Research Guides: SCED Science Education Subject Guide: Sci Ed Resource Hub

Science Pedagogy

Science Education Trends

Explore innovative teaching and learning methods in science education:

STEM Integration: Blend Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics into teaching and curriculum.

Teach Engineering Digital Library A resource providing teacher-tested, standards-based engineering content for K-12 teachers to use in science and math classrooms.
Next Gen STEM for Educators Provides a plethora of resources for STEM education, including lesson plans, classroom activities, and multimedia materials.
The Concord Consotium offers innovative STEM resources, including interactive simulations and lesson plans
PhET Interactive Simulations Created by the University of Colorado Boulder, offering free interactive math and science simulations.
PBS LearningMedia access to the best of public media and delivers research-based, classroom-ready digital learning experiences

Inquiry-Based Learning: Foster student-led exploration to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving.

Exploratorium Teacher Institute professional development and resources focused on inquiry-based learning in science
Smithsonian Science Education Center variety of resources and professional development focused on inquiry-based science education
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Learning Center Features a collection of inquiry-based lesson plans and resources for science educators
Edutopia range of articles, videos, and resources focusing on implementing inquiry-based learning in classrooms
GLOBE Program worldwide science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process

Project-Based Learning (PBL): Enable students to acquire and apply knowledge through real-world project work.

Buck Institute for Education (BIE) a comprehensive range of resources on PBL, including project ideas, planning forms, and professional development materials
Edutopia – Project-Based Learning A resource hub for PBL, providing articles, videos, and practical tips for educators
PBLWorks a collection of project ideas, planning tools, and professional development resources specifically focused on PBL
High Tech High Project Repository a collection of projects designed and implemented by teachers at High Tech High, a leader in PBL
The Learning Network by The New York Times real-world project ideas, lesson plans, and classroom activities based on current events and issues

Culturally Responsive Teaching: Tailor teaching methods to diverse student cultures and learning styles.

National Museum of the American Indian – Native Knowledge 360° Provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures
Zinn Education Project free, downloadable lessons and articles organized by theme, time period, and reading level, focused on a more inclusive look at American history

Technology-Enhanced Learning: Utilize digital tools such as virtual labs and simulations to enrich learning.

Khan Academy A vast array of free online courses, lessons, and practice across many subjects, with a strong emphasis on technology use in education
EdX free online courses from universities around the world, ideal for enhancing technological aspects in teaching

Gamification: Apply game design elements to boost student engagement and motivation.

Classcraft A gamification platform designed to increase student engagement, motivation, and learning by turning the classroom into a role-playing game
Kahoot! A game-based learning platform used as educational technology in schools and other educational institutions for creating quizzes and interactive lessons
Duolingo for Schools A language learning platform that gamifies the learning process, useful for integrating language skills into various subjects
Quizizz A user-friendly learning tool used to create and conduct student-paced formative assessments in a fun and engaging way

Art Integration (STEAM): Add Art to STEM to encourage creative and critical thinking.

Edutopia – Arts Integration Provides a collection of articles, videos, and resources on integrating arts into the curriculum
Crayola Educator Resources Offers lesson plans and professional development resources for incorporating art in education
PBS Teachers – Arts Provides arts education resources, including lesson plans and videos, for integrating arts into various subjects
The Kennedy Center's ArtsEdge Offers free digital resources for arts integration in K-12 education, including lesson plans and multimedia resources

Environmental and Sustainability Education: Incorporate environmental science and sustainability topics into the curriculum.

NASA Climate Kids educational resources on climate science and sustainability, including games, activities, and lesson plans
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Learning and Teaching about the Environment Provides a range of resources, including lesson plans and information on environmental science and conservation
National Geographic Education Offers a variety of teaching resources on environmental science and sustainability
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Resources for Educators Provides educational materials to teach about the UN's sustainable development goals

Flipped Classrooms: Provide instructional content digitally outside the classroom and use class time for interactive activities.

Khan Academy Provides a wide range of free instructional videos and practice exercises, ideal for flipped classroom models
TED-Ed Offers educational videos on a variety of topics that can be used to introduce concepts before class
Edpuzzle Allows educators to create interactive video lessons by embedding questions and quizzes into videos
Screencast-O-Matic A tool for creating video lectures and tutorials, useful for preparing flipped classroom content

