Archives: Resources

In today’s tutorial, I will be showing you how to shoot stars with an Android smartphone. For this to work, you will need an Android smartphone with shutter … learn more

The night sky is an awe-inspiring. With light pollution, most students never see the night sky as it really is. That’s unfortunate because the night sky is amazingly … learn more

Exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum web site are altered to match a spotlight in the real museum.

The National Air and Space Museum hosts a searchable library of digital images and video. Images include Museum events and behind-the-scenes activities, historic photos, and pictures of artifacts … learn more

Space.com brings space down to Earth to provide an amazing journey celebrating exploration, innovation and discovery. Space.com presents current photos of the cosmos and encourages students to learn … learn more

The Hubble Space Telescope (and most telescopes) only takes photos in black and white. To make those beautiful space photos like the ones here, scientists add the color … learn more

In addition to the main image site, NASA has additional areas dedicated to specific topics. For Astronomy buffs, NASA posts each day a different image or photograph of … learn more

NASA’s image library consolidates imagery spread across 60 collections into one searchable location. Students can embed content in their own sites and choose from multiple resolutions, including the … learn more

Safety is an integral part of the FT STEM program. The goals of this example safety module include creation of a 5-rule safety program to be used during … learn more

This video from Flite Fest – an annual Flite Test meetup – shows kids, of all ages, having fun and learning new things, creating and building airplanes of … learn more

The FT STEM curriculum has modules for all grade levels, K thru 12, providing real-world learning opportunities that expose students to careers in science and technology, and emphasizing … learn more

Here you will find lessons, projects and activities created by FT STEM students and teachers. The articles can be filtered by grade level and type.

This video from MESArc shows Megan and Susannah trying to tame the Toothless Dragon! This video shows that you learn from failure and the value of not accepting … learn more

This video shows the first flight of the final version of the MF-35 Thunder, designed and built by Claira, an 8th grade student. And it shows some of … learn more

Claira, an 8th grade student, came up with the idea of turning the MESArc MF-35 Lightning model aircraft design into a workable delta style wing. Her goal was … learn more

Flite Test STEM is an educational program that helps students soar. Developed by Flite Test, a company specializing in the design and production of remote-controlled (RC) aircraft, the … learn more

This is one of those “don’t do this at home” type projects.

NASA’s Student Launch is a researched-based, competitive, experiential exploration activity. It includes yearly challenges reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges and universities, and non-academic … learn more

The NAR provides educational resources and a list of nearby clubs. National Association of Rocketry is the oldest and largest sport rocketry organization in the world. Take advantage … learn more

This launcher project uses air or a lack thereof, not water or pyrotechnics, to launch the spacecraft. Uses a vacuum pump, acrylic cylinder and simple 3D printed parts. … learn more

The Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is the world’s largest rocket contest, designed to encourage students to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Sponsored by the Aerospace … learn more

A simple bottle rocket launcher build out of a length of PVC pipe, some glue and a disposable pen. (Nice music, too)

Few classroom topics generate as much excitement as rockets. The scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical foundations of rocketry provide exciting classroom opportunities for authentic hands-on, minds-on experimentation. The … learn more

On of the easiest ways to build a rocket uses plastic 35mm film canisters and Alka-Seltzer. We saw these being demoed at a science day and everyone enjoyed … learn more

A PROJECT FOR EVERY LESSON. Instructables is committed to helping teachers inspire, engage, and prepare students through hands-on projects to make in the classroom. Always free, and always … learn more

You will want to take a few more safety precautions, but this video shows how easy it is to build a rocket.

The Starry Night software shows what the local sky will look like at 8pm on a given evening as well as patterns of movement of the constellations.

Once in a Blue Moon … is a common way of saying not very often, but what exactly is a Blue Moon? Learn the answer and more with … learn more

EarthSky Earthcare’s topics and resources are divided between today and tonight. Its main dissemination source is the radio. Earth & Sky started out as 2-minute broadcasts on radio … learn more

Akkana Peck has compiled a wide range of astronomy resources, from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Moon and Galilean Moons of Jupiter (an interactive web page) to his … learn more

Ever wonder what you might weigh on Mars or The Moon? The Exploratorium has provided a chance to find out. Fill in your weight and see what you’d … learn more

Science doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, for most of the history of our investigation of the universe we used nothing more than sticks and stones. Just … learn more

The American Meteor Society has an excellent site about meteors and includes a calendar of upcoming meteor showers–capture your students’ dreams via just the naked eye.

