Students learn about rotary encoders and discover how they operate through hands-on experimentation. Rotary encoders are applied in tools to determine angle measurements and for translations of angular motion. One common rotary encoder application is in a computer's ball-type mouse—the ball itself is a type of rotary encoder. In this activity, students experiment with two rotary encoders, including one from a computer mouse and one created using a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT kit. They collect data to define and graph the relationship between the motion of the rotary encoder and its output.

Hear about getting the most from the internet from the much-loved character Ruff Ruffman. [4 min, 21 sec]

Hear about some ways to put the internet to good use from the much-loved character Ruff Ruffman. [3 min, 50 sec]

Students work as if they are electrical engineers to program a keyboard to play different audible tones depending on where a sensor is pressed. They construct the keyboard from a soft potentiometer, an Arduino capable board, and a small speaker. The soft potentiometer “keyboard” responds to the pressure of touch on its eight “keys” (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C) and feeds an input signal to the Arduino-capable board. Each group programs a board to take the input and send an output signal to the speaker to produce a tone that is dependent on the input signal—that is, which “key” is pressed. After the keyboard is working, students play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and (if time allows) modify the code so that different keys or a different number of notes can be played.

This content package is a curated collection of STEM instructional resources to support the introduction and exploration of programming and robotics in grades 3-5. Resources include lesson plans, engagement activities, ebooks, digital texts, and videos.

Students explore the world of George Clinton and his impact on the music industry through sampling. They will start with a 5-minute activity where they listen to George Clinton talk about sampling and summarize his views. Next, they'll listen to songs that have sampled George Clinton's music, comparing them to the original versions. Students then create their own beat or song using George Clinton's music. After class, students have at least 20 minutes to continue working on their beat or song and can choose to share it on Instagram, email it to the teacher, or submit it to Kinfolk Education for a chance to be featured on social media. This lesson provides students with a hands-on way to understand the significance of sampling in the music industry and the impact of influential figures like George Clinton.

Estimated time required: 1-2 class periods.

Technology required for this lesson: Augmented Reality, Internet Connectivity, Laptop/Desktop, Smartphone, Tablet, Tablet or Smartphone.

This animation adapted from NASA shows the orbital paths of spacecraft in NASA's Earth Observing Fleet that are a source of wide-scale, primary research about Earth.

Students discuss the concept of enclaves and how it relates to Earthseed, Sun Ra, and P-Funk. Small groups are assigned different questions to focus on and explore further. In the 10-minute exploration session, students read articles and come up with insights to present to the class. Finally, the 7-minute wrap-up session includes watching a clip of Sun Ra on ancestors and reflecting on the importance of online communities in shaping Black Futures and challenging dominant narratives. An extension of 20+ minutes of work time is also recommended for students to complete a survey about time and memory and review key vocabulary.

Estimated time required: 1-2 class periods.

Technology required for this lesson: Augmented Reality, Internet Connectivity, Laptop/Desktop, Smartphone, Tablet, Tablet or Smartphone.

Use a virtual scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to observe electron behavior in an atomic-scale world. Walk through the principles of this technology step-by-step. First learn how the STM works. Then try it yourself! Use a virtual STM to manipulate individual atoms by scanning for, picking up, and moving electrons. Finally, explore the advantages and disadvantages of the two modes of an STM: the constant-height mode and the constant-current mode.

SciGirls has the bold goal of changing how millions of girls think about science, technology, engineering and math -- or STEM. Each half-hour episode highlights the processes of science and engineering, following a different group of middle school girls who design, with the help of scientist mentors, their own inquiry-based investigations on a variety of topics. They also learn how rewarding and fun it is to work with their peers, and the shows' female mentors offer girls a glimpse of exciting STEM career possibilities. In This Collection: Video (242), Document (59) for Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 , Resources in Spanish (278)

SciGirls has the bold goal of changing how millions of girls think about science, technology, engineering and math - or STEM. Each half-hour episode highlights the processes of science and engineering, following a different group of middle school girls who design, with the help of scientist mentors, their own inquiry-based investigations on a variety of topics. They also learn how rewarding and fun it is to work with their peers, and the shows' female mentors offer girls a glimpse of exciting STEM career possibilities. SciGirls educational materials provide gender-equitable teaching strategies and hands-on inquiries based on the concepts modeled in SciGirls' videos. Included in this collection: Video (240), Document (59) for Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 , Resources in Spanish (276).

Students in MIT's Tangible Media Group break down the barriers of graphic interfaces and allow users to touch and manipulate pixels in real life.

In this issue of the free online magazine Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, learn about the tools and technologies scientists use to study the land, ice, ocean, atmosphere, and living creatures of the polar regions. Students can also learn about the day-to-day life of a scientist working at the South Pole and plan their own research expedition.

This activity is a forensic based physical science inquiry investigation where students collaborate in groups and use observations to determine how Newton's Laws of Motion are applied in finding evidence in a car and truck trailer accident. Their evidence will be used in a presentation to verify consistency in police and witness reports to support the plantiff or defendent in the court case.

Students use data acquisition equipment to learn about force and displacement in regard to simple and complex machines. In the engineering world, materials and systems are tested by applying forces and measuring the resulting displacements. The relationship between the force applied on a material, and its resulting displacement, is a distinct property of the material, which is measured in order to evaluate the material for correct use in structures and machines.

Eighteen-year-old inventor Ryan Patterson designed a sign language translator glove that works by sensing the hand movements of the American Sign Language and sending the data to a device that displays the words on-screen. The glove allows a deaf person to communicate easily with anyone. [2:37]

Cryptids, creatures of questionable existence, are used as a source of data to guide students into the creation of their own GIS data layer in Google Earth. The activity serves the purpose of a tutorial to teach students how to make data layers with a simple subject. Then they use that skill on other topics such as plastics in their neighborhood.

Creating the perfect recipe for a blended learning environment can be a tricky balance. Join us as we discuss key ingredients for the blend of digital content and activity with face-to-face content and activity. We'll also share some of our favorite webtools to use in blended learning

Explore your own straight-line motion using a motion sensor to generate distance versus time graphs of your own motion. Learn how changes in speed and direction affect the graph, and gain an understanding of how motion can be represented on a graph.