Fractus Learning

Keeping educators on the cutting edge

Category: Science

With all of the press surrounding the Mars Rover Curiosity’s most recent findings, it’s a perfect time for children to learn more about space exploration and the solar system. Educational space toys are a fantastic way to encourage children to learn about space and the planets and help them develop an appreciation for a much larger universe than just our world. Your child could be the next space explorer, astronomer, or brilliant scientist who discovers life on Mars or creates […]

Hearing about STEM programs being incorporated into schools is nothing new, though I still frequently encounter districts that don’t have any STEM initiative in place. That doesn’t alarm me at first glance. See, I have also worked with schools who have a set-aside STEM time one day each week, and with schools who have a pull-out STEM class that everyone attends every week. I’ve also worked with an art teacher who had her students use the one 3D printer to […]

Our Eureka Crate Review- Soap Dispenser – KiwiCo’s Teen Science Kit This post may contain referral/affiliate links. If you buy something, Fractus Learning may earn a commission at no cost to you. Teenagers are difficult to please.  As the father of three of them- trust me – I know what I’m talking about. Don’t get me wrong: I love my kids and I don’t think they are any more difficult than the average teen.  But by the age of thirteen, […]

I think it is outstanding that children are getting interested in outer space again. For too long, the idea of exploring our universe seemed like it had stalled, and with it so did our interest in the stars. But now we are on the cusp of a new generation of astronauts heading off into the unknown.  Not only are kids dreaming of the moon, but dreaming of Mars as well.  The kicker is some of them will actually get to […]

A summer reading list containing exciting STEM books with great stories and authentic problems to solve may inspire kids to want to read more this summer. STEM principles incorporate four subjects: science, technology, engineering, and math. For some, these are fun subjects, but for other students, it may be difficult and daunting topics. Here is a list of 35 stellar STEM books that could have your child change their mind and inspire them to explore these topics more. Science Books […]

Last Updated: October 30, 2019 Using a telescope and exploring the skies can be a hugely rewarding, enjoyable and fascinating experience for kids of all ages. With a huge selection of telescopes for beginners out there, it’s sometimes hard to choose the right one that will bring the moon, stars, and planets up close and personal. Don’t worry! You’ll find our picks below, along with a list of the items to watch out for when you are buying a telescope […]

Ants are amazing creatures. They scurry around all day long, searching for food, building the nest, caring for their young and protecting the queen. In many ways, an ant colony is like an industrious human city: everyone has a job to do and they get on with it. Older ant farms were very simple. They consisted of sand between two pieces of glass. Newer ant farms use brightly colored gel to create a stable ecosystem for the ants, so they […]

When I was little I dreamed of traveling to space and touching the stars.  My father would wake us up in the middle of the night to hike through the woods or walk along the dirt road to see the meteor showers put on a late night show for us.  We would come back home and enjoy cups of hot cocoa and either regale each other with how many shooting stars we had seen or slurp our marshmallows in a […]

When I was little I dreamed of becoming a writer.  At the age of nine I declared that I would be famous for writing a series of short stories entitled, “The Eraser that Ate my Pen” which followed the crazy antics of my pink eraser and his insatiable appetite for red pens.  I was inspired to follow in the footsteps of my mother who created magic when she put pen to paper, writing everything from song lyrics, to poetry, to […]

What does it take to be a pioneer? To leave the tried and true path in search of something more.  To know that it is not if failure will strike, but when, and how you will face adversity when it happens. When I was in the fourth grade my school got a small computer lab filled with several Macintosh computers, floppy disks, and the game, The Oregon Trail.  During the course of a month we transformed from simple Minnesotan elementary […]

Raise your hand if you’ve seen the Mentos In Cola trick? I’m guessing your hand is up (if so, you can put it down now).  Did you know who the first person to show it on YouTube was? Steve Spangler.  Here’s the recording from 2005 when he went on a local TV show and introduced the world to the awesome reaction that comes from one type of candy with cola. Steve has a passion for making science fun to learn.  […]

Every year for the past twenty the Saint Thomas Academy Experimental Vehicle Team (STA EVT) has built a new vehicle from the ground up to give our students the best engineering experience a high-schooler can get. The internationally recognized program started in 1997. My fellow moderator Mark Westlake and I believe in the importance of learning from mistakes. That the most important life lessons come from experience, that science is not always easy and that the answers are not always […]

This week, my kids and I were very excited to try out our new water-testing kit. The older two (ages seven and five) love science, AND they drink a great deal of water, so this was the perfect experiment for us to work on together. The Product Test Assured’s 4-pack Kit for Schools and Science Fairs comes with four tests, which are to be used to evaluate four different samples of water. For each sample, test strips are provided to […]

Within all of us, there lies a desire to explore. It can be as simple as trying a new cuisine or as complicated as diving into the depths of an ocean to see the vibrant colors of coral reefs. It drives us to push past our comfort zones and reach for the stars. Learning how to harness the innate need to pioneer new frontiers in our students can be difficult at times, perhaps even overwhelming. Each year we are faced […]

I have been running a Coding and Robotics Club at my school, St Aidan’s AGS Junior School, Brisbane, for a couple of years now. One of the best ways to inspire children I have found is through ‘books’. I use both fiction and non-fiction to inspire our girls in library lessons. These ideas and skills can then be transferred into the Makerspace Zone and into Coding and Robotics Club. I have listed some that I like to share with my students and that I […]

We are pleased to announce the launch of the World STEM Challenge! Website: worldstem.co Twitter: @WorldSTEMedu The concept is to ‘crowdsource’ a video bank of quality STEM lessons and ideas for teachers around the world. The idea is simple: Ask teachers who are making great STEM lessons to share their ideas in a short video, around 2 minutes long. We will create a bank of these videos for teachers to easily navigate. Teachers from around the world will be able […]

The first time that I was asked to teach a workshop it was on the subject of science. The conference organizer said, “let’s get young minds wired for science by introducing the need for a science center in the preschool classroom.” The venue was an annual conference that provided training hours for preschool teachers. While I was thrilled to be asked to teach. The topic scared me to death. Science was one of my least favorite subjects in school and I […]

This is the story of how I took my passion for building energy efficient cars and used it as a vehicle to bring STEM into my French classroom. I have always loved the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM); seeing and learning how things work and fit together was a big part of my childhood, largely thanks to the influence of my father. When I started working as a French teacher in an all-boys school it never occurred […]

The night skies have always been a source of peace and tranquility for many people. Bringing home the effects of a twinkling sky is absolutely possible if you look at purchasing a star projector for your home. Not only for children, a star projector will give a calming ambiance to any room whether a kids bedroom or the master suite. These seven star projector products provide a little piece of the heavens right in your home and some also offer added […]

Chemistry can be a daunting subject, but chemistry sets for kids make learning about basic chemistry concepts fun and inviting. Many children learn best when presented with hands-on experiences, and science kits lend themselves easily to this type of teaching and learning. While some kits, often designed for older kids, include all of the components for more advanced scientific learning and, there are plenty of chemistry kits for kids that focus on the fun aspects of science. Whether you are […]