Another Look at Resources from TeachEngineering
Why do we have to learn this? Every teacher is bound to hear this at least once during the course of his or her career, and should be prepared to offer an answer beyond, “because I said so” or “you’ll need to pass standardized tests.” Math and science teachers could explain the value of the classes they teach in terms of how they’ll lead to college and career success. However, such talk might go over the heads of students who struggle with or show disinterest in required math and science classes.
Why not show students why they need chemistry, physics, and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects by way of fun activities, ones that link academic subjects with real-world scenarios and hands-on projects? Sounds like a great idea, right? But it also sounds like a lot of time and work. Thanks to netTrekker’s new resources from TeachEngineering.org, such a task doesn’t need to take a lot of your time – just a healthy dose of energy and enthusiasm for teaching and exploring STEM-related subjects.
In August, Danielle introduced you to our new resources from TeachEngineering. TeachEngineering is a digital library of freely usable K-12 math and science curriculum built and maintained by a collaboration of US universities, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), The US Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) and a variety of private donors.
A keyword search for “TeachEngineering” will reveal 50 resources appropriate for High School, 380 for Middle, and 428 for Elementary. Complete with introductory material, vocabulary words, detailed procedures, printable handouts, extension and scaling activities, and references, our TeachEngineering.org resources cover a wealth of science topics routinely taught in science classes, such as blood cells, energy, sound and light waves, and simple machines. However, these lessons and activities go beyond requiring students to memorize and recite facts and figures. Rather, these teacher-tested, standards-based engineering resources encourage critical thinking, hands-on involvement, and collaboration as they “connect real-world experiences with curricular content.”
For example, TeachEngineering’s Digestive System lesson and Lunch in Outer Space activity are much more than just learning the parts of the digestive system and labeling them on a chart. They get students thinking about space exploration, and the challenges astronauts face while eating while in a microgravity environment on board a shuttle or the space station.
What’s great about these resources is that they not only cover what elementary students need to know about the digestive system, but also introduce them to more advanced topics, such as gravity, and link the digestive system to a fun topic like outer space! Students will even get their hand at designing and creating their own packages for foods to be consumed by astronauts in space.
Read on to learn about other examples of TeachEngineering.org resources that will help engage students in your science classes:
On the Human Body:
Move Your Muscles: Through this lesson, students learn about the three different types of muscles in the human body, how they are affected by microgravity, and how astronauts need to exercise in order to lessen muscle atrophy in space. Students will also discover what types of equipment engineers design to help astronauts stay strong while experiencing microgravity.
The Beat Goes On: In this activity, students learn about their heart rate and different ways it can be measured. They construct a simple measurement device using clay and a toothpick, use this device to measure their heart rate under different circumstances (e.g., sitting, standing, and jumping), and make predictions and record data on a worksheet.
On Simple Machines:
Pulley’ing Your Own Weight: Using common materials (spools, string, and soap), students learn how a pulley can be used to easily change the direction of a force, making the moving of large objects easier. They see the difference between fixed and movable pulleys, and the mechanical advantage gained with multiple/combined pulleys. They also learn the many ways engineers use pulleys for everyday purposes.
On Energy:
Solar Power: In this activity, students learn how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings by investigating the thermal storage properties of some common materials: sand, salt, water, and shredded paper. Students then evaluate the usefulness of each material as a thermal storage material to be used as the thermal mass in a passive solar building.
Getting By With A Little Help
I mentioned yesterday that I read a variety of blogs, articles and other goodies first thing in the morning. Well at night, I treat myself to a bit of the entertainment news and last night in my alerts were a few pages with updates about David Cook.
I admit, I didn’t watch American Idol faithfully until his season, and season 8 didn’t hold my attention as much because David Cook was not a contestant. I’m a cougar cub for David Cook, what can I say?
