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
As mobile devices become increasingly embedded in daily life, they can enhance children’s experience of nature. This year’s National Environmental Education Week, which falls on April 14-20, 2013, reflects that idea in its theme – Greening STEM: Taking Technology Outdoors.
Tired of digging into your pocket because your school’s shoestring budget won’t stretch to cover materials or equipment? A new grant-finding site offers a free, searchable database – updated daily – of more than 600 grants and other funding opportunities culled from federal, state, regional, and community sources.
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.
NASA is providing several new webinars for educators, which include hands-on activity demonstrations for specific grade levels. Additionally, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is offering an online course on climate research applications with funding from the NASA Innovations in Climate Education program. Applications for the course are due August 20, 2012.
No funds for field trips? Take your students on a virtual tour of the best Museums of the World or check out scores of other engaging STEM education sites and teacher resources in the BestEdSites collection.
Nanooze, a science magazine for students in upper elementary through high school, explores the exciting world of nanotechnology – and the “cool things that happen when you make things really, really small.” It’s distributed free to schools, in classroom packs of 30.
Khan Academy’s YouTube math tutorials may not be Academy Award quality, but their academic merit is clear from their popularity with students and teachers. Now, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and TED are adding to the K-12 STEM video playlist.
The environment, with its range of engaging, real-world challenges, gives teachers a chance to provide students with meaningful, hands-on experiences that reinforce STEM concepts across multiple subject areas. This year’s National Environmental Education Week, which falls on April 16 -21, 2012, reflects that concept in its theme–Greening STEM: The Environment as Inspiration for 21st Century Learning.
