Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you click through and pay for a service, we will be compensated at no cost to you. For more information, please see our full disclaimer.
Educational Resources
Please note, we recommend only strictly secular resources and materials. If you find non-secular material in our resource lists, please let us know so we can remove it.
ArcGIS
FREE Trial
For analysts and data scientists who want to incorporate spatial data, methods, and algorithms into their workflows using Python and R. Get a foundation in how to create and evaluate spatial models, create effective space-time visualizations, and use ArcGIS to increase the explainability and impact of your analytical work.
What is Data Science?
FREE
Educational Data Science resources for young children are limited at the moment. Data Science is actually a combination of skills: math and modeling, computer science and programming, and visualization. Data Science is also a framework for understanding the world; much like scientists use the scientific method, data scientists use this trifecta of skills to investigate problems or questions by collecting, curating and analyzing information in a structured way.
You might be wondering what Diversity and Inclusion have to do with STEM. We believe they have everything to do with STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are tools to help us understand and improve our world. But if we don't understand, empathize and communicate with everyone in our society, then we cannot design with everyone in mind. If we do not design with everyone in mind, then our creations are not accessible or useful to everyone in society, and we haven't really improved anything.
GoogleEarth: This is Home
FREE
Google Earth has pre-made courses so students can take a tour of places outside their own experience. This exposure hopefully brings us all closer together, and promotes empathy and understanding for people to whom we otherwise might not relate.
Learning for Justice
FREE
This program emphasizes social justice and anti-bias. The anti-bias approach encourages children and young people to challenge prejudice and learn how to be agents of change in their own lives. Our Social Justice Standards show how anti-bias education works through the four domains of identity, diversity, justice and action.
Raising Luminaries/Books for Littles
$
Find engaging children’s picture books to discuss hard topics with the next generation of kind and brilliant leaders.
The 1619 Project
FREE
The 1619 Project, inaugurated with a special issue of The New York Times Magazine, challenges us to reframe U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia soil as our nation’s foundational date. Here you will find reading guides, activities, and other resources to bring The 1619 Project into your classroom. Wondering where to start? Dive into our Reading Guide.
Unraveling Bias in Map Projections
FREE
There is so much unconscious and conscious bias in the way we design and use maps. This bias is inculcated in our students even when we don’t intend for it to be. Above are some reasons to help start a conversation with your students about how maps contribute to bias, and make the trade-offs between map projections explicit.
Zinn Education Project
FREE
The Zinn Education Project promotes and supports the teaching of people’s history in classrooms across the country. For more than ten years, the Zinn Education Project has introduced students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula.
ANYCUBIC 3D Printer
$$$
There are a lot of 3D printers on the market now. This one strikes a good balance between features and cost. It’s easy to set-up out of the box for beginners, but also has high print quality for more advanced users. Key features include: a sturdy frame; a filament sensor; a reliable print surface; and a super easy set-up. The only downside is it can be a little noisier than more expensive models (similar to a microwave for context).
HATCHBOX PLA 3D Printer Filament (1.75mm)
$
This 3D printer filament is reliable (meaning it doesn’t break or snap off mid-print), at a reasonable price point.
KiwiCo Panda Crate
$$
Great hands-on exploration from birth through 2 years old. The Panda Crate evolves as children age, maximizing each stage of development, with steps at 0-2 months, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 13-18 months, and 19-24 months.
KiwiCo Tinker Crate
$$
This subscription box has high-quality engineering projects, that are both fun and educational. Kids are able to enjoy building the project, and then play with their creation, but every box has an underlying engineering or scientific principle it demonstrates. The boxes come with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, as well as supporting educational material.
MakerBot Thingiverse Education
FREE
Thingiverse has free, mostly crowdsourced, designs for 3D printers. There is also an education section, with lessons you can filter by grade and subject. The link above takes you to K-6 Engineering lessons. We’ve found that once students realize they can create right away, they will be motivated to start tweaking and customizing designs.
Smithsonian Science Education Center
FREE
This is a free game geared towards Kindergarten through 2nd grade. It teaches engineering design principles.
TinkerCad
FREE
Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use app for 3D design and electronics. It’s designed for beginners. There are free lesson plans to design 3D builds and electronic circuits. Everything students design digitally can be simulated within the platform. Creations using this software can be exported to be 3D printed or cut on a laser as well.
Beast Academy
$$
Beast Academy Online is a learning system that provides a complete curriculum for ages 8-13, including well-done and engaging instructional videos, graphic novel style workbooks, and practice exercises, covering the gamut of learning styles. The digital practice includes games, problems, and puzzles divided into chapters and units. Beast Academy can be challenging, but that is because the curriculum focuses on helping students to understand the concepts and not just memorize procedures. As a mathematician and parent, I really appreciate that this program teaches math the way I would teach it, building understanding and problem-solving rather than through memorization.
Legends of Learning
FREE
A free resource for homeschoolers with a library of games covering Kindergarten through 6th grade Math and Science, including life science, physical science, personal financial literacy, simulations, the scientific method, and STEM careers.
