Science & Outdoors

Scroll down for ​MATH.

Science
"America's Test Kitchen Kids Young Chef's Club." America's Test Kitchen Kids.

Bensfield, Anne and Pamela Rogers. “8 Podcasts About Climate Change & Activism for K-12 Students | Kidcasts.” SLJ, 23 June 2020. 

Camp Wonderopolis. Camp Wonderopolis® is the free online summer-learning destination that's full of fun, interactive STEM and literacy-building topics boosted by Maker experiments!

Craddock, IdaMae. “10 Virtual Maker and STEM Resources for Students.” SLJ, 25 Aug 2020. “While teaching online, embedding a maker mindset and using making as a pedagogical foundation is not as unwieldy as it may seem. It’s both delightful and reassuring to see students get up during Zoom sessions and start working with their hands—exploring, chatting, asking questions, and learning. These resources will help smooth the path from in-person to online making.”

"How Much Hotter Is Your Hometown Than When You Were Born?” New York Times, 2018. Interactive. “As the world warms because of human-induced climate change, most of us can expect to see more days when temperatures hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) or higher. See how your hometown has changed so far and how much hotter it may get.”
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HPL Liftoff to Learning. Houston Public Library. 17 short videos, mostly around STEM topics, for K-3. The first two are Storytimes.

James Dyson Foundation. “Are You Ready for a Challenge?” 44 engineering and science challenges using household objects, for all ages. (Some younger children may require parental assistance.)

Kletter, Melanie. “Summer Science Resources for Families.” SLJ, 29 June 2020. “Tackling a science project or exploring a science museum (virtually, of course) can help your child beat boredom and teach them some useful skills. If your kid loves hands-on projects, or if they just like making a mess, there is an array of free science experiment videos available online. Perhaps your child is a wildlife or outer space enthusiast or is really into insects. Science museums all over the county are offering appealing virtual exhibits and activities around these topics. Your family can also check out science shows on YouTube or listen to a science podcast designed for younger listeners.” These resources remain available all year round.

“Make It! Draw It! Build It! 11 Books To Inspire Intergenerational Family Activities | Summer Reading 2020.” SLJ, 26 June 2020. 
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Mythbusters. Discovery Channel. This is the original show which is geared for adults. The mythbusters aim to uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends, mixing scientific method with gleeful curiosity and plain old fashioned ingenuity to create their own signature style of explosive experimentation.

Mythbusters Jr. Science Channel. “Six …kids join Adam Savage [to] tackle myths ranging from driving, explosions, chemistry, physics, popular culture, and more.”

NASA at Home. “NASA at Home -- For Kids and Families.” Carbon Cycle Game as well as planetary exploration and chats with current scientists.
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National Geographic. “Classroom Resources.” Sorted for for K-2, 3-5, and 6-12. Ncludes chats with astronauts, climate change and more.

"Play and Learn Science." PBS Kids, PBS. "Play with shadows, control the weather, roll and slide objects down a ramp, choose the best materials for an umbrella – all while building science inquiry skills and learning core science concepts. The games in the app encourage kids to see the science in their world. They are intentionally designed to serve as catalysts for real-world exploration by modeling real-world locations and experiences. The related hands-on activities and parent notes prompt families to "try it" at home and provide tips for engaging in conversations." This appears to be FREE.

"SciStarter/Education." SciStarter, Arizona State University, . SciStarter is an online community dedicated to improving the citizen science experience for project managers and participants. Over 3,000 projects and events are searchable by location, scientific topic, and age level, and by joining SciStarter, members can track their contributions and provide valuable feedback. SciStarter also supports researchers in managing projects, including best practices for engaging participant partners. 
Projects are available for PK-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 as well as adults. 
Ten principles of Citizen Science     

​Sheets, Hilarie M. "A Rube Goldberg Hand-Washing Contraption? The Race Is On." New York Times, 8 Apr. 2020, . The cartoonist's granddaughter is holding a bar-of-soap competition that encourages families to work collaboratively. Video submissions are due May 31.

"This Mile Long Wooden Xylophone Plays Bach When You Roll a Ball Down It." CanYouActually, 12 Aug. 2019. CanYouActually.com is an arts and humanities website that was founded with one thing in mind, Entertainment & Inspiration! [They] hunt down and curate some of the most interesting content from around the web. [They] cover a variety of different topics including art, design, travel, life, humor, science, technology, and more! Just check out all of our categories in the top left corner! [The] focus is to keep [readers] entertained and inspired, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Thompson-Munson, Megan – AKA Glacial Meg. Tweet Thread: Understanding Iceberg Stability. Also, joshdata.me/iceberger.html to draw your own berg and see it stabilize.

Outdoors & Movement
Byrne, Richard. “City Walks - Hear and See Cities Around the World.” Free Tech for Teachers, 30 Nov 2020. “On City Walks you can go for a virtual walk in more than a dozen cities around the world. You can experience the cities with or without sound. You can go for virtual walks in the daytime or at night. At the start of each walk you'll see some quick facts about the city that might help you understand a little more about what you're seeing during the walk.” 

"Explore the Entire World–from the Comfort of Quarantine–with 4K Walking Tours." Open Culture, 31 Mar. 2020.

Feliciano, Jolanta. "Virtual Field Trips." Padlet, 2020.
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"GoNoodle.com." GoNoodle.com. Movement Powers Change® GoNoodle® engages 14 million kids every month with movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. Available for free at school, home, and everywhere kids are!
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Houston Mural Map is a crowd-sourced community resource, created by UP Art Studio, with website developer and photographer Alex Barber. The Houston Mural Map website launched July 15, 2020, with funding in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, with a Let Creativity Happen Digital Grant, 2020. So, when you absolutely need a socially distanced and FREE field trip, hop in the car and go exploring!

​"Houston Zoo Webcams." Houston Zoo webcams, Houston Zoo.

Kessler, Linda, and Audrey Eads. "North Texas Zoos, Planetariums and More Are Keeping Families Engaged." Dallas Morning News,6 April 2020. "Help time fly with activities and games, virtual tours, videos of animals and oddities, and so much more."

Kidz Bop Dance Along Videos. YouTube. Have a KIDZ BOP Dance Party in your living room to get the wiggles out! KIDZ BOP Dance Along videos are the best way to incorporate music + movement into your daily routine.

Kletter, Melanie. “Find Joy by Watching and Interacting with Animals Online.” Library Journal, 13 Nov 2020.  
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"Take a Moment to Dip Into the Miniature World of This Library For Birds Livestream." Time US, Inc.

Waterford Upstart. “#CoronaVirus Children’s Dance Party.” Spotify, Apr  2020. “100 kids songs that won’t drive parents crazy (plus “Baby Shark,” which will).”

MATH
Rogers, Pamela. “10 Podcasts About Math for K-12 Students | Kidcasts.” In these 10 podcasts, kids talk about math concepts; hosts introduce great mathematicians, mathematicians talk about math; and there’s a fair dose of silly, playful math talk. From women mathematicians Katherine Johnson and Ada Lovelace to the concept that math is a reality “woven into the universe,” laying bare the patterns of our world, there is a lot to talk about when talking about math.” K-12.