This Wednesday, Design Squad is joining forces with MAKE Magazine for a live STEM Google Hangout. The show’s host, Deysi Melgar, will be presenting 5 kid-friendly DIY projects that are perfect at-home or in-the-classroom activities. Educators are welcome to join in on the hangout to learn about these great classroom activities.
The Live STEM Hangout will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, February 6th at 3:30EST/12:30PST. Check it out at this link: https://plus.google.com/+MAKE/posts.
Posts Tagged ‘activities’
Design Squad’s Free STEM Google Hangout Tomorrow
Posted in Parent Resources, Teaching Tools, tagged activities, DIY, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, STEM, teaching tools on February 5, 2013 |
PBS Parents Resources to Do More Outdoors
Posted in Lesson Plans, Parent Resources, tagged activities, nature, outdoors, parent on November 19, 2012 |
While the New England weather is still welcoming, why not get outside with kids and foster an early love of the outdoors. Exploring nature provides an opportunity to extend learning into the real world in areas like science and math. Here are some activities to help.
- Arthur: Making Footprints
- Curious George: Water, Rocks & Mud
- The Cat in the Hat: Exploring Animals in Trees
- Sid the Science Kid: Dirt Detectives
For more Fun and Games activities for any time of year, make sure to check out PBS Parents.
Pumpkin Math from PBS Parents
Posted in Parent Resources, tagged activities, holiday, math, parenting on October 24, 2012 |
Whether you are making a jack-o’-lantern for Halloween, a pumpkin pie for the holidays, or pumpkin soup for a cold, rainy day, here is a fun way to engage your child in estimation, measurement and simple graphing activities.
Materials:
- one or more different-size pumpkins
- sharp knife
- tape measure, yardstick, or ruler
- string
- scissors
- markers
Directions:
- Before you tackle the task of cooking or carving, invite your child to help you decide if this particular pumpkin is going to meet your needs. If you are cooking, for example, decide together: Is the pumpkin going to be big enough? How could you figure this out? (One idea is to weigh it: a 3-pound pumpkin usually gives you 4 to 5 cups of pulp.) Or, if you are making a jack-o’-lantern, talk about any problems the pumpkinís shape might create as you make the face. What could you do to overcome those problems?
- If you are using more than one pumpkin, talk about ways they are the same and different (height, circumference, color, overall shape). Invite your child to help you cut a length of string for each pumpkin that shows how tall it is. (To keep track of which string goes with which pumpkin, use a colored marker to mark both the pumpkin and the string.) Then compare their heights using a “bar graph.” To make the “graph,” lay the strings parallel to one another on a table or countertop, with the bottom ends lined up. Similarly, you can ask how the height of a pumpkin compares to the distance around its middle — the circumference. Is the circumference greater than the height? How could you find out? Invite your child to help you cut a length of string that measures the distance around the pumpkinís widest part. (Use the same markers to keep track, as explained above.) Now pair the height of each pumpkin with its circumference. What do you notice? (That the circumference is greater than the height.)
- If you like to bake the seeds for snacks, before scooping them out, invite your child to estimate how many seeds are inside the pumpkin. To do this, use a sharp knife to open up the pumpkin and look inside. What strategies could you use to estimate how many seeds you see? (One way is to mentally divide the inside of the pumpkin into equal sections and count how many seeds are in that section. Then, using repeated addition, add that number to itself for all the sections.) Using your estimate, do you think youíll have enough seeds to give snacks to 10 friends?
- If you are making a jack-o’-lantern, invite your child to suggest geometric shapes for the eyes, nose, and mouth, and then draw the shapes where they should go. (You can either cut out the shapes or have your child color them in.) Finish off the pumpkin by adding fun and wacky details, like string for hair, costume jewelry, etc.
- If you are cooking with your pumpkin, invite your child to help you measure the pulp and other ingredients for your recipe.
Parent Tips:
- Use these activities to help your child develop skills related to counting, measurement, reasoning, estimation, and geometry.
- For younger children, use steps 2 and 3, but simplify. For example, compare which of the pumpkins is bigger or smaller, taller or shorter, fatter or skinnier to build vocabulary. And instead of estimating, invite your child to help you count out piles of seeds, 10 in each pile, before roasting them.
A new web series comes to PBS Parents: teachmama.com
Posted in Parent Resources, Teaching Tools, tagged activities, blog, learning, parenting, teaching on July 25, 2012 |
PBS Parents is featuring a new blogger and Youtuber: teachmama.com. “Teachmama” Amy Mascott is a Reading Specialist and former high school English teacher. She also serves as a Literacy Consultant who works with local schools to train teachers in literacy instruction programs. Currently, she’s a stay-at-home mom who is bringing her backgroung in education to her teachmama blog, showing parents how to do everyday learning activities with their own children.
You can visit the teachmama blog or check out her Youtube channel for great tips on activities for kids.
Parents: A Field Trip to Your Local Park Can Be Fun!
Posted in Parent Resources, tagged activities, parenting, park, summer on July 5, 2012 | 1 Comment »
We know that, even though school’s out for summer, the hustle and bustle of a family’s schedule never dwindles. We also understand that it can be tough to come up with fun, new ideas for things to do with kids all summer long. That’s why the National Recreation and Park Association wrote a column for PBS Parents talking about fun things to do at your local park. Some of their fun ideas include:
- Go on a scavenger hunt
- Make art from nature
- Watch the clouds
- Start a rock collection
Keep checking in with PBS Parents for ideas to fill your kids’ summer with fun!
PBS Parents: Halloween Guide
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged activities, costumes, crafts, games, Halloween, parents, printables, stories on October 31, 2011 |
Happy Halloween everyone! Tonight is the night for many tricks and treats. We wanted to share with you a great Parents guide for a safe and happy Halloween. Included in this online resource are some ‘no-so’scary’ story suggestions, quick and easy crafts, tasty snacks, and some online or printable activities. This guide is great for teachers too!
Participate in Assessment of Fetch! Activities With Your Summer Program & Earn $100
Posted in PBS Resources, tagged activities, assessment, Fetch on March 9, 2011 |
If you run a summer program here in western MA (within 2 hours of Boston) you qualify to participate in an assessment of Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman activities that can earn you $100.
We are looking for summer programs that are able to:
- lead three activities in July of 2011,
- take a short survey before and after you do the activities (our evaluators will come to your program to give the surveys to your kids),
- do the activities with the same group of kids, ages 8-10 year olds, and
- gather a group containing 15-20 kids.
Eligible camps will receive:
- Activity materials
- $100 stipend
To express interest, ask questions, and volunteer for this project, go online and complete a brief form: www.surveymonkey.com/s/FETCH.
No prior experience with the Fetch! television program is necessary.
