ving as a entry event building on need to know) 4. Development (specific lesson plans and scaffolding) 5. Assessment (range of formative, summative, content specific, and 21st century) 6. Extensions ( next steps, scaffolding, and differentiation) 7. Related resources (useful for related investigation).
Make sure you explore the various Tools that ScienceNetLinks points to on the web. After all, allowing students to study and interact with simulations is an important part of the new Common Core. It is this practice that brings relevance and real life application to the content standards found in the curriculum. These tools fall into the following four categories—hands-on activities, interactives, teaching aids, or websites. They also include tips to integrate them into your classroom. Some examples include a secondary activity Make A Mission, involving building a spaceship to explore Mercury. How about a hands on non- tech activity in the study of earthquakes entitled Earth Movers? Perhaps you want your middle school students to use a computer to Build a Fish. Primary students may wish to learn more about insects as they create a Monster Bug.
Don' miss the amazing Collections area of the website found at ScienceNetLinks. Here you will find 29 amazing collections. Click on a collection and you will discover engaging lessons that are associated with these collections. The collections are diverse and cover a multitude of subjects and content providers. I consider this a must explore area... one that words cannot do justice! Make sure you take that moment to explore!
You will find 15 awesome activities in the Afterschool Resource Area . Any activity rich in content standards and 21st century skills that engages students to come after school should be embedded in the school day curriculum. I am sure you just might find some of these gems as you explore gravity, geysers, marbles, bees, sounds, and forces... just to name a few. Bring the after school excitement into your curricular day classroom.
The Science News Section is a must visit! It includes Science Updates which are sixty second kid friendly podcasts with transcripts on interesting new findings in science. Have you ever wondered about the brain research regarding the Pepsi vs Coke advertising battle, or how about the unusual foot anatomy of elite sprinters? Science Updates will engage your students with answers that will promote more deep level and rigorous questions. Each Science Update also includes a valuable reading that allows students to make sense of the research and some questions that allow for reflection and synthesizing. Visit Image of the Day to allow students to practice some meta-cognitive skills and discover possible connections to valuable classroom lessons. Students may wish to read interesting and highly engaging articles provided at Science Now, which is also found in the news section.
Well, there you have it… another STEM related goldmine that will keep you mining resources for a long time Please continue to join the Siemens STEM Academy as we continue to discuss other ways you can promote STEM and 21st century technology and learning in the classroom. Don't miss out on future posts and resources dedicated to STEM education. Now is a great time to sign up for an RSS feed and also follow us on twitter at SiemensSTEMAcad. You may even wish to share this post with others via a quick email or even a tweet! Also, check out our amazing archived webinar entitled, Earth Day: What the Ice and Penguins Tell Us About Our Changing Planet , a rich resource right here at your Siemens STEM Academy. Another great reason to give us a follow on twitter at SiemensSTEMAcad. Have a STEMtastic week! - Mike Gorman 21centuryedtech
Posted on April 15, 2012 by Michael Gorman
Mike is an advocate for transforming education and bringing 21st Century Skills to classrooms. He was awarded Indiana STEM Educator of the Year and honored as a Microsoft 365 Global Education Hero.
Lance has been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer and was recently highlighted in The Emergency Teacher, 