Science and STEAM Kits

JSD Elementary classroom teachers:

The Science and Engineering kits are based on the current 2017 JSD curriculum and the Next Generation Science Standards. Many of the science kits are aligned with Mystery Science.

Wish to order? Please visit the Science Kit Database. The materials and kits will be sent to you via the JSD mail.

You may skip or modify lessons as necessary to best meet the intention of your grade level Disciplinary Core Ideas, Performance Expectations, Cross-Cutting Concepts, and Science & Engineering Practices.

Questions? 

Please contact the Science Kit clerk at lauren.louwagie@juneauschools.org

Mystery Science

Mystery Science is a great resource for you! To access the science units and mini lessons use your school email.

Also, if you turn on the anchor layer they have additional resources including thinking routine worksheets. Many of our Science Kits have the materials you need to use with the Mystery Science Units. Click here for the mystery science website and here to check out the JSD Science Kits.

STEAM Resources

Integrating STEAM in your classroom engages students and builds design thinking, grit, creativity, teamwork, confidence, and communication skills!

In the JSD Science Kit Database we have materials for you to check out and use in your classroom. Sign up for them on the STEAM tab of the Science Kit Database. There are Makerspace and STEM Bins, Technology kits, STEAM Challenge cards, lesson plans and more!

Here is some more information about the Technology Kits and STEM/Makerspace kits:

An easy way to integrate technology into your classroom is through code.org's computer science connections modules. The storytelling and marine life ecosystems modules are a fun way to reinforce your ELA and NGSS standards. Sign up for a teacher account through code.org's website to access lesson plans and more modules!

Marie Drake Planetarium Field Trips

Bring your class to the Marie Drake Planetarium for a field trip! Have your students experience "Under the Juneau Sky" or "Our Sky through Raven and the Box of Daylight."

If you would like, you can also pick the topics for your students to experience! For more information and to sign up click here.

Bring an expert into your classroom!

Would you like to bring an expert into your classroom? Work with the Juneau STEM Coalition to find the right expert or directly access the STEAM Experts Database and reach out to the community member of your choice! Email the Juneau STEM Coalition at juneaustemcoalition@gmail.com.

The Juneau STEM Coalition has three big events each year where you can meet some of the experts in person. Please click here or email juneaustemcoalition@gmail.commore information.

Place-Based Lessons

These grade level lessons are based on the NGSS standards. These are modeled on the Mystery Science format and are Google slideshows using place-based reference for students to build their science learning. Lessons incorporate videos and resource links to support building science understandings and a STEAM hands-on activity for concrete exploration. Many of the place-based references are from the work of local naturalists, which can be found on the following websites: Richard Carstensen’s Juneau Nature and Bob Armstrong’s Nature Bob. Lessons were developed and piloted during the 2021-2022 school year by JSD staff.

K: What do living things need?

1: Life Science: Structure, Function, and Information Processing

2: Earth’s Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth

3: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

4: Life Science: Structure, Function, and Information Processing

5: Energy in Ecosystems

Sea Week Resources

Sea Week is a wonderful time of year at JSD!

In early spring, the Teaching and Learning Support staff will send out the Sea Week Notebook where schools will rotate to sign up for their beach and partner field trips. We are so grateful to the community partner organizations that host us for field trips!

Please make a plan for your beach trip, by using the following resources:

Sea Week Information: Learning about our Beaches Workshop Slides

Beach Ettiquette video by Geoffrey Wyatt's class.

More resources can be found on the Seaweek Tab at the JSD Science Kit Database.

Alaska Graphs
Eastern Bering Sea Ecosystem graph

Credit: NOAA FIsheries

This NOAA graph is from a growing collection of Alaska-based data literacy lessons developed by the Juneau STEM Coalition in collaboration with community STEAM experts and educators in the "What's Going On in This Alaska Graph?" project.  To see more information about the overall goals and the specific lessons themselves, click here.

STEAM events and Community Resources

Would you like to have a STEAM day or night event at your school?

Contact the Juneau STEM Coalition for help organizing it or for help finding the right community members to come.

Contact them via their website or by email juneaustemcoalition@gmail.com.

NOAA Live! Alaska

NOAA Live! Alaska is a series of interactive webinars, aimed at Alaska students in grades 2-8 (but of interest to all ages!). We feature NOAA scientists, educators and partners to explore NOAA’s work in Alaska.

Learn about current research. Connect to what’s going on in your communities. Join us to ask questions to our presenters and learn more about weather, oceanography, marine life, fisheries and more in Alaska! In 2023-24, NOAA Live! Alaska will be doing monthly webinars focused on NOAA partnerships in Alaska. Webinars will generally be on Tuesdays at 1 pm Alaska time. Visit the NOAA Live! Alaska webpage to learn more and view recordings of past webinars.

NOAA

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Ocean Guardian School

Does your school have what it takes to help protect the ocean for the future? Promote ocean and watershed conservation at your school or in your local community by becoming an Ocean Guardian School.

An Ocean Guardian School makes a commitment to the protection and conservation of its local watersheds, the world's ocean, and special ocean areas, like national marine sanctuaries. The school makes this commitment by proposing and then implementing a school- or community-based conservation project. Visit the Ocean Guardian School webpage to learn more.

Integrating Technology

An easy way to integrate technology into your classroom is through code.org's computer science connections modules. The storytelling and marine life ecosystems modules are a fun way to reinforce your ELA and NGSS standards. Sign up for a teacher account through code.org's website and access lesson plans for modules and the fundamentals courses!

We also have hands-on technology kits in our JSD science kit database. Our micro:bit kit is a nice way to start. Students can do the 'do your :bit' challenge or just explore their favorite topic. Here are some resources created using code.org's micro:bit resources for CS Fundamentals Classrooms and some lessons and professional development from the Micro:bit Educational Foundation. You can also check out Finch robots that use the micro:bit from the JSD science kit database!

Click here to find out more about the micro:bit.

Common Sense Education has ready to teach lessons on digital citizenship. Topics include media balance, digital footprint, online privacy, news and media literacy, communication and cyberbully. Click here to access the free lessons.