Aerospace/STEM Resources for Remote Education
CAP is providing this repository of virtual learning links for use when groups of cadets and students cannot gather. Although each site is vetted, if any link is found to have flawed or inappropriate information that has not been identified, please let us know at ae@capnhq.gov. If you find other sites that would be useful to others, please let us know that, as well.
This page will be updated as is needed, especially as health and other issues may prevent regular large group gatherings. Stay safe; wash your hands; and be kind!
Just scroll downward to find a variety of sites! (Other Great Resources section, below, is alphabetical.)
Also, follow posts of other resources on the CAP Aerospace Education Facebook page (@CAPaerospace)!
- Have a free CAP Sphero STEM Kit? (If not, apply now! Info HERE!)
- Then, go to eServices/Online Learning/Absorb-Learning Management System --> Absorb --> Cyber STEM Kits to find the associated Sphero STEM Kit activities and resources for use.
- And, check out the Sphero Challenge Report and Video from CAP AE member, Deb Ballin, from MO's St. Joseph School District!
- Then, go to eServices/Online Learning/Absorb-Learning Management System --> Absorb --> Cyber STEM Kits to find the associated Sphero STEM Kit activities and resources for use.
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Try out the Code a Mars Helicopter Video Game (Mars Perseverance's Ingenuity Helicopter)
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Top Six Free Stargazing Apps! (And, if you do not have a FREE CAP Astronomy STEM Kit, it is time to apply! Info HERE!)
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CAP has an Astronomy Module and Activity Book, as well, ready to download in eServices/Aerospace Education/AE Downloads and Resources.
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CAP Aerospace Education Diversity and Inclusion
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Check out CAP AE's Diversity and Inclusion page. Two specific educational items are found below:
CAP's middle school book on The Tuskegee Airmen highlights several of these legacy heroes and includes STEM and associated character connection lessons. Available for download in CAP's member portal, eServices/Aerospace Education/AE Downloads and Resources.
Women in Aviation, Volumes I and II, history and model plane building lessons, ready for download in CAP's member portal, eServices/Aerospace Education/AE Downloads and Resources.
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Sample lesson, Women in Aviation Volume I, Lesson 1- Katherine Cheung, first U.S. female Asian-American pilot
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Sample from Vol II: Lesson 1- Emily Howell Warner, first woman permanent pilot of a scheduled U.S. passenger airline.
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See video of Barrier-Breaking Pilot, Emily Howell Warner made upon her death, July 26, 2020, at age 80.
Educator Info:
NOT an educator member of CAP? Find out how to join at the CAP Educators Page with info about other free STEM Kits and resources! View this video, also, to find out more about the benefits of becoming a CAP Aerospace Education Member (AEM)- a special membership category for formal and informal educators!
CAP Cadet Info:
All info on this page and throughout the CAP AE site are for CAP cadets. But, check out:
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NJ Aviation Council's webpage with aviation education, career, and activity info (Specific page for career/college/scholarship info HERE)
Not a CAP Cadet? Find out more for youth, ages 12 and above, at the CAP Cadet Programs page!
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Check out the first seven minutes of the Jan 2022 Nick News segment about CAP HERE.
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Check out a 1:12 minute AZ video about opportunities in the CAP Cadet Program HERE.
Aerospace/STEM Career Exploration:
***Interested in an Unmanned Aerial Systems Certification program? The Unmanned Safety Institute has a special offer to allow secondary institutions to take advantage of the sUAS Level 1 program for FREE ($5,000 value). Cadets can become prepared to assist CAP in its sUAS SAR programs!
***Interested in CAP's innovative Geospatial programs? Find out about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - related programs at:
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United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) K-12 Education Resources
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America View: Empowering Earth Observation Education K-12 Resources
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National Geographic's Geography Awareness Week Educational Ideas for preK-12+ (Celebrated each November ---- 13-17 November 2023)
Geocaching OpenStreetMap 100 Earth Shattering Remote Sensing Applications Spin the Globe in Google Earth
***Interested in becoming a pilot?
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CAP's Youth Aviation Initiative- specifically the CAP Wing's Program - will aid any CAP cadet in furthering an interest in an aviation career.
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The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association also has Flight Training scholarships for high school students. Flight training scholarships are also available for teachers who are teaching the special AOPA High School Aviation STEM Curriculum. To be eligible, one needs to become an AOPA student or educator member.
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CAP's free flight simulator, remote-control aircraft, cross-country navigation, VTOL, and sUAS STEM Kits complement and support AOPA's You Can Fly programs!
3. Check out Redbird's FREE weekly STEM+ Labs!
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Redbird has also offered a complimentary copy of their Private Pilot Training Events workbook, full of tips and exercises for effective flight training.
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Whether or not you have a free CAP Flight Simulator to use, youth, grades 6-12 can participate in these weekly lessons! Perfect for CAP squadron "virtual meetings!" No aviation experience is necessary, nor is access to a simulator. However, if you have a sim you'll be able to use it. Access to the internet and YouTube is needed for this class.
