Teacher Resources

As schools look for innovative ways to bring in STEM learning, here’s a possible road map for how to galvanize a school community.

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/01/09/10-innovative-ways-to-bring-stem-to-schools/

Active learning begins with curiosity! The Curious George STEM Collection is a great way to help young children understand science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts, such as measuring, building, and simple machines. Lesson plans with Curious George videos offer hands-on investigations and exciting new learning opportunities that will inspire children to explore the world around them.

https://unctv.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/curiousgeorge/#.WdzHBmhSyUk

Real estate is a complex field that requires skills in math, science, English, social studies and home economics. By incorporating real estate-based lessons into your curriculum, you can help students gain valuable skills in practical math application, presentation giving, forming a persuasive argument, earth science and so much more!

https://www.redfin.com/blog/2015/08/the-educators-guide-to-real-estate-lesson-plans.html

STAR, Inc. is a national [501c3], not for profit, education program that integrates elementary, middle, high school and early college students with expert resources provided through interactive webcasts and events that are specifically integrated into the classrooms per teacher and administration requests and needs. STAR is adaptable to the IT infrastructure of the school systems with no program purchase cost or fee. It is a teaching tool that allows teachers, with minimum effort, to adapt STAR to their curriculum and lesson plans. This non-competitive program embraces students of all grade point averages allowing each student the same opportunity to interact with STAR experts.

http://star-classroom.org/

EnvironmentalScience.org is the ultimate guide to everything you need to know about starting your career as an Environmental Scientist. EnvironmentalScience.org’s mission is to be the most reliable and expansive advocate for environmental science education and careers. Environmental Scientists have rewarding, challenging, and well-paying careers that offer excellent opportunities for growth and advancement.

http://www.environmentalscience.org/

The P3 Center is a dynamic and sustainable statewide research consortium that supports strong cross-disciplinary research into the biology underlying plant-based bioproduction and drives innovative applications in areas of metabolic engineering, biomedical agriculture, biobased products and agricultural sustainability.

http://www.plantpoweredproduction.com/education-outreach/

The field of cyber security has never been hotter. To help you find your dream job, they’ve pulled together a comprehensive directory of colleges and universities offering cyber security degrees, as well as a wealth of information on career paths within the cyber security field, security clearances, the range of professional security certifications available, free online courses in security topics and more.

http://www.cyberdegrees.org/

Check out the great resources in the above link!  Browse this free guide to STEM for kids (K-12) organized by age and interest, as well as a section specifically focused on encouraging girls in STEM activities.

Visit the below link to see a list of freebies compiled by NSTA for science (and more) in grades K-16.

http://www.nsta.org/publications/freebies.aspx

Galileo Pre-K Online, from ATI, provides preschool educators and other stakeholders a complete assessment, curriculum, and reporting system that links planning, individualization, outcome documentation, and program enhancement. One of the first to offer educators online assessment and curriculum tools, Galileo is built on the principles of science, supported by a commitment to research, and guided by a vision that everyone should benefit from the opportunities and transformations of technology.

The new Galileo activities, designed for toddlers ages 18 to 36 months, expands on the existing curriculum activities for children 3 to 5 years of age. The full range of classroom activities, combined with Galileo reports, offer teachers time-saving tools for incorporating developmentally appropriate learning opportunities into their weekly lesson plan.  The documents offer research-based sequencing of the Galileo scale goals over the course of a program year. The scale goals provide the basis for the activities, ensuring that the developmental needs of a typical toddler are met. The various activities offered can be presented individually or in a variety of group settings and interest centers.
For more information contact ATI at 877.442.5453, or GalileoInfo@ati-online.com

http://www.ati-online.com/galileoPreschool/indexPreschool.html

As educators, you bring the excitement of science and exploration to your students each day in the classroom. But how can you find the latest information about what is taking place aboard the International Space Station, or ISS, especially with regard to all of the science and research being operated continuously by the crews or self-sufficiently?

Here are six effective ways you can keep current and feel more confident in talking to students, and others, about the space station and what is happening in the orbiting laboratory.
1) Subscribe to the ISS Program Science Listserv.  Receive twice-weekly emails with compelling stories about important space station research conducted each day.
2) Read the information-rich ISS Research and Technology Web page and the engagingISS research blog, A Lab Aloft.
3) Know the ISS research benefits for humanity, available in video and print formats.
4) Follow timely ISS research updates on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
5) Learn how to get research aboard the ISS (or refer those interested).
6) Tap Into the ISS Toolkit, a wealth of ISS research multimedia resources at your fingertips and perfect for communication and outreach opportunities.

http://www.nasa.gov/news/index.html#.Uw0KGc6We2U

Audubon Arkansas is working with the Nature Conservancy to educate about one of Arkansas’s most treasured and threatened ecosystems—the tallgrass prairie. We have field trip opportunities available to a large tract of tallgrass prairie just outside of Arkadelphia calledPrairie Ridge Preserve at Terre Noire.
These environmental education programs are free of charge. They can take place in the classroom or on-site at the prairie and cover prairie history, prairie plants and animals, prairie soils, habitat management, nature journaling, and geocaching. Any of these topics can be tailored to be age-level appropriate. Contact Uta Meyer (see below) to get a program scheduled for the spring!  Audubon and the Nature Conservancy are also planning a Prairie Awareness Week for mid-May to involve public presentations, workshops, and a prairie art competition.

