Technology
Number of unique resources found: 68
Did you find what you were looking for? If not, try our full text search or let us know by completing our survey form.
– General Information –
African American Inventors Curriculum 
Description: Overview of curriculum, and the curriculum, to celebrate the accomplishments of African American Inventors and learn how to use an exciting new curriculum on the subject with kids in community-based projects serving children and youth.
Description: Collect solar system trading cards; view the birth, life and death of a star; or discover the wonders of space history from Galileo to the Hubble Space Telescope. Amazing Space offers great on-line activities for 3-12 graders complete with lesson plans.
Description: Information article on Cyberbullying from Scholastic.com
Association of Science-Technology Centers
Description: The Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated (ASTC) is an organization of science centers and museums dedicated to furthering the public understanding of science.
Description: Bill Nye the Science Guy brings science to you via a great web site.
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
Author: Willard, Nancy
Description: Web site with information on effective strategies to assist young people in acquiring knowledge, decision-making skills, motivation, and self-control to behave in a safe, responsible and legal manner when using the Internet and other information technologies.
Description: The Center for Educational Resources (CERES) Project is a collection of on-line and interactive K-12 science education resources for educators wishing to teach astronomy.
Description: CHEMystery is a virtual chemistry textbook, to provide an interactive guide for high school chemistry students. In addition, CHEMystery allows you to further expand your chemistry knowledge by letting you interact with other Internet resources on the World Wide Web.
Cyberbullying - Mobilizing educators, parents, students, and others
Description: Embrace Civility in the Digital Age (a program of Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use) promotes approaches that will best ensure all young people become “Cyber Savvy” and address youth risk in a positive and restorative manner, including issues of Cyberbullying. Provides information for educators, parents, students, and others to combat online social cruelty.
Description: This site is for educators to learn about using the Discovery and Learning Channels in the classroom. Excellent science related topics are featured.
Description: Explore this site to learn about this fascinating scientist, inventor and artist. Leonardo da Vinci creatively applied the scientific method in every aspect of life.
Extension, Science, Engineering, & Technology (ESET)
Description: This is the place for you if you're interested in science and technology education for youth! Explore this site to find science activities, educator workshops and links to other resources.
Description: Look at the challenge of flight, from the Wright brothers' first flight to the transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown. Then see what you can create and fly!
Helping Our Children Succeed: What's Broadband got to do with it?
Author: KirkHart, April; Wendy Lazarus; James Lau
Description: This issue brief is designed to help leaders for children better understand what broadband is and what is at stake for our nation's 73 million children in the policy debate, and to offer concrete ways that leaders can make children's needs a priority and advocate for digital opportunities for all youth.
Description: An opportunity for youth and educators to interact with leading astronomers as they make observations using the world's most powerful space telescope. Also, check out the Space Telescope Science Institute's Hubble Space Telescope site.
Imagine the Universe! Navigation
Description: From black holes to white dwarfs, have you ever wondered what humans know about the Universe and how we know it? This site allows you to discuss the known, the mysteries and the future possibilities for researching the Universe with NASA scientists.
Description: Looking towards the future? Then explore the 15 nation ISS!
Description: Here is a resource for people interested in invention and innovation. Learn more about American inventors and their discoveries. The featured inventor changes weekly, but an index of past featured inventors is available.
Description: An upcoming technology trend is moving us from e-learning to m-learning. Mobile phones, or cell phones, are evolving into multi-media, interactive communications devices that can be effective learning tools. Their popularity among youth and ethnic minorities enhances to their usefulness to programs. This will increase as technology develops and costs come down further.
Description: Begin your aeronautics and space journey here.
Description: An Aeronautics and Space Resource for Educators.
Description: Select from environmental stewardship, and science and technology curricula reviewed and approved by the National 4-H Curricula Jury.
Description: Explore this Smithsonian Institution museum for a diverse collection of air and space exhibits.
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Description: Search on-line for inventors and their inventions.
Description: NEWTON'S APPLE is filled with exciting new adventures and fascinating discoveries of science in the world around us. Here is a good resource for answering your science and technology questions.
Description: A great place to explore online science and technology and create your own.
