Updated: Free STEM and STEAM Resources for Schools During the COVID-19 Outbreak -- THE Journal

COVID 19

Updated: Free STEM and STEAM Resources for Schools During the COVID-19 Outbreak

By Dian Schaffhauser
06/11/20

(Updated June 11) Education technology companies and organizations have stepped forward to help educators bring STEM and STEAM experiences to students in virtual ways during the COVID-19 closures. The following list of free resources in the arts, coding/computer science/engineering, crafting/design/making, math, science and integrated STEM/STEAM will be updated regularly as announcements are made. (If you know of a company that should be included on this list, please send details to [email protected].)

Return to complete list of free resources for K–12 schools

The Arts

The Academy of Art University is hosting a free series of online events, including guest experts in art and design speaking through Zoom, movie afternoons and nights, and virtual workshops on sketching and the use of various software programs. https://www.academyart.edu/admissions/upcoming-events/

Adobe is offering free access to Creative Cloud tools through May for home use by students attending schools that currently only provide lab access through May. https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/covid-19-education-labs.html

Adobe and Time Magazine have teamed up to provide a weekly art lesson online. The "Draw with Drew (and Rosie!)" sessions take place at 10 a.m. Pacific time on multiple websites. Drew Willis is the creative director of "Time for Kids" and a book illustrator; Rosie is his 10-year-old daughter; and both are "avid artists." Each episode includes a new drawing assignment, and participants vote on what they'd like the next assignment to be. https://time.com/5820518/draw-with-us/

The Annenberg Space for Photography is offering educational resources to teachers, including 10 documentaries from previous photographic exhibitions that educators can use for free. The films run between 20 and 25 minutes and cover climate change, refugees, Cuban history, wildlife and hip-hop. Each film comes with discussion questions, and museum experts are volunteering to visit classrooms virtually for remote discussions. https://annenbergphotospace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Documentary-Licensing-Form-Agreement_FINAL.pdf

BrainVentures, an initiative of the University of Michigan Center for Digital Curricula, is making daily learning adventures free. These are crafted by classroom teachers to give students choices of learning activities; they accommodate different learning preferences and engage the learner in constructing animations, videos, photo albums and stories while taking them on field trips and having them play games and run simulations. https://cdc.engin.umich.edu/daily-brain-venture/

Mazaam is making its classical music app for children ages four to six free until Jun. 30, 2020. The music is intended to promote the development of emotional, cognitive and psychomotor skills. The app is available in English and French. There are versions for iOS and Android.

Pantone is offering free access through July 2020 to Pantone Connect. The tool enables designers and artists to build and share color palettes, convert and cross-reference colors and match Pantone colors through Adobe Creative Cloud. https://www.pantone.com/products/digital-apps/pantone-connect-for-adobe-creative-cloud

Pencils and Plums, a drawing site, is offering a free 125-page ebook titled, "2,500+ Drawing Ideas," with hundreds of printable drawing pages for elementary and older students. https://pencilsandplums.com/free-ebooks/free-ebook-2500-drawing-ideas/

The Seattle Symphony is livestreaming rebroadcasts of previous concerts, led by Music Director Thomas Dausgaard, as well as two "family-friendly" educational broadcasts: "Meet the Instrument" and "Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots." Those are available through Facebook and the Symphony's YouTube channel. https://seattlesymphony.org/live

Soundtrap for Education, an online recording and editing studio, is extending its free trial for any school that signs up to try it with students this semester. Using the program, teachers and students can create, communicate and collaborate with "creative sound-making" through audio stories, music creation, podcasting and literacy training. Free access is available to support distance learning initiatives for 120 days and up to 500 seats per school with a trial account. To set up a free school trial account, visit the company's website and select " Start as a Teacher." https://www.soundtrap.com/edu/

Unity Technologies is providing free access to Unity Learn Premium, a 3D development platform, through Jun. 20, 2020. Registration provides access to live sessions with Unity experts and 350-plus hours of tutorials, hands-on projects, and courses for game developers, covering topics from "Game Mechanic Design Fundamentals" to "Getting Started with Post-Processing Stack for VR." Unity is also delivering virtual classes through "Create with Code Live," free for students, instructors and anyone else interested in learning to code; those sessions kick off on Mar. 23 at 9 a.m. Pacific time or 5 p.m. Pacific time. https://unity.com/products/learn-premium

WURRLYedu is offering 30 days of access to a web-based version of its teaching software and creation tools for students. According to the company, the program includes access to lessons on general music, modern band, vocal ensemble and jazz, along with non-music subjects; and a recording studio to let students and teachers adjust the key and speed of the track, select instruments, apply one-touch audio and video filters and perform remote duets. The students don't require access to musical instruments. https://www.wurrlyedu.com/distance-learning

