Women’s History Month in March is dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating the vital contributions of women in United States history and society. Some of the most important moments in history can be attributed to famous women in history in ways we don’t often consider. From the first successful space flight to the first flight over both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans- women make history, and in March, we honor women in history. It is important to teach about women’s history in the classroom year-round to ensure everyone has a full understanding of the ways in which our world is better when we all have an opportunity to allow our gifts to shine.

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access these standards-aligned activities and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

How to use Nearpod to teach Women’s History Month

Nearpod‘s interactive and collaborative lessons can help teach a range of topics that openly discuss women in STEM, social studies, the arts, and literature while encouraging civic and civil conversations. However you teach, there is a Nearpod lesson to support your exploration of women in History.

When discussing the U.S. Government, teach about Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth and their fight for the right to vote. When DNA comes up in Science class, reference Rosalind Franklin, who was the first to successfully capture an X-ray of DNA. Liven up chemistry discussions by teaching about Tapputi-Belatekallim, a perfumer from Ancient Babylon who is one of the first recorded chemists.

This blog post will walk through how to use free resources from Nearpod to teach students about women’s history in any classroom setting, for any subject, at any time of the school year. Let us help you incorporate famous women in history into your curriculum year-round with these resources!

Women’s History Month lessons: 5 ways to teach about famous women in history

1. Be inclusive of different perspectives in women’s history

When you approach a historical occurrence in your classroom, support students in recognizing that history is often written by “he,” who holds the pen. There is always more than one side to any story. In fact, “she” was there as well! Women have always been pivotal in our society, we must understand the role they played, examine the struggles they endured, and celebrate the accomplishments they made. Tie in historical narratives and artifacts that exhibit the women who were present as well.

Women’s History Month lessons that incorporate multiple perspectives:

Interactive social studies lessons to provide context on women’s rights in American and world history, such as Participate: Gender Equality.

Discuss influential and famous women today through current events lessons, such as the New Secretary of Interior: Deb Haaland.

Inspirational and interactive lessons highlighting the contributions of women from the past and present, like the Malala Yousafzai and Student Activism lesson.

Teach about famous women in American history using Interactive Video lessons, such as Ida B. Wells.

Teach about notable women authors in literature using Interactive Video lessons, such as this Just a Minute lesson about Jane Austen.

2. Create a classroom culture of encouragement by highlighting women in STEM

You must create a classroom culture that encourages girls to explore various types of careers, including those that are not traditionally associated with women. Women’s History Month is not just about commemorating the past but also about creating a future where girls can be whatever they want to be and have examples to help them along the way. Famous women in history have been trailblazing for ages- from Lozen, a gifted warrior who was a shield to the Apache people, to Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu, who is known as the “First Lady of Physics.”

Lessons that boost confidence and expose students to the endless possibilities that exist:

Examine why women and some races are underrepresented in STEM fields and explore how to be inclusive in career fields with this Learning for Justice lesson.

Explore women in STEM, such as the Interactive Video lesson about Marie Curie, a famous woman in history who discovered adium and polonium.

Explore under-recognized women’s legacies in American history, like Henrietta Lacks, whose HeLa cells contributed to impactful scientific advancements.

Biographies on the lives and contributions of under-recognized women in American history, such as the engaging lesson about Katherine Johnson in partnership with Flocabulary.

Teach about current events, such as the First All-Woman Spacewalk and 3D Sculptures at the Smithsonian lessons.

3. Inspire students with engaging hip-hop video lessons about famous women in history

As emerging global citizens, it is important to create opportunities for students to grow empathy and understanding with content that reflects their identities and cultures and introduces them to new perspectives. Flocabulary offers relevant, engaging, standards-aligned hip-hop videos and instructional activities that connect academic content to the five pillars of literacy. One of my favorite ways to incorporate Flocabulary is to include a Flocab video as an interactive activity in my Nearpod lesson. Students can also use the Lyric Lab feature to demonstrate mastery in creative ways. Hip-hop is the voice of the youth. Use Flocabulary to help students combine something they love with an opportunity to learn and grow. Flocabulary includes a ton of videos that highlight the contributions of women in history.

Check out these Flocabulary videos on amazing women in history and marginalized groups:

4. Prioritize teaching social and emotional skills and representation of gender

Use Nearpod’s interactive activities to help students practice social and emotional learning skills. Have them share how they feel about the women in history they are learning about.

Here are some Women’s History Month activities for students:

• Use a Poll activity to ask multiple-choice questions without a right answer to check for understanding. Take a class vote or highlight student opinions.
• Use an Interactive Video and allow the predetermined checks for understanding to be used as discussion prompts for classroom conversations.
• Do a Time to Climb activity, an educational game, with students that will level up the competition and engagement in the classroom while assessing their understanding.
• Use a Collaborate Board, a discussion board for collaborative learning, to empower student voice and choice in the classroom.
• Use a Matching Pairs activity to test students’ knowledge of women’s suffrage vocabulary terms.

