Looking to inspire kids to fully engage in their learning this coming school year? Experts say that children need to tackle real-world problems and come up with creative solutions. One great way to foster this type of authentic learning is through hands-on STEM activities. Check out these resources for some ideas:
NASA:
NASA for Educators is a robust site with hundreds of resources searchable by subject, grade level, type and keyword. These lesson plans and teaching materials can be used to support your STEM curriculum.
PBS Design Squad:
PBS Design Squad offers lots of STEM-based activities, animations, video profiles, and episodes to use in your classroom, searchable by subject area and grade level.
Edutopia on Pinterest:
Edutopia features 78 boards on Pinterest on topics such as World of Design Thinking, Science Strategies, and Math Rules. Followed by more than 77,000 people, this rich resource includes blog posts, lesson plans, classroom printables and much more.
STEM Boards on Pinterest:
We Are Teachers has a strong presence on Pinterest with 210 boards and nearly 90,000 followers, including this STEM-specific board. Another good one to try is ISTE’s STEM Pinterest board.
Education World & Teacher Boards on Pinterest:
Education World suggests these eight STEM activities and features 35 boards on Pinterest including this STEM Board. And read these articles by Education World and Cozi to find some of the best teacher-created Pinterest boards with lessons, materials and subject area resources, including plenty of STEM ideas.
Teachers Pay Teachers:
In this open market place, teachers buy, sell and share their best resources for all subject areas, including a wealth of STEM lessons. Used by more than 1.6 million teachers, this site arranges materials by topic and grade level, including lesson plans, printables, worksheets, audio and video recordings.
Share My Lesson:
Developed by teachers for teachers, Share My Lesson is a free platform where educators can find high-quality teaching resources, including a variety of STEM materials.
Level Up Village:
When a school signs up to offer Level Up Village’s pioneering STEAM (STEM + arts) courses, the teacher(s) receives comprehensive training, including detailed lesson plans, instructional videos and all necessary materials. They learn to teach the engineering design process, CAD, 3D printing, video game design, mobile app development and more, while facilitating meaningful one-on-one collaboration between their own students and partners in developing countries. Schools that sign up for Global Inventors/3D printing also receive a 3D printer to keep.