November 17, 2017
by Priscilla Robinson
What can a teacher do when the season’s cold, wet, or snowy weather makes curious and rambunctious children go stir crazy? This was exactly the predicament I found myself in with my five-year-old grandson last year. After sledding and playing in the snow, Henry and I looked for something else to do. I reached deep into my Nana brain and unlocked my inner teacher. “What’s your teachable moment today, Nana?” I murmured.
All weekend long, we had been experiencing the crackle and pop of static electricity as a result of the house’s warm, dry air. Henry himself had been zapped a half dozen times. Petting the family dog, he marveled as her hair stood on end. He was curious: what was this invisible power?
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | 
College level, Elementary level, energy, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, static electricity | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, electricity, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, magnetism, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, static electricity, STEM, variables | 
Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
October 17, 2017
Many TV shows, movies and podcasts highlight forensic science. However, not all shows depict this fascinating field accurately. Watching the videos here, your students will learn about the history of DNA testing… CSI career choices… and more. Get a “clue” about how toxicology and chemistry have changed this field. Among other things, these videos will probably give you something to consider the next time you’re watching television.
If you find a video clip on this topic, please share with us in the comments section below.
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | College level, Elementary level, forensic science, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: blood analysis, CSI, Educational Innovations, experiments, forensic science, fun experiments, hands-on activity, high school forensic science, homeschool, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
September 29, 2017
by Ted Beyer
Fidget spinners are the latest fad to sweep, seemingly, the world. Love them or hate them, they are everywhere—on playgrounds, in backyards, living rooms, and even schools, although many schools have banned them as being distractions. But wait just a minute here! For once, let’s see if we can’t use a fad to teach something. You see, there is actually a fair bit of science lurking in those spinney things.
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | College level, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, magnetism, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: discrepant event, DIY, Educational Innovations, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, Newton's First Law, Newton's Second Law, Newton's Third Law, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, Physics, physics demonstration apparatus, science, science fair project, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
September 15, 2017
by Tami G. O’Connor
As elementary school teachers, we aim to help our students become scientifically literate (among many other things). But let’s face it: too often we have limited time for science instruction during the school day. Still, we know that kids just love science! They’re always eager to learn more about the world around them, especially when they’re having fun while they’re learning.
But what can we do when our science teaching time is so limited in school? How do you get students involved in scientific discovery outside the classroom? Sure, you can give them homework, but many kids find simply reading about science unappealing. You want your students to LOVE learning more about science… not dread it.
Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Elementary level, energy, experiments, life science, magnetism, Physics, STEM | Tagged: discrepant event, DIY, Educational Innovations, elementary science, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, science fair project, STEM | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
August 25, 2017
By Cathy Byrne
This is one of my favorite team-building, icebreaker activities. It’s also a great way to introduce your students to engineering! It can be done with students at many different grade levels. At the beginning of class, I start by welcoming my students to the staff of [Insert-the-name-of-your-school-here] Engineering Company.
I split the class into small groups and tell them: your team has been tasked with constructing the tallest free-standing tower you can build with the materials provided. I give each team a bag containing 20 pipe cleaners and I let them dive right in. It doesn’t take long for the teams to figure out that they need a strong base to hold the flimsy pipe cleaners.
Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | College level, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, STEM | Tagged: Educational Innovations, engineering, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