5. Dive deep into women’s history and rights

Delve into pivotal moments and figures from history and today with our collection of lessons and videos centered around the rich tapestry of women’s history and rights. Use this as an opportunity to discuss the ongoing struggle for gender equality, spanning from the suffrage movement to women’s rights advocacy. By incorporating these resources into your Women’s History Month ideas for school, you can empower students to understand the significance of women’s rights while fostering a commitment to equality and justice.

Here are some of the Women’s History Month lessons and videos to explore:

• Women’s History Month – Grades K-5 lesson: In this holiday lesson, students learn about the origins of Women’s History Month and why people celebrate it.
• Women’s Suffrage – Grades 7-12 lesson: This lesson describes the causes and effects of the women’s suffrage movement, and identifies important people behind the movement.
• Gender Stereotypes in Media – Grade 2 lesson: In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students learn what media is and consider some of the roles media might play in their lives.
• Why Are There So Few Women in Computer Science? – Grades 6-12 video: In this Origin of Everything video, students learn about the important history of women in computer science and how several factors contributed to the decline of women in the field in the late 20th century.
• Women in the 19th Century – Grades 6-12 video: In this Crash Course video, you will learn about the history of women in the United States.

Start teaching with these Women’s History Month activities

We’re so excited to see you use these lessons and activities to celebrate Women’s History Month. Remember, Nearpod is an opportunity to leverage engagement and interaction and prioritize students’ social and emotional learning needs when discussing women in history. Happy Women’s History Month!

New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for a free Nearpod account below to access these standards-aligned activities and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Quinae Jackson and Marcela Labrador

My name is Quinae Jackson, I am in my 10th year in education. I am the East Coast Brand Ambassador for Nearpod. I’m passionate about sharing ways for teachers to maximize instructional technology and facilitate learning environments that promote discourse, and collaboration.

My name is Marcela Labrador, I am a former teacher and professional development specialist. I am currently the West Coast Brand Ambassador for Nearpod. I am passionate about educational equity, social justice, and using technology with fidelity for educational purposes. 

The post How to teach Women’s History Month: Notable women in history lessons appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

STEAM education, which evolves from STEM, cultivates essential skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. By integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (hence the acronym), it empowers students to tackle complex problems, embrace diverse perspectives, and prepares them for their future careers.

However, STEAM extends far beyond an art-focused science fair project. STEAM education is intricate, resembling a captivating puzzle rather than a mere science-themed arts and crafts activity. Each piece of this educational puzzle is indispensable, contributing to the final picture that emerges. To facilitate the creation of engaging and transdisciplinary units of STEAM in the classroom for any grade level, teachers can leverage powerful tools like Nearpod and Flocabulary.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!

Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod and the 21st Century Readiness Program for schools and districts.

7 STEAM education examples using Nearpod and Flocabulary

1. Problem-based projects

The first puzzle piece in creating an amazing STEAM unit is to select a problem for students to solve. A problem-based project creates a setting for processing skills, such as collaboration, analyzing, and modeling, to take place. This can also help create a context for students’ learning experiences.

Examples of project-based learning (PBL) STEAM scenarios:

• For Elementary Students: How can we create an outdoor “green” MakerSpace that will connect to our existing playground and be able to withstand our city’s year-round weather conditions?
• For Middle and High School Students: How can we raise awareness about the dangers of vaping for young people, and how can we help stop teens from vaping?

2. Incorporate STEAM content into projects

Try to incorporate the five components of STEAM: science, technology, engineering, art, and math, when creating a project. STEAM education examples begin with a problem and weeds in the five content areas asking, “What is the most useful way to solve the problem?”

Nearpod’s Lesson Library has 22,000+ ready-to-run, editable lessons that provide the foundational material students need to help solve these problem-based projects. Regardless of the subject matter, teachers can add a pre-made Nearpod lesson or activity to their Library. Teachers can ‘Add Content’ or an activity such as PhET simulations or Draw It to create a transdisciplinary lesson. Transdisciplinary teaching foregrounds the problem to be solved, not the content area.

3. Tie back to real-world issues

The problem-based STEAM unit should be about a current event or real-world issue involving student interests. It should be selected from a local, community-based problem. However, that does not mean that you can’t select a problem that is a global issue, particularly if it is a current hot topic amongst your students.

Under Flocabulary’s Life Skills lessons, you can find authentic global topics. These topics include bullying, diversity, activism, nutrition, and internet safety. For example, in the Nearpod and Flocabulary lesson on Culture, students learn about how culture impacts various aspects of our lives. This can start a conversation on how to solve some of the cultural issues in their own community.

