Lemon Tech Tidbits

Perfect for younger students. The Amoeba Sisters was started by two sisters who love science and want to share it with others. They have created a very popular Youtube Channel focusing on Biology . Each video is less than 10 minutes long and comes with recommended handouts . In addition, they have custom made GIFs and cartoons free to use in your instruction. (make sure to give them credit though). 

For Elementary Students This website has tons of interactive educational materials to help students understand science. The Lawrence Hall of Science is public science center run by the University of California in Berkeley. Their mission is to help children learn more effectively by providing a comprehensive set of programs to help increase the quality and quantity of great science learning for kids both in and out of school. There are different activity collections to choose from. “These 24/7 Science activity collections and more let you learn and have fun with hands-on STEM anywhere, any time, whether you're on your own, at school or an out-of-school site, or with your friends and family. You’ll also find videos related to the activities, plus links to thousands of STEM activities from Howtosmile.org .” Take a look for yourself: http://static.lawrencehallofscience.org/kidsite/

LabCamera: A tool for your science department From the company: “ LabCamera allows students and teachers to carry out substantial scientific observations and measurements by using our software and a simple everyday webcam. Conducting physics, biology and chemistry experiments with LabCamera - both in the classroom and at home - brings natural science education to a new level.” Not only can the LabCamera be used to measure kinematrics or be used as a microscope, it also allows the user to create and share graphs of data. For the teacher, the site provides classroom materials and sample lesson plans. The site is free for teachers but does cost for students. You will need to contact the company for a price quote. For more information: http://www.labcamera.com/index.php?page=faq

25 TOOLS FOR TEACHING SCIENCE There are many different ways I try to stay on top of technology. I follow different people and companies on social media, read different blog posts, and sign up for automatic emails and listservs. One of the weekly emails I receive is from EdShelf . EdShelf is a place where people in education share educational websites and apps with each other. For an overview of exactly what EdShelf is, go here: https://goo.gl/ftYc9W ) This week’s email contained a curated list from Andrea Meyers of science technology tools to use in your classroom. There are tools listed for elementary, middle and high school in both Apple (iPad, Macbook) and Android (Chromebook) platforms. Some of the tools do have a subscription cost but most are available for free. If you are interested in the tool listed, click on the box and a detailed description will pop up giving you more information. To see the list of science tools, click here: https://goo.gl/r49YJr

VISIT SPACE WITH GOOGLE MAPS We all know about Google Maps and how easy it is to use to find our way to a location. But did you know it can also be used to “travel” through space? Each planet, moon, and location is available in a 3D model perfect for viewing. Like other Google Maps, you can zoom in close to certain features or expand the view. Many of images come from the spacecraft Cassini as it traveled across space to record images of Saturn over 20 years ago. Others, such as images of Pluto, Venus and other moons were put together with the help of NASA. For more information, click here: https://goo.gl/WHNwSR To visit Google Maps in Space, click here: https://www.google.com/maps/space/earth

12 Tools To Find Quality Reading Passages For Your Classroom In the article by Lisa Tanner from the blog, TeachThought ,  is a list of 12 different tools teachers can use to find quality reading passages online. Many of you are most likely familiar with some of the tools such as Newslea but there were a few that will be new.  Each tool contains a brief description and includes whether the service is free or paid. I do want to point out though that the article has one glaring omission. Nowhere in the article does the author mention using databases to find articles. The State of Kansas provides access to many free databases such as Explora . Explora lets you search for an article from a popular magazine, newspaper, or academic journal. You can browse through topics of choice or do an advanced search to find exactly what you want. You can even filter the results by lexile level. And the best part? The articles can easily be added and shared through Google Classroom. ...

CK-12 Foundation is a  FREE  open-source website that provides teachers and students with many resources to use in  Science  and in  Math. There are  science and math stimulations, study guides, lesson plans, videos,  and even  Flexbooks  (digital textbooks that can be customized). CK-12 was designed to work anywhere on any device. It is interactive with Google Classroom and Edmodo as well as other platforms. Although the site is free to access, teachers and students will gain even more by signing up for a free account. It’s easy to do as you can sign in with your Google account. Take a look at  ck-12.org To learn more about CK-12 and Google Classroom, watch this short video:  https://youtu.be/2aF8gqhEYxs To see a more detailed video on how to use the features, CK-12 has created a series of video’s. You can access them here:  https://www.ck12info.org/about/ck12-webinars/  

STEM 30 is an interactive classroom program consisting of 30-minute live webcasts that engage middle school students in STEM topics ranging from WWI airplanes to rovers on Mars.  Chat with experts, submit your questions to be answered live, take a poll, discover related content, and participate in follow-up activities. -  https://airandspace.si.edu/connect/stem-30 Watch STEM in 30 live on this page or on  NASA TV.