How to address violence in the news with your students.
TOP PICKS | 37 TOOLS
Top Picks for Connecting the Classroom and Real World
Top Picks
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Community Engagement
Learning for Justice
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.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Statistics in Schools
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.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free
Zooniverse
Real research powered by volunteers makes classroom content relevant
Bottom line: Engage in meaningful, relevant research with citizen scientists from around the world.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free
GooseChase EDU
Digital scavenger hunts provide dynamic, fresh learning experiences
Bottom line: Students and teachers will enjoy the powerful learning of a modern scavenger hunt.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free, Paid
SDGs in Action
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.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free
Project Noah
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.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
iCivics
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
The Harry Potter Alliance
Fan site promotes real-world heroics with activism for social justice
Bottom line: A fun, empowering community for Potter fans who want to talk Hogwarts and make the world a better place while they're at it.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
Siftr
Collect images in the field with simple, collaborative app
Bottom line: An easy way to crowdsource location-based data.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
Career Exploration
Khan Academy
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.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free
Edheads
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.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free
Spark 101
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.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free
KidsThinkDesign
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.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free
Engineer Girl
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Couragion
Individualized STEM career exploration targets students' values
Bottom line: Students identify career values and use them to evaluate STEM options.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Paid
C'reer
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.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
Design and Creation
Makers Empire
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.
Grades: K–8
Price: Free, Free to try
Gizmos & Gadgets
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.
Grades: 2–8
Price: Free, Paid
DIY
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.
Grades: 3–8
Price: Free to try
MAD-learn
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.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Paid
Stencyl
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.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free, Paid
Appinventor.org
Great, free mobile app creation site has solid teacher resources
Bottom line: A fantastic and complete introduction to programming concepts and app creation.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Autodesk Design Academy
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Instructables
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
WhiteBox Learning
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free to try, Paid
Anchor
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.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
Google Applied Digital Skills
Practical PBL lessons teach critical computer skills
Bottom line: Thorough digital literacy curriculum offers mix-and-match options to fit any classroom.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
STEM Learning
Defined Learning
Stellar collection of STEM resources supports project-based learning
Bottom line: Excellent, well-thought-out resources for developing problem-solving skills in the classroom.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free to try, Paid
Coach's Eye - Video Analysis
Robust video analysis for sports, science, fine arts performances
Bottom line: Cool video-analysis tool is great for the sports field and beyond, but prepare for an onslaught of hidden costs to access all features.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Paid
Tuva Labs
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.
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free, Paid
UL Xplorlabs
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.
Grades: 6–8
Price: Free
Machine Learning for Kids
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Mathalicious
Toughest palates can't resist appetizing look at real-world math
Bottom line: Easy-to-deliver lessons use real-world topics tweens like.
Grades: 6–12
Price: $320 annual subscription per teacher
Arduino Science Journal
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
The PocketLab
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.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free, Paid
Get the Math
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.
Grades: 7–10
Price: Free
Solve the Outbreak
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.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
