Latest ideas were bubble wands in 3D printer- great idea!

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STEM & STEAM Activities with Meredith Anderson - Momgineer

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STEM & STEAM Activities with Meredith Anderson - Momgineer. 16K likes. STEM and STEAM activities for kids. Ideas and resources for educators, parents, and makerspace facilitators. www.momgineer.com

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Technology Teacher Tribe with Brittany Washburn
Not STEM related... but tech related. This is a must follow page!

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Elementary STEM Teachers Club
I love this one because every Sunday they do a Facebook Live that gives new ideas for challenges with your littles. I love their hands on and creative ideas!

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Elementary STEM Teachers with Carly and Adam | Facebook

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The Elementary STEM Teachers group was created by Carly and Adam to build community among K-5 teachers and homeschoolers. The goal of this group is to support teachers in making STEM accessible for...

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STEM Teacher Tribe

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This is a closed group for STEM teachers, homeschooling parents, and makerspace staff. Let's share our STEM ideas and connect! Please no soliciting.

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Grades 1-2
This was part of our lesson on STEM Careers. After reading Iggy Peck, Architect, we learned how architects build things. Before they build, they make a plan and then construct their plan. The students challenge was to build a bridge that held all the students safely so that they could cross the water. It was a challenge for kids to sketch a plan and then follow that sketch. Many just wanted to free build. It was a learning experience!

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Grades 1-2
This was part of our lesson on STEM Careers. After reading Ada Twist, Scientist, we talked about the scientific method. We made a hypothesis and went out and tested our theories. We used mentos and soda. Which mentos (gum, candy, or mints) worked best. Some classes decided to test which soda exploded the farthest (diet code, coke, orange soda). It was literally a blast!

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October STEM Challenge for 1st-2nd Grade

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October STEM Challenge for 1st-2nd Grade

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Read "Room on the Broom" by Julia Donaldson and constructed a broom from legos (any materials can be used) and then we tested to see how many pumpkins the broom could hold. As a class, we traveled around to each broom and "flew" it to see if it was built strong enough. They loved it! Afterwards, the students could eat the pumpkins- yay for healthy schools! 😃

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Growth Mindset- Little Red Riding Hood (grades 1-2)

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Growth Mindset- Little Red Riding Hood (grades 1-2)

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After reading the altered version of Little Red Riding Hood, we talked about characters that had a growth mindset versus and fixed mindset. Then students had to help Little Red get the cookies to Grandma's house by creating a catapult.

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This pack uses the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood to explore both Growth Mindset and STEM challenges at the same time! It includes partner plays, a simple STEM challenge relating to the story, and a workbook to review the STEM challenge and also the Growth Mindset concepts needed to complete STEM challenges.

When coordinating STEM curriculum for grades 1-5, I am always looking for new ways to incorporate STEM in ways that won't require teachers to do a lot of prep or organization. With this pack, all the work is done for you! Just print and go after gathering simple materials to build with, such as tape, paper, pipe cleaners and paper.

→ What makes this set different?

I've incorporated GROWTH MINDSET components right into the STEM projects!

STEM and Growth Mindset concepts complement and reinforce each other perfectly, so teaching them together is a perfect match!

I've observed that during STEM challenges, students face frustrations and disappointments as they invent and test ideas. A growth mindset is essential - and it's the perfect time to discuss it!

Here's how it works:

GROWTH MINDSET

The lesson begins with a funny, easy to read, PARTNER PLAY based on the story of the Little Red.

While reading the 3 page script, students will see that some characters show a Growth Mindset, while others demonstrate a Fixed Mindset.

Students become familiar with the contrast between growth and fixed mindsets as the characters try to solve problems, and deal with failures.

Students write in their Growth Mindset workbooks as they discuss and collaborate. There are sorting, writing, and reflection pages.

NOTE: This set is part of a larger BUNDLE of 8 complete sets (35 pages each) at a much reduced cost!

Click to see more pictures of Growth Mindset STEM in action!

S.T.E.M.

The fairy tale script ends in a STEM CHALLENGE:
Students are prompted to help the character solve the problem by building an innovative solution.

Students use the materials you have given them to build their ideas, test them, and improve them until the goal has been reached.