Coding/Computer Science/Engineering

AI4ALL Open Learning produces a free, adaptable curriculum for high school teachers to infuse coverage of artificial intelligence into their lessons. The organization said its materials can be implemented in any subject and doesn't require a technical background to use. Students will learn what AI and machine learning are, the benefits and risks of AI and how they can be involved in forging its use in the world. https://ai-4-all.org/open-learning/

Amazon Future Engineer is providing free access to sponsored computer science courses in the United States, intended for independent learners in grades 6-12 and teachers who are remotely teaching this age group. Parents can also access the curriculum. The organization is also offering a virtual robotics program through partners CoderZ with a sequenced course that shows learners how to code; early learners use block-based coding; older learners use text-based coding. And Amazon Future Engineer is providing access to Georgia Tech's EarSketch, a free program that helps students learn to code through music. Grammy-award winning artists Ciara and Common have both provided studio-quality music "stems" that students can remix from home using code. Everything will be available for free at least until fall 2020. https://www.amazonfutureengineer.com/free-courses

Athletes for Computer Science has invited students 13 and older, their families and teachers to attend free weekly computer science training classes online through Zoom. The sessions, hosted by NFL Super Bowl Champion Ellis Wyms, take place every Tuesday at 11 a.m. Pacific time and are scheduled through the month of May. https://www.athletesforcomputerscience.org/afcslivecodingclass.html

Boolean Girl has launched live, online events to help teach students "to code, build, invent and animate." The events, which are taking place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern time, introduce new engineering and coding projects to increase interest and engagement around STEM. Each is being recorded so that students can watch the session afterwards if they miss the live presentation. https://booleangirl.org/full-stem-ahead/

Carnegie Mellon has reiterated availability of "Computer Science Academy," a free, online, interactive high school CS curriculum. CS1 is the year-long flagship course, with 120 hours of instruction and a "robust introduction" to coding with Python through graphics and animations. This course is available to educators with teacher accounts. CS0 is a "lite" version, which includes about 40 hours of instruction and is intended for middle school, out-of-school programs and summer camp settings. This course is available for both mentor and teacher accounts. https://academy.cs.cmu.edu/coronavirus2020

codeSpark Academy has created a path for students to get free access codes from their K-5 teachers to the program, which teaches coding fundamentals and creativity with computer science. According to the company, kids as young as five can design and code their own video games and interactive stories. codeSpark Academy is always free for public schools but home use normally requires a subscription. The offer lasts until May 31, 2020. https://blog.codespark.com/story/free-resources-for-closed-schools

The Coding School is offering free online, one-on-one coding lessons and tech talks to children and teens who have been impacted by Covid-19. Software engineers from technology companies, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon, are volunteering their time for the nonprofit to help students learn how to code while schools are closed. Through spring and summer 2020 in grades 4-12 who have a parent who is a healthcare professional or has lost a job due to COVID-19 will be eligible to receive weekly, personalized coding lessons from a live instructor. Request a scholarship during registration or contact the nonprofit at [email protected] or call (323) 790-9992. The company is also seeking a limited number of students to participate in a free four-week online bootcamp to learn game development as well. That will run from Jun. 8 to Jul. 3, 2020.

DFRobot is offering free access to its STEM-based education resources for teachers and students. The interactive resources include lesson plans and step-by-step project tutorials covering the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), among other subjects. https://edu.dfrobot.com/

DiscoverE has collected a series of articles with activities and videos for engaging students in engineering. That includes Friday conversations with engineers. https://discovere.org/at-home-engineering

Dreams for Schools has launched a coding-at-home initiative, with free online resources for elementary students and courses for middle school and high school students with slides and video lessons. The subjects: mobile app development and website development. The materials are being updated weekly. https://www.dreamsforschools.org/codingathome/

FIRST has collaborated with Star Wars: Force for Change, to create the "Building Star Wars Droids" activity. Students are charged with designing, pseudo-coding and/or building a robot that could assist with dispersal of COVID-19 aid in their community. The activity comes with a lesson plan for adults and design brief for students. https://www.firstinspires.org/community/home-learning

Girls Who Code has begun publishing free weekly activities--some online, some offline--as virtual curricula. The nonprofit, which focuses on encouraging female students to embrace technology-laden learning, has already released an activity for creating "binary bracelets," a lesson on programming a digital story with Scratch and a tutorial on creating tutorials in HTML and CSS. https://girlswhocode.com/code-at-home/

IBM has launched Open P-TECH, to help young people and educators pick up the basics in topics including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and cloud computing, as well as soft skills. Up until now, the P-TECH program has been provided as a model affiliated with schools. Now students who are 16 and older can register and participate on their own. https://www.ptech.org/open-p-tech/

iRobot is making virtual and offline coding projects available for elementary and middle school students for home use, some of which require no particular technology. The company is also providing teachers with free access to a subscription program that comes with the company's Root coding robot. To unlock the premium content, download the Root Coding app and enter the code, "LEARN" on the home screen.