Additionally, Flocabulary’s Week in Rap is a weekly, rapped recap of important headlines and student news used for teaching current events. Two new videos are released each week: The Week in Rap for grades 6 to 12 and The Week in Rap Junior for grades 3 to 5. Watch these lesson videos with your students to keep them up to date on real-world events and issues which can be tied back to your STEAM education resources and examples.

4. Create inquiry-rich opportunities

To create an inquiry-rich STEAM education unit, students should be able to choose from multiple pathways to solve the problem and practice critical thinking skills. By the end of the unit, students should feel led toward further inquiry. Teachers can include a question at the end of each day’s lesson (i.e., Exit Ticket) by using Nearpod’s Collaborate Boards, Open-Ended Questions, or Polls.

5. Encourage student choice

When students have a choice, they feel more ownership over the tasks, which increases student engagement! Students will typically choose something they are good at. This helps them demonstrate their strengths and engages different ability types. Additionally, student choice encourages multiple ways to solve a problem. Nearpod gives teachers the tools to create engaging lessons where students can be STEAM puzzle builders.

6. Technology integration

App smashing is a great way to integrate technology into your STEAM teaching unit. Student-paced Nearpod lessons introduce and connect students to tech tools they can use to solve their problem-based scenarios. Teachers can use Flocabulary, which includes hip-hop videos and creativity assessment tools that give teachers a new way to captivate students while engaging them in academically rigorous content. This tool supports content knowledge and visual arts integration in the classroom and even allows students to create their own raps using vocabulary words in Lyric Lab. They can also use Google Slides for group collaboration or Nearpod’s Time to Climb for a gamified formative assessment.

7. Provide feedback in real-time

As teachers become the facilitators of the lesson, students are provided opportunities to receive individual feedback and are able to take multiple pathways of inquiry. The outcome is that every group’s final project will look different from one another. With Nearpod’s Teacher Dashboard, you can access real-time insights into student learning. You’ll be able to see individual student responses and class scores.

Teach STEAM with Nearpod

These seven pieces come together to create a powerful STEAM education unit to transform students into creative and collaborative problem solvers. Nearpod is the puzzle box that stores all these puzzle pieces together.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!

Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod, Flocabulary, and the 21st Century Readiness Program for schools and districts.

Christina Blanco

The post 7 STEAM education examples using Nearpod and Flocabulary appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

STEM education in Australia has gained significant momentum over the years, emerging as a cornerstone of the country’s educational landscape.

Based on information gathered by the Department of Education¹, Australia faces pressing concerns regarding its STEM landscape and the implications for its future trajectory. The percentage of secondary school students opting for STEM courses in later stages (Years 11 and 12) has stagnated at around 10% or lower.

There’s concerning news about how Australian students are doing in science and math. They’re either not getting better or just staying the same, while other countries are improving. While four countries or economies outperformed Australia in PISA mathematics back in 2003, this number surged to 23 by 2018.

In 2015, all Australian education ministers endorsed the National STEM School Education Strategy 2016–2026. The strategy emphasizes foundational skills, mathematical and scientific literacy, digital literacy, problem-solving, critical analysis, and creative thinking skills. It aims to coordinate and enhance STEM education activities across the country.

Sharon Raj, a primary school teacher (STEM RFF) at Dee Why Public School, Australia, is aware of all these challenges and is determined to make the subject really exciting for her students.

She tackles the task of overcoming the hurdles in providing STEM education to a diverse range of students spanning from kindergarten to grade 6. Her solution?

She uses Nearpod to differentiate learning, create active learning experiences, and connect with her students.

Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Navigating STEM Challenges in Australia: A Teacher’s Insight on Transforming Education with Nearpod

Sharon’s initial introduction to Nearpod came through New South Wales’ Technology for Learning program, commonly known as STEM T4L. Reflecting on her experience, she exclaims, “Dealing with the diverse needs of each student in a classroom can be quite challenging. Fortunately, Nearpod has been a lifesaver!”

We interviewed Sharon to dive deeper into the valuable insights gained from her journey with Nearpod.

What are the main challenges of STEM education in Australia?

“STEM is not a traditional classroom subject. It involves project-based learning, problem-solving, and using technology. Students bring diverse experience levels into the classroom based on their exposure and access to technology at home. Some students may have spent time being creative using building blocks. Some others may not have had the opportunity. STEM education, therefore, must cater to this diversity in students.

The second challenge is that since STEM is not a traditional subject, students find it uncomfortable. Learning involves trial and error, and, most importantly, failing but then trying again. The idea of failing can be uncomfortable for many students. It is hard to change their mindset about this. To engage and motivate them, I introduce them to game-based learning to get them used to the idea of experimenting.”

Did you always want to be a teacher? When did your love for teaching start?

