Computer Science and STEM

Ms. DeRosa recommends...

Check out these free Technology and STEM resources gathered from around the web! ​
​STEM websites are a fantastic way to let your kids engage in guilt-free screen time. These days, STEM careers are the highest in demand and an early interest in STEM subjects can lead to huge payoff later in life.
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STEM Sites

TECHNOLOGY & STEM WEBSITES FOR KIDS

Made for Adventurers

Atlantic County Library

STEM Masters

COMPUTER CODING
For All Ages
  1. ​How Stuff Works: I visit this website every day. It has hundreds upon thousands of articles that explain the wonders of science (and almost everything else on the planet).
  2. NOVA: The website for PBS’s popular science show is overflowing with videos and articles. Explore the wonders of evolution, nature, physics, math—practically any STEM subject that rings your bell.
  3. Kinetic City – A great collection of science experiments, games, activities, and challenges.
  4. eGFI (Engineering Go For It!) – This website is more about information than games and is GREAT for your older child who wants to explore careers, learn about different STEM fields, and see what a “day in the life” looks like for people in different jobs. It’s pretty text-heavy so it’s best for your stronger reader who’s more interested in learning than playing.​
  5. Kids.gov – This government-sponsored website includes games and science videos for kids in grades K-12. Let them loose in this safe environment and give them the chance to explore!
  6. Funology – Geared toward younger elementary grades, this colorful site is packed with information and activities. (And mom, it’s also got FREE printables to keep your child’s math and science skills on track this summer.)
  7. Try Science (Kids) – This has some fantastic science experiments you can easily do at home. Finding that your kids are bored this summer? Have them peruse the list of experiments and do one together this afternoon!
  8. Weather Wiz Kids – Is your kiddo fascinated by weather? Then this is your spot! Information, articles, games, flashcards, and more – all weather, all the time!
  9. NASA Kids’ Club – Drive the Mars Rover, build and launch a rocket, or simply learn about space. This website is perfect for your future astronaut!
  10. eGFI (Engineering Go For It!) – This website is more about information than games and is GREAT for your older child who wants to explore careers, learn about different STEM fields, and see what a “day in the life” looks like for people in different jobs. It’s pretty text-heavy so it’s best for your stronger reader who’s more interested in learning than playing.
  11. Code.org – Do you have a future programmer on your hands? Under the “code studio” tab, there are coding courses and activities available for kids starting at age four. FOUR!!! All courses are available at no cost. There’s also plenty available for the high-school-aged student, too.
  12. NASA Education for Students: Career information, image galleries, NASA Television, features and articles … whatever you’d like to know about aerospace, you’re sure to find it here.
  13. NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA): SEMAA was developed to increase the participation of historically underserved K-12 youth in STEM fields. School activities and summer sessions are held throughout the nation.

Digital Citizenship: Doing the Right Thing Online

​Digital citizenship will be more important than ever this fall as most students will return to school virtually, in one form or another. But with the pressures of distance learning, we know that educators and students may have limited instructional time together.

To address this, we've pulled together a collection of short digital citizenship activities that students can complete independently, or with parents or caregivers. All of the videos and games below emphasize the importance of digital citizenship as a foundation for digital learning.
​Digital Passport™: 10-minute games

​Digital Passport is our award-winning suite of games for students in grades 3-5 that address key issues they face in today's digital world. Students can complete each game online and independently -- they don't need to download an app or register. If you have time to discuss these topics with your students, use the reflection questions in the Module Guides for each game, found in the Educator Guide. Although Digital Passport is appropriate for anyone in grades 3-5, we've provided some recommended activities below. See the FAQ for more information.
Third Grade
  • Password Protect (Security). Students learn how to create safe and secure passwords.
  • Twalkers (Multitasking). Students reflect on what it's like to multitask on a phone and consider the benefits of focusing on one task at a time.
Fourth Grade
  • Share Jumper (Privacy). Students evaluate examples of online messages and decide what information is appropriate to share and what is not.
  • Search Shark (Search). Students learn how to choose effective keywords for searching online and tips for narrowing their search results.
Fifth Grade
  • E-volve (Upstander). Students respond to cyberbullying scenarios and are prompted to make choices to "evolve" into an upstander.
  • Mix-n-Mash (Creative Credit). Students remix media content to create a new creative piece, while giving proper credit to the artists whose images and sound clips they use.

​Watch-and-reflect videos: 15-minute activities

Picture
​Students absolutely love our videos, which include songs, poems, whimsical animations, and our fun characters, the Digital Citizens! Use the quick activity guides below, which include links to our videos, along with reflection questions you can send to students.
For grades K-2, you can send the videos and discussion guides to students, then discuss the questions briefly during class time. Alternatively, you can have students use our Meet the Digital Citizens coloring book (also available in Spanish) to simply watch the videos and engage with the characters. For grades 3-5, we've included handouts students can use to answer the discussion questions independently and/or discuss briefly during class. Note: All videos are available in Spanish.
Kindergarten
  • Media Balance Is Important (song). Students sing along with the Digital Citizens about the importance of media balance, learning how to be mindful of their tech use and how it makes them feel.
  • Saying Goodbye to Technology (Media Balance & Well-Being). Students learn to pause, breathe, and finish up whenever they have to say good-bye to technology.
  • Safety in My Online Neighborhood (Privacy & Security). Just like traveling in the real world, students learn to be safe when traveling online with three simple rules.

​First Grade
  • Pause & Think Online (Relationships & Communication). From our head down to our toes, and our feet up to our nose, the Digital Citizens are featured in a song helping students pause and think about how to be safe, responsible, and respectful online.
  • How Technology Makes You Feel (Media Balance & Well-Being). Students learn a poem to help them reflect upon different feelings they might experience when using technology.
  • Internet Traffic Light (Privacy & Security). Students learn the "Internet Traffic Light" poem, helping them understand how to assess "green sites" that are "just right" for them, versus "red sites" that are not appropriate.

Second Grade
  • We the Digital Citizens (Relationships & Communication). Students sing along with the Digital Citizens about the amazing possibilities that come with using technology and take a pledge to be safe, responsible, and respectful when traveling through the online world.
  • Follow the Digital Trail (Digital Footprint & Identity). Students learn that the information they put online leaves a digital footprint, or "trail," which can be big or small, and helpful or hurtful, depending on how they manage it.
Third Grade
  • Rings of Responsibility (Media Balance & Well-Being). Students learn about a framework -- the Rings of Responsibility -- to understand how to balance their responsibilities to themselves and others in the digital world.
  • The Power of Words (Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech). Students build empathy by learning that words exchanged online are indeed powerful, and strategies to use when confronted with cyberbullying.
Fourth Grade
  • Private and Personal Information (Privacy & Security). Students learn the difference between what personal things they can safely share online and private information that should not be shared.
  • Keeping Games Fun and Friendly (Relationships & Communication). Students learn how to keep their experiences positive and fun when communicating in online games with others.
  • Super Digital Citizen (Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech). Students put themselves into the shoes of the Digital Citizen characters, who play superheroes that are able to solve digital dilemmas in responsible ways.
Fifth Grade
  • My Media Balance (Media Balance & Well-Being). Students learn a framework for making informed media choices and to help them find healthy media balance in their lives.
  • What's Cyberbullying? (Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech). Students learn what kinds of online behaviors are cyberbullying and ways to combat it.
  • Reading News Online (News & Media Literacy). Students learn the components of online news articles, paying close attention to advertising and sponsored content that can be confused with article content.