Activities
Interactive online resource: Surfers Against Sewage Virtual Tour | Explore in 360° (digitaloceanschool.com) Videos and interactive activities to teach about conservation. After learning about them, students have the opportunity to protect the resources.
Fact sheet Why should we care about the ocean? (noaa.gov) Our ocean provides countless benefits to our planet and all the creatures that live here. It gives us more than half of the oxygen we breathe. It regulates the climate, absorbs a quarter of the carbon that we put into the atmosphere every year, provides livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people, and contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy. Get the facts!
Interactive online activities: For Students | Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (noaa.gov) National marine sanctuaries are living classrooms that can be explored in person or through interactive digital labs and activities., Find games, online story books, information on marine careers, activities, free materials and other cool stuff on this NOAA website.
Activity: Hands-on science activities | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov) hands-on activities that can be done in 15-30 minutes that get students thinking about how things really work, and how to engineer a cleaner, safer ocean.
Activity: Drinking Water Cleanup | STEM Activity (sciencebuddies.org) Where does drinking water come from?  ? It comes out of the faucet, but how does it get there? Drinking water all over the world originates from either surface waters—such as lakes, reservoirs, and rivers—or from underground sources, such as groundwater. Create (engineer) a filter to clean water to the point where it is clean enough to drink
Activity: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/subjects/environmental-engineering Wind turbines are large towers with blades on top that are spun by the wind. They are a great source of clean, renewable energy. Environmental engineers have to figure out where to put wind turbines so they get the best exposure to steady, consistent winds. In this project, students play the role of an environmental engineer and figure out whether it is a good idea to put wind turbines near tall buildings
Activity: 15 Cool Conservation Activities for Kids (mummymummymum.com) These hands-on, minds-on activities allow kids to understand conservation and the importance of it through activities and learning instead of hearing about it in a textbook. While you can’t make all environmental concepts visual, conservation is a great place to start! Here are 15 cool conservation activities for kids to do that incorporate engineering.
Activity: Building a Grape Smasher – Click 2 Engineering Using simple, readily available materials. work in a team to design a machine from simple supplies that can smash a grape. Click2Engineering includes activity instructions, a video, and links to other resources.
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Click on the links below to access curated mini units of STEM-based curriculum from SDAN.
Activity Guide: Getting Electric
Activity Guide:Â Inside My Body
Activity Guide:Â Building Great Structures
Activity Guide: Harnessing AirÂ
Activity Guide: City Build 2040
Activity Guide: Star Wars
Activity Resources: Native American Heritage Resources
Activity Resources: Spooky Science Resources
Resources
Girl Scouts New STEM Playbook!
The world of STEM is filled with endless opportunities to make a difference. From exploring computer coding and space exploration to building robots and solutions to problems such as climate change, girls are using STEM as a tool to change our world.
And you can help them make it all possible! Girl Scouts’ new STEM Playbook is designed for anyone looking to encourage a love of STEM in girls of all ages. Whether you’re involved with Girl Scouts or simply a supportive adult, the new STEM Playbook offers ideas, guidance, and access to resources and tools to grow girls’ interest and skills in the field. Download the new STEM Playbook and discover new ideas to help girls build the future with STEM. Download Girl Scouts’ New STEM Playbook Here
Transformative Practices
The Million Girls Moonshot aims to raise awareness of the following four research-based practices — Equity and Inclusion, Engineering Mindsets, Role Model, Mentors, and Families, and STEM Pathways and Transition — proven to remove barriers to access and quality STEM learning experiences. Resources, toolkits, blogs, and activities that elevate these four Transformative Practices can be found below and on the Million Girls Moonshot Toolkit
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Equity and Inclusion
- Access to STEM Framework: To improve the overall quality of out-of-school STEM programs, we need to address how program providers design and implement programming to increase access in STEM for youth who have been underrepresented in the STEM fields. Partnering with the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) and national experts, we have developed an Access to STEM Framework — a guide for supporting program providers in this transformation. Download the Framework.
- Elevating Youth Voice in STEM Programming Webinar: One way to ensure your program is youth-centric is to elevate youth voice and empower youth to take charge of their own STEM experiences. In this webinar recording, presenters share their knowledge and first-hand experiences promoting or using their voices and developing leadership skills to support and promote STEM learning in their communities.
