Energy Literacy Videos
Posted on October 29th, 2015 by Mary Lord
From weather patterns and food supplies to society’s daily electricity needs, energy drives everything. The U.S. Department of Energy’s new energy literacy video series highlights the seven principles that demonstrate energy’s role across the natural and social sciences, and is part of a broader set of education resources, lessons, and activities maintained by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Filed under: K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comments Off on Energy Literacy Videos
Tags: Alternative Energy, Class Activities, Energy, Environmental science, Internet Resources, Sustainability, U.S. Department of Energy, Web Resources
Hack him back! Why just watch The Martian when you can participate in a design contest (and possibly win $25,000) to help marooned astronaut Mark Watney, track his progress on interactive maps, or download free activities to incorporate space science and engineering in your classroom? 
Anywhere, anytime STEM professional development. That’s the idea behind The Smithsonian Science Education Center’s new web series, Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science, whose free animated videos identify common misconceptions, explore the science of how humans learn, and provide instructional techniques for effectively conveying scientific principles.
Whether you seek images of the cosmos to enhance your science class, hands-on activities to make forces and motion come to life, or free professional development webinars, look no further than NASA’s resources for educators.
From tidal curiosities and solar flares to bad weather jokes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s SciJinks website offers a wealth of resources for learning and teaching about Earth’s climate and geography. 
On July 1, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will open its new innovation wing, with interactive exhibits and programs focused on the theme of U.S. enterprise, business, and invention. The centerpiece of the 45,000-square-foot space is the studio of Ralph Baer, inventor of the home video game.
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.
Want to improve the quality of STEM education? AdvancED devotes its entire Spring 2015 issue to the subject. Articles range from narrowing the STEM achievement gap to 3-D virtual learning to explicitly teaching engineering. 
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.