KinderLab Robotics has developed a "No KIBO? No Problem!" booklet to help teachers and parents teach building, engineering and design and coding without technology. STEAM activities are intended for students three- to seven-years-old and come from KinderLab standards-aligned curriculum. Each activity includes guidance on learning objectives and the resources needed to complete the project. http://resources.kinderlabrobotics.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/03/No-KIBO-No-Problem-v3.pdf

LabsLand is providing online access to actual laboratories (not simulations) through school closures. The program is typically used to teach engineering, electronics, physics and other lab courses. The labs are located in 24 universities around the world, and students access them through a browser, to experiment and manipulate the labs remotely. To gain access, contact the company at [email protected] with "COVID-19" in the subject line or visit the covid-19 page. https://labsland.com/blog/en/2020/03/12/schools-and-universities-closure-support/

LearnToMod is offering free teacher accounts for its Minecraft "modding" software. Teacher accounts give educators the ability to spin up Minecraft servers for students to explore and to create and organize free student accounts into classes. For students without accounts, there is an in-browser Minecraft simulator. However, for the full experience, students need a copy of the game. https://www.learntomod.com/educators/

Learning.com is offering online open-source lesson plans for educators, students and parents, covering digital literacy and computational topics. The company is also providing free access to the EasyCode Foundations (CodeMonkey) curriculum and the EasyCode Pillars Python Suite (Codesters) curriculum. https://info.learning.com/virtual-learning-resources

Manticore Games has launched "Code Academy," a destination for free online classes for game creation and design. Courses include tutorials, videos and hands-on examples, as well as weekly livestreams where instructors answer questions directly. https://www.manticoregames.com/news/introducing-core-academy-and-core-game-dev-bootcamp

MetaCoders is offering daily coding lessons on YouTube. Curriculum covers computer science concepts, how to think like a programmer and how to code more efficiently. Lessons run between five and 15 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJwcNVM9uG03zUbYrUYeW0g

Minecraft (Microsoft) is making Minecraft Education Edition available free to teachers through June 2020. They need to have a valid Office 365 Education account. There's a brief educator quick-start guide that includes a set of "curriculum kits," projects that can be implemented with students working remotely. The Minecraft Education Challenge invites students to learn about sustainability and inclusion, and then to design projects using Minecraft. The company has also added a new education category within the Minecraft Marketplace, free of charge through June 30. Minecraft players can explore the International Space Station, wander through the inside of a human eye, learn what it's like to be a marine biologist and more. The world will be free to download through Jun. 30, 2020. Just look for the "free" tag. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/marketplace

PCS Edventures is making Blocksmith 3D Coding & Design free through Jun. 15, 2020. This 3D coding and game design program helps students learn how to code while creating animated, interactive games. The company is also promoting a number of free STEM and STEAM activities, to help teachers challenge their learners; many of the activities can be done offline. The company has also made its multi-lesson drone courses available free through Jun. 1, 2020. That includes "Droneology," for middle and high school students and "Droneology Jr." for younger students. https://edventures.com/pages/blocksmith-free-trial

RoboKind, which produces "advanced social robots," has made a virtual coding course from it robots4STEM Avatar Version for elementary and middle school students available through Jun. 30, 2020. The software uses an online avatar that students program rather than programming a physical robot. https://www.robokind.com/robots4stem/home

The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation has created a free online resource to strengthen students' STEM skills by allowing them to interact with virtual robots. https://www.roboticseducation.org/online-stem-learning-resources-and-activities/

Tynker is providing free access to its Tynker School Pre-K-12 coding curriculum until May 31, 2020 to schools and individual families. That includes Tynker Junior for early learners, introductory and intermediate programming courses, and interest-based courses, such as micro:bit, LEGO WeDo and drone programming. https://www.tynker.com/blog/articles/ideas-and-tips/15-free-coding-resources-from-tynker/

UBTECH is posting a free robotics-oriented challenge each week -- no robot needed. A recent challenge asked students to design then sketch or build a robot that would help doctors, nurses and caretakers with their workload and help them stay healthy. The company is also hosting a free webinar series that take "deep dives" into artificial intelligence to help educators make the subject "relatable and practical" for their students. https://ubtecheducation.com/homelearning/

VEX Robotics has launched VEXcode Virtual Robot (VR), a free web-based tool for delivering computer science lessons for those who don't have access to a physical VEX Robot at home. There are no software installations required, and the program functions on all major devices. https://www.vexrobotics.com/vexcode-vr