Math Dominoes
$
This is another tool we’ve found useful when teaching multiple grade levels at once, because it allows everyone to work on the same thing but at their own pace and grade-level.
Math Marks the Spot
$
This seems simple, but I have found it to be incredibly adaptive and useful for a wide range of preschool and elementary levels. This game is great if you need children or students with different math abilities to all play together. When played like Twister, preschoolers can be asked to recognize colors and numbers, while older elementary school students can be given addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems. For example “put your right foot on 14 divided by 2.†Depending on the size of the students, the mat is only large enough for 2 to 4 students at once.
Prime Climb
$
Learning through play is so much more satisfying, and repetition will lock in those math facts without having to memorize anything. This game is a big harder, so it’s better suited to elementary students (2nd grade+) who already understand math operations and are ready to practice, to avoid frustrations.
Prodigy
FREE Resources Available, Subscription Version $
This first-person role-playing fantasy adventure game is great for keeping young children interested and motivated to play; I mean learn. Students must win battles with math problems to level up their team and earn tokens to outfit their fantasy world home. I particularly appreciate Prodigy’s adaptive algorithm, which assigns math problems that are appropriate for each child’s curriculum advancement, rather than forcing a particular pace or schedule. That means more practice on the weaker topics until the student is ready to progress.
ScienceMom
FREE
Earth Science, Biology, Math, Chemistry Educational Videos and Experiments
Super Math Spy
$
The premise of this game is nothing new—use math operations to make an equation—but the theme is a lot of fun for students and they are super motivated to complete the mission. I like to use this game sporadically to let students be in control of making the math problem for once, and to keep practice fresh. This game is also very flexible for teachers and parents to control the parameters of the game play, and it’s a great tool to enrich treasure hunts.
The National Science Digital Library
FREE
Compendium of digital science resources from dozens of academic institutions. Includes resources for Preschool through Adult-level education. Subjects include: Applied Science, Computing and Information, Engineering, Technology, Life Science, Ecology, Mathematics, Physical Science, Chemistry, Geoscience, Physics, and Space. Resource types include: Activities and Labs, Case Studies, Data Sets, Illustrations, Games, Homework and Assignments, Interactives, Lectures, Lessons and Lesson Plans, Primary Sources, Simulations, Student Guides, Textbooks and Unit Studies.
American Chemical Society
FREE
Free Chemistry science experiment videos, curriculum ideas, facts and games.
American Museum of Natural History
FREE
Free resource for Natural Sciences, with games, curriculum, fun interactive interface for children, and videos.
Biology with the Amoeba Sisters
FREE
Free resource on Biology with videos, comics and handouts.
KiwiCo Panda Crate
$$
Great hands-on exploration from birth through 2 years old. The Panda Crate evolves as children age, maximizing each stage of development, with steps at 0-2 months, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 13-18 months, and 19-24 months.
Legends of Learning
FREE
A free resource for homeschoolers with a library of games covering Kindergarten through 6th grade Math and Science, including life science, physical science, personal financial literacy, simulations, the scientific method, and STEM careers.
Material Science Scavenger Hunt
$
Full-disclosure, this is a Treasure Hunt Builder scavenger hunt! For early education, the focus is to give students the language to recognize materials around them, and to infer similar properties in those materials. This scavenger hunt categorizes materials into seven groups: metals, ceramics, glass, plastics, wood, textiles, and composites.
MEL Science
$$$
MEL Science is a subscription box which focuses on Chemistry or Physics. This box is excellent because the science principles demonstrated in each box are solid and thorough; this is not a superficial science experiment subscription. The experiments are engaging, and really give children hands-on experience with chemistry and physics concepts.
NASA
FREE
There is so much material here. There are also standards-aligned activities with helpful filters by grade level, subject, type of activity, and topic: Aeronautics, Aircraft Probes, Satellites and Spacecraft, Algebra, Arts, Astrobiology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Data Collection, Analysis and Probability, Earth, Earth and Space Science, Earth Processes, Earth science, Earth, Moon and Sun, Electricity and Magnetism, Energy, Engineering and Technology, Geology, Geometry, Heat and Thermodynamics, Image Processing and Visualization, Inertia, Language Arts, Life Sciences, Light and Optics, Materials Science, Mathematics, Measurement, Motion and Forces, Number and Operations, Number Sense, Performing Arts, Physical Sciences, Problem Solving, Remote Sensing, Satellites and Spacecraft, Size and Scale, Solar System, States of Matter, Structure and Properties of Matter, Teachable Moments, The Design Process, The Nature of Science and Technology, The Scientific Process.
National Center for Science Education
FREE
NCSE Classroom Resources give “science teachers the tools and skills to help students overcome misconceptions and misinformation about climate change, evolution, and the nature of science.”
ScienceMom
FREE
Earth Science, Biology, Math, Chemistry Educational Videos and Experiments
Smithsonian
FREE
This free resource has videos, games, eBooks, and curriculum on topics like Life Science, Earth & Space Science, Chemistry, and Physical Science.
