NASA eClips
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/nasaeclips/index.html
Looking for videos that address STEM topics for the classroom but you don’t want them to take up too much class time? NASA has created short videos or eClips for K-12 students that answer that need. Just look for the appropriate grade level on the left side of the homepage and find a list of topics ranging from aeronautics to the universe.
K-5 students can view a clip about animal adaptations in winter biomes and learn why scientists study snow pits. Rock hounds will be interested in the eClip that compares the three types of rocks found on Earth to those found on the moon. Teaching about clouds? There are two eClips on cloud formations and why scientists collect data on them. Click on the K-5 playlist for a complete list of video clips for this age group.
Middle school students will enjoy more sophisticated clips geared to space exploration, satellite data on hurricanes, solar power, the Hubble telescope, and much more. High school students can learn about the invention of the Doppler radar, technology and Indy race cars, cryogenics, the search for exoplanets, and many other interesting topics.
For educators, NASA has created a Teacher Toolbox with resources that include a “Virtual Vocabulary” of frequently used terms, a “how-to” section that gives instructions for using the eClips site, a page that links the eClips to NASA’s meteorology lessons, and technology tools that include a PowerPoint presentation on “Measuring Raindrops Virtual Rainstorm”, a spreadsheet for measuring raindrops and another on a heart rate math model, and a template to make your own 3-D glasses. Last, but not least, are the eClip Educator Guides in the Teacher Toolbox. “Each guide includes instructional objectives, background information, links to video clips, instructions for implementing inquiry-based lessons, additional resources related to the topic and suggestions for extending or modifying lessons.” The lessons are tied to the science, math, and technology national standards and based on the 5-E delivery model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend (or Elaborate), and Evaluate.
If you want to talk to other teachers and find out how they have used eClips, NASA provides a “Teacher to Teacher” blogging section. Upcoming events, professional development opportunities, and other NASA news items are posted there as well.
An exciting new feature on NASA is “MyNASA!” If you find an image, a video or eClip, a lesson plan, an article, or webpage you want to bookmark, you can save it to your own bookmarking area in “MyNASA.” Most NASA widgets and feeds can also be bookmarked. When you register for “MyNASA” you will have a customized page to come back to. Look for “MyNASA” in the toolbar of each page on NASA websites.
