What’s more fun than reading? Well, if you love reading — maybe nothing is. But if you or your kids don’t particularly cherish reading (like mine) maybe it’s time for some SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!!! Luckily, we’re living in a time where Science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math) are FLOURISHING in public schools. I happen to work at a magnet STEAM school and oversee a “Makerspace” area — a place where kids are encouraged to make, create, engineer, build and IMAGINE. So … I happen to have about a gazillion STEM resources, but I’m going to try to rein it in this morning and focus on some that I think we need right here, right now, for  (in a deep voice) ………………..a pandemic such as this.

My TOP 10 CURRENT STEM RESOURCES (Please feel free to message me with more good ones to add!!! We’re in this together!) 

1. First things first. Now please tell me you know about Khan Academy???? It is AMAZING.  My Kindergartner was on there this week!!!!! I bow down to the master, Sal Kahn, for his dreamy, smooth math and science voice on his explanation videos. He has created special DAILY LEARNING for ALL GRADE LEVELS ………..AND IT’S FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Plus, he even has some curriculum on Growth Mindset … something I think we all need right now. God bless, you Sal Khan.

Daily Learning Overview

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub

Prek-Second Grade

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub#kix.mouk9zropavw

Third-Fifth

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub#kix.ow2y2mp5ko1s

Sixth-Ninth

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub#kix.ow2y2mp5ko1s

9-12

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub#kix.5sioxrgstyn

Growth Mindset Videos and Materials

https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/learnstorm-growth-mindset-activities-us

2.This week I stumbled across SCIENCE MOM on Facebook where these two science teacher parents are offering LIVE SCIENCE lessons everyday around 9-11am MOUNTAIN Time. CHECK IT OUT!

3. Have you met Steve Spangler yet? He’s part showman and part scientist. A WHOLE LOT OF FUN. Just watching his science experiments is a blast. Check him out on Youtube OR …. He’s going LIVE for 50 Days on Facebook Starting Next Week! Go FRIEND HIM … NOW!!!!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/steve.spangler.personal

https://www.youtube.com/user/SpanglerScienceTV

 

4. So I love mixing books with science and engineering — since that’s what I do for a living as a Librarian and Makerspace Coordinator. My go-to gal is Brooke Brown at Teaching Outside the Box. She takes elementary book stories and creates amazing STEM projects to go with them. I almost hate to give my favorite secret away … but, since it’s a pandemic and all, here she is, on Teachers Pay Teachers, making her magic ALL THE TIME. Her stuff isn’t free, but it’s affordable. And if there’s just something you love on here, I probably have it and we could just buy an extra license for you from mine. So check her out!!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Brooke-Brown-Teach-Outside-The-Box

 

5. And …. how about Carly and Adam? Have you met them? They are  WONDERFUL Elementary STEM teachers. They are on Facebook — where you can join their Elementary STEM Club for free and get videos and ideas, or stop by by Teachers Pay Teachers for detailed lesson plans. I love their stuff. Check them out.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ElementarySTEMTeachersClub/

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Carly-And-Adam

 

6. PBS just came out with some “Emergency” Science plans (as well as every other subject area) for EVERY GRADE LEVEL. Even Pre-K!!! (And thank you fellow teaching junkie, Aubrey Hoffman, for the link today.)

https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/emergency-closings-collection/?fbclid=IwAR1JJ4TYadyEPbYII-_DG8oj7xBPNfJAK-DnoK2uS3aAwpgMRzYu1OAZ348

 

7. Kids Love YOUTUBE, and there are a gazillion science experiments kids can do there. Here are the TOP 15 STEM YOUTUBE CHANNELS. Teachers, give your kids videos to watch and questions to answer! Cool link here.

https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/stem/15-stem-youtube-channels

 

8. More Quick YOUTUBE Experiment Links:

 

 

 

9. Okay, so I just started subscribing to this resource this year. I LOVE IT. Anne @ Left BrainCraftBrain has SO MANY COOL THINGS. Get her free stuff. Or pay monthly and DIG IN. She’s awesome.

https://leftbraincraftbrain.com/

 

10. Last but not least, here is a current TOP 10 Best STEM Websites for kids. There are mentions of coding, which will be a separate post from me in the coming days. Check out their recommendations!

https://www.bestkidstuff.com/tech/best-stem-websites-for-kids/