- Cultural Competence in Afterschool Programs: A chapter on how programs address the increasing and cultural diversity in the United States. Program leaders need to consider how to adapt their program to make it culturally relevant to the youth and families they serve. This chapter explores the meaning of cultural relevance, how to design cultural competence afterschool programs, and how to tailor cultural competence to meet local needs.Â
Engineering Mindsets
- Engineering Mindset Overview: An engineering mindset refers to the attitudes and thinking skills associated with engineering — using a systematic engineering design process, considering real-world problems, applying math and science, and working in teams. The Moonshot focuses on 10 engineering practices. An overview of each practice follows and subsequent briefs will explore each one individually.
- Engineering Design Process: This resource helps educators understand design process and how to facilitate engineering activities with kidsÂ
Role Models, Mentors, and Families
Role models, mentors, and family engagement in a young person’s STEM education leads to increased interest, greater self-confidence, and ultimately a stronger STEM identity. Developing a science-related identity increases the likelihood that students will work toward developing science literacy, or even pursue a career in a science or STEM-related field.
- Video and articles: Greta Thunberg on how to tackle climate anxiety | The One Show – BBC (youtube.com)Greta Thunberg, the environmental activist who has been making headlines around the globe, is a 21-year-old Swedish girl. Greta Thunberg – Speech, Quotes & Activism (biography.com) She is a climate activist who has received worldwide recognition for her efforts to fight climate change. She has been nominated for the Nobel Prize. Â Other remarkable environmentalists can be found here: Top 18 Famous Environmental Scientists You Should Know 2024 (scijournal.org)
- Video: TEDxTC – Winona LaDuke – Seeds of Our Ancestors, Seeds of Life (youtube.com) Winona LaDuke is an Ojibwe conservationist who gives a cultural and scientific contest to why environmental conservation is so important.Â
- Article: How To Become an Environmental Scientist: A Step-By-Step Guide – Forbes Advisor This guide for older youth offers a step-by-step pathway to a career in environmental science. Explore details on an environmental scientist job description, available degrees and concentrations in the field, salary data and job outlook projections.
- Video: video about barbara mcclintock – Yahoo Search Results Video Search Results Barbara McClintock was a scientist and cytogeneticist who received the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She earned her Ph.D. in botany from Cornell University and began her lifelong work in the development of maize cytogenetics. She eventually gained recognition as among the best in the field and was honored with several prestigious awards.Â
- The Importance of Mentoring to Increase Diversity in STEM: This is a personal recounting by Dr. Leslie McCollum on her experiences as she reached her PhD in physics. She highlights a sense of belonging as a key factor.
- The Key To Diversity And Inclusion Is Mentorship: Mentoring increases the diversity of participants and increases their engagement. Recent research also shows that mentoring has benefits for the mentor and was identified in by mentors one study as an important aspect of their careers.
- SciGirls Family Guide for Engaging Girls in STEM: The guide is designed to spark a curiosity for STEM in girls through activities that promote knowledge and discovery. This guide shares strategies and tips to support families in their encouragement of girls to pursue STEM. Â
Continuous STEM Learning Pathways
Research tells us that continuous engagement and exposure rather than limited one-time opportunities are needed to nurture the interest and motivation necessary for children to pursue STEM pathways long term. The Moonshot aims to understand and support transitions and handoffs that remove barriers for youth by connecting STEM learning across ages and settings, ensuring youth interest and motivation persists.
- Possible Futures — Career Exploration Curriculum: Open source curriculum that complements and enriches both school and afterschool settings 1) expanding career awareness through authentic experiential learning opportunities; 2) encouraging students to explore their diverse interests, talents, and options; 3) enlivening STEM subjects by bringing in real-world and career contexts; 4) empowering students to develop vital employability skills; and 5) engaging students in making informed choices.
Below are some adaptations of the Possible Futures Career Exploration Curriculum specifically for afterschool and summer programs:
- Career Foundations Adaptation: A collection of 14 lessons, a streamlined combination of the Lenses on the Future and Skills for Success units of Possible Futures curriculum.
- College and Career Readiness Toolkit: Maryland Out of School Time (MOST) embedded the Career Foundations Unit of Possible Futures into this toolkit that serves as a guide for OST providers.
