Parents and Educators: We know that it can be overwhelming to sift through all the fantastic resources for continuing science education at home so we have compiled some of our favorite resources as a starting point. As a reminder, science is everywhere! It can be as simple as using fractions while baking muffins and as complex as independent online coding courses. Additional resources for educators (professional development, etc.) can be found on our Educator Resources page.
Compiled Resources Lists:
HUGE list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings (this list is ENORMOUS and can be overwhelming, but we recommend searching for the keyword you’re looking for including grade level and subject)
STEM at-home resource list from the STEM Ecosystems (sort by grade band, subject area, etc.)
IF/THEN Coalition Education Resources with curated FREE resources curriculum, videos, programs for families and educators
PBS Parents portal with activity search, tips, and resources for all subjects and grade level
PBS Learning Media lessons, videos, interactives, and more
STEM Teaching Tools - with resources in Arabic, Chuukese, English, Korean and Spanish for educators, families and students
Rice Office of STEM Engagement resources for K12 students and families
Seven NSF-supported STEM resources that are perfect for at-home learning
Northeastern University sortable STEM websites and resources
Activities and Lessons by Subject:
SCIENCE
Perot Museum’s weekly lessons (AVAILABLE IN SPANISH TOO, organized by age group with a great mix of videos and hands-on projects!)
National Science Teachers Association Coronavirus Elementary Lesson Plan and Resources
National Science Teachers Association “Daily Do Collection” - daily science and sensemaking tasks for teachers and families
Girlstart STEM at Home weekly activities, curriculum, and DeSTEMber hands-on activity archives
SciGirls Activities - grades 4-8 and align with free PBS show episodes (Some of our favorites: Parachute Parade, Going Green, Heart to Heart, Take it in Stride)
Learn.Genetics (grades 3-12)
Kodo At Home (hands-on activity kits for early childhood)
AstroSTEM (astronomy lessons, applications, workshops, and games)
NASA activities to do at home (grades K-4)
Model My Watershed modeling web app
Guppy Guppy Evolution: An interactive story book app (elementary)
My Sky Tonight: Early Childhood Pathways to Astronomy (preschool)
Learn Genetics (high school)
Sea Grant BRIDGE Student Center for marine science education and exploration
The Quantum Atlas: resource for anyone who wants to learn about quantum physics
TECHNOLOGY
Girls Who Code At Home Activities (updated weekly) & full coding curriculum (indicate you want to launch both 3-5 and 6-12 clubs to gain access to both with no pressure to launch)
Grasshopper (coding app for beginners)
Kodable (coding app for K-2 and 3-5)
Mouse Create (STEM and Creative Computing Courses for grades 5-12) plus professional development for parents/guardians/educators on how to use
Mouse Open Projects (independent projects with step-by-step instructions for students)
Youth Code Jam Virtual Learning Hub with computer science family activities, coding resources, and coding club tutorials
MasterCard Girls4Tech and Scholastic Tech4Innovation free STEM lesson plans, at-home activities, videos (grades 3-7)
SANS Institution: Information security training site; online game challenge that seems best for middle school to high schoolers
Microsoft Education Center: Offers activities group for kids ages 3-6, 6-9, 9-12
San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT): Offering online classes with more technical subjects, but participants must register to take part. Audience is likely junior high and up.
ENGINEERING
TeachEngineering (STEM Curriculum for K-12, standards aligned)
DiscoverE hands-on activities filtered by grade, activity type, discipline, and time
MATH
eRebuild math learning game for grades 6-8
Colosky’s Math Academy (pre-recorded math classed for grades 5-12)
Algebra Video Tour (grades 6-8, 9-12) - 30 brief (2.5 minute average), informative videos covering the easiest and most commonly asked concepts on the Algebra 1 Common Core Regents. 80-minute long series.
GENERAL STEM or OTHER
Smithsonian National Museum of American History: Shows exhibits online and has some activities for kids up to the age of 12
Videos, Virtual Tours, Live Webcams:
Nepris Video Library (recorded from virtual classroom visits by science professionals as well as specialized lessons. Searchable by subject, content, and grade level)
Story Time from Space (astronauts reading science-themed books from the International Space Station - some of our favorites are Rosie Revere Engineer, Ada Twist Scientist, and Astronaut Annie)
Houston Museum of Natural Science videos of their permanent exhibitions, butterfly center, and more.
Science Mill Video Series with videos of exhibits and now weekly (starting March 31) virtual field trips with related hands-on STEM activities
Journey to Space with NASA Astronaut Dr. Jessica Meir (Dr. Meir, shares her unique path to become a NASA astronaut, which includes researching emperor penguins in Antarctica)
Explanatorium: Offers STEM videos and activities with something for all age groups.
TeachEngineering digital library of standards-aligned K-12 engineering curricula
talkSTEM Playlists including virtual walkSTEM tours, STEM in the real world and more
Zoo Cams: San Diego Zoo, Zoo Atlanta Panda Cam, Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Reid Park Zoo Lion Cam, Ouwehand Park Polar Bear Cubs (Netherlands)
Aquarium Cams: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, National Aquarium Virtual Tour, Seattle Aquarium Virtual Tour
Virtual School Activities (a collection of sites to live webcams, virtual tours/trips, and other miscellaneous fun educational sites)
12 museum virtual tours (including the Houston Museum of Natural Science virtual tour)
Online Classes:
Free AP Review Livestream Classes daily (*this is a GREAT resource for high schoolers!)
BrainPOP (grades 3-12) and BrainPOP Jr. (grades K-3) videos and lessons (lessons in English, Arts, and more as well!)
CodeHS coding classes for middle and high school
Khan Academy (lessons in many other subjects as well!)
BBC Bitesize: Offers online learning for children ages 3-16+. Goes beyond STEM subjects, but is based off of the UK curriculum. Has short educational videos about a variety of topics.
STEM Learning: Offers STEM subjects for primary and secondary school. Based off of UK curriculum.
Cyber Safety:
Center for Cyber Safety and Education (CCSE): Talks about cyber safety for parents and offers cyber safety games for kids grades 1-6 (ages 6-12).
Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS): Another cyber safety site that offers games for children and education for parents
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Cyber safety for grades 3rd-8th
Community Science:
Contribute to science research from your home or community.