“I did not start my career as a teacher. I am trained in the sciences. I stumbled upon teaching when I helped at my children’s school during my early motherhood years. I loved being around children so much that I decided to train as a primary school teacher.

When the school decided to pay attention to STEM education, they needed someone to teach the digital technology curriculum. So, I stepped up. I could use these technology kits, including robots, in my lessons. It has been a rewarding journey because I get to discover and grow with the students.”

Tell us about your Nearpod experience. Are there any special instances that you would like to share?

“I remember when I first got training on Nearpod, especially the [Virtual Reality] Field Trip feature. Seeing the students light up at the 360-degree beach view was amazing – they were so excited! I found all these tools really helpful to keep them engaged.

I was curious to try out the other stuff in Nearpod, like gamification and the Draw It feature. But what really surprised me was the instant feedback I could get. When I asked the students questions, their responses blew me away. I never knew they had such thoughts. And the cool part was even the quiet students who usually keep to themselves joined in. Their answers really convinced me of how powerful Nearpod is.

As a STEM teacher, I come across many apps, but not many excite me. But with Nearpod, I was genuinely thrilled about the possibilities it offered.”

What are the benefits of using Nearpod in classroom teaching?

“Nearpod activities are especially useful when I need to explain complex concepts. When I simply talk about these concepts, students find it boring to listen. With Nearpod, every student has a screen, so they already feel as though they are interacting.

I also use Nearpod to wrap up a project after introducing the concepts. When I ask them to respond, every student can respond at the same time, even those who are typically nervous about speaking in front of their friends, or students for whom English is not a first language. With this feature, I know exactly what each student is thinking. It is an amazing personalization tool for a teacher.

In the STEM classroom, there is a lot of project work and hands-on work. It is difficult to gauge where a student is. Using Nearpod as a quick, low-stakes assessment tool without scaring the students too much has been fantastic! It has saved a lot of time in being able to reuse/reconfigure a lesson. It has revolutionized the way I teach!”

Please share an example of when you used Nearpod for good results.

“Recently, I played a video for a class about the use of technology in sustainable agriculture. After the video, I asked them questions. I was shocked by the students’ limited ability to retain information from the video. I had to play the video again and point out the details for them to learn better.

When I use Nearpod, even if I play a short video, I can highlight key points, and insert open-ended questions that make the students pause and think. So, getting students to engage and interact with videos has been great with Nearpod.”

What are your top tips for maximizing the use of Nearpod in STEM education?

There are a few things to keep in mind when planning your lessons to ensure that your students will have the best learning experience. A good STEM lesson should:

• Be hands-on: The best STEM lessons involve practical activities where students can use their hands, whether they’re designing a concept or creating and building something themselves. Nearpod can facilitate this by enabling you to incorporate virtual labs, simulations, and interactive activities into your lessons. This way, students can explore concepts in a controlled yet engaging environment, enhancing their understanding and retention.
• Incorporate the Collaborate Board during classroom sessions to foster interactivity. This feature allows students to share their ideas in a collaborative space, providing insight into their thought processes and encouraging meaningful discussions.
• Take advantage of Draw It’s utility. Often, a quick sketch can significantly enhance understanding. This drawing feature enables students to visually communicate their ideas, facilitating comprehension and exploration. Importantly, using this tool on an iPad offers a less intimidating platform compared to traditional pencil-and-paper drawing, allowing students to explore concepts without hesitation.
• Mimic real-life scenarios: This is another reason why hands-on learning is so essential. One of the most important things about STEM is that it helps students learn skills that will be immediately useful in the outside world. Nearpod’s ability to simulate real-world scenarios through interactive presentations and simulations allows students to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical situations, preparing them for the challenges they may face beyond the classroom.
• Utilize the Open-Ended Questions tool to create a safe and encouraging environment for students to freely express themselves. By ensuring that only the teacher can view their responses, students can confidently share their thoughts, opinions, and ideas without the pressure of public scrutiny.

Start using Nearpod for STEM education

Ever since incorporating Nearpod, students at Dee Why Public School have been freely expressing themselves without any hesitations. They’re approaching classroom learning with heightened curiosity, particularly when it comes to interactive screen engagement and virtual excursions.

One of the most significant achievements attributed to Nearpod is its role in enabling me to connect with every single student in the classroom.

Foster a love of learning in every student with Nearpod. Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Nearpod Team

Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.

nearpod.com/

The post Educator Spotlight: Elevating STEM education in Australia with Nearpod appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

New to Nearpod? Sign up for free to access interactive activities, standards-aligned lessons, and more!

Make teaching science interactive with Nearpod

We’ve curated a Science Lesson Guide for Grades K-8 so you can spend less time searching for resources and more time doing what you love: teaching. With ready-to-launch lessons, activities, and videos, these guides can help you remediate key skills, reteach concepts, and even prep for testing time.

