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The Woodshop Alternative It seems like a relic of the past, a nostalgic memory of hands-on learning and smell of freshly cut redwood, cedar or pine. But for many parents and teachers who grew up decades ago, woodshop was a right of passage to learning practical skills that still carry to this day. It was the one elective class that didn’t involve textbooks, worksheets and tests. Our test was determined by how well you designed, built and crafted an actual project like a birdhouse or stool. Today, it is rare to see this class available in schools due to many...

With time often being the main culprit, the iterative step in the engineering design process is typically underused and frequently skipped in STEM lessons. However, a real world engineering design process project should ensure that iterations are a crucial part of the practice. And an effective STEM lesson should have the following elements to nurture an iterative experience for learners.  Criteria-based problem statement Testing mechanism and process Evaluation metrics tied to performance indicators Time for improvement Culture that supports and encourages failure “Great design is iteration of good design” - Cobanli Criteria-based Problem Statement The design challenge prompt sets the...

Standing 80in tall and 36in wide...The Corinator is ALIVE at the Fleet North Star Science Store in Balboa Park, San Diego!!! Made with close to 500 CORI Beams, wood materials and more…this maker exhibit was put together by our Co-Founder and Chief Engineer, Tom! Take a picture with this beautiful maker art piece on loan from the CORI team. Bonus points if you can guess what Corinator is holding? Tag us with #coricreate community. Thank you to the Fleet Science Center for your amazing partnership!

We love collaborations and our partners Raising Global Kidizens have written an engaging 60+ page workbook all about wind power. This curriculum includes using our Cori Windmill kit. Check it out here: https://www.raisingglobalkidizens.com/workbook-wind-power/ Learn more about our kits here: Cori Windmill Home Kit and Cori Windmill Classroom Kit.  Ready to learn all about wind power (and we mean all about wind power)? This 60+ page workbook introduces young learners to the history of wind power and where we’re headed with it going forward, the construction of windmills and turbines, the pros and cons of this renewable energy source, the science behind how wind creates electricity,...

Guest Blog Post from Dr. Jacie Maslyk:  “I really think our game should focus on adding and subtracting decimals,” one student suggests. “I think that might be a little challenging. Maybe we should just focus on rounding decimals since that’s what we have been working on mostly in class,” shares another.  “I like that idea. Can we all come to an agreement on that?” This was part of a conversation that I recently overheard in a fifth-grade classroom, where students were working together to design and build board games. All the games needed to include relevant math content, as well as...