The world is full of revolting stuff, like parasites that squirm out of people’s feet. But gross stuff also can fascinate and inspire kids to learn about science. And that’s the idea behind PBS’s new YouTube series, “Gross Science.”

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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Web Resources | Comments Off on Gross (but Cool) Science

Tags: Biology, Gross Science Show, medicine, NOVA, PBS, Society for Science & the Public, STEM videos

Students in grades 2 to 4 learn about wildlife habitats, environmental engineering, and the complexities of nest construction by attempting to design and build a nest themselves.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Think Like a Bird!

Tags: Biology, birds, Class Activities, construction, Design, ecology, Environmental Engineering, Grades K-5, Great Sand Dunes National Park, habitat, Lesson Plan, material properties, National Park Service, nest, wilderness, wildlife

Are your students vexed by vectors or mystified by electricity? MIT’s Open Courseware offers a series of videos designed to help students learn these and other pivotal concepts in science, technology, engineering, mathematics that are the building blocks of many engineering curricula.

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Filed under: For Teachers, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features, Web Resources | Comments Off on MIT Videos Convey Key STEM Concepts

Tags: Biology, calculus, Chemistry, electricity, Engineering, integral, Mathematics, MIT, motions and forces, Open Courseware, Physics, probability, Problem Solving, STEM videos, vectors

Student teams in grades 6-8 reinforce their knowledge of the digestive system and explore the concepts of simulation and the engineering design process by developing a pill coating that can withstand the churning and acidic environment of the stomach. They test the coating’s durability using a clear soda to simulate gastric acid.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »

Tags: Biology, Biomedical, Chemical Engineering, Class Activities, coating, digestion, Grades 6-8, Human Body, Lesson Plan, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Engineering, medicine, pill

Why do airplanes fly? What is genetic engineering? To help K-12 students and teachers understand such topics, MIT has tapped its 10,000 brilliant young scholars to create engaging, short videos to supplement classroom instruction.

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Filed under: K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comments Off on MIT+ Offers K-12 STEM Videos

Tags: Aeronautics, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, genetic engineering, Internet Resources, Lesson Plans, Math, MIT, MIT+K12, Physics, Resources for Teachers, STEM videos, supplemental materials, Teacher Resources, Videos, Web Resources

High School biology students in Valders, Wis. are raising zebra fish as part of a research project being conducted by students at the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc. Or at least they’re trying. But the grant-funded project, intended to interest high schoolers in STEM, has encountered a problem: dying fish.

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Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comments Off on Research Collaborators Encounter Mystery

Tags: Biology, Biomedical, Bioscience, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Experiments

The Center for Excellence in Education sponsors the Research Science Institute, the National Lab Skills Initiative, and the USA Biology Olympiad. The organization is a strong advocate for gifted education and contributes to the national debate on education reform. The Center actively supports developing scholars through its programs for high school through post-graduate students.

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Filed under: For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comments Off on Programs: Center for Excellence in Education

Tags: Biology, Competition, Competitions for Students, Events, Organizations, Programs for Students, Programs for Teachers, Summer Camps & Programs (Students)

The Mütter Museum, maintained by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, was founded to educate future doctors about anatomy and human medical anomalies. The museum is devoted to improving the health of the public through its education programs, services, and resources. Mütter provides in-house lessons, download-able workbooks, tours with special group rates, fun videos for students, a junior fellowship program, and a virtual tour.

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Tags: Biology, Biomedical, Museums, Science museum

The MIST Teacher Workshop, July 28-30, 2010, introduces high school teachers to the structure and teaching strategies used in the Merit Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The main goal is to help teachers feel confident in implementing this new method in their own classrooms and to introduce you to other teachers in your subject area to create a community of support. The majority of the workshop time will be devoted to experiencing the Merit teaching style and giving teachers the opportunity to develop materials they can take back to their own institutions. Stipend: $200, housing, food, and travel allowance. No new information provided for 2011.

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Tags: Biology, Chemistry, Math teachers, Programs for Teachers, Summer Programs (Teachers)