Crafting, Design & Making

Canva for Education is offering teachers forever-free access to its online design platform. The program, which is optimized for Chromebook, includes drag-and-drop tools to simplify visual communication. Students can create and co-create presentations, infographics, websites, reports, worksheets, posters, flyers and signage. The program includes access to 60,000 templates, two million images, 800,000 icons and illustrations and 700 fonts. Once teachers fill out the form, the company will verify the application. https://support.canva.com/account-basics/canva-for-education/apply-canva-for-education/

Craft in America is sharing its library of free content, including education guides for K-12 teachers, a decade's worth of free online video content and playlists, virtual exhibitions and at-home activities. https://www.craftinamerica.org/blog/for-educators

LEGO is sharing design simple challenges. The company has assembled LEGO designers, creatives and play experts to come up with new ways to help families "stay creative, curious and connected" while at home. Daily play challenges, new play ideas and live build-a-longs are being shared in photos and videos on social media using the hashtag #LetsBuildTogether and at www.lego.com/letsbuildtogether.

STEM Education Works has made a set of 26 3D printing lessons for K-12 available free. Although the lessons were developed to work with the Sindoh 3D printer, the company said they're universal and can be used with any 3D printer. Some lessons offer exercises that students can start at home and finish when they return to school. https://go.stemeducationworks.com/free-3d-printing-success-pack

We are Knitters is teaching students how to knit, short video by short video. https://www.weareknitters.com/learn-knit?type=1#homeschool

Wild, Free & Crafty, an online arts and crafts business, has launched daily online art lessons for students. The initial set of lessons uses supplies that many homes have (such as printer paper and markers). After the lessons are streamed, they're posted for viewing afterwards on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/c/wildfreeandcrafty

Math

ASSISTments is already free for use by middle school math teachers. The program allows them to assign homework or classwork and provide students with immediate feedback as they complete their assignments; teachers get a report showing individual student and class progress. There's a library of content that includes open textbooks, lessons and state test practice and skill-building problem sets. Now, the nonprofit is scheduling on-going sessions for helping teachers get ASSISTments set up for remote instruction. https://new.assistments.org/distance-learning

Carnegie Learning's LONG + LIVE + MATH has compiled a free blend of textbook and software resources to help with math classes. These include math lessons, skills practice and learning videos for students in grades 6-12. The company is also offering free access to its math coaching software, MATHia, until the end of the school year. https://www.carnegielearning.com/help-center/at-home-resources/at-home-resources-for-teachers/long-live-math-at-home/

Casio has several resources available to help with math education. The company is providing free access to ClassPad.net, a web-based calculator for calculations, graphing, geometry and statistics. There's also software to emulate Casio's most popular scientific and graphing calculators as well as downloadable calculator activities that teachers can assign for elementary, middle and high schools. https://www.casioeducation.com/remote-learning

ExploreLearning is providing free 60-day trial runs of three programs: For math and science, there are 400 "gizmos," covering topics and concepts in math and science for grades 3-12. "Reflex" helps students master basic math for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. And Science4Us covers inquiry, physical science, life science and earth and space science with lessons for K-2 students. https://web.explorelearning.com/coronavirus-response/

Good Calculators is providing a variety of free online calculators, to do math and statistics, engineering and conversions. The website also offers specialized calculators for financial, date and time, logistics, sales, sports and health. https://goodcalculators.com/

Hand2mind has launched a home learning resource for K-5 students. The "Learning at Home" program includes videos on math and literacy content taught by teachers and activities to reinforce the lessons and downloadable worksheets. The company has committed to posting new content daily. https://www.hand2mindathome.com/

I Know It is offering free access to its online math practice lessons for students in grades K-5. The site features over 500 graphical math activities. Animated characters guide students through math lessons, and hints and graphical explanations help them along when they need it. This tool tracks progress and scores for teachers and parents. Parents and teachers can request unlimited access in a form online. https://www.iknowit.com/access.html

JumpStart Academy is making JumpStart Academy Math free for users until Aug. 31, 2020. Domains include operations, measurements and data, fractions and geometry. Parents can play with children in team-based multiplayer games, students can design their avatars and children can "show their thinking," which can be accessed in the teacher dashboard to understand where gaps are surfacing. The content is available in Spanish. https://www.jumpstart.com/academy/math

JumpStart Academy and Edmodo are offering Edmodo's tutoring program AskMo for free. AskMo is a mobile app for Apple and Google devices to get live, personalized tutoring in math or science for students in grades 7-12. https://askmo.com/

Kiddom is offering math curriculum for grades 6-8 for free until August 2020. The materials include assessments and practice problems, multiple-choice auto-grading and resources for differentiated learning, English learners and students with disabilities. https://teach.kiddom.co/covid-support/

Knowre has announced that it would make its math service free to all American teachers, schools and districts through the end of the school year. Knowre Math is an online core supplement for grades 1-12 that needs only a browser to view or an iPad app. Features include "walk me through" support and targeted assignments to help the student work independently. Teachers receive access to student progress via a dashboard. https://www.knowre.com/school_closure_support/

Legends of Learning has opened access to its 2,000 standards-aligned math and science games for free for the rest of the school year to schools and parents. The company is also providing its premium-level custom assessments, scheduling features, data and analytics and training and support for all schools affected by closures.

