Resources for educators
FUTURE U. provides educators with the tools they need to inspire their students to use creativity, collaboration, persistence and problem-solving to change the world. Geared towards students in grades 6–12, FUTURE U. uses hands-on, experiential learning to ignite excitement and inspire them to become tomorrow’s innovators.
20 of the Best Science Bulletin Boards and Classroom Decor Ideas
Looking for ways to take your science lab or classroom up a notch? Look no further than these amazing science bulletin boards and classroom decor ideas!
Women have always been an important part of the workforce. But there has been a significant shift – arguably a revolution – in the range of employment options that are now open to women, and in the critical positions women now occupy in many fields. As part of OnlineEducation.com’s commitment to providing practical career advice, investigative reporting on educational trends, and detailed information about online degree programs, they have created a section of features about women across a broad spectrum of careers and professions.
The saying, “If she can’t see it, she can’t be it,” speaks to the importance of introducing girls to female role models, especially in areas where women’s accomplishments were often overlooked or minimized such as in science, mathematics, and technology. A new poster collection aims to bring more of these women’s stories to light — and inspire today’s Mighty Girls with the knowledge that she can be whatever she aspires to be!
The Amgen Biotech Experience is an innovative science education program that provides teacher professional development, curriculum materials, and research-grade equipment and supplies to secondary schools.
Center for Probing the Nanoscale – Nano Activities
Middle level: Introduce students to all things nano with these hands-on activities developed by teachers who attended Stanford University’s Center for Probing the Nanoscale summer educator workshop.
The Dealhack Teacher Discounts List
Attention teachers! Check out this great list of all of the discounts that are available for current teachers. Maybe it can help you get some supplies for a STEM project in your classroom!
Download Lesson Plans | Energy4me
K-12 grades: Explore energy concepts with K-12 students with lessons from The Society of Petroleum Engineers. For example, in Fish Fossils, and Fuel: Where Does Oil Come From? (elementary students). In Pump It Up—Getting the Oil Out, middle level students model the process of removing oil from the ground. Oil and the Environment, high school students examine innovations in the petroleum industry.
K-8 Intro to Computer Science | Code.org
K-8th grades: Intro to Computer Science: Looking to demystify computers for elementary and middle level students—and their teachers? This is a 20-hour course from code.org introduces basic programming concepts and computational theory through hands-on tutuoritals and unplugged activities emphasizing the creative and collaborative nature of computer science.
The mHelpDesk Girls in STEM page covers different subjects along the lines of what STEM is, important women scientist, different careers, and improving girls/women’s interest in STEM. The page also has a little section for experiments and games that we know you’ll enjoy.
National Science Teaching Association
The National Science Teaching Association is the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA’s current membership of 50,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education. It’s guiding principles include to model excellence, champion science literacy, value scientific excellence, and embrace diversity, equity, and respect. Check them out to find an incredible network of support and a vast database of resources.
Nepris
K-12 grades: An online platform that connects classrooms to industry professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
Next Generation Science Standards-Aligned Tutorials and Pathways | Sophia Learning
7-12th grades: This comprehensive collection of science content supports the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and helps middle and high school teachers start adding NGSS aligned tutorials to their classroom.
Science Fair Project Ideas – Over 2,000 Free Science Projects | Education.com
K-12th grades: Compiled by science teachers, professional scientists, and educational consultants, this web page offers thousands of K-12 project ideas and spans the entire K-12 spectrum
Flippity is a powerful web tool that you can use with Google Spreadsheets to perform a variety of tasks.
Utah STEM Bus Robotics Tutorials
The Utah STEM Action Center Bus team has put together a list of video tutorials on how to use LEGO Mindstorms, Ozobots, or Bee-Bots.
AccessSTEM helps students with disabilities succeed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and reach critical junctures on paths toward college studies and careers in STEM. AccessSTEM shares promising practices to help K-12 teachers, postsecondary faculty, and employers make classroom and employment opportunities in STEM accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Middle level: Bionic arms? Rainwater harvester? Solar cars? Wireless alarms? As diverse as these technologies are, they all involve engineering. These learning modules explore a wide range of engineering technologies.
In modern times, computer science is a field known for having a predominantly male workforce. While today’s statistics show that only about 20 percent of jobs in the information technology (IT) industry are held by women, that hasn’t always been the case. In the history of computer technology, many of the field’s pioneers were female. Their contributions ranged from programming to helping to make space exploration a possibility. Understanding the accomplishments and importance of women in the history of computer science can help younger generations of girls see themselves pursuing and excelling in software development and other tech-related careers.