*** Also, check out the presentation, "So You Want to be a Pilot," prepared by Lt Col Bruce Bream, GLR-OH-058, Group IV Deputy Commander and Asst AEO. This provides a good overview of aviation pathways, scholarships, and organizations which may help propel youth toward an aviation vocation and/or avocation!
***And, Aviation 101 with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has an online, video-based course that is provided to cadets at no cost. If you want to learn aviation fundamentals and how to become a licensed pilot, start here.
***Interested in learning more about the F-35? Visit with Col Brian Silkey of the 419th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, UT! F-35 Virtual Field Trip with math and technology info and career tips!
***Interested in a career in Aerospace Engineering? Learn all about aerospace engineering, the undergraduate experience, career pathways, and the latest advancements in the industry from students, faculty, and alumni of the Penn State College of Engineering HERE!
***Interested in becoming an official SkyWarn Spotter with the National Weather Service? To find activities and training in your state, click on your state HERE; then, Information, then Skywarn Spotter where info about training in your area will be conducted (there are also some education activities there). The link to free online training is found HERE.
***Interested in any career in aviation? Check out Spark101's Career Snapshot Aerospace Industry video, complete with educational materials, topics and standards, and educational pathways! Check out and sign up for more info at Spark101!
***Interested in Southwest Airlines career exploration programs?
1. Kindergarten -12 Career Resources... Pilots, Flight Attendants, Ramp Agents, oh my! Explore this page to learn about meaningful careers as a pilot, flight attendants ramp agents, and more. Discover opportunities for students to gain first-hand experience in the aviation industry at Southwest Airlines.
2. Southwest Airlines Adopt a Pilot Program provides support to classrooms across the nation.
3. Southwest Airlines K-12 Speaker Request Form... To request a Southwest Airlines K-12 speaker, please fill out the request form and provide as much information as possible about the event. Please note: while they will do their best, not all requests can be accommodated. Speakers cannot be recorded. This could be a great resource for CAP cadets and students across the country.
4. Destination 225... Destination 225° trains and empowers future pilots on how to fly The Southwest Way. If you've ever dreamed of a career at 35,000 feet, set your course for 225° through one of SW's four pathways: Cadet, University, Military, or Employee.
See interesting AE video interviews from Florida's '21 Sun 'N Fun Aviation Expo, below!
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Find out about CAP's missions to include its Aerospace Education programs for cadets from the (former) FL Wing Commander, Col Louis Garcia!
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Find out about CAP's cadet program from Cadet Olivia Jenkins!
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Find out about CAP's external Aerospace Education program, to include interesting info about the famed X-15, from Col Gary Dahlke, FL Wing Asst Director of AE!
Character Education:
The Medal of Honor Character Development program is now providing online activities for home use in all grade levels.
* The MoH program supplements both CAP's K-6 ACE program and CAP's Cadet Program character pillar (which includes MoH lessons HERE).
Other Great Resources (in alphabetical order):
50 Easy Science Experiments to do with stuff you have at home.
Academy of Model Aeronautics paper airplane templates HERE!
Aerospace Micro-Lessons from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics STEM K-12 include almost 100 easily-digestible lessons focused on aerospace principles; ranging from engineering, to mathematics, to physics, to highlighting aerospace anniversaries. (MORE AIAA opportunities for youth and educators are found HERE!)
- Stay abreast of AFA's CyberPatriot program and competition! Now is a great time to learn more about cyber security via their website's training materials! (Click on competition/training materials.)
- Also, check out the AFA's StellarXplorers program and competition! Both of these national competitions culminate with virtual national finalists events in March.
- Both competitions, which can include CAP squadrons and educators, are open for annual registration from early April- early October.
Air Force Research Lab (AFRL): Information Directorate’s Griffiss Institute STEM Outreach Program
ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station: Educational Content and Educational Videos
CAP's K-6 Aerospace Connections in Education (ACE) program sample lessons (in Related Links right-side bar)
Code.org's Learning Computer Science While Schools are Closed
DiscoverE has an amazing amount of engineering lessons and activities! Started over 30 years ago as the organization behind National Engineers Week, DiscoverE is a wealth of online resources!
Disney's & Kennedy Space Center's Free Online Learning During School Closures
Joe Wicks: Free daily kids physical fitness work-outs (PE with Joe) and added lessons
NASA Aeronautics includes missions, galleries, NASA TV and much more, including NASA STEM Engagements: Educator Resources - Exploring STEM and Student Resources- NASA at Home, which is a separate site from NASA at Home (e-books, podcasts, videos, virtual tours, and more...),
NASA Aeronautics Research Institute's Advanced Air Mobility Academy (AAMA) has amazing resources and trainings! AAMA is a virtual classroom series open to 6th – 12th grade students and educators. (Great for squadron use, too!) AAMA is hosted by NASA subject matter experts and is designed to teach AAM principles with hands-on STEM activities. Events are streamed onto YouTube and available to watch live or recorded, featuring Next GEN STEM Aeronaut-X and much more! There are student internships, fellowships, and pathways with an assortment of educator resources. Teachers can apply for Classroom of the Quarter. Check out "Aerial Drone," "Air Taxi Design Challenge," and more to come. Archived Academy presentations, to include "Package Delivery Drone Simulation" and “The Science Behind Quadcopters,” as well as resources and registration are at this site.