Download lesson guide

5 Tips and activities for teaching interactive science in the classroom

I’ll be sharing practical tips for planning your interactivescience lessons using interactive classroom technology! The 5E instructional model is one of the most effective ways to deliver instruction. The 5E model guides students through engaging, exploring, explaining, elaborating, and evaluating new concepts.

1. Engage students with a phenomenon, a problem, or an event

In this phase, students focus on a phenomenon, a problem, or an event. When searching for phenomena, I like to use resources such as The Wonder of Science, NGSS Phenomena, and Georgia Science Teachers Association. More importantly, the phenomena can be right under your nose in your classroom and in your community. 

Here are ways to introduce an anchoring phenomenon interactively:

Interactive Video

Use Nearpod’s Interactive Video tool. Upload a video onto the lesson and watch it together with your students. Embed an Open-ended question at a specific point of a video. The video will pause to elicit student thinking.

3D Models

Using Nearpod’s 3D models allows students to manipulate both an animal and plant cell. Elicit student thinking by asking students to generate questions or observe what they see. 3D models enable an immersive experience for students to dive deeper into the topic being taught. Conrith also has premade lessons with immersive, 3D lifelike models on Nearpod.

Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trip

Embed a VR Field Trip onto a Nearpod lesson and take students to different biomes around the world. With VR experiences, students can go take a trip anywhere in the world while still staying in the classroom. Add a Collaborate Board as the next activity in your lesson to spark discussion about observations students made.

Elicit student thinking with interactive science activities

Introducing students to the Phenomenon is excellent, but we must ensure we foster opportunities for students to ask questions, share observations, and express their understanding of an idea. Collaborate Board, Open-Ended Questions, or Draw It activities are great Nearpod features to use. These features will also help you gauge current student understandings and misconceptions.

2. Explore ideas by having students investigate and construct models

In this phase, students explore ideas. Students can explore ideas by designing their own investigations and constructing models. A great feature Nearpod has is PhET Simulation, which has virtual math and science simulations. Allow students to explore the simulation by giving them a simple challenge. Here’s an example of how you can use PhET Simulations in your lessons:

Circuit Construction

Use Circuit Construction and ask students: “What materials do we need to make the light bulb light?”  Let the students explore the features and figure out the challenge. Allow students to take a screenshot of their results to use for a later part of the 5E model.

3. Have students explain what they’ve learned

Explain can be broken into two parts: student explanation and a time for teachers to provide resources.

Student explanation

Let’s refer back to the PhET simulation example from the Explore stage. Students can use Draw It to upload their models and provide an explanation. If you are using a live session, the “Share” option allows all students to see other student models anonymously. Can you imagine the potential discourse from this? Asking questions such as do you agree or disagree and why? This also promotes opportunities for students to explain their thinking. I made myself a student and added an incorrect model to promote opportunities for error analysis.

Teachers: Provide resources

Teachers, this is the part where you are providing resources and explaining ideas. Nearpod features that can support the explain phase are:

• Flocabulary is a great way to provide information using upbeat songs to connect the experience to the science content. 
• The slide deck you already have doesn’t have to go to waste. You can upload them to the slide feature.
• Web content can take students directly to the source of information.

4. Have students elaborate their thinking and apply skills

During this phase, students can extend their thinking and apply skills. Students can use PhET Simulation to go beyond existing ideas. I like using the Circuit Simulation because you can do so much with that simulation. Here are some examples of questions to ask students:

• Ask students: “What happens when you add more light bulbs to the simple circuit?” From there, they can design a solution to keep all the lights from dimming.
• Suggest for students is to design a circuit where one light bulb stays on while the other stays off. This can introduce the idea of different types of circuits, such as parallel circuits.
• Ask students these questions using Nearpod’s interactive formative assessment tools such as Draw It, Open-Ended Questions, Time to Climb, and Collaborate Board.

5. Finish the instruction by evaluating

If you are applying the phenomena storyline method, remember to tie the phenomena back into instruction. Our goal as educators is for students to take ownership of their learning. For them to do that, we have to involve them. Here are some ways to access student knowledge:

• Poll: Get a pulse check on how students feel about the content.
• Matching Pairs: Allow them to practice what they’ve learned by matching definitions, words, ideas, and images.
• Time to Climb: Encourage friendly competition with an educational game.
• Flip: Have students evaluate their and peers’ learning by reviewing each other’s videos.

Many of the activities in Nearpod lend themselves to assessing student learning. While this is the final phase, I do believe 5E isn’t always linear. We should take multiple opportunities to evaluate student learning. Nearpod has so many differentiated options that you can use throughout science instruction, such as:

• Quiz: Add the traditional multiple-choice, which includes the self-grading feature. 
• Open-Ended Questions: Take the multiple-choice to the next level. Students can use this to explain their choices.
• Draw It: Students can construct models or annotate over an uploaded image.
• Flip: Flip can be used to answer a question or explain the phenomenon you started within the Engage phase. 