Resources for students & parents
Tinkering Guide
The best part about hands-on STEM learning is that it doesn’t have to just take place in the classroom. There are also a lot of different experiments and activities you can do at home that are fun and help you learn about things like science and engineering. You can also try tinkering with things around the house to see how they work (with your parents’ permission, of course). Here is a great guide to help you jump into the world of tinkering!
How to Identify Effective STEM Activities for Children
“When you’re looking at real-world problems, a one-dimensional approach will not solve those problems — not the problems of today and definitely not the problems of tomorrow,” says Dr. Suzanne Nesmith, associate dean for undergraduate education and associate professor for curriculum and instruction at Baylor University’s School of Education.
World progress and development depend on science, technology, engineering and math, she says. And the skills STEM education emphasizes — critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity — can apply not only to these fields, but also to other disciplines.
Bozemanscience
High School: Award-winning biology educator and YouTube education guru Paul Andersen shares his passion for teaching and technology through videos explaining concepts in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics, Statistics and Graphing
As the old saying (almost) goes, science starts in the home. Try Scientific America’s fun science activities, which parents and their kids ages 6-12 can do together with household items in just a half hour or less. Teachers might like to incorporate them, too.
Car and Vehicle Science Experiments
Check out these fun science experiments involving cars! Science can be fun, but the only way to test this theory is to try some experiments. Don’t forget to think about safety, and don’t try any experiments with real, life-size cars!
GoldieBlox is a disruptive children’s media company challenging gender stereotypes with the world’s first girl engineer character. Through the integration of storytelling and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) principles, GoldieBlox is building a global character franchise with videos, animation, books, apps, curriculum and merchandise; the tools that empower girls to build their confidence, dreams and ultimately, their futures.
Check out this great resource from Healthline that helps teach the science of human anatomy!
Make science fun with hands-on experiments and science fair projects!
Lawrence Hall of Science – 24/7 Science
K-6th grades: Students can play learning games such as How small is Small? Which explores nanotechnology concepts; Blasto, the Sub-Human Cannonball, which teaches about variables; and sky Dive, which highlights the different layers of Earth’s atmosphere.
A new CBS series Mission Unstoppable is aired on the Saturday morning block 9:00-12:00 ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. Each week, host and Executive Producer Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) and an all-female leadership team showcase women on the cutting edge of science – including zoologists, engineers, astronauts, codebreakers, and oceanographers. Viewers will be inspired by female STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) superstars in leading fields including social media, entertainment, animals, design, and the internet – all categories key to the teen experience.
Saving for College
Prospective students and their parents need to start with a manageable college savings plan. This site discusses widely available options to start saving for higher education.
Science Experiments For All Around Your Home
Here are some fun science experiments that can be done all around the home.
STEM Games for Kids-Maryville University
Maryville University has put together a great list of online STEM games and activities for kids. Take a look!
This is a great website full of fun and exciting science toys and experiments. Check it out!
7 Intriguing Science Experiments for Your Kids
Back in the day, science was boring. There was nothing more than textbooks and listening to professors. Surely, life didn’t give us too many chances to appreciate science. These days, it’s a different story. Yes, science can be fun. Here are 7 intriguing science experiments for your kids to help them appreciate science and also have fun along the way.
Resources for college students & graduates
Cyber Security Degrees in Utah
The Beehive State is abuzz with cyber security activity. From degrees and certificates to professional communities to employment opportunities, we cover everything you need to know about Utah’s cyber security scene.
DiscoverDataScience Guide for Minority Students
DiscoverDataScience.org has published our “Guide for Minority Students in STEM” to serve as a helpful source of info for minority groups in STEM by detailing the many resources and opportunities available. Because of the challenges facing them, minority students in STEM fields must be proactive and actively seek out opportunities to succeed. We hope this guide makes that task a little easier.
Find out about job and internship opportunities.
Volunteer as a Science Ambassador
When you volunteer to be a Bio-Rad Science Ambassador, you become an advocate for science education and inspire our next generation of scientists.
Organizations & Initiatives
Clever Octopus Creative Reuse Center
Clever Octopus Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering creativity and environmental awareness through art, science, technology, engineering, and math. Our multi-tentacled approach includes the Clever Octopus Creative Reuse Center and the Octopod mobile outreach vehicle.
Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA)
To support the national science and mathematics educational agenda by ensuring that MESA students develop a high level of literacy in mathematics and science so they can play a leading role within an increasingly technology-based world.
Utah’s MESA program began twenty years ago, as a partnership between the University of Utah and the Granite School District. At that time, there was a group of 52 students in the start-up program. Since then, MESA has grown to include 17 school districts and charter schools.
Research + Practice Collaboratory
The Research and Practice collaboratory engages researchers and practitioners around the country in an effort to address the long-standing gap between educational research and practice in STEM education.