PBS Teachers: Science & Technology
Description: PBS Teachers Science and Tech is designed to support science teachers K - 12 to bring science into the classroom where students can think critically and apply science principles to every day life. Every month a different area of science is spotlighted.
Description: Check out the extensive collection of just-released images and data from Jupiter.
Author: Horton, Robert
Description: The Rockets Away educational program teaches about the science of rocketry through the use of hands-on experiments, computer software and the building and launching of 2?liter bottle rockets.
Roller Coaster, Amusement Park Physics
Description: What makes a roller coaster move? The conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy will do the job! Come find out how.
Description: Information on online safety for teens; safe surfing, cyberbullying, privacy protection
Description: Helping kids use science to bridge the gap between agriculture and daily life is the aim of this new site from U. S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Research Service. It is a "cool" site for kids ages 8 - 13!
Southern Hospitality — Camping with Operation: Military Kids
Author: Hines, Charlene Morse; Casey Mull, Harriett C Edwards, Scott Enroughty, Georgene Bender, Cliff Lewis, Carrera Harris
Description: This session highlights the diverse populations of military youth, southern states responses to this diversity and some best practice tips. Camping in the South for military youth ranged from targeting special needs campers in Alabama, the use of technology before and during camp in Florida, fostering relationships between military youth and non-military 4-Hers in Tennessee, purple camps in Georgia, and the wide scope of camping experiences in North Carolina.
Description: Begin making plans for this year's Space Day. See what took place on last year's Space Day and explore ideas for the next Space Day!
Description: Join the famous gothic family next door in fun activities about energy concepts, conservation, and transformation; electricity; and fossil fuels.
The Tech Museum, Discover Online
Description: The online exhibits explore sciences and technologies changing our world today. Exhibits range from DNA to Mt. Everest; satellites to robots; and color to earthquakes.
Description: The women of NASA interactive project showcases outstanding women who are enjoying successful. Site component include profiles and web chats. Log on and visit with these NASA scientists!
– Other Resources –
Author: Pinkard, Nichole
Description: Through a mix of during school, afterschool, and online spaces, the Digital Youth Network (DYN) provides youth opportunities to develop and apply new media literacy in ways that are personally and academically meaningful to them. Guided by more experienced peers and professional adult artists/mentors trained in elements of pedagogy, youth produce and share digital artifacts, demonstrate new media skills and understandings, and critique media projects within the DYN community. Interactions between the learner, his or her peers, and adult mentors result in an environment in which the possession and demonstration of one’s new media literacy increases status and social capital.
MySpace, Facebook, and Youth: What Do Social Network Sites Have to Offer Youth Development?
Author: Greenhow, Christine (1 more by this author)
Description: Millions of youth spend time everyday learning, communicating and connecting in online social network sites such as MySpace or Facebook. Despite the media's mostly negative portrayal of youth activities in these spaces, social network sites can have positive and educational benefits. However, much of the research on this topic is still emerging or has taken place in fields other than education. This 90-minute video presentation focuses on emerging research that looks in-depth at youth activities, perceptions, and experiences in online social network sites and considers their implications for the field of youth development/youth education. Emphasis is placed on youth activities and relationships in these online spaces.
– Professional Development –
4-H science, engineering, and technology (SET)
Author: Schmitt‐McQuitty, Lynn; Sharon Junge, Martin Smith, Richard Mahacek
Description: The 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Initiative targets the K-12 youth science literacy problem in the U.S. by engaging youth in nonformal 4-H SET projects and programs. Strengthen your understanding of experiential and inquiry-based learning and learn how to use best practices and examples of 4-H SET programming.
Description: An upcoming technology trend is moving us from e-learning to m-learning. Mobile phones, or cell phones, are evolving into multi-media, interactive communications devices that can be effective learning tools. Their popularity among youth and ethnic minorities enhances to their usefulness to programs. This will increase as technology develops and costs come down further.
Science Inquiry & Engineering Design Process: 4-H & SciGirls Training Support
Author: Dunham, Trudy (32 more by this author)
Description: CYFERnet, SciGirls and 4-H collaborate to enhance the quality of 4-H Science and Engineering programs nationwide. Our focus for this online toolkit is to expand the impact of our face-to-face inquiry and design process programs and training through placement of key training components online. Our goal is to enable nonformal youth educators to be both comfortable and effective in facilitating the science inquiry and engineering design process with youth. The videos showcase the training process with hands-on activities and tips to enhance the implementation.