LoonyLearn is making a bunch of free K-5 math and spelling games available to students. Paid family, teacher and school subscriptions are needed to get access to dashboards that can help the adults assign topics to their students and track progress. To get to the games, choose a selection on the giant wheel on the home page. https://www.loonylearn.com/

Mathchops helps students build core skills for standardized tests through adaptive games. Teachers can view high-level stats for their students, see individual questions and create and assign quizzes. All questions have explanations and are graded automatically. Versions for SAT, ACT, ISEE, and grades 4-11 are being made available free during the COVID-19 school closures. https://www.mathchops.com/signup/free-trial

MathNook has added new games and puzzles for play by students learning at home. The resources can be filtered by grade level, covering K-12, and include worksheets, mobile apps, tutorials and teaching tools. No registration is required for access to the games. https://www.mathnook.com/

Maths Chase, already free, provides online learning games to help students practice their math skills. Games include times tables and problems for addition, subtraction, division, odd and even, sequences, prime numbers and place values. https://www.mathschase.com/

MathTutor Educational Software is making its math tutorial software for grades 6-12 available to schools at no cost through Jun. 30, 2020. The series is available in online and desktop versions. The programs feature interactive, self-paced tutorials that help students build proficiency in math concepts and problem solving. https://www.mathtutor.com/coronavirus.html

Matific is making its math software free for 60 days. The program's Common Core learning standards-aligned activities, worksheets and word problems combine gamified activities with real-world problems, to help students see the relevance of what they're learning. Teachers can assign activities, assess results with the real-time reporting system and email progress reports home to parents. Access is provided through a school account. https://www.matific.com/us/en-us/home/onboarding/

MIND Research Institute is offering ST Math to parents, schools and districts for grades K-8, free through Jun. 30, 2020. The company has also compiled resources to help parents and teachers get their students up and running on the lessons. https://www.stmath.com/coronavirus

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, which is celebrating its hundredth birthday has announced 100 days of professional learning for educators -- for free. The organization is also offering free NCTM membership as well. Each webinar will run on Zoom and be held at 7 p.m. eastern time, leading up to the opening of the NCTM 2020 Annual Meeting in St. Louis, which begins on Oct. 21. The sessions, which are limited to 1,000 participants, feature a variety of speakers and topics geared to all grade levels and interests. The webinars will be recorded and made available the following day. https://www.nctm.org/100-Days-of-Professional-Learning/

Omni Calculator is continuing to make its thousand-plus free calculators available. Each one is targeted to help students and others handle any type of equation or conversion imaginable. As a home-schooling parent told us, each "is equipped with tips and detailed explanations of concepts to various scientific phenomena. They are fun, they are helpful and they can teach you a lot more than 2+2." https://www.omnicalculator.com/

Open Up Resources (OUR) and Kiddom have teamed up to offer free access to Open Up math curriculum for grades 6-8 within Kiddom's digital platform, through Aug. 1, 2020. Additional resources include the "No-Nonsense Distance Learning Resource Guide," weekly webinars to support teachers and districts, professional learning materials to aid with distance learning and peer-to-peer communications with the OUR education community. https://teach.kiddom.co/covid-support/

Sparx, a UK company, is making its math virtual classroom available free to schools affected by the coronavirus. Sparx Maths has been adapted to help teachers build online math lessons that can be delivered through a streaming channel of the teacher’s choice. The platform includes a "bank" of 2,000 learning objectives. As students complete their classroom online, it's automatically marked. Teachers can monitor the progress of every student in real-time, including whether students have joined the lesson and who might be struggling. https://learning.sparx.co.uk/virtualclassroom

Sumdog, which provides personalized math and spelling practice for grades K-8, uses games and rewards to encourage students in their studies. The company is offering full access free to all features and subjects for the duration of school closures until the start of the summer break. That includes online video guidance to support home learning, as well as one-on-one remote walkthroughs, daily teacher webinars and phone support. https://pages.sumdog.com/home-learning-during-school-closures/

