NEWS

Current Events - A Gateway to Classroom STEM Activities

The eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano provides a great opportunity to delve into related STEM Topics. Use a video to initiate the conversation and follow up with questions like those below and gather questions from the students, too.

What are some telltale signs that a volcano is likely to erupt?
What precautions are needed for those who live or work in an active volcanic area?
How might volcanoes impact climate change?
What devices might be used to predict eruptions?

K-12 Data Science Education: A Recipe for Success

Data is at the heart of decisions made across all sectors of society, and K-12 education is beginning to take notice. While ensuring that all students learn to work with data fluently is crucial, the path to doing so is unclear, and

many open questions exist. Answering them demands cutting-edge research, extensive testing and implementation, and collaboration across many different groups. The Concord Consortium is at the center of this work with several new initiatives and research projects.

Google Keep - One of the Best Kept Secrets

Take a look at this video to provide some great ideas on how to use Google Keep to help you get and stay organized.

Battelle - More Than 1 Million Children with STEM Education Outreach

Battelle, the world’s largest independent applied science and technology nonprofit organization, announced it has achieved the goal of impacting 1 million students annually through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Read more.

EVENTS

Enjoy Computer Science Education Week with Microsoft MakeCode - December 6, 2022

Webinar participants will learn how to use Microsoft MakeCode, a free online learn-to-code platform, and access resources for coding projects and activities during and beyond Computer Science Education Week, December 5-11, 2022. Register here.

And, if you have not yet made your list of resources for Week of Code, consider these, free programs for students in grades K-8, published in the May 2022 edition of Woman's Day.

Code Karts which runs on IOS, Android, or Kindle Fire, ages 4+.
Scratch JR runs on the platforms IOS, Android, or Kindle Fire, ages 5-7.
Scratch runs on a browser, ages 8-11.
Code Club World uses a browser, ages 9-13.

Technology Coaches/Coordinators Meeting - December 13, 2022; 12:00 - 3:00 pm

Also known as the Technology Facilitators Support Group, this gathering is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13 from 12:00-3:00 pm. Indian Prairie School District 204 will host. This network gears meetings to those who work alongside educators and students using technology to support and enhance student learning, with ISTE standards guiding presentations, discussions, and the sharing of ideas. At this meeting, the focus will be on Standards 1.2 Digital Citizen and 1.3 Knowledge Constructor. Register today.

New Year's Day - January 1, 2023

Celebrate the start of the new year by exploring noisemaker science with project ideas to be used at school, home, or both!!!

2022-23 eCybermission Competition - January 25, 2023 (Last Day for Student Registration)

This year marks the 21st year of the eCYBERMISSION, a web-based competition open to students in grades 6-9. Opportunities are available for students, team advisors, and volunteers. Visit this link to learn more.

Engineers Week - February 19 - 25, 2023

Celebrate all things engineering, including Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. The Discover Engineering folks have assembled a number of resources to challenge and inspire your students.

RESOURCES

Spotlight on STEM Trunks - Gravity Mazes

This month we are featuring the Gravity Maze STEM Trunk. Students build reasoning and visual perception skills as they use challenge cards to design towers and create gravity-powered paths for marbles to reach the target. Browse the instructions and learn more about how Gravity Mazes can be used with your students.

Questions about or requests to reserve STEM Trunks? Email Mary Biniewicz.

Unleash the Curiosity and Have Fun While Learning with Winter Activities

Looking for some ideas about school-time winter activities to help keep students engaged? Or, maybe you want a few ideas to share with parents for over winter break? Here are a few to help you get started.

How Can We Create New Things with Trash?

This lesson is geared toward students in grades K-2. The students, as scientists, use a model to test cause-and-effect relationships between human tire use and its impact on the environment; consider and communicate solutions to reduce human impact on the environment; and are introduced to a phenomenon by observing photos of inappropriate trash disposal.

Ready for Take-off?

Using Amazon Future Engineer, go on a virtual tour from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and explore the Callisto technology experiment that’s heading to the moon during the Artemis I mission! Grades 4+ can take the interactive tour now on Kahoot. Students will learn the basics behind NASA’s Artemis I mission and discover the inner workings of new, special space technology; develop insights into the Deep Space Network, artificial intelligence, payloads, solar radiation, telemetry, and more! Be sure to check the standards-aligned Teacher Toolkit to help facilitate this interactive learning experience.

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Direct newsletter questions, comments, and suggestions to Dr. Mary Biniewicz.