TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Feb 12, 2023
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Engineer for the Week - Meta
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): coding (82), computational thinking (37), critical thinking (106), design (85), problem solving (219), Project Based Learning (21), STEM (243)
In the Classroom
Engineer for the Week is an excellent opportunity to provide real-world STEM learning to students. Most projects suggest a participation time of 15-20 hours and a time commitment of 15 hours by the facilitator. Share the Facilitator Checklist with parents and community members to find volunteers to support the program as an in-school activity or after-school program. Directions for the programs include different phases labeled as "prep," "sprint," and "finish." As students begin the program, use an organizational tool such as Netboard, reviewed here, to share images, resources, notes, and other information to prepare for the project. During the sprint phase, students collaborate to test and practice different ideas. Enhance student learning by asking students to share their reflections and ideas using Typito, reviewed here. As students celebrate and share their accomplishments, further enhance learning by using Sway, reviewed here, to share and document student learning using text, images, videos, and links to research information.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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MIT Full STEAM Ahead - MIT
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): design (85), diseases (67), earth (179), engineering (117), game based learning (172), inventors and inventions (69), makerspace (43), sounds (44), space (210), STEM (243)
In the Classroom
As students participate in the activities and lessons shared on this site, utilize the many features of Google Documents or Microsoft Word to gather information, and collaborate with peers. Use spreadsheet tools to record findings and create graphs to evaluate the results of experiments. Engage students in the learning process by adding questions and comments to the videos in the learning packages using edpuzzle, reviewed here. Ask students to use Sway, reviewed here, to share the products of their learning activities. Add text, images, videos, and more to create multimedia presentations. Use the learning packages to find activities and resources to incorporate into your current learning units. Be sure to check out the interactives (games) that focus on problem-solving and collaboration skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PictureStem Project - Tamara Moore, Kristina Tank, and Elizabeth Gajdzik
Grades
K to 3tag(s): animal homes (56), animals (270), design (85), engineering (117), geometric shapes (130), main idea (8), measurement (124), numbers (120), patterns (60), phonics (48), preK (247), reading comprehension (134), STEM (243)
In the Classroom
Enjoy these free, high-quality STEM units to use in your elementary classroom. As you teach lessons found on this site, enhance learning using a portfolio-creation tool like Seesaw, reviewed here, to share student work and reflections. Upload images of student projects then use Seesaw to add video reflections, students' written responses, and more. Share Seesaw portfolios with parents during parent/teacher conferences to demonstrate student learning. If you are unable to use the complete units in your classroom, be sure to look through the many lessons to "mine" for shorter activities that work in your teaching situation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Those Amazing Engineers - Those Amazing Professions Inc
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): careers (135), engineering (117), STEM (243)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students as part of career exploration lessons. Instead of creating a list of sites to share with students, replace the list by saving bookmarks with Symbaloo, reviewed here, to make information easy to find and access. After researching the different engineering fields ask students to extend their learning and create a web page sharing a day in the life of their chosen field. Carrd, reviewed here, is a free webpage creation tool that provides many tools for professional-looking pages. Find many other resources to encourage creativity and engineering at TeachersFirst Makerspace Resources, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Babble Dabble Do - Ana Dziengel
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crafts (49), design (85), engineering (117), makerspace (43), STEM (243)
In the Classroom
Be sure to add this to your toolbox of ideas for teaching STEAM topics and for ideas to use in classroom makerspaces. In addition to adding this site to your favorite bookmarks, consider creating a board on Pinterest, reviewed here, of sites with ideas for STEAM projects. Share the board with your peers and collaborate on adding STEAM sites as a group. Extend learning throughout and after project activities as you include student work as part of a portfolio on Seesaw, reviewed here. Seesaw offers tools for all ages of students to create digital portfolios including written or audio reflections on work. Instead of just sharing images of student creations on your Facebook page or school web page, help students enhance their learning by creating digital books using WriteReader, reviewed here, to share online for family and friends. WriteReader is a site specially created for use with younger students to share their writing and images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK Go Sandbox - University of St Thomas and Dr. AnnMarie Thomas
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): gravity (42), mass (19), motion (47), sound (74), STEM (243)
In the Classroom