UPchieve, a nonprofit that provides free, online math tutoring to low-income high school students, traditionally asks schools with participating students to pay a small fee to keep its service running. In response to COVID-19 school closures, that fee has been waived through the end of the school year. And any student who creates an account during this period can keep using UPchieve for free, forever, the organization said. The service works on any device; students choose the subject they need help with, and UPchieve matches them with a volunteer tutor in a virtual classroom. Students can get as many free sessions as they want. https://upchieve.org/school-closures

Voyager Sopris Learning is providing free access to VmathLive, a math program that lets students master the content at their own pace while earning badges, trophies, and points. The program is intended for grades K–8 and is available through Jul. 31, 2020. The trial is set up for a single-student login, but teachers may request access for a whole class. The company has also put together a "Step Up to Writing" program, to help teachers develop various strategies for supporting the writing done by their K-12 students. https://www.voyagersopris.com/remote-learning

Zapzapmath, a line of programs under Visual Math Interactive, is providing free premium subscriptions to "Zapzapmath School," through July 2020 for parents and teachers. This application for students in grades K-6 includes 180 math games, with a reward system, where students can redeem and personalize their own spaceship using coins they have earned from completing math games. https://www.zapzapmath.com/school

Zearn has made its K-5 math curriculum available for free to teachers. The content includes 400 hours of digital lessons with on-screen teachers and "supportive remediation," as well as paper-based materials that can be used device-free. The company is running continual webinars for district administrators, teachers and parents to help them get the service set up for their students. https://about.zearn.org/distance-learning

Z-kai has released extensive booklets with math worksheets for students in grades 2-5, selected from the company's Zoom-Up Workbook Math. According to the company, the worksheets contain "challenging problem sets and [are] tailored to develop students' math skills." https://zkaibooks.com/free-resources/#

Science

The American Museum of Natural History is sharing a bunch of online content for teachers and families to use during virus days. That includes the "OLogy" science website with lessons on subjects from anthropology to zoology; online science curriculum collections; virtual visits to the museum through its YouTube channel; and massive open, online museum courses delivered through Coursera. https://www.amnh.org/explore

Amplify has created a series of K-8 remote learning experiences in reading and science that are free and easy to use at home. https://freeresources.amplify.com/

Arizona State University has publicized access to three free educational resources it operates for K-12. The first two are "Ask an Anthropologist" and "Ask a Biologist." Activities include teacher toolkits with lesson ideas, podcasts with transcripts and videos showing the scientists in action, articles, puzzlers, experiments and the ability for students to ask experts questions. The third is "Virtual Field Trips," which provides 18 virtual trips with photos, explanations, short videos and maps. While the trips can be viewed on a computer, they really come to life through a virtual reality headset that allows for 360-degree viewing.

The Carnegie Science Center has set up an online educator resources page for students in K-12. The page includes links to lesson plans for simple science experiments that early learners can do, videos of behind-the-scene sessions at the Center's field station, do-it-yourself videos for maker science projects, an educator guide for engineering-themed lessons and a "STEM for Social Good" toolkit that can be used by middle and high schoolers who want to spark social change. The resources are being expanded weekly. https://carnegiesciencecenter.org/educators/online-educator-resources/

Carolina Biological Supply Company has curated a series of free science learning resources, grouped by grade bands (K-5, 6-8 and 9-12). In each group are grade-specific instructions, links to multimedia and cross-curricular activities that can provide "backyard" science projects using household materials. https://www.carolina.com/xm/service-updates?intid=hp_hero_serviceupdates

Chemistry Shorts is a new series of brief films about the role that the chemical sciences play in contemporary life. Each film is accompanied by a lesson plan to incorporate it into the classroom instruction. The first two films are also available on YouTube. https://chemistryshorts.org/

CREST, an awards program created by the British Science Association, is making free educational resources available for students ages 5-18 who are stuck at home. Each activity includes detailed lesson plans and extended learning ideas. Some require specialized component kits. https://collectionslibrary.crestawards.org/

Exploratorium, in San Francisco, has released a new online learning toolbox with free science activities and materials addressing public health topics around COVID-19 and more general science support activities and materials for virtual classrooms and at-home learning, covering the nature of viruses, the effect of soap on viruses, how we test for and fight against viruses, as well as the science of personal and social behaviors and interactions. The organization has also posted 285 science activities, called "science snacks," which use "cheap, readily available materials" and can be done at home. https://www.exploratorium.edu/learn

Science equipment reseller Flinn Scientific has compiled numerous resources for science education, including video labs with teacher and student guides and 40 at-home activities for middle and high school science students. The company is also offering broadcasts of lab experiments conducted by its own scientific staff, with scientists on hand to answer questions. https://www.flinnsci.com/athomescience/at-home-lab-series/

