Vivify STEM Blog
Get Your Elf Off That Shelf with STEM
Do you participate in the Elf on the Shelf tradition? Take the Elf antics up a notch by adding some STEM flair. We have compiled a list of our favorite ways to both entertain and educate using Santa’s little helper.
Hour of Code Resources + Unplugged Coding Activity
Schools across the world will participate in an Hour of Code on December 3 - 9th as part of Computer Science Education Week. Interested in participating or enhancing your lesson plans? Check out our must-watch inspirational coding videos plus helpful blogs and websites on teaching coding. No computer? No problem - try out our favorite unplugged coding activity!
Ultimate STEM Gift List
Tis the season for shopping for STEM gifts! Looking to score something fun and educational for your kids or great deals for your classroom? Read on for our favorite STEM toys and learning tools to add to your holiday wish list. Everything is sorted by age including some holiday treats for yourself!
How to Start an After School STEM Club
Interested in starting a STEM club at your school? Read on to learn how to get support, find resources, and create an awesome experience for your students. We included tons of links to popular STEM competitions, curriculum resources, and much more to help get your club off the ground!
Bolt: Is Sphero's Latest Robot Worth the Hype?
With the release of BOLT, Sphero has added some cool new features to their traditional robot design, including an animation matrix, light sensor, and BOLT to BOLT robot communication. They have also updated the Sphero Edu app, so robots can also connect to Chrome, Mac and Windows computers. But at $149.99, are these features worth the extra $20 over the popular SPRK+? Read on for an in-depth look at 6 new BOLT features plus 3 awesome STEM activities for your classroom set!
Basics of Sphero Robotics + 3 Awesome Sphero STEM Activities
Sphero is a robotics company that makes toy robots (you might have seen their BB-8 design), as well as educational robots to make learning fun! In the world of education, they are known best for their SPRK+ robot, which has already captivated classrooms around the world. Now, with the recent release of their newest robot BOLT, Sphero is continuing to showcase their innovative ideas and the educational value of robotics in the classroom. Read on to learn why I love using Sphero in my STEM program along with my favorite STEM Sphero Activities. And in my next post, I will dive even further into using the new BOLT robot!
The Best 3 Back to School STEM Icebreakers
Need a fun, easy team-building challenge for back to school? We have you covered with our favorite three back to school STEM icebreakers! Whether preschool or high school, read on for STEM activities and modifications to get your students moving and working together as a team!
How to Launch Model Rockets & Amaze Your Students! (Pt 3)
The most exciting part of rocketry is the thrill of launch day! However, this can be the most stressful day for educators on a limited time frame and 30 rockets to launch! Read on to learn how to set-up a smooth launch event along with tips from my over 400 rocket launches with middle school students!
This post is part three of a three part series on model rockets in the classroom.
How to Launch Model Rockets & Amaze Your Students! (Pt 2)
Learn everything you need to know about launching rockets with your students! I put together all my resources from four years of rocketry to help you bring this exciting STEM activity into your classroom.
This post is part two of a three part series over model rocketry in the classroom.
How to Launch Model Rockets & Amaze Your Students! (Pt 1)
Do you want to launch a rocket with your students or kids? Are you afraid or unsure where to start? Keep reading for a beginners guide to model rockets based on my years of experience launching hundreds of model rockets with all ages. I also linked to a Google Drive with tons of valuable resources to get you started!
This post is part one of a three part series on model rocketry in the classroom.
Summer STEM: 10 Ideas for Fun in the Pool
Are you staying cool in the pool this summer? Take advantage of those long summer days at the pool by adding some fun STEM challenges! Read on to learn how to turn play into learning including 10 ideas for STEM at the pool.
How to Launch a Weather Balloon: Ultimate STEM Challenge
Take your students on an unforgettable journey to the stratosphere! What can be more exciting than launching a balloon to the edge of space and seeing footage of the Earth from above? A weather balloon project (also known as High Altitude Balloon or HAB) involves designing a payload and using a helium balloon to send an experiment up to 100,000 feet into the stratosphere!
Based on three years of successful weather balloon experience with over 300 middle school students, we created a full guide that helps students design a payload, select an experiment, launch, and recover the balloon from a 100,000-foot journey to the edge of space!