Hacking STEM is a Microsoft website that offers about two dozen hands-on science and engineering lessons. The activities are a mix of things that students can probably do on their own and some that probably can’t be done without the supervision of a teacher or parent with working knowledge of the concept(s) being taught. For example, the mini solar house project that I’m having my ninth grade students do can be done safely without my direct supervision (I’m removing the glue gun component and having them use tape). But the “party lights” activity on the same page is not something they’ll be able to do on their own. 

Exploratorium’s Science Snacks website has dozens and dozens of hands-on science and engineering projects for students of all ages. There is a subsection of the site called Family-Friendly Snacks that offers activities specifically designed for parents to do at home with their kids. The vast majority of the projects can be done with common household items. And in response to the COVID-19 outbreak Exploratorium has a selection of activities and videos about viruses.

Tinkercad is an online program that students can use to create designs for 3D printable objects. It can also be used to design simple circuits and Arduino projects. Students can safely design and test circuits and Arduino projects completely online through the use of Tinkercad’s online simulator. Tinkercad includes a large gallery of project ideas that students can mix and remix in their online accounts. As a teacher you can create a free classroom account in which you can see your students’ work.

This blog post was excerpted from my 2021-22 version of The Practical Ed Tech Handbook. A copy will be emailed to you when register for my Practical Ed Tech Newsletter.