Below you will find resources that can guide PK-12 STEM educators in developing quality, equitable, online and in-person learning experiences for their students.
Anti-Racism Resources for STEM Educators
How do we address inequalities and opportunity gaps in STEM education? This resource provides articles and classroom tools for helping educators grapple with these critical issues. While this is not a complete list, our Center has found these resources useful for our own journey toward becoming equity-minded educators. We hope you will find them useful as well.
Do you want to discuss ways to make STEM activities more equitable for your students? Consider joining us for STEM Club.
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Defining Race, Racism, and Being Antiracist
Talking About Race (Website) - National Museum of African American History & Culture
16 Words and Definitions to Kickstart Your Anti-Racism Journey (Article) - Medium
Are you racist? 'No' isn't a good enough answer (Video: < 2.5 min) - Marlon James, The Guardian
Systemic Racism Explained (Video: < 5 min) - act.tv
Anti-Racism Handout (Handout) - Robin DiAngelo
Whites Receiving Feedback on Racism and Responding from the Mainstream (Handout) - Robin DiAngelo
Antiracist Checklist for Whites (Handout) - Robin DiAngelo
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (Essay) - Peggy McIntosh
Dismantling Racism Works Web Workbook (Website) - DR Workbook
What does it mean to be Antiracist? (Handout) - Anneliese A. Singh, Ph.D., LPC; The Racial Healing Handbook
Scaffolded List of Anti-racist Resources (Handout) - Anna Stamborski, Nikki Zimmermann, and Bailie Gregory
Anti-Racism Resource List (Resource List) - 100Kin10
Seeing White (Podcast) - John Biewen, Chenjerai Kumanyika
Anti-Racism Resource Roundup (Website) - Caise Informal Science
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Understanding Implicit and Systemic Racism
Don’t Talk about Implicit Bias Without Talking about Structural Racism (Article) - National Equity Project
Harvard Implicit Associations Test (Website) - Harvard
Social Identities And Systems Of Oppression (Website) - National Museum of African American History & Culture
White people assume niceness is the answer to racial inequality. It's not (Article) - The Guardian
21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge (Resource List) - Edit Moore Jr.
5 Tips for Being an Ally (Video) - Franchesca Ramsey
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Racism and Education
10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in the Pursuit of Equity (Article) - Cult of Pedagogy
Beyond the Stoplight (Website) - Beyond the Stoplight
How Ibram X. Kendi's Definition of Antiracism Applies to Schools (Article) - KQED
10 Ways Well-Meaning White Teachers Bring Racism Into Our Schools (Article) - Everyday Feminism
27 Mistakes White Teachers of Black Students Make and How to Fix Them (Article) - Education Post
Resource Guide For White Teachers & Parents Developing Racial Consciousness and Moving into Action (& the POC Working or In Relationship With Them) (Handout) - Christine Saxman
How Indigenous, Black and POC Educators Envision a Better School Experience (Article) - KQED
A Guide to Equity and Antiracism for Educators (Article) - Edutopia
White Teachers Need Anti-Racist Therapy (Article) - Education Week
Anti-Racist Educator Questionnaire and Rubric (Handout) - Anna Stamborski
In an Era of Pandemic and Protest, STEM Education Can’t Pretend to Be Apolitical (Article) - Truthout
The racial politics of STEM education in the USA: interrogations and explorations (Article) - Taylor and Francis Online
Coded Language Is Part of Our Racist Education System (Article) - Teen Vogue
Teachers on the Frontlines: Dismantling White Supremacy from Within the Classroom (Video: <1 hr 15 min) - Davis Square Consulting
How to Center Equity and Humanize the Process of Coming Back Together: A Focus on Joy and Justice in STEM Education (Video: < 1 hr) - AAAS, NSF; Transcript
How to Create Anti-racist Virtual Classrooms: Strategies for Teachers and Families (Video: <1 hr 20 min) - University of Pittsburg; Related
The Multiple Fallacies of Reopening School (Article) - Next Generation Learning
Teaching While White Series (Podcast) - Teaching While White; Related
“Nice White Parents” (Podcast) - The New York Times; Related
Black Students Need Changes, Policies, and Structures Beyond Higher Education (Article) - Inside Higher Ed
The Underrepresentation Curriculum Project (Website) - URC
Black Lives Matter at School (Website) - Chris Rogers
Social Justice Mathematics and Science Curricular Resources for K-12 Teachers (Resource List) - Compiled by Dr. Kari Kokka
How Indigenous, Black and POC Educators Envision a Better School Experience (Article) - KQED
A Guide to Equity and Antiracism for Educators (Article) - Edutopia
How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning (Article) - KQED
Teaching Tolerance (Website) - Southern Poverty Law Center
A Guide to Responding to Microaggressions (Handout) - Advancing Justice LA
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Racism and STEM fields
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Science: A Reading List (Article) - Medium
Silence Is Never Neutral; Neither Is Science (Article) - Scientific American; Related
An Open Letter: Scientists and Racial Justice (Article) - The Scientist
Decolonize science – time to end another imperial era (Article) - The Conversation
Responses to 10 Common Criticisms of Anti-Racism Action in STEM (Essay) - Anti-Racism in STEM
Helping students (re)think of themselves as scientists (Article) - Chemical and Engineering News
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Additional Resources
Lifting Up Youth Work: A Perspective from Spencer Visiting Scholar Bianca Baldridge (Article) - Spencer Foundation
Podcast Episodes related to Education (Podcast) - Dr. Molade Osibodu, York Uni
#ShutDownSTEM Resources (Website) - ShutDownSTEM
Lost Einsteins: The Innovations We’re Missing (Article) - The New York Times
Refusing to Forget (Website) - Refusing to Forget
Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (Website) - California State University San Bernadino
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in STEM
Make STEM more relevant and engaging for students so they can "see themselves in STEM." This list of resources can assist you in incorporating a diverse array of STEM professionals including stories not often found in traditional textbooks. We hope this is a useful tool!