STEM-rich learning in Out-of-School-Time
Description: This archived webinar was sponsored by the CYFERnet SchoolAge Editorial Board in March 2013. Do you offer STEM learning activities in your out-of-school-time program? Or are you nervous about providing these activities? Does your staff know how to provide STEM-rich learning? Do you want to provide STEM-rich learning opportunities in your program or train your staff to provide STEM-rich learning opportunities? This webinar will focus on how to train staff, key components of STEM-rich learning and STEM curricula to use in out-of-school-time programs.
– Programming Resource –
4-H Geospatial Programming Resources
Author: Dunham, Trudy (32 more by this author)
Description: This page supports all who work with geospatial programs in 4-H and CYFAR, with opportunities for program staff and members to interact with experts and each other, build skills, share program ideas, and develop their programs. Links to valuable curriculum and program resources are also provided.
Author: Wilson, Suzanne; Brenda Smith, University of Florida
Description: Science can be fun when you "Learn with LEGO's". In this hands-on workshop, participants will use the LEGO CAD program and LEGO Simple Machines project material to learn the basic principles of simple machine design and function. A true "Learn by Doing" project that can be used with youth ages 10 and up. This program not only teaches mechanical science, it also challenges youth to follow directions, work together, and use their imagination. "Let's play with LEGO's" will have a new meaning once you complete this workshop.
African American Inventors Curriculum
Description: Overview of curriculum, and the curriculum, to celebrate the accomplishments of African American Inventors and learn how to use an exciting new curriculum on the subject with kids in community-based projects serving children and youth.
Description: An interactive website designed for 8 to 16 year olds that teaches them about online issues such as netiquette, safety, copyrights, ethics, web evaluation, and communicating. Outlines of the different sections are available for teachers and parents.
Description: The National Science Foundation CS Bits & Bytes is a biweekly newsletter highlighting innovative computer science research. Aimed at high school teachers and students, it emphasizes how computer science permeates and improves our lives and supports progress in many other disciplines. CS Bits & Bytes issues include profiles of the individuals who do this exciting work and include links to interactive activities and videos. You can check out the archive at this site, and/or request the newsletter be emailed to you.
Cyberbullying - Mobilizing educators, parents, students, and others
Description: Embrace Civility in the Digital Age (a program of Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use) promotes approaches that will best ensure all young people become “Cyber Savvy” and address youth risk in a positive and restorative manner, including issues of Cyberbullying. Provides information for educators, parents, students, and others to combat online social cruelty.
Engineering With Technology Tools
Author: Staker, Jay (11 more by this author); Kathleen Jamison
Description: The 4-H SET Mission Mandate creates an opportunity of awareness in staff and youth to learn SET using exciting computer technology tools. Engage youth in relevant, fun learning that focuses on the engineering process. The experiences include problem solving, communication, community service, and aesthetics. Come learn SketchUp, Alice, and West Point Bridge Design software and start engineering your program.
Exergames: A New Look at Physical Fitness
Author: Wittman, (1 more by this author)
Description: The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid recommend that children get 60 minutes of moderate level exercise each day. New data indicate that exergames can be used as an option for youth to attain a moderate level of exercise. Learn how to incorporate exergames into after-school programs at a group level or the individual level.
Extension-Science, Engineering, & Technology (E-SET)
Author: Staker, Jay (11 more by this author); Steve Truby
Description: This is the place for you if you're interested in science and technology education for youth! Explore this site to find science activities, educator workshops and links to other resources.
Description: This interactive web-based program engages youth, ages 8-19 in science, technology, and math experiences. Users follow jean trends, calculate their average Frisbee throw, learn to fit a bicycle, and more.
Author: CYFERNet Team, (12 more by this author)
Description: An online camp for children age 8 to 12, using Internet applications to provide interactive games and resources to teach science and the arts while providing opportunities for youth to interact with other youth and adult Camp Counselors. Also includes resources to support school-age youth programs to use goCyberCamp as part of their activities.