When projects are finished and shared, students work on their STEM workbooks to describe the process, reflect on inventions and improvements, what worked and didn't work, and how they collaborated.

WORKBOOKS

→ Workbook 1 is for exploring the Growth Mindset aspects of the fairy tale script and characters. There are sorting, writing, and reflection pages.

→ Workbook 2 is for the STEM challenge, with pages for collaborative brainstorming, documenting the process of trial and error, and writing about the experience of problem solving.

You can use any supplies you have for the STEM projects - just toss them into bins and you're ready to go. Some suggestions are: tape, craft sticks, glue, foil, straws, string, wire or pipe cleaners, small paper cups, elastic bands, plastic spoons, etc.

Each of the 8 sets contain the same format:

p1. Welcome and Rationale for Growth Mindset and S.T.E.M.
p3. Teacher Notes and Quick Overview
p4. Materials List - Main Elements
p5. How It Will Look Pre-organizer
p6. Introducing Growth Mindset Posters and Activities
p11. Introducing the Story - Overview
p.13. Partner Play
p.16 Growth Mindset Dialogue Sorting
p17. Which characters have a growth mindset?
p20. Introducing the STEM challenge Workbook
p21. Workbook cover
p22. Collaborative Ideas Brainstorming
p23. Problem Solving recording page
p24. Testing and Improving My Idea pages (3 versions)
p25. My Collaborative Learning - self assessment
p29. STEM Process - self assessment checklist
p30. Letter To Parents (including blank version)
p32. Character and Setting Printable Props (stand ups)
p.36 Credits

I appreciate your feedback! I hope you enjoy these activities as much as my students did. If you have any questions or comments please email me directly at whimsyworkshopcreations@gmail.com

Looking for more interactive educational products?
You can find everything over at
Whimsy Workshop Teaching Blog

Just click on the drop down menus to find what you're looking for. All links come right back to TPT. Or stay and read about classroom tips and grab a few free resources.

Happy Teaching!
♥ Susanna
Whimsy Workshop Teaching

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Just Click HERE to see the instant download!

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Growth Mindset STEM Little Red Riding Hood (single set)

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This pack uses the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood to explore both Growth Mindset and STEM challenges at the same time! It includes partner plays, a simple STEM challenge relating to the story, and a workbook to review the STEM challenge and also the Growth Mindset concepts needed to complete STEM...

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Growth Mindset- International Dot Day (Grades 1-2)

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Growth Mindset- International Dot Day (Grades 1-2)

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For International Dot Day (September 15th), we read the book "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds. Students then used candy dots and toothpicks to construct something out of a dot. They had to make a plan with their team and then work together.

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Growth Mindset- build a flashlight (Grades 3-6)

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Growth Mindset- build a flashlight (Grades 3-6)

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I used this activity as one of my introduction to the STEM Lab activities. I purchased flashlights from the Dollar Store and had 3rd-6th grade work in partners to put the flashlight back together (I gave it to them in pieces). Some groups were successful, but some students became very frustrated. It was a great lesson on choosing the right mindset!

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This is a classic activity that kids always love to experience! I am always surprised that so few of them have ever done it before! We usually do this lab while we are studying electricity in science, but it can be done anytime of the year! I get flashlights from the Dollar Tree (they are pretty cheap). (about $1 each) We display our Flashlight Research Projects outside the classroom!

This packet contains:
- Flashlight Building Direction sheet
- Flashlight Building Lab Sheet
- Flashlight Building Graph
- How We Built the Flashlight... Writing Directions Activity
- Flashlight Research Projects

This packet is designed with intermediate students in mind, but I am sure it can be used with younger kids as well!

Happy Building (get ready to do a lot of building)!

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Build a Flashlight Team Challenge ~ Science Lab and Writing/Research Activities

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This is a classic activity that kids always love to experience! I am always surprised that so few of them have ever done it before! We usually do this lab while we are studying electricity in science, but it can be done anytime of the year!

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Expand the walls of your classroom with virtual field trips

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Expand the walls of your classroom with virtual field trips

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This was my session and I have had people ask me for my slides. There are lots of resources here. Just thought I would share with anyone interested.