Here you will find a collection of multi-disciplinary, interactive exercises and activities based on the Sun and solar science, most geared to grades 4-12. Most of these have … learn more

Windows to the Universe, from the University of Michigan, just seems to grow more and more incredible each month. Astronomy is a hook to interdisciplinary resources in the … learn more

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has a complete on-line collection of planes (and space craft) with pictures and descriptions of over 356 aircraft. For a details … learn more

How do they simulate weightlessness without escaping the gravitational pull of the Earth? To experience a free fall safely, an aircraft climbs at a steep angle, levels off, … learn more

Think you need a NASA sized budget to experience weightlessness? As you can see from this fun video, all you need is a personal airplane and the right … learn more

EAA Chapter 1093 at the Midland Barstow Airport in Michigan created this video to describe how EAA’s Young Eagle Program works.

Since 1992, the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has been giving kids ages 8-17 the opportunity to fly in a small airplane at no cost to them, introducing them … learn more

No, UEET is not some strange South American bird. It’s NASA’s Ultra Efficient Engine Technology. These Kid’s Pages were developed by NASA during the Centennial of Flight Celebration … learn more

For everyone who’s dreamed of flying like a bird, here’s what it would look like. Taken in the French Alps around Chamonix.

Students can make a mini helicopter using just paper and paper clips. This activity from the Exploratorium includes a template you an print out, full directions, “what’s going … learn more

Molecular Flipbook is a free and open source platform for the scientific & education community. Molecular Flipbook features a much more accessible and simple user experience than most … learn more

Here’s more information on Google’s affordable VR viewer, including information on how you can get a clone of the pre-cut cardboard VR viewer for as low as $20.

What can you do with some cardboard and misc. parts, plus your cell phone? How about a functional 3D viewer. Here’s how it works.

Molecular biologist (and TED Fellow) Janet Iwasa introduces a new open-source 3D animation software — Molecular Flipbook — designed to bring scientific hypotheses to life. Includes interesting incites … learn more

From the IMAX movie Cosmic Voyage. It puts big and small into perspective and takes you on a voyage through the universe! Narrated by Morgan Freeman. A modern … learn more

Explore Learning, originally a dissertation project, allows students to visualize and alter parameters in topics such as mechanics and life sciences. Specific labs include mouse genetics, golf range … learn more

The student’s goal is to build a bridge so workers can retrieve cargo from the other side of the valley. An interactive game that teaches physics, planning and … learn more

Whether your child is struggling with math class, needs help with homework or needs more practice and added challenges, Sylvan can help! We’ll create a personalized math program … learn more

Math teacher Dan Meyer show how tossing a basketball can be a math problem. (starts about 50 seconds into the video) Math teacher Dan Meyer explains how presenting … learn more

The Teacher Institute has supported middle and high school science teachers in assembling “teaching boxes,” helping them to collect lessons, activities, assessments, and inexpensive supplies for a specific science unit … learn more

Enjoy sports science for kids with our awesome range of free games, fun experiments, science fair projects, interesting quizzes, amazing facts, cool videos, and more! Learn about forces … learn more

We update our library of free sample lessons regularly to help teachers while school system leaders consider how to partner with NMSI. We’re also grateful to our incredible … learn more

The Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) (pronounced like “seismic”) at the Georgia Institute of Technology is working to ensure that K-12 students receive the … learn more

This article notes that students often have trouble seeing their school lessons as relevant to real life. They suggest that real estate requires skills in math, science, English, … learn more

James May looks at whether or not submarines are waterproof, and goes on to explain exactly how they work. A great starting point for integrating math and physics. … learn more

Math/Science Nucleus serves as an online science resource center to assist teachers around the world. Their major goal is to develop problem solving capacity through science for the … learn more

What happens when you print out Pi to a million digits? You get a piece of paper 1.05 miles long. Follow along as Matt Parker takes you on … learn more

Michael Bach has great collection of simple “illusions”. Emphasis here is on the beauty of perceptual phenomena, on interactive experiments, and explanation of the visual mechanisms involved – … learn more

Porta Estel·lar (catalan for Star Gate) is an immersive light and sound installation inside a plane. Using strips of LED lights and sound sequences, it takes the audience … learn more

This simple web page shows how simple concepts can expand into something complex and many times beautiful. Try clicking Animate, Color, Trails, and Random in that order.

