Top Picks for Connecting the Classroom and Real World

Thought-provoking classroom resources support diversity education

Bottom Line: It's an invaluable teacher tool to help reduce prejudice and encourage tolerance in schools, as well as within society as a whole.

Interactive data, practical plans bring the Census to the classroom

Bottom Line: Engaging and authentic material connects the U.S. Census to many subject areas.

Real research powered by volunteers makes classroom content relevant

Bottom Line: Engage in meaningful, relevant research with citizen scientists from around the world.

Digital scavenger hunts provide dynamic, fresh learning experiences

Bottom Line: Students and teachers will enjoy the powerful learning of a modern scavenger hunt.

Empowering sustainable development app organizes, educates

Bottom Line: It's a well-packaged way for teachers to educate students about the current challenges facing the world and to give them a conduit for social justice.

Engaging online community for relevant, hands-on science fieldwork

Bottom Line: Project Noah is a free and easy way to take part in biodiversity research with the support of a knowledgeable and global community.

Well-designed games, lessons can spice up your civics curriculum

Bottom Line: This game-based curriculum would be an excellent addition to any secondary social studies.

Fan site promotes real-world heroics with activism for social justice

Bottom Line: A smart, fun, and accessible way for people of all ages to better engage with critical social issues and take meaningful action as a result.

Collect images in the field with simple, collaborative app

Bottom Line: An easy way to crowdsource location-based data.

Flexible learning environment offers a personalized journey to mastery

Bottom Line: A solid, free resource for targeted math and science instruction, test prep, history, and more.

Realistic, appealing simulations deliver superb science content

Bottom Line: Definitely one for your “love it” list, the site helps kids simulate science and engineering career activities while covering related content.

Interactive STEM career site gets students solving real-world problems

Bottom Line: Using videos by leading STEM companies, Spark 101 connects students with possible future career paths through critical thinking and class-wide problem-solving.

Projects inspire creativity; a place for kids' sharing would boost fun

Bottom Line: A go-to site for teachers looking for well-presented project ideas; kids will need opportunities to share work locally.

Female engineers give girls career advice on this visually appealing site

Bottom Line: Empowering tool encourages girls to explore engineering but is mostly static and best-suited for choosing courses and looking at colleges.

Individualized STEM career exploration targets students' values

Bottom Line: Students identify career values and use them to evaluate STEM options.

Free app helps kids refine career search, connect to universities

Bottom Line: For students who are unsure where to begin, this app helps jump-start the college and career application process.

Stellar 3D design hub promotes innovation, collaboration, and creation

Bottom Line: This is a great design and creation tool that teachers and students can use to be innovative and share ideas with a vibrant community of makers.

Top-notch tool empowers kids to invent, build, and control wirelessly

Bottom Line: Easy-to-use, versatile electronic invention set that works wirelessly with your hand-held device.

Design, build, and share new things offline and online

Bottom Line: DIY motivates kids to tackle a wide range of problems with independent and scientific thinking.

Create mobile apps with extensive help from start to finish

Bottom Line: Intuitive platform encourages students to engage in design thinking and coding with loads of support.

Code-free game development tool helps kids program and publish

Bottom Line: It ups the sophistication of building block coding by connecting student work to major publishing platforms.

Great, free mobile app creation site has solid teacher resources

Bottom Line: A fantastic and complete introduction to programming concepts and app creation.

Outstanding project-based tutorials for popular engineering software

Bottom Line: The projects found here are a great way to teach and learn digital design; all are truly fantastic (and free!), with everything you need ready to go.

Endless collection of DIY projects; good for sharing and inspiration

Bottom Line: User-generated projects inspire sharing and learning, though more refined navigation would make it easier to sift through all the great ideas.

Design, analyze, and then build STEM applications

Bottom Line: Complete learning modules include simple CAD design simulation tools, a digital competition, and options for hands-on building.

Podcasting app is super easy to use, if you can do it all in one take

Bottom Line: There are few easier ways to publish a podcast, but that ease of use comes at the cost of one-take creation and few tools for post-production.

Practical PBL lessons teach critical computer skills

Bottom Line: Thorough digital literacy curriculum offers mix-and-match options to fit any classroom.

Stellar collection of STEM resources supports project-based learning

Bottom Line: Excellent, well-thought-out resources for developing problem-solving skills in the classroom.

Dynamic data-exploration tool offers large collection of data sets

Bottom Line: Partner with another teacher (preferably a data whiz) and work together to develop cross-curricular activities.

Safety engineering site blends in-class experiments with online sims

Bottom Line: Middle school students get to design and test solutions to actual safety problems.

Authentic AI-powered projects make kids' creations feel like magic

Bottom Line: It takes a topic that would be difficult to teach in any practical way and makes it accessible for the classroom.

Toughest palates can't resist appetizing look at real-world math

Bottom Line: Easy-to-deliver lessons use real-world topics tweens like.

Turn your phone into a lab sensor to collect and analyze data

Bottom Line: Science Journal does a good job recording real-time motion, sound, and light data using phones.

Gather and analyze live data anywhere

Bottom Line: A science sensor that pairs with your device to gather and analyze data is perfect for inquiry-based learning.

Solve real-life algebra problems with diverse crew, delightful video

Bottom Line: Proof that algebra is used to solve real problems in kid-approved professions: basketball, music, gaming, and fashion.

Become a disease detective -- read clues, analyze data, save lives

Bottom Line: Solve the Outbreak is a free, engaging resource that teaches kids about disease control and prevention.