STEM Teachers - Equations and Live Data Integration

The Digital Laboratory: Google Sites for STEM
Carol LaRow, Google Certified Trainer

Overview: In a STEM classroom, your website should function as more than just a syllabus. It is a Dynamic Resource Hub where students can access live data, complex formulas, and interactive simulations. This guide focuses on the "Workarounds" and "Power Moves" that allow you to maintain technical precision while creating a streamlined experience for your students.

PART 1: The STEM Sitemap (Logic & Organization)

A successful STEM site uses "Branching Logic." