STEM Education Resources: Preparing Students for the Future
In an era defined by rapid technological advancements, educators face the crucial task of equipping students with the skills necessary to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education plays a pivotal role in this endeavor, fostering creativity, critical thinking, innovation, problem-solving, and teamwork - attributes essential for future success. STEM is not simply about acquiring knowledge in specific subject areas; it's a holistic approach that connects and enriches learning across all disciplines, empowering students to create, innovate, iterate, and reflect.
The Importance of STEM Skills
Many skills can be built through STEM, such as creativity, critical thinking, innovation, problem-solving, and teamwork, which will help students to be successful in the future. STEM also empowers students with new ways to create, innovate, iterate, and reflect, which are directly related to the skills students will need to be prepared. STEM is not just about learning science, technology, engineering, and math content, but rather is a way to connect and support learning in all content areas.
Featured STEM Resources
Here's an exploration of various STEM resources available to educators, encompassing a wide range of subjects and grade levels:
Robotics and Coding Platforms
Birdbrain Technologies: Birdbrain Technologies offers tools like the Hummingbird Robot and Finch Robot that can be integrated into various subjects. Students can explore AI and robotics using Google’s Teachable Machine with the Finch, write programs that enable the robot to recognize images, audio, or poses and respond, dive into AI model creation, or code the robots to represent concepts learned in subjects like foreign languages. There are activities, lesson ideas, and materials available for use with students in grades K through college.
Ozobot: The Ozobot is a compact, one-inch robot that can be used across various subjects, including English language arts and math. Coding options include screen-free coding using markers and color codes to draw mazes, as well as computer-based coding. Students can illustrate a book summary by programming the Ozobot to move around and stop at each point in the timeline to retell the story.
Read also: Broad Stem Cell Research Center
Marty the Robot: Marty is a humanoid robot that offers multiple ways to learn about coding. He responds to color cards via infrared sensors for screen-free coding, and the app supports block- and text-based coding. Marty can be programmed to walk, dance, and talk, and activities are available for subjects like algebra, creative writing, earth and space science, math, physical science, and robotics.
Coding Platforms
Code.org: Code.org reports that 67 percent of new STEM jobs are in computing, but only 54 percent of schools offer computer science courses. They provide app, game, and web labs for students to learn coding and explore sustainability-related topics. Courses are available for all grade bands, some in multiple languages. Students can participate in the Hour of Code and design apps for their class or based on project topics.
CS First from Google: This platform provides resources aligned to the CSTA and ISTE Standards to help educators teach computer science. Options include animation, art, pitching ideas as an entrepreneur, and storytelling, along with other free materials for computer science and ELA courses. Some lessons are available in Spanish. Teachers can participate in distance training and download ready-to-use materials.
Scratch: Scratch and Scratch Jr. are free resources for students ages 8 through 16. They can explore activities for art, games, music, stories, and more. In any content area, Scratch can be used to have students tell a story, create a game, and learn about animation, and to have them connect their program to the specific content. More than 70 languages are available.
Storytelling and Creative Platforms
- Elementari: This platform combines storytelling and coding, allowing students to create interactive stories and books while learning about coding. Students can remix example stories and collaborate on projects, building coding skills and essential STEM skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and social-emotional learning skills.
Encouraging Girls in STEM
- GoldieBlox: GoldieBlox focuses on engaging girls in STEAM with activities and DIY materials for home use. Their "Code Along" initiative partners with STEM organizations like Black Girls CODE to bridge the opportunity gap for underrepresented communities in computer science.
General Free STEM Resources
National Science Digital Library: The National Science Digital Library provides high-quality online free STEM resources for teaching and learning. They aggregate thousands of resources from several major STEM sites, including NASA, Illustrative Mathematics, and TeachEngineering.
Read also: Applying for the Future Women in STEM Scholarship
National Geographic Society Education Resources: In keeping with their Explorer Mindset Learning Framework, National Geographic provides interactive maps, live classroom events, lessons, articles, science activities, and more on a variety of subjects.
Science Friday: The popular PBS podcast has partnered with educators and scientists to build a huge library of free science resources for all ages.
Kids Discover: Kids Discover offers a nice selection of free resources, including detailed lesson plans. You’ll have to wade through their diverse offerings in a variety of subjects to find the free science resources, but the quality makes it worth the effort.
DOGO News: Find kid-friendly articles on STEM-related news in English and Spanish. Articles also include highlighted keywords with definitions, and accompanying games and activities.
Education.com: This wide-ranging site is chock-full of educational resources for STEM and beyond. Basic membership includes a limited number of free resources per month; get unlimited access for a small fee.
Education World: From lesson plans and activities to education-related news and professional development, this site is a wealth of resources and information for all teachers.
HMH: Textbook publisher HMH shares free lessons, hands-on activities, and more resources in math and science for all grade levels.
PBS LearningMedia: Find science and math lessons across multiple topics and grade levels from a trusted source of free quality educational resources.
TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers): Don’t ignore TPT when you’re looking for free resources! Just narrow your search to “Free,” and you’ll find all sorts of STEM lessons, printables, and more that won’t cost you a penny.
Teacher Created Resources: As the name implies, all the resources here are lesson plans created and tested by real teachers. Find complete lessons for a variety of subjects in math, Earth and space science, life science, and more.
We Are Teachers: We Are Teachers has lots of free resources for teachers, including an ever-growing library of free downloadable printables like math worksheets, multiplication charts, and scientific method graphic organizers, just to name a few. Plus, check out their big collection of STEM challenges and science fair ideas.
Share My Lesson: Think of this like TPT, but everything is free! Teachers generously share their lessons and activities with one another, and you’ll find plenty of free STEM resources here.
PhET Interactive Simulations: In smaller schools, you don’t always have access to all the equipment and materials you need for hands-on STEM exploration. The free simulations on this site help you bring learning to life, plus you’ll find accompanying lesson plans and ideas for using them.
Free STEM Resources for Science (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Astronomy, and More)
Nature Lab: The Nature Conservancy worked with 1000+ scientists to create Nature Lab. Its goal is to help students learn the science behind how nature works for us, through free science activities, lesson plans, virtual field trips, monthly newsletters, and more.
Project Noah: This site is a worldwide community for photographing and learning about wildlife, and one of the biggest citizen science projects. Submit your own photos for crowdsourcing ID, or help others identify their mystery sightings.
UC Museum of Paleontology: Find an incredible compilation of free science resources here, from virtual field trips to dig sites to lesson plans and activities on evolution, fossils, dinosaurs, and many more related subjects.
NASA Climate Kids: Explore the complicated subject of climate change and its effects on people and our planet, at a level that younger students can easily understand.
Audubon for Kids: Find a big collection of resources related to birds and wildlife habitats from the Audubon Society, including the classroom curriculum Audubon Adventures.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Take your bird learning a step deeper and combine it with citizen science projects like FeederWatch, sponsored by one of the biggest names in the birding world.
NASA Space Place: Learn about space and Earth science in a fun and interactive way with games, puzzles, hands-on activities, articles, and multimedia content from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
WWF Wild Place: The World Wildlife Fund provides free all-in-one downloadable classroom toolkits on animals and environmental science topics, along with professional development videos for teachers.
Smithsonian Science Education Center: With multiple free curriculum programs available, the Smithsonian supports students and teachers across a variety of science subjects.
Free STEM Resources for Technology and Computer Science
Common Sense Education: Responsible use of the internet and connected devices is an absolutely vital topic for every student today. Common Sense’s free curriculum has lessons for all ages on topics like health effects of screen time, online privacy, and online bullying.
Scratch and Scratch Jr.: These popular sites teach kids how to program in Scratch, through fun activities and games. You can see what others have created too. Scratch Jr. is geared toward the early elementary crowd (K-2). Then they’re ready to move on to Scratch itself.
Code Monster: Get an intro to coding in a step-by-step, accessible way through this site’s simple interface. Follow the Code Monster’s directions, and you’ll be coding in no time!
Codecademy: Teens can skip the cutesy games and dive right into coding skills on this site. Start at the very beginning, or try more advanced learning modules to build complex programming.
CS First: If you’re not sure where to begin with a computer science curriculum, this should be your first stop. CS First empowers educators to teach computer science skills, even if it’s a new subject for you.
Engineering Free STEM Resources and Activities
PBS Kids Design Squad Global: Encourage young learners to create and design new things, with both online and offline activities. Find inspirational stories about all the ways designers and engineers make a difference in the world too.
TryEngineering: Introduce your students to potential careers in engineering and design, through teacher-led lessons or student-led exploration of games, articles, and hands-on projects.
Engineer Girl: Sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering, this site aims to interest girls in engineering from a young age and help close the gender gap. It offers profiles of real women in engineering and design jobs, inspiring girls who see them to know that they can be them.
Engineering.com: Older students who want to learn specifics about engineering careers or read news about the field will enjoy this site. There’s so much information here to explore!
DiscoverE: Along with its comprehensive site full of activities, DiscoverE sponsors programs like World Engineer Day, Future City Competition, and Chats With Change Makers.
Free STEM Math Resources and Activities
Fun Brain: Math Zone: Play free online games to build counting and number sense and practice basic arithmetic skills.
Virtual Nerd: Take online courses or watch individual videos in pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and more middle school math topics.
Chartle: Create bar graphs, pie charts, line charts, and more with this free tool.
Freckle: Students can get free self-paced practice at math skills for all ages, with continuously adapted problems based on their individual progress.
Illuminations: Sponsored by NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), this site features complete lesson plans along with mobile games and other activities.
Illustrative Mathematics: Get free access to high-quality instructional materials, assessments, and professional development resources aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics.
Additional Resources
Annenberg Learner: This site offers a wide range of multimedia materials, including videos, interactive activities, and lesson plans on an array of subjects. Teachers will find complete courses they can use or share with students, which is especially helpful for topics you may not be an expert in yourself. Resource types: Educational video programs, with accompanying print and digital activities. Grades: K-12.
Core Knowledge: This site provides open access to content-rich materials and complete curriculum programs in a variety of subjects, including science and math. Search by subject and grade level to find the materials you need. Resource types: Curriculum and lesson plans. Grades: PreK-8.
Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a powerhouse in providing free, detailed educational resources across the curriculum. From early science lessons to advanced calculus and physics, this no-frills site is a Microschool teacher’s best friend for accommodating multiple ages and interests in one classroom. Resource types: Online lessons, courses, and activities. Grades: PreK-12.
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