Start teaching interactive science with Nearpod

Nearpod has presented many ways to still provide quality science instruction for our students through the 5E model. We can engage with anchoring phenomena through the use of video and reflecting questions to elicit student thinking. Students can still engage in our Science and Engineering Practices through Nearpod, which we briefly touched on throughout the different stages of 5E. We can go deeper with each of the 5E stages and our Science and Engineering Practices. Still, for now, I hope the ideas presented to you will get you motivated to use Nearpod as an intricate resource for instructional planning in your next science class. Let’s Continue Activating Student Learning!

Chanel Johnson

Chanel Johnson is a  Nearpod PioNear, STEMtastic Specialist with a focus on 3D Science, Math and Tech Integration.

The post Interactive science: Teaching with the 5E model in the classroom appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

What is coding in digital literacy?

There are many ways to teach students digital literacy skills to build strong digital citizens, including coding. Coding, or computer programming, can be described as a language to communicate with computers. To be understood in any language, certain grammatical rules have to be followed, such as subject then verb and ending with punctuation. In coding, the student is the writer, and the computer is the reader. For example, for your message to be understood by the computer, you must be specific in your commands. Syntax matters. No <>tag, “”quote or ;semicolon can be out of place. Understanding and being able to write these rules is a form of digital literacy.

Interested in exploring a digital literacy, coding, and computer science curriculum for your school? Nearpod’s 21st Century Program includes interactive computer science lessons, activities, assessments, and videos covering topics like coding, applications of technology, digital literacy, and more.

Keep reading to explore Nearpod lessons you can use in your classroom to teach coding.

New to Nearpod? Make sure you’re signed up to access these lessons and activities!

Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

How does coding support social and emotional learning skills?

Teaching students to code can help build SEL skills by practicing a growth mindset, handling their emotions, fostering collaboration, and allowing them to express themselves creatively. The attention to detail required to write code reveals and shapes characters successfully. Will a “run” error message due to a missing forward slash cause your student to give up or go back line by line to find the mistake? The revisioning and editing process teaches grit and stresses the importance of having a growth mindset, which is an important social and emotional learning skill for students.

Additionally, when working in groups, coding fosters collaboration! My students simultaneously learn the hard skill, coding, and soft skills involved with working in teams, both of which prepare them for careers in STEM. Relying on each other to be successful builds an appreciation for the strengths others bring to the table.

Coding can also be used as a form of self-expression and empowerment for students. It allows the student to take a blank page and treat it as a canvas. Who wouldn’t feel like a superhero knowing you took something from being void and without form to life? Block-based coding sites like Code.org, Scratch, Minecraft, and Nearpod allow students to create their own games and projects to no end!

Computer Science: Coding lessons for teaching K-12 students

All of these lessons and activities can be found in Nearpod’s lesson library. With Nearpod, you can make slides-based lessons interactive with activities and formative assessments. Click on the lessons below to preview their content and the activities.

Computer Science Education (CSEd) Week and Hour of Code

This Computer Science Education Week inspires your students to become the next generation of leaders in STEM using free and ready-to-run computer science lessons, activities, and videos. You can save time planning an Hour of Code activity with our collection of prebuilt coding and computer science lessons. Use these lessons to teach CS and coding to your students during this week and beyond.

Coding lessons

• Virtual Career Fair: STEM (Career Exploration: 3-5)
  • In this College and Career Exploration lesson, students learn what STEM careers are, consider which STEM roles would match their skill set, and take virtual field trips to STEM job sites, including a replica of a space station.
• Coding (Flocabulary: Grades 3-12)
  • In this 25-30 minute Nearpod featuring Flocabulary topic spark, students are introduced to coding through a hip-hop video and interactive features.
• Katherine Johnson & the Human Computers (Flocabulary: Grades 5-12)
  • In this 25-30 minute Nearpod featuring Flocabulary topic spark, students are introduced to coding through a hip-hop video and interactive features.
• Women in Computer Science (Perspective Analysis: Grades 6-12)
  • In this Windows & Mirrors mini-lesson, students watch a video about women in computer science and consider how the video is a window, a mirror, or both for them.
• AI in Schools (Current Events: Grades 6-12)
  • In this Windows & Mirrors mini-lesson, students watch a video about women in computer science and consider how the video is a window, a mirror, or both for them.

Computer Science games

• Computer Terminology (Grades K-5)
  • In this technology activity, teach computer terminology to students by using Nearpod’s interactive game quiz, Time to Climb.
• History of the Computer (Grades K-5)
  • In this gamified activity, students demonstrate their understanding of the history of computers using Time to Climb.
• Coding (Time to Climb: Grades 6-12)
  • In this interactive activity, students demonstrate their understanding of HTML coding concepts using Nearpod’s Time to Climb.
• Artificial Intelligence (Time to Climb: Grades 6-12)
  • In this coding game, students demonstrate their understanding of artificial intelligence concepts using Time to Climb.

