Resources

Maker Home

Maker Project Websites

• The online community for makers (currently in beta). makerspace.com
• Array of maker projects by difficulty level and category. makezine.com/projects
• Community-built collection of project tutorials. makercamp.com
• Project Learning Resources. makered.org
• 9 Maker Projects for Beginners teach.com
• Kits for beginner, intermediate, and advanced makers. makershed.com/collections
• PBSkids Design Squad Nation projects. pbskids.org
• The 4-H Junk Drawer Robotics Curriculum. 4-hmall.org

Teaching STEM Abilities

• Texas 4-H Definitions of SET Abilities
• What is Inquiry-Based Learning?
• Application of Experiential Learning
• Experiential Learning Factsheet

Economic Development

• How Cities Can Grow the Maker Movement by the National League of Cities (PDF copy)
• Maker City Playbook – A project designed to help public, private, and city leaders understand the Maker Movement and the impact it is having on economic opportunity in cities.

Other Maker Links

• National Youth Maker Summit: The Maker National Youth Summit is for the creative and curious young minds of the next generation of innovators. Participants make what they can with a variety of materials from a range of fields, utilizing their resourcefulness and creativity.
• 4-H Robotics Program: 4-H has developed a comprehensive robotics program to inspire young people and develop an early interest in robotics engineering and technology.
• Utah State University Extension 4-H STEM Programs
  Utah 4-H STEM activities and curriculum introduce youth to science, technology, engineering and math in an engaging, hands-on learning environment.
• DixieTechs: The 4-H Maker Series
  The Maker Movement embraces the idea of igniting the spark in young people to create, collaborate, and develop 4-H science abilities.
• The Maker Education Initiative and Johnson County 4-H
  4-H allows for the maker mindset to take place in a variety of venues.
• University of New Hampshire 4-H Maker Challenge
  Project booklet for a water bottle rocket challenge.
• The Tinkering Studio at the Exploratorium: Projects for tinkerers from the team at the Exploratorium.
• The Sylvia Show: Sylvia’s DIY webshow on everything cool and worth Making.
• Squishy Circuits Project Page: A project from the Playful Learning Lab at the University of St. Thomas.
• SparkTruck Tool Cards: A guide for educators that introduces tools.
• Maker Education Initiative: You tube channel for Maker Ed.
• The Tinkering School: List of project plans from the tinkering school.
• Play Make Share Studio: A Makerspace/School Fab Lab for the Play Make Share program at the REM Learning Center.
• Design Make Play – Case Studies: Examples of innovative projects that offer a variety of ways for students and adults to get involved in design make play activities
• The Design Thinking Toolkit for Educators: New ways to be intentional and collaborative when designing.
• DIY Girls: DIY Girls LA Youtube channel.
• DIY Camps: Online camps for kids.
• Getting Hands-on with Soft Circuits: A workshop facilitators guide to soft circuits.
• High-Low Tech Group MIT Media Lab: High-Low Tech was a research group at the MIT Media Lab from 2009-2014.
• Howtosmile.org Projects: Science and math projects from Howtosmile.org.
• Informal Science projects: A central online space to share informal science education projects.
• Instructables.com: Community of people sharing what they make.
• Make it at Your Library: Helping librarians realize makerspace projects in their communities.
• Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh Makeshop: Projects from the Makeshop at CMP.
• Maker Ed: Maker Ed is a non-profit organization that supports and empowers educators and communities to facilitate meaningful making and learning experiences with youth.
• Supporting the Teacher Maker Movement: When Teachers “Make” What They Teach.
• Creating an Authentic Maker Education Rubric: To assess maker projects in your class, begin with a three-part rubric to guide students through process, understanding, and product.
• How Maker Culture Builds Stronger Learning Communities: An innovative youth leadership program called Public Workshop has been partnering with high school students to remake their environment.
• Capture the Learning: Crafting the Maker Mindset: Plan a maker education program by identifying the content and skills you want to develop, and approach it as teaching creativity via PBL and design thinking.
• Making Room for Making: To bring maker education to your school, find a space, purchase equipment and supplies carefully, budget and partner creatively, and encourage ongoing student involvement.
• Dissecting the Un-Makerspace: Recycled Learning: Find a new dimension to maker education with an un-makerspace, a classroom set up for dismantling obsolete technology to investigate how it works.
• Make the Most of the Maker Movement: How can we make the most of Maker education? Here’s some suggestions from early adopters who are making the most of this promising movement.
• Makerspaces for Students With Special Needs: Students with special needs and neurological differences can benefit from the hands-on process, experimental nature, and visible results of maker education.
• The Maker Movement: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants to Own the Future: The Maker movement’s pedagogical roots reach back to 18th-century Europe even as its branches reach globally to transform 21st-century education.
• Making in Schools: The Creativity Lab’s report on teaching making in schools.
• Maker Club Playbook: Maker Ed’s Young Makers club guide.
• Makerspace Playbook School Edition: Maker Ed guide to starting makerspaces in schools.
• Makerspace @ The Tech Cookbook: The Tech Museum of Innovation’s guide to makerspaces.
• Maker Program Blueprint: New York Hall of Science and Cognizant resource for creating makerspaces.
• High School Makerspace Tools & Materials: Makerspaces as collaborative workshops.