STEM Websites
As a licensed school library media specialist, I view the STEM curriculum to be a natural fit within a program that involves the media center. The SLMS as a school can wear many hats in addition to the traditional library one. If the SLMS is teaching classes, the SLMS is qualified to not only teach library skills, but also information literacy skills and digital literacy skills. The websites I have selected will serve as a great resource for me and to share with students and teachers for specific projects.
How stuff works : This website provides tutorials, information, quizzes on technology along with other stuff like autos. The web page I have chosen to focus on is about computers and has links to stories about the most popular computers ever as well as how a computer works. This is a great research site for students researching technology, perfect for combining a lesson on technology with information literacy skills.
KidsBiology.com Animal Database: This specific web page link is to an animal database where students can select a specific animal about which they would like to view a picture and read information.
KidsBiology.com has games and articles that will keep a young biologist very busy. The animal database can be used in conjunction with a book talk about specific books in the library. For instance, the teacher can give each student a call number representing a book in the library that is about an animal, for instance bats. Once the student finds the book, they will then look up the animal in the animal database to preview information about the animal, and then continue to read more in the book.
ScienceBob.com: There are many websites that provide Science Fair Project ideas. This site provides videos and websites for research. There are questions for the students to think about and answer as they conduct their experiments. This is a great resource for young scientists. As students research websites for their Science Fair Project, it is best to either give a website evaluation lesson so that students can evaluate valid websites for their projects. Ideally, the school library media specialist will give a website evaluation lesson prior to the beginning of the project so that the students’ website skills are reinforced.
NASA Brain Bites: NASA website itself has a ton of educational material, but this page has short videos asking NASA questions like “how do you tell time in space” and “how do you go to the bathroom”. This website can be a great way to get students thinking about the research process as they try to form their research questions prior to looking for resources in the library or online.
Scratch: This MIT developed site allows students to create their own games, interactive stories, music, and art. Scratch has a lot of across the curriculum appeal while also teaching students how to use technology to be creative. This is a great tool for students to use programming language to create their own media.
Wydea: Great video collection that explains technology in short, easy to understand YouTube videos like “How does a touchscreen work”. The videos can serve as the ‘hook’ for a lesson in computers and technology. There is a video explaining how email works, which can be a nice supplement to the lesson on email etiquette.
Webonauts Internet Academy: This interactive game sponsored by PBS Kids on Internet safety is a great way for students to practice making safe decisions with their online communications.
NeoK12 - Rivers: If the library collection is short on books about rivers, this Web page in NeoK12 can help supplement research resources. In fact, the entire website is a library of videos that can be used in any content area. Great resource to share.
Science News for Kids: This online publication is a timely supplement to any library collection. It is an online magazine that focuses on Science and Technology and can be used in conjunction with a current events project.
I Was Wondering: This website highlights the accomplishments of 10 women scientists. The avatar Lia explains their accomplishments in addition to the interactive timeline, game, and biographies. This website is a great one to keep in mind if students ever have to research famous scientists.
Additional Math and Science Websites
Invention at Play: Great website for biographies about inventors and their inventions. Good site to start research on inventors.
The Case Files: This site provided by the Franklin Institute is another great resource to research inventors. Primary documents are provided.
American Experience Technology Timeline: This PBS website provides and interactive technology timeline.
Funbrain Who is That?: This site is filled with educational games by grade level and even a free Diary of a Wimpy Kid ebook. The link to Who is That? is an identification game of famous presidents or scientists and mathematicians.
Super Hyper Spider Typer: This typing game available at Funschool.com is a fun way to practice keyboarding skills.
Utah Education Network - Technology: This is a great resource for those school library media specialist that also serve as the computer teacher at elementary schools. There are links to explain computers, keyboarding, and Internet safety.
AT & T Internet Safety Land: This is a superhero interactive game that quizzes students on Internet safety.
BAM! Body and Mind: The Center for Disease Control produced this website that focuses on health, nutrition, and exercise. This is a great resource for the library to suggest to teachers and students when they are researching the human body.
The Brain and the Senses: The website has interactive tutorials with visually appealing graphics, easy to understand language, and guided practice asking the students to label the parts of the ear, brain, etc., after the tutorial.