Hands-On Educational Intervention for Middle School: Robotics, GPS/GIS, and Programming
Author: Barker, Brad
Description: The 4-H GEAR-Tech-21 Program integrates educational robotics and GPS/GIS skills to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge, competencies, and attitudes amongst middle school youth. Nationwide, participants receive at least 240 hours of focused, hands-on experience over two years in a camp and a club or afterschool setting. Curriculum, training, professional development, and continued support are available to leaders.
- More about "Hands-On Educational Intervention for Middle School: Robotics, GPS/GIS, and Programming"
Helping Our Children Succeed: What's Broadband got to do with it?
Author: KirkHart, April; Wendy Lazarus; James Lau
Description: This issue brief is designed to help leaders for children better understand what broadband is and what is at stake for our nation's 73 million children in the policy debate, and to offer concrete ways that leaders can make children's needs a priority and advocate for digital opportunities for all youth.
Author: Cooperative Extension Sys,
Description: Just for Kids is a list of online activities and resources created by the Cooperative Extension Service and intended for direct use by children (without the mediation of an adult leader or teacher). This page of links is to simplify access and use by children.
Mission of the Month: Capturing History- The making of a documentary
Author: Dunham, Trudy (32 more by this author); Jay Staker
Description: Who are you, really? Have your skills and interests been passed down from your parents or grandparents? Where did the habits and customs of today’s American society come from? There is more to one’s history – the history of family and community – than your DNA and the names of your ancestors. What you do and how you do it is an important part of your family history. Take the time to find out how you became who you are today. Interview your family members about one aspect of life or culture that interests you. If talking to family isn’t convenient, use this as an opportunity to learn how your neighborhood became what it is today!
Mission of the Month: CYFERnet Travel Bug Race
Author: Dunham, Trudy (32 more by this author)
Description: Would you like to explore the planet vicariously and win a prize as well? Then don’t miss the annual CYFERnet Travel Bug Race. In September, Youth and adult teams can start touring the globe via their Travel Bug: a metal tag that allows contestants to follow their “hitchhiker” trinket. Your hitchhiker can serve as a virtual you — make a club mascot and attach it to the Travel Bug for a more personalized experience. Hitchhikers are a staple of geocaching—the Global Positioning System (GPS)-based adventure game. In geocaching, contestants place their trinkets into official geocaches anywhere in the world, register their Travel Bugs online and track them as other geochachers move them from cache to cache in the real world. The more miles your bug travels, the higher your score in the CYFERnet Travel Bug Race. Read on to learn more.
Author: Staker, Jay (11 more by this author); Trudy Dunham
Description: This month, we examine inner space – DNA, a part of your body that is too small to see, but that makes each living thing unique. After examining what DNA is and why it is in the news today, there are two activities. You may extract actual DNA from banana cells using some commonly found materials and tools. You can also debate the pros and cons of manipulating DNA, a field known as genetic engineering. DNA is the code for life. Each of the cells in your body holds strings of DNA that are too small to see even with a microscope. But even though it is very small, it is very important. It defines what you look like and many other things about you. Learn more about DNA
Mission of the Month: Engineering- Designing Issues
Author: Staker, Jay (11 more by this author); Trudy Dunham, Lisa Regalla
Description: Do you enjoy puzzles and challenges? Would you like a career that is about making the lives of others better? Does the idea of being a part of a team that works to cure a disease like cancer, or to solve major problems such as climate change, sound more like what you would like to do with your life? Then maybe you do want to be an engineer! Check out this Mission for a variety of hands on activities and challenges that draw on your engineering skills and innovation -- from constructing a trebuchet to designing a life-size puppet!
Mission of the Month: Innovation and Exploration
Author: Dunham, Trudy (32 more by this author); Jay Staker
Description: CYFERnet celebrates National Engineers Week and Black History Month with a tribute to inventors and innovation. We also begin to explore how seasons change with our "It's a Mystery" project. To get the ball rolling, follow the steps listed under each activity.