Generation Genius is offering access to its K-5 science resources for a month. According to the company, the videos and lessons are being produced in partnership with the National Science Teachers Association. The content is aligned to educational standards in all 50 states and are "easy for parents to use." Both teachers and parents can get access to their own accounts. https://www.generationgenius.com/

HERA Science is a beta version of an adaptive learning system for helping develop critical thinking skills through a combination of gamified digital activities, scientific phenomena, interactive simulations, real-time feedback and scaffolding tools. To learn more and gain access, contact mailto:[email protected] or mailto:[email protected]. https://actnext.org/research-and-projects/hera-science-adaptive-science-learning/

Labster, which provides virtual laboratory simulations for high schoolers, has made its software free. Some 100 lab experiments cover biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and general sciences, which students can perform "at their own pace." https://www.labster.com/covid-19/high-school/

LabXchange from Harvard University is an always- free resource that provides digital content compiled from multiple sources in the sciences, including lab simulations, which educators can mix into their own learning narratives and share with students. Among the functionality provided are social networking, class groupings, discussion forums and "mentorship" (to bring learners together with educators and researchers around the world). https://www.labxchange.org/

MEL Science has introduced free online science lessons with "practical experiments" that students can carry out at home, such as creating a DIY hand sanitizer, showing how to cool a drink with salt and how to make a simple barometer. The company has also launched MEL Academy, a set of webinars delivered by science teachers giving online science lessons and hands-on demonstrations of experiments for students ages 5 to 16. https://melscience.com/US-en/articles/

NOVA is streaming weekly "NOVA marathons," to provide educational and entertaining content for families at home. There are also free education resources available for each, including teaching tips, discussion questions and background essays. The sessions consist of multiple programs organized under content collections, covering space and the universe, the planets, black holes, Apollo,what the universe is made of, life beyond Earth and the fabric of the cosmos. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/nova-marathons-space-universe/

NOVA is also streaming free virtual field trips on Wednesday, which let students interact with researchers and ask questions in real-time. These begin at 10 a.m. Pacific time through YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/c/NOVAEducation

OpenSciEd, already available for free to teachers in face-to-face instruction, is promoting the use of functionality that works for online teaching. In particular, the organization's simulations allow students to explore scientific concepts. Teachers are also sharing how they're adapting the materials for online instruction through social sites, using the hashtag #OpenSciEd #Remote. https://www.openscied.org/openscied-approach/

Readorium's "Reading in Science" program is free for the rest of the school year. The online program teaches reading comprehension to students in grades 3-8, using science text that, according to the company, automatically adjusts to the right reading level. https://readorium.com/

Science Buddies, an always free service, is offering STEM activities that can be done in an hour or less and use materials found around the house; STEM videos; and resources about COVID-19, including an interactive tool that helps students learn how the pandemic evolves. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/

Smart Sparrow is making its "inspark Smart Courses" available free at no cost to institutions and schools. These are replacements for textbooks, that use interactive activities for learning. Instructors get tools to track student outcomes and customize the content using the Smart Sparrow platform. Courseware topics include biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, astrobiology, astronomy, geology, science for citizens, science writing, Galapagos exploration, global challenges and English composition. https://landing.inspark.education/teach

The Space Foundation is providing free educational resources for students, parents and teachers. These include downloadable lesson plans, grant writing guidance, space expert podcasts and how-to videos, including a professional development series for teachers. https://www.discoverspace.org/

Space Station Explorers is providing free learning activities tied to the International Space Station. Those include online videos, a way to request access to the ISS camera, research opportunities and hands-on projects to understand the basics of the ISS. https://www.spacestationexplorers.org/educational-programs/?_sft_program_package=free-programs

Vernier has produced free remote learning solutions to keep students engaged in STEM during school closures. That includes access to Vernier Video Analysis, which lets students use their mobile devices in video analysis work (through June 2020); Pivot Interactives for allowing students to vary experimental parameters one at a time (for 30 days); a free demo version of Logger Pro to allow students to collect and analyze data that is good until Oct. 1, 2020; as well 200-plus experiments with sample data covering numerous subjects. https://www.vernier.com/remote-learning/

STEM/STEAM (Integrated Multiple Disciplines)

Annenberg Learner and Two Bit Circus Foundation are offering free access to 150-plus STEAM projects for educators and families on Learner.org, the Annenberg Foundation's education division). According to the organizations, many of the projects use items people probably already have (Eggs! Legos!) and include resource guides to help the adults better communicate the learning concepts to the kids. (Go to filtering and choose "STEM/STEAM" in the subjects field. https://www.learner.org/search/

AVID Open Access is providing free "grab-and-go" lesson plans and teaching resources, including standalone STEM activities for four different grade bands, as well as subject-specific and grade-level appropriate examples, to show teachers how to embed digital tools in lessons to meet their learning objectives. This combination of tools, videos and class activities work with whatever curriculum, devices and platforms schools and families use. The organization emphasized that teachers don't need prior knowledge of AVID strategies. https://avidopenaccess.org/

Digital Media Academy is providing free access to teachers through Sep. 1, 2020. The organization's STEAM Learning Lab includes 30 technology education courses designed for any educator to use for professional development, to deliver in a blended learning environment, or to open up to students, who can learn directly from the online learning platform. Sign up at https://schools.digitalmediaacademy.org/teachers/.

