Earth Day Resources
Posted on April 19th, 2013 by Mary Lord
Kids love exploring the world around them, and Earth Day offers a great way to introduce them to environmental science and engineering. The following sampler includes activities, lessons, and resources that promote green engineering and science learning.
Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, Web Resources | Comment »
Tags: Class Activities, Curriculum, Environmental Engineering, Environmental science, Internet Resources, Lesson Plan, Lesson Plans, Resources for Teachers, Teacher Resources, Videos, Web Resources
Sustainability is the theme of this year’s Mathematics Awareness Month. Teachers will find plenty of activities, contests, and other free educational resources that link math with environmental applications, including the Energy Challenge, which teaches students the mathematics of their school’s energy use and then has them develop and implement an action plan to reduce energy consumption.
Launched to help educators help their students understand that originality matters, Plagiarism Education Week offers free webinars with tips for teachers, new resources for students on conducting better online research and proper citations, and a student poster contest.
From regional FIRST Robotics competitions to a day of special events at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., the country will mark National Robotics Week April 6 – 14 with a host of engaging, hands-on activities. Find activities in your area.
Design competitions are a great way to get students excited about STEM, but finding up-to-date information in time to sign up can be difficult. Engineering Contests, a new aggregator of engineering competitions and scholarships for K-12 and college students, offers a one-stop shop that’s updated monthly.
3-D printers and electronic tattoos are just some of the inventions featured in a new video series launched to mark Thomas Edison’s 165th birthday. Produced in collaboration by NBCLearn, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the “Science of Innovation” includes 11 segments – with related lessons – illuminating the process by which scientists and engineers develop innovative ideas into patents and products. 
Benjy Miegs, a snow sculptor and student at Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering, explains snow sculpting in this cool video.
Seeing is believing, but what about hearing? To encourage more girls to go into STEM fields, the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics has developed On The Air, an online radio series featuring stories of fascinating women scientists, engineers, and educators.
Like Curious George, children are naturally inquisitive and eager to learn by doing. To help kindergarten and first graders explore science and engineering, the PBS team that produces the Curious George series for TV and online has published a new family STEM activity booklet. 