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Expand the walls of your classroom with Virtual field trips

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Expand the Walls of Your Classroom with Virtual Field Trips @jilloutkahill Jill Outka-Hill http://bit.ly/virtualfieldtripswithjill

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Grades 1-2
This was part of our lesson on STEM careers. After reading Rosie Revere, students were tasked with creating a paper airplane that can fly further than 10 feet. They had to come up with a plan, build, fly, and document each time.
After day 1 it was apparent that no 1st or 2nd grader knows how to make a paper airplane these days, so we extended the activity to 2 weeks so they could learn tips on airplane building and make their build more successful. They loved it. Below is documentation that one group had, They had to label:
Airplane #
Names
How far it flew

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I won this book in Deanna's session and I'm so excited to start reading it. Thanks Deanna!

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For those of you who have Zometools...this site is so helpful for coming up with ideas! Even though a lot of them are for upper grades, I often can scale them down for my students. If Zometools didn't come with your lab, I highly recommend getting them!

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The Lesson Plans have 64 easy-to-follow, math-based activities with art, architecture, biology, physics, and technology extensions. The individual lesson activities are listed below.

The files are in PDF format. You can download the Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view or print the files, or you can order a hardcopy of the lesson plans.

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The Lesson Plans have 64 easy-to-follow, math-based activities with art, architecture, biology, physics, and technology extensions. The individual lesson activities are listed below. The files are in PDF format. You can download the Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view or print the files, or you can order a hardcopy of the lesson plans.

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If you are designing launcher stickers and find the Word version from CLS not converting into Google Drive well, I created a Google drawings template that you can use. Just click on the link and make a copy.

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Within the code.org website there is a WONDERFUL video library that helps explain key aspects of computing and computer science. They would be excellent to lead into various lessons.

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Code.org's growing library of educational videos is available for re-use by educators worldwide, online or in classrooms. Our goal is to amplify our efforts beyond our own curriculum's reach.

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Engaging computer science videos for learners of all ages.

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This is a really great site for ideas for learning experiences in the lab. There are great connections to grade level content. There are connections beyond just space :0)

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STEM Lessons for Educators – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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Explore standards-aligned lessons from NASA-JPL in science, technology, engineering and math for students for grades K-12. Engage students in NASA missions exploring Earth and space.

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I found this kit as I was looking for kits and activities to add to the STEM lab. It looks very interesting and engaging for students. Just wanted to share. 

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I found this kit as I was looking for kits and activities to add to the STEM lab. It looks very interesting and engaging for students. Just wanted to share. 

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ENGAGE YOUR STUDENTS WITH PIPER

With Piper, students will be immersed in inquiry-based and project-based experiences to learn STEAM & computer science from the inside-out.
https://www.playpiper.com/pages/educators
Becky

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Piper offers educators a turnkey solution for teaching STEAM with a standards-aligned curriculum and professional development. Our easy to use lesson plans engage all types of learners to develop 21st century skills. With the upgraded Piper Computer Kit, the Piper Classroom Experience is more effective and seamless for all educators.

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Piper Computer Kit - perfect for your STEM classroom

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Piper offers educators a turnkey solution for teaching STEAM with a standards-aligned curriculum and professional development. Our easy to use lesson plans engage all types of learners to develop 21st century skills. With the upgraded Piper Computer Kit, the Piper Classroom Experience is more effective and seamless for all educators.

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Google Stories I have been using Google Stories each week to help with my "why".  There are short videos about people who are using STEM in their daily jobs and making a difference in the world.   So far, we have learned about a woman using a program she created to track asteroids, a girl who invented a device to test water for lead, and a veteran who works as a rehabilitation engineer.  I didn't do one this week and the kids have been asking.  Ooops...

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Google Stories I have been using Google Stories each week to help with my "why".  There are short videos about people who are using STEM in their daily jobs and making a difference in the world.   So far, we have learned about a woman using a program she created to track asteroids, a girl who invented a device to test water for lead, and a veteran who works as a rehabilitation engineer.  I didn't do one this week and the kids have been asking.  Ooops...

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https://about.google/intl/en_us/stories/
Janaye

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Our stories

The best part about technology is seeing what the world does with it.