Dinosaur Videos: The Discovery Channel provides short videos on dinosaurs. This web page is a well rounded library of dinosaur videos to use as an introduction to a thematic unit on researching dinosaurs. Great resource to share with teachers.
How stuff works : This website provides tutorials, information, quizzes on technology along with other stuff like autos. The web page I have chosen to focus on is about computers and has links to stories about the most popular computers ever as well as how a computer works. This is a great research site for students researching technology, perfect for combining a lesson on technology with information literacy skills.
KidsBiology.com Animal Database: This specific web page link is to an animal database where students can select a specific animal about which they would like to view a picture and read information.
KidsBiology.com has games and articles that will keep a young biologist very busy. The animal database can be used in conjunction with a book talk about specific books in the library. For instance, the teacher can give each student a call number representing a book in the library that is about an animal, for instance bats. Once the student finds the book, they will then look up the animal in the animal database to preview information about the animal, and then continue to read more in the book.
ScienceBob.com: There are many websites that provide Science Fair Project ideas. This site provides videos and websites for research. There are questions for the students to think about and answer as they conduct their experiments. This is a great resource for young scientists. As students research websites for their Science Fair Project, it is best to either give a website evaluation lesson so that students can evaluate valid websites for their projects. Ideally, the school library media specialist will give a website evaluation lesson prior to the beginning of the project so that the students’ website skills are reinforced.
NASA Brain Bites: NASA website itself has a ton of educational material, but this page has short videos asking NASA questions like “how do you tell time in space” and “how do you go to the bathroom”. This website can be a great way to get students thinking about the research process as they try to form their research questions prior to looking for resources in the library or online.
Scratch: This MIT developed site allows students to create their own games, interactive stories, music, and art. Scratch has a lot of across the curriculum appeal while also teaching students how to use technology to be creative. This is a great tool for students to use programming language to create their own media.
Wydea: Great video collection that explains technology in short, easy to understand YouTube videos like “How does a touchscreen work”. The videos can serve as the ‘hook’ for a lesson in computers and technology. There is a video explaining how email works, which can be a nice supplement to the lesson on email etiquette.
Webonauts Internet Academy: This interactive game sponsored by PBS Kids on Internet safety is a great way for students to practice making safe decisions with their online communications.
NeoK12 - Rivers: If the library collection is short on books about rivers, this Web page in NeoK12 can help supplement research resources. In fact, the entire website is a library of videos that can be used in any content area. Great resource to share.
Science News for Kids: This online publication is a timely supplement to any library collection. It is an online magazine that focuses on Science and Technology and can be used in conjunction with a current events project.
I Was Wondering: This website highlights the accomplishments of 10 women scientists. The avatar Lia explains their accomplishments in addition to the interactive timeline, game, and biographies. This website is a great one to keep in mind if students ever have to research famous scientists.
Additional Math and Science Websites
Invention at Play: Great website for biographies about inventors and their inventions. Good site to start research on inventors.
The Case Files: This site provided by the Franklin Institute is another great resource to research inventors. Primary documents are provided.
American Experience Technology Timeline: This PBS website provides and interactive technology timeline.
Funbrain Who is That?: This site is filled with educational games by grade level and even a free Diary of a Wimpy Kid ebook. The link to Who is That? is an identification game of famous presidents or scientists and mathematicians.
Super Hyper Spider Typer: This typing game available at Funschool.com is a fun way to practice keyboarding skills.
Utah Education Network - Technology: This is a great resource for those school library media specialist that also serve as the computer teacher at elementary schools. There are links to explain computers, keyboarding, and Internet safety.
AT & T Internet Safety Land: This is a superhero interactive game that quizzes students on Internet safety.
BAM! Body and Mind: The Center for Disease Control produced this website that focuses on health, nutrition, and exercise. This is a great resource for the library to suggest to teachers and students when they are researching the human body.
The Brain and the Senses: The website has interactive tutorials with visually appealing graphics, easy to understand language, and guided practice asking the students to label the parts of the ear, brain, etc., after the tutorial.
Dinosaur Videos: The Discovery Channel provides short videos on dinosaurs. This web page is a well rounded library of dinosaur videos to use as an introduction to a thematic unit on researching dinosaurs. Great resource to share with teachers.