Nanotechnology Lessons & Games
Posted on April 30th, 2015 by Mary Lord
Ultra-tiny nanoscale engineered materials and technologies show up in products from cosmetics to medicine. To help teach this rapidly expanding area of STEM, TryNano has assembled a webpage with lessons, games, and other free resources.
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Tags: Curriculum, Internet Resources, Lesson Plans, Nanotechnology, Resources for Teachers, TryEngineering, TryNano, Web Resources
Math can be a tough sell. Many students think it’s too hard, or that they’re no good at it. It doesn’t have to be this way, says Stanford Graduate School of Education Professor Jo Boaler, who has designed a free program for teachers to change mindsets and inspire their fifth through ninth graders to think more deeply in mathematics.
Plant a tree. Snap a selfie for NASA. There are countless ways students and teachers can celebrate the 45th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. This year’s theme: It’s Our Turn to Lead. See how your small steps can lead to big change!
Working with students from the University of Maryland and Brigham Young University, NASA engineers have created a free, alternative-reality game called DUST designed to get teens – particularly young women and minorities – interested in STEM. The challenge: Figure out how to save their parents after meteorites drop a mysterious dust that knocks out adults worldwide.
Last year, President Obama fielded basketballs lobbed from a hand-built catapult and test drove a search-and-rescue robot at the 2014 White House Science Fair. On Monday, March 23, the White House agaim will host dozens of young scientists and engineers – and you can watch it live online. 
NASCAR, the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing, is speeding into STEM education. Acceleration Nation is a new learning program created in partnership with Scholastic to teach elementary and middle school students about math and science behind the Three D’s of Speed: Drag, Downforce, and Drafting.
Nominate a great middle or high school STEM teacher for a $2,000 award, introduce a girl to engineering, or coach a Future City team. National Engineers Week is Feb. 22 – 28, 2015 and there are plenty of local events and hands-on activities to raise awareness of what engineers do and how their work makes the world a healthier, safer place.
Looking for a fun way to engage students in STEM and help them understand core concepts? Check out the Scientist’s Curiosity Cabinet, a video-laden website showcasing Boston College chemistry professor Ross Kelly’s collection of gadgets that offer “neat examples” of such scientific principles as buoyancy or “things that seem impossible but are staring one in the face.”
What do fashion designers, rock stars, and restaurant owners have in common? They all apply algebra in their work! Get the Math promotes algebraic thinking and problem-solving skills through video challenges that illuminate such real-world math.