An original documentary series about people around the world who use Google technology to solve big problems in surprising ways.

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Our stories The best part about technology is seeing what the world does with it. An original documentary series about people around the world who use Google technology to solve big problems in surprising ways.

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Visit the Osmo blog for educator resources by clicking the following link: https://www.playosmo.com/blog/category/educator-resources/.
Click on the Osmo Teacher Guide graphic below to access the teacher guide PDF.

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There are great lesson developed and curated by Ozobot education. Explore at https://portal.ozobot.com/lessons

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I love this podcast as a good dose of PD. The focus is on good pedagogy . . . hint the name . . . and spans a variety of good pedagogical practices that can impact any teaching. There also is always some good ones that relate specifically to technology. You can easily sort by podcast topics and tags to find just what you need.

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1:09:55 Guest(s): Amanda Morin, Emily Kircher-Morris

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The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast | Cult of Pedagogy

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Teaching strategies, classroom management, education reform, educational technology -- if it has something to do with teaching, we’re talking about it.

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I get a ton of mileage out of this book! I use it mostly with kindergarten and we read it and the kids build with zometools along with the story (any shape that is mentioned, we pause and they build it). Then we use it again with animation in Flipbookish in first grade. They draw triangle and animate his journey. Because there are other books in the series, there are so many other possibilities!

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How to Code a Rollercoaster was just released on 9.24.19!

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How to Code a Rollercoaster was just released on 9.24.19!

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This book is by the same author as How to Code a Sandcastle. It introduces variables to students and includes great connections to the CS world that you will catch and be able to point out to students . . . such as the rollercoaster they ride is called the Python coaster :0)

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I used this books to introduce the coding kit, Let's Code: Robot Maze. The students took part in a conversation about how robots are programmed to do different things. This lead to the activity and how were would be programming each other. - Vanessa Bentsen

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I did the Pringles Ringles challenge with my 5th/6th grade students. Here is a link to the Google Slides I used with them. They each group 3/4 student received one can of Pringles to complete the challenge. I also have a worksheet that goes with it as well. It wouldn't let me post two items.
Staci Miller

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Andrea Beaty has some great books about being a scientist, engineer and architect. I use these to teach 2nd grade community helpers and talk about STEM careers rather than your typical fireman, police officer, teacher, etc.

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​ A meditative picture book about the power of reading and how one child can change the world.

Illustrated by the magnificent, Dow Phumiruk
​
One girl. One spark.
Faint and fading in the dark.
Flicker . . . Flicker . . . Flicker . . . Glow.
Tiny ember. Burning low.

Inspired by the global movement to empower girls through education, this lyrical story tells of one small girl who reads a book that lights a spark. She shares what she learns with her class, and the spark grows. The girl is then moved to write her own story, which she shares with girls around the globe, and it ignites a spark in them, lighting up the whole world.

This heartwarming and moving narrative shows how books and education can inspire change and how one child can make a huge difference.

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​ A meditative picture book about the power of reading and how one child can change the world. Illustrated by the magnificent, Dow Phumiruk ​ One girl. One spark.Faint and fading in the dark.Flicker . . . Flicker . . . Flicker . . . Glow.Tiny ember. Burning low.

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A fun book to read with the class talking about different concepts of coding. I have used it 3-5.
Susan

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A fun story to start relating repeats & looping, sequence & order, algorithms, variables, conditionals, functions, debugging, and patterns to real life situations and scenarios.

Susan

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I just got this book, and am hoping to embed it into Digital Citizenship.
Susan

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Math For All Seasons by Greg Tang
Mind-stretching math riddles and looking for patterns...
I am going to use this (well attempt) with 1st grade to build upon their base ten math skills.
Susan

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This site has some great STEM ideas and often matches with books.

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Little Bins for Little Hands - Simple Science and STEM for Every Day

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Make science fun! We have the best science experiments and activities for kids all year round. Plus, find tons of fun STEM challenges for little engineers.

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This is a great book to use to introduce coding. It can be used with various levels of students and be a springboard for an unplugged introductory coding activity. The author includes key vocabulary that students need to understand the basics of coding languages and provides further resources in the back of the book to help build students knowledge.