Mission of the Month: Let's Not "Blow" Our Energy Future! It's In the Wind
Author: Staker, Jay (11 more by this author); Trudy Dunham
Description: Wind is an energy source that nature provides to us. What is wind? Where does wind come from? How can wind be used to provide energy for our future? These are all basic questions that need to be considered when we think about wind energy.
Mission of the Month: Music and Sound
Author: Dunham, Trudy (32 more by this author); Jay Staker
Description: A song is in the air – but how? When you hear music, how does the sound get from the instrument, radio or iPod to your ear? How do musical instruments actually make sound? This month’s mission focuses on the science of sound, and how to make music – physically and digitally. How to see sound waves in motion.
Mission of the Month: Nano - The Science & Technology of Small
Author: Staker, Jay (11 more by this author); Trudy Dunham
Description: Why is Nano so big in today's world? Because our technologies have developed enough for us to see the teeny tiny particles that make up our world. And our science is advancing so we understand how these tiny particles work. Just what is nano? Check out these activities for greater understanding of nano and how it works!
Mission of the Month:Adventures in Aerospace
Author: Dunham, Trudy (32 more by this author); Jay Staker
Description: From Mars explorations to star counting to space parties, this month, youth can go to infinity and beyond with four stellar activities:
Description: An upcoming technology trend is moving us from e-learning to m-learning. Mobile phones, or cell phones, are evolving into multi-media, interactive communications devices that can be effective learning tools. Their popularity among youth and ethnic minorities enhances to their usefulness to programs. This will increase as technology develops and costs come down further.
Plants & Textiles--A Legacy of Technology
Description: This project focuses on past and present technologies that convert plant materials to textile products. Youth make a tool, try traditional techniques, research modern production, and link to a community agency such as a museum or nature center. Topics include papermaking, rope making, indigo dyeing, net making, and mat weaving. All activites can be downloaded as .pdf files from the Plants & Textiles website.
Spatial Thinking with GPS, Maps, and Your School District
Author: Jones, Robert
Description: Is it possible to display details on a map from a distance in space of 12,000 miles, while traveling at speeds of roughly 7,000 miles an hour?” This GIS-based activity provides an innovative and relevant opportunity for youth to answer this question, using their school grounds as canvas to create and plan a drawing of their choice. The input drawing tool is GPS and the output will be a final printed copy using a mapping application.
Author: Benesh, Carol; Stephanie Davison; Gregg Switzer; Terri Hartly; Jack Joyce; Virgil McCormick ; Isiaih Brown
Description: The Art of Science shows how youth in Montana are using film and robotics technology to learn about science. Download the pdf file to see the workshop presentation at the 2010 CYFAR conference presented by Carol Benesh, Stephanie Davison, Gregg Switzer, Terri Hartly, Jack Joyce, Virgil McCormick and Isiaih Brown.
The Computer in your Hand and in your Programming: Phones, Mobile Devices, Games and Learning
Author: Gleason, Jeanne (1 more by this author); Michele Garza; Barbara Chamberlin
Description: Jeanne Gleason, Barbara Chamberlin, & Michele Garza, New Mexico State University
Many of the youth and adults you work with already carry a computer in their pocket: their cell phones. Consumers' cell phones are gaining new capabilities for games and interactive programs. Hear suggestions for relevant content, evaluating existing tools, and utilizing hand-held devices and phones as learning tools.
Tools of the Trade II: Creating Science-Rich Learning Opportunities
Description: This is an archived web-based training produced by the CYFERnet Teen Editorial Board in September 2009. Tools of the Trade II is a staff-development module that uses a "train-the-trainer" approach to deliver a comprehensive 21-hour training for afterschool program frontline staff and youth workers on incorporating science, engineering and technology (SET) into afterschool programming. Using a hands-on, interactive skill-building approach, it provides tools drawn from best practices to help afterschool staff enhance communication, management and educational delivery of afterschool programs.
Youth Community Informatics: Engagement through Technology-Supported Inquiry into Community Issues
Author: Diaz, Lisa
Description: Try out a curriculum that empowers youth to use communication technologies as tools to investigate and organize for social action around community-based issues. Topics of inquiry within the curriculum are based on case studies of youth social action that range from racial segregation to poverty to school violence. Free curriculum materials provided.