Resources

Quick Links: 

• Grant Writing for Teachers
• Peer Mentor Training tools
• Science Night support & activities

VBTA Spring Conference Links

• VBTA Spring Conference Presenter's Presentations
• After School Science PDF Presentation

Curriculum Resources

• Exploratorium
  Provides interactives, web features, activities, programs, and events for K-12. Saturday and Summer professional development workshops are available through the Teacher Institute.
• NASA – Educators
  Lesson plans, teacher guides, classroom activities, video clips, games, posters, and more for teachers and students in grades K-4, 5-8, 9-12, and higher education.
• Kinetic City
  Science games for students in grades 3-5. One activity asks students to replace the body systems of a character who sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger. The website requires free registration.
• National STEM Video Game Challenge
  Middle school (5-8), high school students (9-12), and educators are invited to design games that incorporate STEM content or STEM themes in innovative and engaging ways. Home schoolers are eligible to enter as well. Sign up to be notified about the 2013 competition.
• Engineer your Life
  This guide introduces girls in grades 9-12 to young women engineers and highlights careers. A section for parent and counselors furnishes background in engineering to better advise students. The site has a link to a companion site for girls in grades 5-8.
• Discover Engineering
  Designed to provide an accessible introduction to engineering. Includes games, idea center, FAQ, downloads, links, and a section about the career of engineers.
• STEM Educator Materials
  Download posters, educator guides with activities and age-appropriate career information for your students. All activities meet national education standards of learning for math, science and technical literacy. Registration is required but free. 
• eGIF Engineering, Go For It! : Here you will find a variety of tools to boost your students’ math and science skills, enliven the classroom with engineering projects, expand your own professional horizons and stay informed.  Free software and engineering curriculum for K-12 teachers.
• Central Texas Discover Engineering:  Help inspire the next generation of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) heroes by bringing a hands-on activity into the classroom that unlocks the fun of engineering.
• Texas Regional Collaboratives: The Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (TRC) is an award-winning statewide network of 64 P-16 partnerships (Regional Collaboratives) that provide sustained and high intensity professional development to P-12 teachers of science and mathematics across the state.
• PBS Stem Education Resource Center:   PBS offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning through television and online content.
• International Society for Technology in Education:  ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and higher education.
• National Science Foundation:  The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…"
• National Science Teachers Association: The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership of 60,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education.
• Stem Education Coalition: The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition works to support STEM programs for teachers and students at the U. S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that offer STEM related programs.
• NASA Webcasts: NASA's Digital Learning Network presents a series of videoconferences to assist educators in staying current on NASA education resources and related products. Topics to include: Exploring Space Through Math, Robotics, NASA Fit Explorers, NASA eProfessional Development Network -- Robotics Course, MoonWorld, and On the Moon. Questions about these events should be directed to Caryn Long at caryn.long@nasa.gov.
• Engineer Girl:  Engineer Girl encourages middle-school age youth to imagine a future in engineering.

Professional Development

• A Compendium of Best Practice K-12 STEM Education Programs ( PDF, 6.2 MB, 106 pgs.)
  All 38 K-12 STEM programs included in this report provide challenging content/curriculum, an inquiry-learning environment, defined outcomes/assessment, and sustained commitment/community support. Each program entry gives an overview, defines target population and learning environment, and presents highlights of results. Contact information is provided. 

Astronomy Sites  

• Project Spectra
• Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Tutorial
• The Science and Math Informal Learning Educators(SMILE) website is a national partnership among science and technology centers, museums, community-based organizations, and out-of-school educators and a resource of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL).

iPhone & Android Apps

• Human Anatomy! (free) – quick reference app with images and information on 16 organs and systems.
• Khan Academy: Biology 1,2, & 3 (free) – The biology is broken down into sections.  Biology 1 covers cells, evolution, DNA, mitosis, meiosis, genetics, and cellular respiration.  Biology 2 covers cellular respiration (more details), photosynthesis, diffusion, respiratory system, circulatory system, and beginning of the nervous system.  Biology 3 covers nervous system, muscular system, immune system and excretory system. The 10-18 minute videos can be watched directly on the student’s phone!.  
• Draw MD (free) – this series of app has drawing of different body structures.  Students can add labels to the drawing to check for understanding.
• HeartDecide and others ($4.99 but sometimes free) - this series of app had interactive animations of body parts. It will show the area in motion and contains videos to explain problems with the area.