How many creative young people (and maybe not so young people) like to tinker with “stuff?” I have it on good authority that some of my scientifically oriented friends ended up in their fields because scientists get to use cool stuff. What’s not to like about bubbling beakers, scales, stopwatches, and instruments that buzz? A … Continue reading
School days are jam packed. I don’t know a teacher who doesn’t feel the need for a 25th hour in the school day—and perhaps a 26th after school to catch up on grading! In the midst of such days, it can be hard to find moments to teach directly about creativity, even for teachers who … Continue reading
Google is an amazing company on many fronts, and the one of the most recent is the Google Science Fair. Google Science Fair is an online science competition for teenagers across the globe. The fair is sponsored by Google, Lego, National Geographic, Scientific American and CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Recently the winners … Continue reading
One of the best things about fall in Michigan is watching the leaves change. Trees that are mostly green October 1st are brilliant with color in just a few weeks. I’ve done an earlier Family Fun post on leaf activities, so this month we’ll look at activities that focus on changing colors. 1. Of course … Continue reading
Here’s an example of interdisciplinary teaching that will be very good for students’ BRAINS! (Yes, that really was a zombie reference.) STEM Behind Hollywood brings together science, math, and film making in a program designed to get students excited about STEM education and careers. In truth, there’s a lot of science behind the entertainment industry. … Continue reading
Every once in a while I see an example of creativity that is so good I just have to share it, and hope you will share it with your students. This is one of them. It comes from Lima, Peru. Lima is a city of more than 7 million people, in a difficult and somewhat … Continue reading
One of my favorite childhood memories is ice cream for dinner. Nothing else, just ice cream for dinner. One sweltering night during the un-air conditioned summer, my mother declared it was too hot to cook and we’d just have ice cream. I don’t know what got into my nutritionally-minded mother, but the ice cream dinner … Continue reading
The cartoon blog xkcd.com calls itself “webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.” The comics range from mathematical romance: to more explicitly math/physics related topics. The author accurately warns “This comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be … Continue reading
I love museums. I stand in awe of human creativity at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and of the innovations at the Henry Ford Museum. I delight in watching children’s explorations at our local Hands On Museum. And, of course, when I have the chance to travel, I find more museums to love—whether my traveling … Continue reading
The American Museum of Natural History’s OLogy site, subtitled “The Museum’s Science Website for Kids” could also be labeled, “Catalog of Creative Scientific Investigations.” OLogy allows students to “Choose an OLogy,” from Anthropology to Zoology, and then explore resources in each area. There are interviews with scientists, interesting facts, polls to take, games to play, … Continue reading
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