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.
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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, Physics, physics demonstration apparatus, science, science fair project, STEM, variables | 
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
by Tami G. O’Connor
As elementary school teachers, we are expected 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 the material is taught in fun and creative ways.
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.
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, science, science fair project, STEM | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
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.
1 Comment | 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, science, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
Even the youngest learners love fossils and dinosaurs! Talking about prehistoric life is a wonderful way to introduce your students to many areas of science: biology, earth science, geology, evolution, and more. Read on to hear what our customers are saying about our some of their favorite EI teaching tools.
If you have a favorite Educational Innovations product related to fossils and dinosaurs, we invite you to send us a comment below. We’d love to share your review with your fellow teachers and science lovers.
Leave a Comment » | Biology, College level, Earth Science, Elementary level, High School level, life science, Middle School level | Tagged: dinosaur dig, Educational Innovations, evolution, fossil dig, fossilized shark's teeth, fossils, hands-on activity, homeschool, paleontology, parent friendly, science, science fair project, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
by Linda Dunnavant
The ZigZag Density Tumbler is an elegant desk “toy” and much more. Turn the tumbler over and watch two different colors of droplets float down in a relaxing zigzag pattern. I like to keep mine on my desk so that I can pick it up and watch it while I clear my head. In addition to being a soothing, relaxing activity for busy adults, it provides myriad possibilities for calming, inspiring, and teaching students. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Chemistry, College level, density, Elementary level, energy, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: density, Educational Innovations, force and motion, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, kinetic energy, parent friendly, Physics, science, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
