Students can only learn so much about brain anatomy by looking at books or poking around online. If they want to learn about how complex brains are and how they work, there comes a time when they have to dissect actual brains. Read more
Many educational tools have gone out of fashion in the past few decades. A partial list includes the blackboard, the slide rule, the so-called New Math, the study of cursive penmanship, the mimeograph machine, carbon paper, dot matrix printers, slide projectors, and screaming modems.
Yes, lots of things have come and gone. But there is one thing that students still need to know about and use . . . Read more
Did you know that not all sculpture is made of marble, granite, bronze or concrete? Some of it can be made from living plants like rosemary, lavender and marigolds that are attached to underlying structures. And when you make a sculpture out of living plants, something interesting can happen. It can become a living laboratory where students can study how insects are attracted to plants, how predatory insects attack the first insects that arrived, and much more. The result? A living experiment where students can prepare for future careers in science and agriculture. Read more
“Libraries aren’t just for reading anymore,” writes Mrs. Dabney, a high school librarian in Pasadena, TX. “Today’s libraries have books, technology, games, and maker spaces. We are striving to be the best library we can be in the 21st century. Our students lack many experiences due to socio-economic status, and we want to change that.”
In 2017, the Student Research Foundation asked 16,129 American high school students how they felt about the STEM subjects they were studying. The research was conducted in collaboration with our STEM Research Consortium partners, the American Association of Physics Teachers, National Girls Collaborative Project, and the National Association of Biology Teachers.
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How difficult is it to learn about how water flows through a river and affects its topology? Although it sounds like an easy body of information to understand, it isn’t. And it is most effectively learned when students have the classroom tools they need to simulate water flow and river erosion. Read more
It is not surprising that students who take more STEM classes in high school are more likely to want to prepare for STEM careers while they are in college. Read more
Mr. Reid, a grade 9-12 science teacher in Illinois, already had a beautiful big saltwater fish tank in his classroom. His 90+ students, who live far from oceans, loved it. Some of them were so inspired by it that they were dreaming of becoming marine biologists. Read more
Mrs. K, a high school teacher in South Carolina, wanted her students to have Apple Pencils to use with their iPads. So she posted a project on DonorsChoose.org and asked for them. Because almost all of Mrs. K’s 100+ students come from low-income households, they would have little chance of experiencing the latest technologies like Apple Pencils unless they were provided by their school. But now, thanks to generous donors, her project is fully funded. And her students are using their Apple Pencils to write away on iPads. Read more
The Student Research Foundation is proud to have established research partnerships with a number of outstanding educational organizations and foundations. Read more