Classroom resource freebies from Pitsco!

Freebie alert!

All of us at Pitsco know how exciting it is for educators to come across a free activity or resource for the classroom, and we're just as excited to share them with you!

To start, we have more than 100 activities at Pitsco.com/activities. Their instructions range from very basic to detailed and have levels from beginning to advanced. Topics include aerodynamics, robotics, structures, and more written by our curriculum specialists and educators that have participated in Pitsco TAG.

• An example of a Physical Science activity is the Fuel-Efficient Sail Car, where students can build a sail car (Try This: Engineering Kit) or other car project to test how size, shape, and design affect the speed and performance of the vehicle. The open design challenge sparks creativity and encourages problem-solving.
• The Pasta Tower activity in the Structures category takes two class periods, and students create a tower with a pasta of their choice. Then, using Pitsco's Tower Crusher, they test their structure’s strength. The competitive atmosphere of seeing whose tower can withstand the most pressure is engaging and creates excitement.

Besides these written activities, we have videos! Select items on our site have Instructional Build videos, which are a series of three videos that visually direct you how to build a kit or robot, walk you through an activity after it's built, and then tie the project to real-world connections. For example, take a look at our Air-Powered Glider. Under the Videos section, you'll see links to the following videos: AP Rocket and Glider Build, AP Rocket and Glider Activity, and AP Rocket and Glider Real-World Connections.

Here are other kits that have build videos (this list isn't all inclusive):

• T-Bot^® II Hydraulic Arm
• Eco-Wind Generator II
• Ray Catcher Sprint Deluxe Solar Vehicle
• TETRIX^® PRIME R/C Starter Set – Wheelee Bot
• TETRIX MAX R/C Robotics Set – Ranger Bot

If you work with either of our TETRIX robotics building systems (MAX or PRIME), we also have a series of RoboBench videos, which are tutorials with tips and tricks on how to assemble and use a variety of TETRIX parts. More than 60 RoboBench videos have been published at video.tetrixrobotics.com. And you can subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/TETRIXbyPitsco, so you don't miss out on future additions.

As an extra bonus, for anyone stocking up their classroom or makerspace, check out the free Elementary STEM Activity Guides when you purchase the corresponding Class Pack or Getting Started Package. Details on redeeming these promotions are listed below along with the promo codes that are effective until July 31, 2017.

• Get the EZ Trebuchet Activity Guide for FREE when you purchase the EZ Trebuchet Class Pack with the promo code EZTREBAG.
• Get the KaZoon Kite Activity Guide for FREE when you purchase the KaZoon Kites Getting Started Package with the promo code KAZOONAG.
• Get the Maglev Activity Guide for FREE when you purchase the Maglev Vehicles Getting Started Package with the promo code MAGLEVAG.
• Get the Straw Structures Activity Guide for FREE when you purchase the Straw Structures Getting Started Package with the promo code STRUCT3AG.
• Get the Large Structures Activity Guide two pack for FREE when you purchase the Large Structures Started Package with the promo code STRUCT2AG.

So, if you need any supplies for all the these great free activities, download the latest Pitsco catalog PDFs or request a printed version at www.pitsco.com/CatalogRequest. And, if you have any activity ideas you'd like to share with other educators, comment below. We look forward to hearing how you keep students engaged and bring STEM to your classroom.