Apply Now for Exciting Science and STEM Enrichment Programs during Spring Break!

Students can apply now to attend exciting science and STEM enrichment programs being offered during Spring Break, April 25-April 29, at the NYC Department of Education Environmental Study Center, NYC Center for Space Science Education, Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Harlem DNA Lab, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Museum of the City of New York, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo. Meet and work with field experts in programs that feature real life, hands-on learning experiences. Programs available for students in Grades K-12. Space is limited and acceptance is based on a lottery.

Application deadline is Friday, March 11. Click here for more information and to apply. Don’t miss out, apply now!

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/A181085C-DD29-4574-9A03-79A327698901/193224/STEMMattersNYC_SpringBreakCamps_Flyer2016.pdf

The International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) new Animal Action Education program, Keep Wild Animals Wild, addresses three instructional levels (grades K–2, 3–5, and 6–8) and meets learning objectives in life science, language arts, geography, and economics. The program’s lessons, videos, and activities explore what makes wild animals wild; why wildlife trade threatens animals, ecosystems, and people; and how to keep wild animals wild. Each set of instructional resources includes a teaching guide with assessments, lesson plans with student worksheets, student magazines, classroom videos, a wall poster, and more.

http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/our-work/education/keep-wild-animals-wild

Keep Wild Animals Wild lesson plans, videos and worksheets provide everything educators need to introduce students to what makes wild animals wild, why wildlife trade is a big threat not just to animals and ecosystems, but to people too, and how to help keep wild animals wild.

The lesson plans are tailored to three instructional levels and meet common core objectives in geography, economics and life science:

• students aged 5-7 (Grade K-2) will learn the differences between wild and domestic animals and how they can watch and appreciate wildlife responsibly,
• students 8-10 (Grade 3-5) and 11-14 (Grade 6-8) will learn about wildlife trade, why it is relevant to them and why we need to protect wild animals from wildlife trade.

The education resources include a teaching guide with assessments, lesson plans with student worksheets, student magazines, classroom videos, a wall poster, and more.

Download free wild animal lesson plans today

Take a classroom journey to Mars with this collection of educational lessons and activities for K–12 students. The kit provides a brief description of the educational activity and information about how the activities and lessons support the NGSS. Titles include Surviving and Thriving on Mars (grades K–5); Mars for Kids and Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore! (grades 3–5); Imagine Mars: Survival Kit Edition (grades 3–8); and Make Your Own Mars Rover, Gaining Traction on Mars, and Is Life on Mars Possible and Could Humans Establish Settlements There? (grades 6–12).

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/edu_marssurvkit_pdf_2015_0.pdf

Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Health Apps

NIH’s National Library of Medicine has developed three interactive iOS apps for high school biology and chemistry and middle and high school environmental health. The apps address DNA base pairing (Base Chase), the Bohr model of the atom (Bohr Thru), and environmental conservation (Run4Green). In Base Chase, students learn the bases of DNA as they complete unique DNA strands for various animals, with help from DeeNA, a cartoon mascot.In Bohr Thru, users collect and organize protons, neutrons, and electrons to form the Bohr Model and the first 18 elements on the periodic table, learning facts about chemical elements and their structures along the way. Chemistry teachers can use the game in brief in-class sessions to enhance students’ understanding of the periodic table. In Run4Green, middle and high school players learn and reinforce their understanding of topics such as greenhouse gas reduction, renewable energies, and green product purchases as they collect coins and perform environmentally friendly tasks.

https://itunes.apple.com/td/developer/national-library-of-medicine/id352646071

K–5 Teachers: Submit Your Entries to the DuPont Challenge Elementary Division by Tuesday, March 1

Attention K–5 Teachers: Now is the time for you and your students to submit your entries to The DuPont Challenge Science Writing Competition–Elementary Division. The deadline is Tuesday, March 1 (11:55 pm Pacific Time). The first 100 teachers to enter will receive a free copy of the e-book Animals That Fly and Birds That Don’t from Britannica Digital Learning. See the complete list of awards.

http://thechallenge.dupont.com/elementary/index.php

Below find the link to the District 75 Game-Based Learning PD on 02/09/16 presented by the STEM department.

https://goo.gl/IENrcx

Below find the link to the District 75 Exploring Earth PD on 02/09/16 presented by the STEM department.

https://goo.gl/mrNS3X

Autism-Friendly Thomas & Friends event taking place on Thursday, February 18^th  from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, NJ. (Address: 360 Hamilton Street, Rahway, NJ 07065).

This event is FREE. Advanced Registration Required. Tickets are limited.

Please register by calling Union County Performing Arts Center at (732) 499-8226.