Starry Night Education
FREE Resources Available, Subscription Version $$$
This is a very thorough subscription for anyone interested in a deep dive into Astronomy and Earth Science, but is quite expensive. There are free resources available in the Resource drop-down menu, including Starry Night videos, Interactive Sky Charts, and Starry Night Panoramas.
The National Science Digital Library
FREE
Compendium of digital science resources from dozens of academic institutions. Includes resources for Preschool through Adult-level education. Subjects include: Applied Science, Computing and Information, Engineering, Technology, Life Science, Ecology, Mathematics, Physical Science, Chemistry, Geoscience, Physics, and Space. Resource types include: Activities and Labs, Case Studies, Data Sets, Illustrations, Games, Homework and Assignments, Interactives, Lectures, Lessons and Lesson Plans, Primary Sources, Simulations, Student Guides, Textbooks and Unit Studies.
U.S. Geological Survey
FREE
Free lesson plans and materials for Biology, Ecosystems, Geography, Geology, Climate Change, Natural Hazards, and Oceans & Water, by grade and region of the country so you can learn about phenomenon particular to your location.
Understanding Evolution
FREE
Understanding Evolution is a non-commercial, education website, for teaching and learning about the science of evolutionary biology. This site is here to help you understand what evolution is, how it works, and how it factors into your life.
Code.org
FREE
This free resource is intuitive and makes it easy to get started with coding. It’s designed for students of all ages (K-12) and abilities, to include students who cannot read yet. Courses are interactive, intuitive, and require minimal to no parental assistance.
Codecademy
FREE Resources Available, Subscription Version $
Codecademy is simply amazing, with modules on HTML & CSS, Python, JavaScript, Java, SQL, Bash/Shell, Ruby, C++, R, C#, and PHP as applied to Web Design and Development, Data Science, Computer Science, Developer Tools, and Machine Learning (which I would include with Data Science).
CS First
FREE
Another free resource with tons of content for teaching students about computer science. Students could do this work independently, but it is designed with teacher-led courses in mind. When you (as the teacher or parent), sign up to organize a class, Google sends you a free CS welcome kit that includes an overview guide, certificates you can use to hand out to your students, stickers, and a poster for students to put sticky notes when brainstorming ideas.
ELEGOO Penguin Bot
$
This adorable little robot run on an Arduino processor, with step-by-step CD tutorial so your student can learn how reprogram the bot for incredible hands-on learning.
First Lego League
$$
First Lego League organizes teams of students to complete challenges by programming Legos themed around each season’s real-world problem. This is a great way to get students engaged in problem solving and applying their coding and engineering skills to the world around them. It is medium to high cost because of registration and kit expenses, and it requires a lot of time by parents and/or teachers to facilitate.
Girls Who Code
FREE
Girls Who Code releases activities weekly on Mondays. Activities may be online, offline, and of varying levels of difficulty. Each activity features a woman in tech who pioneered innovative technology. Languages include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript needed for website design, as well as Python which is useful for absolutely everything.
Hello Ruby
FREE
Hello Ruby has videos, learning prompts, and activities to learn about technology, computing and coding. Some activities use Scratch to complete.
Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding
$
Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding does an amazing job introducing coding terminology and concepts for the elementary school age student. Bonus for me is that the main character is female!
Hello Ruby: Expedition to the Internet
$
Hello Ruby: Expedition To The Internet does an amazing job introducing the full stack of web development terminology and concepts for the elementary school age student. Bonus for me is that the main character is female!
Hello Ruby: Journey Inside the Computer
$
Hello Ruby: Journey Inside the Computer does an amazing job introducing hardware and software terminology and concepts for the elementary school age student. Bonus for me is that the main character is female!
Lego WeDo 2.0 Core Set
$$$
Graphical programming language combined with Lego blocks! Design and build anything you can imagine like you normally would with Legos, and then make it come to life. This base set is one of the platforms used for First Lego League, but you can still buy this standalone kit and work on challenges even if you don’t have time to join a league team. The key value here is younger children can design, build and program their own robots with minimal adult assistance.
mBlock
FREE
mBlock is a coding language built to look like Scratch. This link takes you to a free interface for learning and practicing coding with mBlock (and Python!). We mention mBlock on our site, because it can be used to program microcontrollers, such as Arduino, RaspberryPi, ESP32. Once your student can program a microcontroller, they can make robots and build interactive devices.
Scratch
FREE
With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations. Geared towards students 8 and older, it requires a bit more hands-on by parents and teachers to get started. Scratch is a stand-alone coding language, which limits its usefulness outside of the Scratch environment, but it is a great way to learn the concepts of computer science and coding.
ScratchJr
FREE
With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer. Scratch is a stand-alone coding language, which limits its usefulness outside of the Scratch environment, but it is a great way to learn the concepts of computer science and coding.
Summon The JSON: JavaScript Deck
$$ (Use Coupon Code: RVDS at checkout to receive a 20% discount!)
Learn to program with JavaScript while having fun at the same time. These cards will give a great overview of the tools every programmer has on hand. Fantasy settings and fun descriptions will assist with memorizing JavaScript functions faster.