Audubon Arkansas is also thrilled to be working with Central Arkansas Water on water education and outreach in the central Arkansas region. As a part of this collaboration, Audubon is now offering program about Lake Maumelle and its watershed to K-12 students in Little Rock and Pulaski County!  Programs are free of charge and cover water conservation, water treatment, watershed protection, the ecological connection between water and wildlife, and outdoor recreation opportunities at Lake Maumelle like birding, geocaching, and nature journaling. Depending on the chosen intinerary, programs can be held in the classroom or on a field trip to Lake Maumelle.
If you’re interested in these opportunities, please contact Uta Meyer atumeyer@audubon.org, 501-244-2229.

http://ar.audubon.org/

Discovery Education and the Navy present a series of interactive lesson plans specifically designed for 9-12 graders to explore new ideas and new worlds related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  Our lesson plan resources will help students understand unique concepts, practice new skills and engage in exciting, authentic learning experiences.  Subject matters range from the physics of flight to the engineering of future ships. Plus, have fun with your students playing the Navy Proving Grounds widget! Designed to work in conjunction with The Science of Diving, Jets in Flight and Future Fleet lesson plans, our widget will test your students understanding of the concepts taught in those lessons as they go through each challenge.

http://www.navystemfortheclassroom.com/lesson-plans

Did you know that PBS Learning Media puts hundreds of FREE lesson plans at your fingertips? Just search by grade, subject, or keyword to uncover creative activities, discussion questions, and new approaches to learning!

The home page is customized for Arkansas teachers.  These resources can be very helpful as you incorporate CCSS for ELA at K-5 or CCSS for Literacy in Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects at grades 6-12 into your science lessons.  There is also a section on Engineering Design http://aetn.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/ngss-eng/

http://aetn.pbslearningmedia.org/

Find upcoming science webinars for your students here.

All T³™ webinars are complimentary and presented by experienced math and science educators.  These webinars are designed to help you feel confident using TI technology effectively in the classroom.  Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance.  View upcoming webinars here.

New common core resources for math education are now available at the link above.  Classroom lessons, example tasks, and more are also available.

https://www.arkansasstemcoalition.com//for-educators/teacher-resources/insidemathematics.org

The 2005 Arkansas Science Framework states, “Students should be engaged in hands-on laboratory experiences at least 20% of the instructional time.” In order to meet this goal, teachers and students require access to adequate equipment and supplies to facilitate learning through inquirybasedexperiences utilizing current technology. The cost for outfitting science classrooms and/or labs has been calculated for each individual grade level based on meeting the Arkansas Science Framework, but because much of this equipment can be shared within a school, a shared cost has also been calculated with grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 sharing costs. View the possible savings here.

From PLT’s website: Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is a program of the American Forest Foundation that uses the forest as a window on the world, engaging the next generation of America’s thought-leaders and decision makers. Check out Project Learning Tree’s quarterly newsletter The Branch, and sign up to receive it.

Provides resources for Arkansas math and science teachers, including quality math and science lessons in the 5E model, a matrix of resources linked to CCSS, and Arkansas Science Standards. stemlessons.org

http://stemlessons.org/

An exciting new LEGO(r) Education space mission is underway! LEGO Education and NASA have teamed up to invite teachers and students from across the United States to participate in an educational program designed to inspire the exploration of science, technology, engineering, and math. Through the LEGO Bricks in Space program, students will work alongside International Space Station (ISS) crew members to conduct activities that test the effects of microgravity on simple machines. During Phase 1, eight LEGO Education activities will be conducted on board the ISS. Astronauts will build LEGO Education models, complete educational activities, and record their results through video and crew commentary. Each activity will include a downloadable teacher’s guide and student worksheet so classrooms can complete the activities on Earth and compare results with the ISS crew.

LEGO Education Materials
• Space and Airport Set
• Simple and Motorized Mechanisms Set

To download materials and watch crew videos, visit the Legospace Educators page.
For more information, contact LEGOspace@LEGOeducation.us > .

STEM is an abbreviation that stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons. Students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between the classroom and the world around them.

The importance of STEM education is emphasized by the Next Generation Science Standards, which were designed to improve how students comprehend and apply science. STEM education typically focuses on project-based learning in the classroom. The projects and activities incorporate technology to emphasize the application of science and prepare students for future classes.

More information can be found here.