Science Teaching Tools

Resources for engaging and interactive science education

Digital World Biology Digital World Biology is a leading developer of apps and iBooks™ for STEM education. Our flagship products, Molecule World™ and the MW DNA Binding Lab™, provide students with fun and engaging ways to visualize and work with authentic 3D chemical and macromolecular structure models in ways that help students connect the sequences of DNA, RNA, and proteins with their structures and biological functions.
Minecraft Education Edition Minecraft: Education Edition is an open-world game that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive environment where the only limit is your imagination.
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day "Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer."
Physics Girl Physics Girl is a resource for fun physics videos and other science materials. Initially started as a post-college personal project, it has grown into a resource for teachers, a source of entertainment for physics nerds, and a way to share a passion for physics while advocating for women in STEM.
Science Buddies The award-winning, non-profit Science Buddies empowers K-12 students, parents, and teachers to quickly and easily find free project ideas and help in all areas of science from physics to food science and music to microbiology. Whether your goal is to find a fun science activity for your kids or win the international science fair, sciencebuddies.org puts comprehensive, scientist-authored tools, tips, and techniques at your fingertips.
Study.com Study.com's self-paced video courses are created by the best teachers and designed to help you meet your educational goals. They will help you improve your grades, better understand concepts from class, and prepare for tests. Most video lessons are 10 minutes or less, so you get the information you need in a fast and fun format.
TeacherTube After beta testing for almost two months, TeacherTube officially launched on March 6, 2007. Our goal is to provide an online community for sharing instructional videos. We seek to fill a need for a more educationally focused, safe venue for teachers, schools, and home learners. It is a site to provide anytime, anywhere professional development with teachers teaching teachers. As well, it is a site where teachers can post videos designed for students to view in order to learn a concept or skill. TeacherTube was the idea of Adam and Jason Smith, a 14-year veteran educator. Jason has been a teacher, coach, campus administrator and district administrator in public schools. He asked the question, "Why can't teachers, students, and schools utilize the power of the read/write web for learning?" To overcome barriers, he decided to just create a site and get started trying to help. He turned to his brother, Adam, who is a younger, digital native, with technical skills. Adam used his skills to develop the site and found a web host. Soon, Jason's wife, Jodie, joined the team to start populating the site with videos and help improve the communication. She too has 14 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, campus technology integrator, and district curriculum coordinator.
Understanding Science The mission of Understanding Science is to provide a fun, accessible, and free resource that accurately communicates what science is and how it really works. The process of science is exciting, but standard explanations often miss its dynamic nature. Science affects us all everyday, but people often feel cut off from science. Science is an intensely human endeavor, but many portrayals gloss over the passion, curiosity, and even rivalries and pitfalls that characterize all human ventures. Understanding Science gives users an inside look at the general principles, methods, and motivations that underlie all of science.
WolframAlpha - Computational Intelligence Compute expert-level answers using Wolfram's breakthrough algorithms, knowledgebase and AI technology

Tools & Lesson Plans

Educational resources and lesson plans to enhance science teaching

GeneEd: Genetics, Education, Discovery Extensive genetic education materials, including lesson plans and activities to boost genomic literacy.
PBS Learning Media Model Interactive Lessons Diverse interactive lessons tailored for varied educational levels, enabling engaging, media-rich teaching.
Science in the classroom Annotated scientific papers and teaching guides designed to make primary literature accessible and educational.
101 Science Websites for Teachers Curated list of websites offering a wealth of science resources, ideal for enhancing classroom instruction.
Understanding Science Explains the nature of scientific work through accessible resources, highlighting the excitement of scientific discovery.
WWC - What Works Clearinghouse Reviews educational strategies and tools, providing evidence-based insights to inform teaching practices.

Learning Tools

Create diagrams, mind maps, and interactive presentations

Cmap Concept map building tool
Kahoot! We want to improve education all over the world and help everyone – of any age, aptitude or circumstance – unleash the magic of learning. Our founding principles are Social, Play and Learning. Driven by our mission, we’ve built a game-based platform that creates an emotional, playful, engaging and truly social learning environment. Instead of looking down into their textbooks or devices, learners are encouraged to look up while playing and connect with each other – we call it a ‘campfire moment’. For us, engagement is about unlocking everyone’s potential. It means bringing that student from the back of the class to the front and letting everyone become the classroom superhero.
Padlet Collaborate and share and make beautiful boards, documents, and webpages that are easy to read and fun to contribute to.
Poll Everywhere Live interactive audience participation
Prezi Make zooming presentations.
MindMup Capture ideas at the speed of thought – using a mind map maker designed to help you focus on your ideas and remove all the distractions while mindmapping.
MindMeister MindMeister makes creating stunning mind maps easy. Our intuitive editor allows you to map your big ideas together with your team, quickly and beautifully.
Lucidspark Lucidspark is a virtual whiteboard that helps you and your team collaborate to bring the best ideas to light.
Lucidchart Transform your brainstorming sessions and outlines into mind maps using Lucidchart. Simple and intuitive from start to finish.

OA Resources

Open-access educational materials for diverse learning levels.

OER Commons The worldwide OER movement is rooted in the human right to access high-quality education.
MIT OpenCourseWare offers a free and open collection of course materials covering a wide range of subjects and levels.
National Science Digital Library a comprehensive source for high-quality, peer-reviewed resources in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
MERLOT Peer reviewed materials for all subjects.
Teach Engineering A curated collection of high-quality open-access instructional materials supporting PreK-12 engineering education.

SCED Science Education Subject Guide: Sci Ed Resource Hub

Sciience Ed Resource Hub