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Diversity in STEM
Unsung Heroes (Article) - Society of American Archivists
Great Yet Unsung African-American Scientists in History (Article) - Nation Research Mentorship Program
12 Historical Women in STEM You Probably Haven’t Heard Of (Article) - College of St. Scholastica
The Untold History of Women in Science and Technology (Article) - The White House
16 black STEM innovators who have defined our modern world (Blog) - iD Tech
31 Highly Influential African American Scientists (Article) - Interesting Engineering
6 Important LGBTQ Scientists Who Left a Mark on STEM Fields (Article) - Orlando Science Center
ACS Celebrates the Achievements of Women Scientists in American History (Resources) - ACS
Closeted discoverers: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender scientists (Article) - Science Mag
Why is STEM so Straight? (Opinion/Article) - New York Times
Women in Auto History (Article) - AAA
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Teaching STEM to Diverse Audiences
STEM Lessons for Historically Underrepresented Students (Blog) - CODERZ
Lesson Plans (Resources) - Learning For Justice
A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction (Website) - Equitable Math
Why it is crucial to make cultural diversity visible in STEM education (Article) - STEM Teaching Tools
How to avoid possible pitfalls associated with culturally responsive instruction (Article) - STEM Teaching Tools
Diversity And Inclusive Teaching Practices In STEM (Handout/Resources) - UVA Center for Teaching Excellence
Incorporating the Stories of Women, People of Color, and LGBTQ+ Scientists Into the Physics Classroom (Article) - National Science Teaching Association
16 Black History Month STEM Activities (Article) - iD Tech
Culturally Responsive and Social Justice Focused Science Lesson Plans (Resources) - Science in the City
New Toolkits Aim to Increase STEM Diversity (Article) - K-12 Dive
Teacher Spotlight Case Studies (Resources) - The National Association for Multicultural Education
National Indian Education Association (Website)
Indigenous Peoples Lesson Plans and Resources (Website)
¡Colorín Colorado! (Website)
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Diversity in STEM Role Models and Careers
500 Queer Scientists Page (Website)
I am a Scientist (Website)
Out in STEM (Website)
National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Science and Technical Professionals (Website)
STEM Career Coalition (Website)
Minorities in Engineering and Technology (Resources) - PBS Learning Media
Women in Technology & Engineering (Resources) - PBS Learning Media
STEM Careers: Just for Students (Resources) - National Alliance for Partnership and Equity
Women of Mars (Videos) - NASA
Online & Remote Teaching Resources
We did our best to compile a list of resources that are free, engaging, easy to use and aligned with state standards and STE practices. Since there seem to be so many resources available, we focused on high-quality STEM & PBL resources and activities that could be useful as you plan student learning and activities remotely. PDF Version
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Remote Learning Tools
To get you started:
STEM Teaching Tools—Supporting Students’ Science LearningThese tools and resources may assist you with communicating with your students/classes online.
- ASSISTments - a web-based mathematics assignment and analysis tool
- Book Creator - an online tool for creating and publishing digital books
- Brush Ninja - a web-based tool for creating hand-drawn animated GIFs
- Canva - a web-based graphic design platform
- Coggle - a web-based tool for creating collaborative concept maps and diagrams
- EdPuzzle - an online tool that allows you to create interactive video lessons
- Educreations - an interactive whiteboard and screencasting tool
- Edulastic - an online student assessment tool
- FlipGrid - a video discussion platform
- Go Formative - a web-based student response and assessment tool
- Graspable Math - a web-based interactive tool for math
- Jamboard - an online, collaborative whiteboard tool
- MathShare - an online tool for students to organize and share their processes
- Milanote - an online workspace and project organizer
- NearPod - an online tool that allows you to create interactive, media-rich presentations
- Padlet - an online bulletin board
- Pear Deck - a tool that allow you to create interactive presentations with Google slides
- Scoutlier - an online learning platform
- Screencastify - a Chrome browser extension that allows you to record your computer screen
- SeeSaw - a platform for student engagement
- Storyjumper - a website that lets students create and publish their own stories
- Whiteboard.fi - an online whiteboard tool
- Zoom - a cloud platform for video and audio conferencing
Looking for more? Check out - Webinars for Teachers - by the MetroWest STEM Education Network
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General Science/STEM Online Resources
Great resources for science/STEM lessons and activities.
