When it comes to getting the most out of a Raspberry Pi computer in the classroom, Boolean Girl Tech’s Lights, Camera, Sensors kit comes into its own. The box of lights, switches, and sensors can transform a Pi computer into an educational STEM sensor system that can help teach coding, physics and robotics. The kit can turn a Raspberry Pi board into a controller for lights, an alarm clock and who knows what else when kids get their hands on it. Meant for third graders and older, the kit uses Scratch or Python programming and costs $40 on Amazon; the Pi computer isn’t included. 

POWERUP Toys, the creator of paper airplane motor kits for STEM education, is using ISTE 2019 to debut two new upcoming STEM kits – POWERUP RACERS and POWERUP 4.0. The company offers lessons to help students learn the principles of flight while sharpening their problem-solving skills.                                                                                                                     

Students in second grade and up can take the road, water, or air by storm with the new POWERUP RACERS Motorized Origami Vehicles. The small, versatile propulsion motor transforms a paper creation into a motorized car, boat, or airplane - all using the same motor. Students problem solve as they fold their own paper car, boat, or airplane out of a sheet of paper, clip on the fully-charged POWERUP RACERS motor, and drive, float, or fly their creations. The kit - which comes with a propulsion motor, three folding templates, wheels, and fastening clips - can be used to teach aerodynamics and physics in STEM classrooms. 

Students in middle school and high school can use the POWERUP 4.0 ultra-durable propulsion motor to launch, steer, and land their planes using their Bluetooth-connected device and the POWERUP App (available for iOS and Android).  The POWERUP 4.0 has two propellers providing more power and maneuverability, an autopilot-controlled flight feature that makes flying in windy conditions ultra-easy, and new on-board sensors that collect real-time flight performance data. Students then analyze this data and tweak the designs of their airplanes to learn the principles of aerodynamics and physics. 

To see the new STEM kits from POWERUP Toys, visit POWERUP Toys at ISTE 2019 in booth #113. To see the full line of POWERUP Toys motors and accessories, visit: www.poweruptoys.com.

Color Uncovered

Engaging ebook combines art with science in playful ways 

Pros: Cool optical illusions and surprising facts.

Cons: Could use links to web resources or other experiments on their site.

Bottom Line: Color Uncovered is a great way to enhance an art curriculum or to bring a more playful and artistic side to science. 

Read more here.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Lab4Physics

Bring physics to life using lab sensors built right into your smartphone 

Pros: A dynamic low-cost way for students to gather and analyze physical science data.
Cons: Students may get stuck initially, but by following the tips they'll figure out this innovative tool.
Bottom Line: Use your smartphone to gather data and study speed, gravity, waves, and other physics concepts.

Read more here.

By Common Sense Education

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

Have you ever experienced digital learning? Digital Learning Day on February 23rd is the perfect time to try out a great digital learning resource. This interactive program will help you teach all about how forces work. Discover what they are, types, combining, and more through engaging online activities.

Courtesy of Knovation   

Vernier Software & Technology has released the Exploring Motion and Force with Go Direct Sensor Cart downloadable activity module to engage students in hands-on learning as they investigate key STEM concepts. The seven ready-to-use experiments found in the activity module explore frictional forces, motion, and simple machines, such as the lever, ramp, and pulley, using the  Go Direct® Sensor Cart and other materials typically found in the classroom. The new activity module will be on display at the TCEA Convention in San Antonio, Texas, from February 5 to February 7, 2019 at Vernier booth #1078.

With the Go Direct Sensor Cart, students can collect force, position, velocity, and acceleration data directly on their devices using Bluetooth® wireless technology, without the need for any additional equipment. This latest addition to the Vernier dynamics cart system incorporates built-in wireless sensors to reduce setup time. In addition, the cart can collect data on or off a track. Experiments in the activity module that utilize the Go Direct Sensor Cart include Investigating Friction, Levers as Machines, Ramps as Machines, and Newton’s Second Law, among others.

The activity module provides teachers with electronic access to the most up-to-date versions of all of the experiments, as well as word-processing files of student pages so teachers can edit the experiments to match their teaching styles. It also includes teaching tips, suggested answers, and sample data and graphs.

The Exploring Motion and Force with Go Direct Sensor Cart activity module is available for $20. To learn more, visithttps://www.vernier.com/msb-cart-e/.

On November 8, Boxlight is holding its third annual Boxlight STEM Day (#BLSTEM) in the United States and Latin America.

[Top 10 K–12 Educational Technology Trends]

Students in Georgia, Texas, and California, as well as Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica, will use the Labdisc data logger to perform experiments. The purpose is to relate light intensity and light source efficiency to create a hypothesis about the amount of light sent out by different sources, then test it using the Labdisc light sensor. The Boxlight-provided lesson aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for middle and high school students. Participating schools will be able to download a MimioStudio™ interactive lesson file or PDF containing experiment information, collaborative activities, assessment, and more at boxlight.com/BLSTEMDAY2018.