NASA eClips serves the national K-12 educational community by introducing students to STEM concepts and providing teachers with engaging resources and tools to support teaching and learning. Developed in 2008, NASA eClips offers free educational resources for teachers to use to complement their curriculum. (Also found on the NASA eClips YouTube channel.) Educational material for this program is selected based on national curriculum standards including the Common Core State Standards – Mathematics (CCSS-M), the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the Standards for Technological Literacy (defined by the International Technology Engineering Education Association (ITEEA), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
The National Institute of Aerospace works with NASA to continue to provide relevant and engaging science content and access to subject matter experts (SMEs). Though primarily developed with the formal K-12 classroom audience in mind, NASA eClips also provides resources to increase understanding of NASA science to lifelong learners, non-formal audience, and the general public. Professional development opportunities are delivered to demonstrate best practices using newly developed resources to address student misconceptions in science, as identified by national assessment sources.
The NASA Educators Online Network (NEON)* learning community developed by researchers at the Aerospace Education Services Project (AESP), housed in Penn State’s College of Education. NEON gives K–12 educators of the STEM disciplines an online symposium for sharing matters of common interest. The network allows teachers to bond with scientists, engineers, and other teachers to help support their classroom work. NEON also allows users to locate a variety of teaching, learning, and professional-development resources.
NASA HUNCH program The HUNCH mission is to empower and inspire students through a Project Based Learning program where high school students learn 21st century skills and have the opportunity to launch their careers through the participation in the design and fabrication of real world valued products for NASA.
NASA's STEM Engagement for Students
Seven National Science Foundation-supported STEM resources for at-home learning
Scholastic Free Learn-at-Home Resources for School Closings
Schoolhouse Rocks (Complete multiplication series from 1973-2009!)
Science Never Stops! (from the US Space & Rocket Center
Science with Virgin Galactic (YouTube teaching videos)
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Educator Resources
- Includes how things fly and create your own paper airplane - with a flight contest!
Space Foundation's Discovery Center: Discover Space From Home videos, lessons, and webinars
Space Station Explorers Learn at Home Activities and Experiences
SpaceX Dock the Dragon with the ISS simulator
Stories from Space! and Science from Space! Astronauts read space stories and demonstrate science lessons while on the ISS!
💫 Texas Girls Collaborative Project has great online Resources for Virtual STEM Teaching and Programming for Educators, with links to many resources for families and stay at home activities, as well as upcoming webinars)!
Try Engineering, powered by IEEE, provides free lesson plans for exciting engineering activities for youth, ages 4-18. There are teacher lessons and student involvement opportunities.
Virtual Field Trips Around the World! An assortment of virtual field trips for cadets and other youth.
Vivify STEM is an online resource site. One registers for the newsletter and receives a code to get into the myriad free STEM resources, to include resources for special dates and events.
VR VEXcode Project is a free resource that allows one to use block coding to create a program that will command a virtual robot to perform actions that are in the code. Each block is associated with a number of instructions based on the Python programming language. Block coding is a form of GUI, or Graphic User Interface.
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Find out how GLR-IL-282- Lake in the Hills Composite Squadron's AEO, Maj David Hooper, used this VR VEXcode program for a virtual cadet activity! See video HERE. (May take a while to download.)
CAP Region Directors of AE are working with their Wing DAEs (and others) to compile Region Online Learning Links (see right column for Region pages)
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Setting up Google Classroom for squadron and/or classroom use: Cadet Santhanam from CAP's Bud Jackson Composite Squadron (NER-NJ-102) has created a video tutorial on how to set up a Google Classroom !
How to set up the ZOOM App for Virtual Teaching
How to set up the ZOOM App for Parents and Students
Safety Alert!
Using ZOOM? CAP IT Team Pro-Tip:
Many squadrons, schools, and homes are using ZOOM as a platform for virtual meetings but have read news reports about safety concerns. Pro-Tip from CAP's IT team: "There are settings within Zoom that will prevent someone from bombing your meeting. If you or any other members are using Zoom, teach person needs to go to 'settings' and disable file transfer and screen sharing. That is especially important if large meetings are being conducted with people who may be unknown. It appears these things are happening when meeting links are posted in social media that is open to the public. 'Bad guys' then use the link to get into the meeting and do bad guy stuff."
Have another excellent link to share with others? Let us know at ae@capnhq.gov!