Make a STEM Connection: Wind Tunnels



The month of March often brings windy weather as we get ready to welcome spring. At NASA, creating our own wind is an important part of pushing the boundaries of flight, both in aircraft design and rocketry advancements.

This week, let's explore the ingenuity of wind tunnels with STEM resources and hands-on activities.

NASA Knows Article: What Are Wind Tunnels?

(Grades K-4)

NASA Knows Article: What Are Wind Tunnels?

(Grades 5-8)

Hands-On Activities: Aeronautics Module

Wind Tunnels Educator Guide

Beginners Guide to Wind Tunnels

Surprisingly STEM Video:

Wind Tunnel Engineers

The Quiet Crew Video:

Sonic Boom Wind Tunnel Testing

Afterschool and summer programs provide something school often can’t: the freedom to explore, experiment, and connect learning to real life without the added pressures of grades or tests.

For many youth, these programs are where early sparks of interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) begin to take shape. But interest alone isn’t enough. Without clear guidance or opportunities to see what’s possible, many young people lose momentum before they can fully imagine a future in STEM.

That’s why STEM Next is excited to share a powerful new tool for programs nationwide: the Career-Connected Learning Framework. Designed specifically for out-of-school-time providers, this framework helps programs embed career awareness, exploration and preparation into their activities in ways that are practical, age-appropriate, and grounded in both research and real-world relevance.

Listen to recordings that dive into the strategies for career-connected learning below:

• Introduction to Career-Connected Learning and a Framework to Support Out-of-School Time Providers
• Career-Connected Learning: Building Broad Skills to Support Youth in the Workforce
• Developing Career-Connected STEM Activities for Afterschool and Summer Learning

ACTIVITY

Do-It-Yourself DNA

Have you ever wondered how scientists get a sample of DNA from a plant, animal, or other organism? All living organisms have DNA. DNA, which is short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the blueprint for almost everything that happens inside the cells of an organism — overall, it tells the organism how to develop and function. DNA is so important that it can be found in nearly every cell of a living organism. In this activity, you will make your own DNA extraction kit from household… Read more