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At the White House Maker Faire recently, where President Obama invited "makers" of all ages to display their creations, the President investigated a robotic giraffe, a red weather balloon and shot a marshmallow cannon made by a student.

Maker Camp is online all summer and year-round. It happens everywhere around the world, so you can meet any of your neighbors taking part in Maker Camp, too! I could see organizing a summer learning group through a school, similar to a club. The trick is, that many of the maker resources are assumed at home already, so that may create a challenge.

This story maker would be great to use with elementary students who are learning about how words come together to create sentences and stories. The tool would be an excellent resource for students who struggle with writing and need a visual to help them see the relationship between text and pictures. It works kind of like a game, allowing students to select characters, backgrounds, plots, and items so that they can create their own stories. Students are allowed to see the images they create and, as they create these images, the story maker builds the text to tell the story so that students can see how writing comes together. Students are also given the ability to change the text and incorporate animations. Finally, students are given a code that lets them share the story they created with others.

I've used this many times in my classroom. The students love it!

I have spent a bit of time last year looking for maker type activities and science resources. This is another DIY/At Home possible learning site for students to expand their learning, or for teachers to bring maker activities in on a minimal budget.

This resource is one I would like to share with my teachers because it gives 12 easy to follow ways to build real-world STEAM applications in their classrooms. It supports the design-thinking model that we are trying to grow as a process for reflection in our building, and supports the work we are doing to grow use of our maker program. Great Resource!

This site from NASA and Design Squad offers activities, videos, lesson plans, and guides for engaging kids in hands-on engineering activities. There are several guides for running 6-week or 12-week clubs or after school events. I am always on the lookout for activities that promote design thinking that I can use for a maker event or as a creative warm-up for one of my clubs. Lots of good ideas here!