Origami and Fractals: Shadowy Worlds Between Art and Mathematics looks at Jane Chafin’s personal exploration into the world of origami and fractals. Includes a number of video links … learn more

Devon has created Pendulus, one of his favorite projects. A stunning visualization of the beauty in chaos, Devon uses glow-in-the dark paint to trace the random movement of … learn more

The Community Bridge is an illusion. Painters turn an unremarkable viaduct-like bridge into computer art with tricks, such as “depth”, to fool the eye.

Symmetry in art and math is illustrated by patterns in old Arabian rugs.

This post by Wired magazine shows some of the most stunning natural examples of fractals on our planet.

This article from the Fractal Foundation describes fractals as a never-ending pattern, created by repeating a simple process or mathematical formula over and over again. Fractal patterns are … learn more

This post by Peter Tyson and NOVA looks at how you can describe a tree or cloud, a rippled pond or swirling galaxy using numbers and equations. This … learn more

This video looks at Alan Turing’s Reaction-Diffusion Model, which mathematically defines how patterns might be formed in Nature. Turing, the father of computers, created a set of formulas … learn more

From the people who brought you 50 Map Projections, this post looks at how map projections are made and why different map projections have different strengths and weaknesses. … learn more

If you’re in need of a visual reference guide to the various map projection types… Then, look no further. Because we’ve pumped out a goldmine of the top … learn more

In 1492 when Columbus crossed the Atlantic, although latitude could be measured (typically from observations of the Pole Star), there was no reliable way of measuring a ship’s … learn more

Cartographers face the “orange peel” problem when mapping the surface of Earth onto a flat piece of paper. The mathematician Euler proved that this can not be done … learn more

A fun on-line game to show how the Mercator projection changes the apparent size of a country depending on its latitude. The goal of the game is to … learn more

Africa doesn’t look that big on the map. In reality, Africa is bigger than the United States, China, India and a couple of European countries … combined!

Michael Stevens has an interesting look at perception and how our maps have shaped the perception of the Earth. Use the YouTube link to access all the resources … learn more

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has a section devoted to the K-12 community, with everything from games to student resources.

Dr Alun Owen at Loughborough University in England developed this site to help students and teachers. The site covers a wide variety of statistic topics and includes videos, … learn more

Students used math to examine an on-line Cost Comparison map and explore the causes and consequences of food and transportation cost inequities (or differences) between the Canadian North … learn more

Math Is Fun has a good collection of statistics related activities, including topics like How to Do a Survey, Categorizing Quantitative Data, Accuracy & Precision, and Fair Dice.

See the Math, Change the World Mathematically Equipping All Students to Solve the World’s Most Challenging Problems We are a nonprofit social impact organization specializing in neuroscience and … learn more

TeachKidsArt has some easy projects to show that math can be beautiful, and fun.

Math art projects are a great way to combine right and left brain learning. Combining the two will help engage all your students. Projects include fish tessellation, symmetry … learn more

Musician David Macdonald created a melody to help him remember the numbers in pi, “since it’s easier than recalling a long string of numbers”. By assigning each number … learn more

Taking out any amount of student debt is a big decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. While a degree is still valuable when applying for jobs, … learn more

This short animated video, goes over the questions your students should ask themselves and the steps they should take before deciding to use student loans to help cover … learn more

What makes something seem like a good deal? Subtle ways of framing the same information can make your students more compelled to purchase. Which sounds better 25% off … learn more

This activity shows how to convert money between different currencies by constructing an exchange rate table using current data from the Internet and a calculator. Travel to many … learn more

This site covers a number of interesting money related topics, including topics like Counting Money, Making Change, Money Word Problems, and Filling Out A Check. Other topics include … learn more

Rachel Kaplove explains how to teach elementary students how to make change showing two different methods, adding or subtracting. Why two different methods? Some students will grasp one … learn more

Consumer math is the study of the basic mathematics concepts that are used in daily life. It is teaching the real world applications of math to students. This … learn more

For an intriguing mystery about the coat which Mary Todd Lincoln wore on the evening he was assassinated check out this document from the Chicago Historical Society.

Would Abe Lincoln have been awarded a Nobel Prize for Peace? Review thousands of documents about The papers of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), lawyer, a representative from Illinois, and … learn more

On this page, you’ll find educational resources including animated games and easy-to-use Nobel Prize lessons for teachers to use in the classroom. Teachers and students are especially important … learn more

Welcome to the Nobel Prize Internet Archive! Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded annually as per Alfred Nobel’s last will and testament. This site maintains information on all … learn more

Mark Twain wrestled with cultural environments in the US and abroad. The site of his biography includes historical links, too. And refer to the Twain Quotes site for … learn more