Well in last night’s alerts was something about Adam Lambert, a very talented runner up for season 8 – but still not my favorite over David. Adam grabbed my attention last night, and in turn has influenced me to buy my son Adam’s debut CD. Why? Because of this commercial he made for DonorsChoose. DonorsChoose is an awesome program where teachers can write up a project or request resources that they need funding, then regular people like yourself can donate. You can give as little or as much as you can. Adam is passionate about the arts, a great outlet for kids with ADHD (like Adam mentioned in one interview) and even for kids with learning disabilities, so he advocates donating to the arts in schools.
If you are a classroom teacher, and you need to find resources for your classroom, check out DonorsChoose and see if your wish list qualifies. You can include a netTrekker subscription add-on to Weekly Reader or BrainPOP. Weekly Reader Online will help you save trees, while promoting literacy skills and global understanding using this trusted classroom resource. BrainPOP – well “the more you know, the more you know”, and their movies will help you be in the know, along with the quizzes and interactive media. Both premium upgrades lend to more interaction in the classroom, and deeper learning of content.
If you are looking for grants, then check out netTrekker’s Teacher Tools (the feature I mentioned yesterday). Click on 
Professional Development and then there will be a topic on grants. There are many great sites with grants still available, for as little as $100 to the thousands! The Federal Government to Best Buy to HP to Dollar General offer grants that can benefit reading programs or your greatest dream as a teacher. We even have great links to websites that will help you write the grants you’re searching for.
Thank you Adam for highlighting DonorsChoose. Best of luck to any teacher submitting for a grant. Make sure you also keep an eye on our Funding Update Page by Alan Whisman for federal funding information. (You can subscribe to the page via RSS and make it even easier to keep up with. And while you’re at it, subscribe to the main blog as well!)
A Simple Gift
This morning I got up and read several articles and blog posts while waiting for my son to get dressed and ready for the day. 
One of the articles that caught my eye was about new teachers. I remember quite clearly my first week of school as a new teacher in 1996. We had first year induction teaching classes, meeting with our mentor, and many other meetings to insure that we were going to have a successful year. Much like Jane, I had teachers who scared me a bit more than inspired me into thinking I made the right career choice. Furthermore, I had no idea where to go for fresh ideas, resources to handle the various issues in my room, or even lesson plans for the topics I was uncomfortable with. I also didn’t have a colleague I could turn to that didn’t make me feel like everything I needed to know about teaching should have been taught in college. Topics such as talking to parents, realistic classroom management, and bullying were not stressed in any of the classes I took.
As you start the new year, if there is a new teacher in your building, reach out to them and give them the gift of your time. It’s a simple gift that will mean a lot to them. Don’t tell them negative things about the students or other teachers, but share with them the little things that will help them breathe a bit easier. Even if they are just new to your school, reach out. Let them know that you are dependable, resourceful, and a team player.
One gem that I would suggest sharing is the Teacher Tools section of netTrekker. Within that Feature is a list of great topics for any new teacher, including classroom management, classroom resources and even a few sites just for first year teachers. I really could have used the game templates. My favorite can be found using this path:
Teacher Tools > Classroom Resources > Lesson Plans & Assignments > Games and Puzzles
When you get to this page, click on more, and then go straight to the 3rd page. It’s a comprehensive resource of many popular television game show templates ready to use, created in PowerPoint, and with the sound effects. It was created by Kara Leonard in Murray County, Georgia.
If you are a new teacher reading this, or even a veteran, join us over at netTrekker Village. Feel free to start a discussion, join in one that’s already out there, and connect with other teachers.
Here’s to a wonderful school year to all!
TeachEngineering with a Special Touch
In a recent article from eSchool News about building momentum in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), there was an urge to not forget the T and E in the curriculum.
“One of the findings is that discussions of STEM tend to be focused on science, sometimes math, rarely both together–usually they’re siloed, and the T and especially the E are really just left out of the discussion in policy, education, and classroom practice,” Greg Pearson, an NAE program officer, said.
“Even though we use that acronym, in terms of what’s really happening and what people really mean, engineering is the silent letter.”
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