Computer science activities

• Computer Vocabulary (Grades K-5)
  • Students practice their computer vocabulary by pairing terms with definitions in this Matching Pairs activity on Technology Applications.
• Internet Vocabulary (Grades K-5)
  • In this Matching Pairs activity, empower kids to learn about the internet by practicing their internet vocabulary and pairing terms with definitions.
• Artificial Intelligence Frayer Model (Grades 6-8)
  • In this Draw It activity, students complete a Frayer model for the term “Artificial Intelligence”.
• Keyboard Shortcuts Scenarios (Grades 6-12)
  • In this Matching Pairs activity on Technology Applications, students strengthen their understanding of keyboard shortcuts by applying their vocabulary skills to practice problems.

Coding interactive videos

• It’s the Internet! (PBS Kids: Grades K-5)
  • In this video, students discover if we can weigh the internet, we hear what life was like before technology, and we are tempted by pie.
• Explore Technology (Netflix Jr: Grades K-5)
  • Use this engaging and musical video for teaching kids about computers, cell phones, electricity, and more in a fun and informative way.
• Career Spotlight: Software Engineer (KQED: 6-12)
  • This video introduces students to Jessica Mong, a software engineer who works in a tech company and writes code to ensure that customers can access and pay for surveys.
• Let’s Make an AI that destroys video games (Crash Course: 9-12)
  • In this video, high school students learn to develop games. They also learn coding and programming.
• Inside Your Computer (TED-Ed: Grades 9-12)
  • In this video, students learn how a computer works. They also learn the different components of a computer responsible for executing an instruction.
• Introduction to Programs Data Types & Variables (Khan Academy: Grades 9-12)
  • In this video, students are introduced to data types and variables in programming.
• How Will AI Change the World? (TED-Ed: Grades 6-Higher Ed)
  • In this video, students are introduced to data types and variables in programming.

Get started teaching coding with Nearpod

I work as a K-12 Instructional Technology Specialist. Prior, I spent 10 years as a classroom Social Studies teacher and department chair. I regret not doing more to introduce any of these concepts in my class. While proficiency in the basics is important, as digital natives, I could have taken my students to a higher level by exposing them to the principles of designing technology. A skill sought by every industry today. Don’t miss your chance to open a world of opportunity for your students.

Let’s continue the conversation about the importance of coding and computer science education. Nearpod has a Digital Citizenship and Literacy supplemental curriculum available in the 21st Century Readiness Program. Include these resources in your lesson plans to support instruction in digital citizenship, computer science, coding, applications of technology, and media literacy.

If you’re interested in accessing the lessons mentioned in this blog post, sign up for Nearpod for free by clicking below!

Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.

Danica M. Botts

Danica is a K-12 Instructional Technology Specialists in Lamar CISD, Rosenberg, TX. She geeks out over helping teachers find innovate ways to connect with their students.

The post Computer Science: Coding lessons for teaching K-12 students appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

Nasa eClips

With NASA eClips lessons students draw real-world connections to Earth and Physical Science concepts using short video segments and stimulating virtual expeditions. These 5E lessons promote a student-centered learning environment where students build their own understanding of new ideas.

Explore NASA eClips

Starman by the Nearpod Team

In this space travel lesson, students investigate the SpaceX launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket and Starman’s journey in a Tesla Roadster in orbit to Mars. Students also observe an orbital simulation and predict when Starman will be closest to Mars. A great lesson to showcase current events in space exploration.

Amplify

Amplify inspires students to read, write, and argue like scientists to gain a better understanding of the world, as the gain the foundational ELA skills.

Corinth

Corinth has interactive 3D models that augment classroom learning. Take students on a journey to outer space and beneath the Earth’s many layers to explore what our planet is made of, above and below the surface, with this 5E lesson.

Explore Corinth

Nearpod featuring videos by BBC Worldwide

Nearpod has also developed over 150 lessons for elementary and secondary school students that feature BBC videos. You can find an exciting new video on a variety of real-world issues and almost any topic that challenge students to think critically. Explore 5 ways to use BBC videos to promote student inquiry. In this lesson, students will learn about autonomous robots and debate some of the ethical questions surrounding these man-made machines. 

Education.com

Students learn key background information including what constellations are, how they can be identified, and how the patterns of the stars change from season to season.

Looking for more space exploration lessons for your classroom?

