WASHINGTON (ABC7) — Though all classes have to adapt to meet the needs of a virtual environment, STEM courses are hit particularly hard due to being so hands-on. But a new program with the Maryland nonprofit Learning Undefeated is offering families a wealth of science, technology and math resources – all for free. Dan Werbeck, science content specialist with North Bethesda Middle School, discussed how you can make science fun and engaging at home.
“When the pandemic hit in the spring and we all had to completely switch our gears of teaching, both teachers and parents really had to think outside the box and be creative about how we went about teaching. It all has to do with keeping the content relevant, fun, engaging and employ those active learning strategies to really keep kids engaged.
In the classroom, we were so used to doing hands-on experiments, labs, having the kids collaborate with one another, ask questions, observe different things, follow the scientific method, the scientific process. When we had to take a step back from that, we really had to implement the at-home portion.
This summer I had the opportunity to work with Learning Undefeated. They have a really robust at-home science content course. There were experiments that were easy at-home items. Parents can easily look in their cabinets and under their sinks, find the different materials: vinegar, baking soda, food coloring. All these different experiments are designed with the goal in mind to keep kids engaged.
Learning Undefeated is a non-profit focused on STEM education and bringing those real-world experiences to the underserved communities here in the Maryland area. I want to just mention to teachers and parents that are watching, definitely check out their resources for the fall. They have unit plans available that are NGSS state-aligned, that are robust and can give you the different resources you need to implement full units and full lesson plans at home.“
