15 Spooky STEM Challenges for Halloween
The best way to keep your students focused and learning during the lead up to trick-or-treat is to bring Halloween into the classroom.
The Branch Archive : 2017
Guide to Responsible Green Camping
Are you worried about children being more familiar with touch screens than with soil, plants, and bugs? It might be time to get the kiddos out camping. This online guide to responsible camping will get you prepared for a green camping trip, including how to pack, how to camp, responsible camping activities, and handy safety and eco… Read more »
Forest Atlas of the US
The US Forest Service created a complete Forest Atlas of the United States. It covers everything from tree pollen count to owl habitats to agroforestry practices, using a range of the Forest Service’s resources. Use this in your classroom to give your students a comprehensive understanding of what American forests have to offer!
Death by Design Documentary
Consumers love – and live on – their smartphones, tablets and laptops. However, even the tiniest devices have deadly environmental and health costs. From the electronics factories in China, to the high-tech innovation labs of Silicon Valley, Death by Design tells a story of the fast-approaching tipping point between consumerism and sustainability.
Timeline of Earth’s Temperature
It can be difficult to visually represent climate change. This illustrated timeline of the Earth’s average temperature since the last Ice Age glaciation demonstrates the exponential increase in temperature in today’s world. The piece is a wonderful demonstration of how rapidly the climate is changing compared to historic data.
Cornucopia
A STEM education simulation game from the California Academy of Sciences called Cornucopia is a free online resource. The game teaches students in grades 5-12 about natural resource use and management, the effect of climate conditions on water availability and food production, and the way agricultural technology impacts water use.
Desmos Graphing Calculator
Desmos creates digital math tools, such as this online graphing calculator that students can use for free. They also create activities and their Activity Builder helps teachers create digital math activities. The online calculator has many uses in science and math settings, from graphing functions, plotting tables of data, and evaluating equations, to exploring transformations and… Read more »
Hands-On Activities for Introducing Ecosystems to Elementary Students
To really understand how interconnected all life forms in an ecosystem are, it helps to experience those webs first-hand, inside and outside the classroom.
Tall Tall Tree
Tall Tall Tree Grades K to Grade 4 ISBN-13: 978-1584696018 Dawn Publications, 2017 Recommended Reading Teachers and parents alike can use this book, Tall Tall Tree written by Anthony Fredericks and illustrated by Chad Wallace, to take children on a virtual fieldtrip into the dense redwood forest. Not only will readers experience the grandiose… Read more »
Eco-Friendly Guide to Cleaning
Did you know that indoor air can be up to 100 times more polluted than outside air due to the accumulation of volatile organic compound (VOC) levels caused by chemical cleaning agents? Have students investigate the impact of common cleaning products on their environment, learn about “green cleaning,” and how to create their very own… Read more »