- CK-12
- Classroom Resources (NSTA)
- Daily DE
- Data Nuggets
- DESE - MA STEM at Home List of Resources
- Engineering Resources for Teachers (TryEngineering!)
- Engineering Resources PK-12 (Purdue University)
- Model Curriculum Units (MA DESE)
- NGSS Quality Examples of Science Lessons
- NSTA Daily Do
- PBS Learning Media
- Phenomena for NGSS
- Science Friday
- Skype a Scientist
- STEM Curriculum for K-12 (TeachEngineering)
- STEM Ecosystems - Resource Library
- STEM Engagement (NASA)
- The Wonder of Science
- Wide Open School
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Interactive STEM Activities
Project ideas, activities, and simulations for teachers to use with students.
- Activities with Connections to STEM Careers (Learning Blade, 4-8)
- Citizen Science
- Design Squad Global
- Explore Engineering with Games & Activities (TryEngineering!, K-12)
- Fun STEM Activities to Do at Home (NASA, K-4)
- Hacking STEM Library (Microsoft, 6-12, activities may require microcontrollers)
- Interactive STEM Activities (Concord Consortium, K-12)
- NSTA e-Books (K-12) - free during school closures
- OkGoSandbox (3-12)
- Outschool
- Science at Home (Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago)
- Simulations (Explore Learning, 3-12)
- Simulations (pHet)
- STEM Challenges to do at Home (Technovation Families, modifiable for grades above or below 4)
- STEM Lesson Plans (Space Foundation Discovery Center, PK-12)
- Teacher- and Parent-Friendly STEM Resources (Seeds of STEM, PK)
- Videos, Simulations (PBS Learning Media, 3-12)
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Project-Based Learning
Ideas and ways to engage yourself and your students in project-based learning.
- Buck Institute for Education (My PBL Works)
- Project-Based Learning for Educators (Edutopia)
- Student Projects and PBL Project Ideas (High Tech High, 9-12)
- WPI STEM Education Center
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Coding and Computational Thinking
Introduce students to coding or allow them to explore or practice their skills.
STEM Curricular Resources developed by the STEM Education Center
Seeds of STEM: Problem solving activities for young children
Seeds of STEM is a year-long, standards-aligned, STEM curriculum for preschool and pre-K classrooms. The curriculum was developed by a partnership that included researchers from WPI, the College of the Holy Cross, and teachers from the Worcester Child Development Head Start Program. Seeds of STEM was tested in multiple Head Start classrooms, through funding from the US Department of Education (IES, grant #R305A150571).
To encourage teachers and parents to solve problems with their young children at home, Seeds of STEM is offering sets of weekly STEM activities, derived from the curriculum and simplified for the home environment.
- Introduction to Problem Solving
- Solving Problems with Ice and Water
- Solving Problems about Habitats
- Exploring the 5 senses
- Forces and motion: the animals need your help!
- It's spring! Create a model of a plant and its parts.
Want to know more about Seeds of STEM? Want to bring Seeds of STEM to your classroom? Check out the website: https://www.seedsofstem.org/ or email Mia Dubosarsky with questions.
I am STEM - STEM I am Lesson Library
The I am STEM lesson library was created by teachers for teachers! It consists of a wide variety of STEM challenges for PK-5 Educators, all focused around solving problems in books! Thanks to a grant from the MA STEM Advisory Council the library will be available to all educators before, during, and after STEM Week.
Be sure to check it out and consider joining us for the next I am STEM FREE PD.
Questions? Contact Donna Taylor
Engineering Design Activities
These resources were developed by the STEM Education Center for Massachusetts STEM Week 2019, and include a short opening bridge design activity (one lesson or shorter), a 2-lesson STEM challenge related to properties of materials, and a full week STEM project about natural disasters.
Short Bridge Design Challenge (one lesson or less)
Project Transport, Help a Friend in Need (2-lesson project)
Protecting the Community from Natural Hazards (full week STEM project)
If you use these curricular resources, please contact Donna Taylor to let us know.
AweSTEM!
Over the past several years, AweSTEM! has provided the STEM Education Center with the opportunity to recognize educators and education leaders for their outstanding work in STEM education. In addition, educators have presented dozens of STEM lessons and projects and have shared student experiences.
You can find links to numerous resources and project ideas by clicking on each year provided.
Be sure to check them out!