Explore the Collection

Nearpod Team

Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.

nearpod.com/

The post Journey Through the Universe with Nearpod appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

PhET simulations engage students in science and math concepts through an intuitive, game-like environment. Students learn through exploration and discovery. Developed at the University of Colorado – Boulder, these simulations are a perfect way to incorporate inquiry into your science or math classroom. They are great as no-prep labs!

Why PhET and Nearpod?

Earlier this year, Nearpod and PhET teamed up to bring their interactive simulations to bring teachers another way to use Nearpod to deepen student learning. We’ve added all of PhETs HTML5 simulations to our content tool (they work on all devices–just like Nearpod!), and released a growing collection of 50 ready-to-run lessons that follow the BSCS 5E model and are aligned to NGSS’s Appendix F.

By launching PhET simulations through Nearpod, EVERY student participates in the exploration, which is directly embedded in your Nearpod lesson. Now, these simulations can be a seamless part of the learning experience, and all students can instantly access. Best of all, as the teacher, you decide when it’s time to move on–with zero cleanup!

Adding PhET Simulations to your Nearpod Presentation

Adding PhET simulations to your Nearpod lesson is just as easy as adding any of our other interactive or content features.

Add slide, add content, click PhET simulations.

They can be added to any of your own lessons, or customize a ready-to-teach lesson from our content store!

Ready-to-Teach Lessons

Want to explore our PhET lessons?

Get PhET lessons

Nearpod Team

Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.

nearpod.com/

The post Leveraging PhET Interactive Simulations using Nearpod appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

My school has a grant to purchase iPads for every child on our campus. This makes using Nearpod incredibly easy and an almost daily activity.

My favorite Nearpod lesson is Rick Meyer’s lesson on Animal Adaptations. It was such a great summary of  everything I taught in our animal adaptations unit. The kids interact and contribute to the lesson, and it’s easy to prep since I don’t have to hunt down all of the resources!

Before I used Nearpod, I searched for resources that showcased each type of adaptation, then added everything to a Powerpoint presentation, which I projected in front of the class. I also printed paper worksheets or quizzes for my students to complete during the lesson. Now, I  have it all in one place!

My students are much more engaged in the lesson since everyone can participate and share their answer for every question, and there’s a variety of ways to convey new information, from images to videos to virtual field trips and draw-it activities. Then, it’s easy for me to assess my students at the end of the lesson to make sure they understand the different types of adaptations. Less time planning for me, and more fun for my kids!

Check out Animal Adaptations and Rick’s other science lessons here.

Nearpod Team

Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.

nearpod.com/

The post My Favorite Nearpod Lesson – Animal Adaptations appeared first on Nearpod Blog.

This is a guest blog post by Travis Edwards, a Health & PE teacher at Tarneit Senior College in Melbourne, Australia.

Nearpod has a variety of ready-to-teach Health and Virtual Field Trip lessons

to engage your students. Read about how Mr. Edwards engages his health

& PE students with Nearpod.

I am a Health and PE teacher, and one of the subjects I teach is Health and Human Development to Senior High School students. Every student in my class has their own Chromebook, which I take advantage of by building lessons with Nearpod.

My favorite Nearpod Lesson is ‘Determinants of Health’. This lesson looks at the things that impact on our health both positively and negatively, including lifestyle choices, physical environment and social factors.

Each of the determinants is unique, and to effectively deliver the lesson, a wide variety of resources and activities to explain each of the determinants is used.

Using Nearpod allowed me to build a lesson where all of these activities and resources are seamlessly pulled together and built into the Nearpod lesson. This assisted greatly in keeping students on track without constant instructions of ‘where to go or what to do next’ prompts.

The lesson utilizes a number of Nearpod features to explain the content such as video, Nearpod Virtual Field Trips, and links to websites. Using a mixture of media to explain concepts promoted student engagement with the lesson and their understanding of key concepts.

I previously taught this topic by presenting the information to students using a PowerPoint presentation with the use of YouTube clips throughout the lesson to help explain some of the key concepts. I also wrote URLs on my whiteboard and asked students to visit websites to find key information.

Creating this lesson on Nearpod allowed me to pull so many different resources together and deliver a lesson that was free flowing. There was no need to waste time during the lesson pulling up different YouTube videos, instructing students to type in different URLs, or switch back and forth between different applications.

Building in formative assessment activities allowed me to check for understanding after we explored each determinant so I knew the class was ready to move forward.

The learning experience enhanced greatly by the use of the Nearpod VR activity. The students compared and contrasted the determinants of health in the physical environment of a slum in Indonesia and the city of Melbourne, Australia. This gave my students a far more immersive learning experience than when I had previously taught this topic by projecting pictures on my whiteboard.

You, too, can engage your students with virtual field trips.

Check out Nearpod’s ready-to-teach VR lessons in the Nearpod Store.

Nearpod Team

Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.

nearpod.com/

The post My Favorite Nearpod Lesson – Determinants of Health appeared first on Nearpod Blog.