February 22, 2019
By Chris Herald
NSTA STEM Teacher Ambassador 2017
I always love when Spring arrives because we start physics topics in my eighth grade physical science class! Don’t get me wrong—my first love is chemistry and I have a Master’s degree to prove it—but there’s just something about physics in the Spring. My students delve into the topics of speed and momentum with great gusto. Two highlights? Rolling marbles down a ruler and designing their own Hot Wheels experiment. Not only are these students exploring some key physics topics, they are ALSO getting a chance to dabble in engineering: a great combination!
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College level, construction, Elementary level, energy, engineering, High School level, Middle School level, Physics, STEM | Tagged: construction, DIY, Educational Innovations, engineering, experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, Physics, science, STEM, variables | 
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
January 30, 2019
by Lior Zitman
Bridges have changed greatly over the years. Thanks to advances in building materials and machinery, building a bridge is now more precise than ever before.
Nevertheless, all these modern marvels come down to a few simple physics principles. Our technologies may evolve, but some things—like physics—never change!
Every bridge, regardless of its form, must constantly balance the opposite forces of tension and compression. How these forces work together is what makes each bridge type unique. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | College level, construction, Elementary level, engineering, High School level, Middle School level, Physics, STEM | Tagged: Educational Innovations, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, Physics, science, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
November 16, 2018
By Priscilla Robinson
Snowflakes! They arrive in flurries, storms and blizzards, not to mention “Winter Bomb Cyclones!” I’ve always thought the science behind snowflakes is amazing.
A snowflake begins when a tiny dust or pollen particle comes into contact with water vapor high up in Earth’s atmosphere. The water vapor coats the tiny particle and then freezes into a tiny crystal of ice. This tiny crystal will be the “seed” from which a snowflake will grow. The process is called crystallization.
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
September 19, 2018
You already know that STEM learning is everywhere these days. The term “STEM” had its origins in the 1990s at the National Science Foundation. Since then, it has become a buzzword for all sorts of events, policies, or programs involving one (or several) of the acronym’s disciplines—namely, Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math.
STEM has been in the news ever since. Below we’ve collected an assortment of articles looking at some of the challenges, successes, plans, and controversies related to this important skill set.
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
September 19, 2018
Do we really need to teach STEM skills to our students? Absolutely! Science, technology, engineering and math are all around us. It’s crucial to help our students recognize how these areas impact their daily lives. Aside from the benefit of being science-literate, they’ll also develop a broader idea of the world around them.
Videos do an amazing job of explaining complex ideas. We hope you’ll enjoy and share these videos. And if you find other worthy STEM videos, please let us know in the comments section below!
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Leave a Comment » | College level, Elementary level, High School level, Middle School level, STEM | Tagged: Educational Innovations, hands-on science, homeschool, parent friendly, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, STEM | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
