Blog Posts

What’s new in early learning

Posted by Preston Frazier on January 27, 2022

“I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!” – David Vitter, former US Senator

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Topics: Elementary School, Camps, Teacher Resources, STEM, Social and emotional learning, 21st Century Skills, Hands-on Learning, STEAM

The science behind the perfect pie dough

Posted by Corinne Pachl on January 20, 2022

Pie! It’s my favorite dessert to eat, and, as an amateur baker, it’s my favorite dessert to make from scratch. Nothing is more comforting than the scent of an apple pie baking in the oven, especially on a cool, cozy day!

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Topics: BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, STEM, Activities, Hands-on Learning, Physics, Inquiry-based Learning

Activity: T-Bot® offers leverage for exploring simple machines

Posted by Admin on January 19, 2022

A great physical science education tool isn’t just exciting while you are using it; it continues to provoke thought and make real-world connections well after you’ve placed it back on the shelf. Case in point: I recently spent time exploring Pitsco’s T-Bot® Hydraulic Arm. It was a fun challenge using the hydraulic robot arm to pick up and move blocks, and I thought about links to automation and heavy machinery as I used it. But, to my surprise, after I put the device away, what I really couldn’t stop thinking about was my own arm.

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Topics: IN THE CLASSROOM, Middle School, Elementary School, High School, ROBOTICS, Teacher Resources, Science, Technology, STEM, Authentic Learning, Activities, Hands-on Learning

Kid Inventors’ Day: Celebrating creativity in all young inventors

Posted by Admin on January 17, 2022

Kid Inventors’ Day, a day to celebrate young inventors of the past as well as encourage today’s inventors, falls on January 17, every year, a fitting nod to inventor Benjamin Franklin because January 17 is also his birthday.

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Topics: IN THE CLASSROOM, Middle School, Elementary School, High School, IDEAS & INSPIRATION, ROBOTICS, Resources, Authentic Learning, Activities, Hands-on Learning, innovate

Making spirits bright with the science of Christmas lights

Posted by Admin on December 20, 2021

My favorite part in the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is when Clark Griswold’s 250 strands of lights on his house finally turn on. If you haven’t seen Christmas Vacation, Clark decorates his entire house – and I mean the ENTIRE house – with Christmas lights. He brings out his whole family to see the lights all turn on at once. But, as he brings the two power cords together to turn it on, nothing happens. Later, after his wife flips the correct switch, all the lights flicker on, lighting up basically the whole city. A Christmas miracle!

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Topics: BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, IDEAS & INSPIRATION, Science, Technology, STEM, Engineering, Activities, Hands-on Learning, Art