June 11, 2018
By Tina Brown
We first heard the term “STEM” several years ago. In May of 2013, the National Science and Technology Council introduced their five-year strategic plan. It was a 127-page report on how to strengthen American schools’ science, technology, engineering, and math education programs.
Essentially, the goal of this plan was to produce children who would eventually be competitive in an international job market. However, within a few years of the STEM hype, educators realized there was something missing.
The Missing Element in STEM
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Elementary level, Middle School level, STEM | Tagged: Educational Innovations, fun experiments, hands-on activity, hands-on science, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, STEM, variables | 
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
April 13, 2018
By Cathy Byrne
Virtually all fourth grade students explore electricity and magnetism. As part of this unit, students are asked to do two things:
1 – Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents (4-PS3-2)
2 – Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another (4-PS3-4).
This year, the teachers at my school put a new twist on our electricity and magnetism unit… and the results were amazing!
Leave a Comment » | electricity, Elementary level, experiments, magnetism, Middle School level, STEM | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, electrical circuits, electricity, energy, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, light, magnetism, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, science fair project, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
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?
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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
Introducing your students to forensic science is as easy as C-S-I!
We’ve discovered dozens of excellent resources online for topics related to many forensic careers. Take a look at some of our favorite websites. These ideas will get your students revved up and ready to put on their lab coats (or Sherlock Holmes hats) and start investigating the world of forensic science.
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1 Comment | College level, Elementary level, forensic science, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: blood analysis, blood typing, CSI, Educational Innovations, experiments, forensic science, fun experiments, hands-on activity, high school forensic science, homeschool, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, science fair project, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
October 17, 2017
We love teaching forensic science. It’s just plain fun! Turn your classroom into a crime scene, encourage your students to play detective, gather evidence, figure out whodunits… They’ll have a great time AND learn valuable science and reasoning skills at the same time.
We found many awesome free forensic science ideas on the web. It’s impossible to list them all, but Cyberbee’s The Case of the Barefoot Burglar was one of our favorites. Rice University’s CSI Web Adventures website is full of excellent interactive activities as well. Check them out!
The eight-page lesson below, from DiscoveryEducation.com, is a well-crafted middle school class activity with optional extensions. We think your students will enjoy it.
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2 Comments | College level, Elementary level, forensic science, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: blood analysis, blood typing, CSI, Educational Innovations, experiments, forensic science, fun experiments, hands-on activity, high school forensic science, homeschool, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