Delight your students with the videos and activities provided on the site to include with your current science lessons. Place students in groups to complete the challenges offered. Have students replace paper and pen and take collaborative, digital notes using Webnote, reviewed here; tell students to be sure to save the URL to share their notes and questions with you and their peers. Ask students to record their work images and video. Redefine learning and challenge students to share their final projects including the digital research notes, images, and videos using a multimedia presentation tool like Sway, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Curious Engineer YouTube Channel - Omkar Bhagat
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): birds (44), computers (97), magnetism (34), maps (206), oceans (139), space (210), STEM (243), time (91)
In the Classroom
Share videos with students either on an interactive whiteboard, with a projector, or as a link on your class website. Many of the videos discuss computer programming concepts, making them particularly useful for Computer Science lessons. For more advanced classes, provide time for students to choose a video to view and research the underlying concept. Enhance learning by having students make a multimedia presentation sharing their findings using Slides, reviewed here, if you are starting the process of integrating technology into your classroom. Slides is an easy tool to manage if you are familiar with PowerPoint or Keynote. If you and your students are more advanced with technology, you may want to use a tool such as Canva, reviewed here, for students to create a custom poster, presentation, or flyer for relaying what they discovered.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Try Engineering - IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): careers (135), computers (97), engineering (117)
In the Classroom
Include the Try Engineering website when exploring career options with students, be sure to point it out to students with an interest in engineering and computers. Use the site to help students understand the various options available in engineering and computer careers and the education necessary for different roles. Whether you are teaching about plastics, robots, electricity or many other science topics, check this website out! Enhance student learning by having students create online posters detailing requirements of their chosen career using a tool such as PicFont, reviewed here, or Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here. Alternatively, have students create an infographic showing the steps needed to advance to a career in computers. Use an infographic tool such as Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FabFems - National Girls Collaborative
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): careers (135), engineering (117), mentoring (6), STEM (243), women (116)
In the Classroom
Use this site when researching science careers and scientists to be sure to give women their turn and to inspire another generation of female scientists. Challenge your students to learn more about famous present-day women in STEM careers and create their own interactive books about them. Have students extend their learning by using Ourboox, reviewed here. Ourboox creates beautiful page-flipping digital books in minutes, and you can embed video, music, animation, games, maps and more. Enhance student learning and have students create a personal timeline using Preceden, reviewed here, to map out career goals.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Engineering Place - North Carolina State University
Grades
K to 12tag(s): careers (135), engineering (117)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use throughout the year, and take advantage of the free lesson plans. Share information from the site during career lessons and activities. Share this site with parents as a resource for learning more about careers in engineering. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about an engineer.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Instructables - Project Based Engineering for Kids - Autodesk, Inc.
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): engineering (117), makerspace (43), Problem Based Learning (12)
In the Classroom
Bring out the "inner engineer" in each of your students! During physical science units, visit this collection to get directions for students to build simple models to supplement content. You might want to visit the accompanying site How to Teach Project Based Engineering to Kids before getting started. Students can work in small groups to create a project. Different groups can demonstrate different laws of physics. Add this to your class website as a do-at-home project to encourage exploration at home. During language arts when focusing on using concise, clear, language, listen to the directions and use as a model. Enhance learning by having students write the scripts for creating other models using Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Using these online documents affords many benefits, including the ability to add comments, highlight information, and add links to online information. Extend learning by having students create a multimedia presentation featuring the directions and construction of the student model using Google Drawings, reviewed here. With Google Drawings, students can annotate, narrate, and add related links to an image. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. In gifted and talented classes or pull out programs, consider for a beginning of a deeper understanding of the concepts. Move forward with virtual field trips to see the "real" machines at work. Find ideas for after school clubs, camps, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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