Discovery Education has made its Discovery Education Experience digital service available to U.S. schools and districts that aren't already using the resources. The expansive platform provides access to 180,000 "assignable, editable" activities, videos, ready-to-use lessons and other resources" for K-12 math, science, social studies, English language arts and health. The company is also hosting a virtual conference on Mar. 26 and Mar. 27, 2020, to help educators apply Discover Ed resources in online education. https://www.discoveryeducation.com/virtual-learning/

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has opened a virtual classroom with a series of STEAM-focused lessons that combine Wright's principles of organic architecture and solutions-based design with hands-on activities that encourage students in grades 1-6 to think critically and creatively. The series includes a new lesson and corresponding video each week, which are meant to be turnkey; parents can turn on the video and have the student watch, learn and complete the activity on his or her own. https://franklloydwright.org/VirtualClassroom/

The Henry Ford Museum is currently making its "Innovate" curriculum free to educators and families; usually that's priced at $499 for the classroom. Geared primarily to middle school and high school students, the resources consist of a four-course, self-paced program of studies that connects STEAM and humanities through digital content and activities. The curriculum uses primary sources from the museum's Archive of American Innovation, a collection of 26 million artifacts that sheds light on the way people have innovated through history. There's also a free "Model I Primer" to help instructors understand how to use the lessons. https://www.thehenryford.org/education/innovate

JASON Learning is offering free access to its online STEM curriculum through the end of April. The nonprofit produces lessons for science, technology, engineering and math. Normally, it charges a per-student fee, which is being currently being waived. Interested schools and districts are asked to fill in a short online form to gain access. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEtjx-qWIf2Zp5-LqoHKpCTX5IimQFcyTe3J12s2waJK7Oag/viewform

The League of Young Inventors, a Brooklyn-based hands-on STEAM program, is building a series of free online projects and lessons to help students make, build and learn science at home. Each lesson includes a video to guide students through the project, teaching science concepts along the way; a list of household and basic crafting items for families to find and use; and an online guide with optional extension activities. http://yileague.org/online/

MarcoPolo Learning is offering 30-day free trials to MarcoPolo World School. The program provides a STEAM-based curriculum where children ages 3-7 have access to 450 video lessons and 3,000 interactive learning activities. https://www.marcopololearning.com/special-offer/MPL1M

Numerade is offering its asynchronous teaching platform and video library of 200,000 STEM lessons free. With the platform teachers can record lessons, take virtual attendance and conduct video Q&A with students.The company has also announced online summer camps, that allow students to take two-month STEM-related courses for free. https://www.numerade.com/office-hours/welcome/

The Paleontological Research Institution, along with its Museum of the Earth and Cayuga Nature Center venues in New York, has been compiling a list of online STEM resources for teachers and students. Those resources include content for Earth, life and climate science education, such as the Digital Encyclopedia of Ancient Life, 3D fossil images, "Teacher Friendly Guides to Earth and Climate Sciences" (each covering a specific region of the United States), nature guides, and You Tube videos. https://www.priweb.org/blog-post/learn-at-home

The Paper Girls Show is a freely available YouTube channel that shares short animated shows with two "best girlfriends" who inspire each other to tackle STEAM challenges. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClipY1UxTXoQY1-qqn-WFBg

Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT) is offering "STEAM learning activity sheets," free online tools that guide parents, guardians and students through hands-on learning activities, taking advantage of common household items and without the need to purchase additional materials. https://raft.net/steam-learning-activity-sheets/

SAM Labs is offering free access to several resources for educators. Those include STEAM lessons and challenges as well as professional development. The company is also offering teachers the opportunity to become SAM Labs-certified for no cost through June 2020. https://samlabs.com/us/digital-and-distance-learning

stemCONNECT is offering a free video library of recorded presentations led by Florida-based experts who talk about the applications of STEM in various high-tech careers. Program managers are also available to help teachers leading classes remotely who would like to host a guest scientist, researcher or other expert in their virtual classes. According to the organization, many of the experts are also working remotely "and would gladly donate their time to share insight about their career and the education needed to succeed in their profession." https://www.gotostage.com/channel/flstemconnect.

Find more resources for schools during the COVID-19 crisis here. Or return to the main list of free resources.

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