Title: Simple Machines by Tinybop
Summary: Excellent elementary NGSS engineering practices embedded in fun games

Pros: Kids create and figure out simple machines on their own terms.
Cons: The app is short on tools to help kids analyze their observations.
Bottom Line: Fun gameplay lets kids explore important physics concepts in a solid standards-aligned context.

Read more here.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

By Common Sense Education

June 5th is Hot Air Balloon Day. Ever wonder why and how hot air balloons float? This resource from the NOVA Web site offers a series of interactive activities that help you understand the science of hot air balloons. Look into the rising and sinking of air, the impact of air temperature on hot air balloons, and even take a virtual hot air balloon journey across the globe.

[Wind Energy Virtual Lab]

courtesy of Knovation

The new Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus for FLIR ONE app from Vernier Software & Technology allows students to use the latest versions of FLIR ONE cameras—the FLIR ONE Pro Thermal Camera and FLIR ONE Gen 3 Thermal Camera—as they study thermal energy concepts. Using the app with a FLIR ONE camera, available for iPad and iPhone, students can observe temperature changes on the skin, illustrate convection, track heating due to friction, compare heat conduction in different materials, analyze the transparency of materials in infrared versus visible light, and more.

[Wind Energy Virtual Lab]

Vernier also offers a free collection of biology, chemistry, and physics investigations. These investigations include:

· Investigating the transmission and reflection characteristics of infrared light as compared to visible and ultraviolet light by observing a person through a variety of materials.

· Studying the thermal conductivity in solids using various materials of similar thickness, such as wood, cardboard, ceramic, steel, and glass.

· Creating a visual representation of thermal equilibration using a combination of petri dishes filled with warm and cool water.

· Investigating evaporative cooling with chemical imaging by observing the surface of a cup of various liquids.

· Analyzing the heat of solutions using various solids dissolved in water.

· Determining respiration rate by examining the temperature of the air exiting the nostrils.

Thermal Analysis Plus can be downloaded for $9.99 in the App Store. To learn more about the app and accompanying investigations, visit https://www.vernier.com/products/software/thermal-analysis/.

May 12th is National Windmill Day and a great time to check out the 3M and Discovery Education Wind Energy Virtual Lab. Use 21st Century skills as you harness renewable energy. Design, build, and test wind turbines. Choose different locations, blade shapes, and materials to enhance virtual wind turbine creations. Share input/output charts that contain design specs.

courtesy of Knovation

[3D Printing For Learning]

Vernier Software & Technology has launched the new Go DirectSensor Cart for middle school, high school, and college physics students. The wireless dynamics cart allows students to explore force, position, velocity, and acceleration using Bluetooth wireless technology.

Go Direct Sensor Cart can be used for hands-on kinematics and dynamics demonstrations, but the built-in sensors can also be used independently.An encoder wheel reports position, velocity, and acceleration. Attach the cart to a turntable to study centripetal acceleration using the 3-axis accelerometer. Hang a mass and spring from the ±50 N force sensor to study simple harmonic motion or measure pushes and pulls.

Additional features include mass trays for adding mass, a plunger for collision and impulse studies, low-friction wheels for uniform motion, and exchangeable magnetic and hook-and-pile inserts for elastic and inelastic collisions.

To learn more about Go Direct Sensor Cart, visit www.vernier.com/gdx-cart.

Meet Science: Force and Motion

Amusing mini-games, solid quizzes boost physics understanding

Pros: A variety of teaching strategies promote learning, reinforcement, and assessment.
Cons: Quizzes at the end of the lessons are short, and there are only three mini-games to choose from.
Bottom Line:A great collection of resources to help kids understand force and motion concepts.

Read more here.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Gamification is a powerful way to engage students in the science and math classroom. The Universe and More, a nonprofit company founded by a high school teacher, has released a new game called Action Graphing. This iPad app helps students understand key concepts related to graphing. Students will learn how to analyze and interpret graphs to model the motion of real objects. They’ll see how the slope of the line represents an object’s velocity and the y-intercept of the line represents the object’s position.

Action Graphing helps teachers differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of individual students during graphing lessons. It’s a great option for students who need extra practice at home or for teachers to recommend to families during an Open School Night. Action Graphing has over sixty levels for students to move through and saves data to document student progress.

Visit Action Graphing’s website to learn more!

cross posted at classtechtips.com

Monica Burns is a fifth grade teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Visit her website at classtechtips.com for creative education technology tips and technology lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards.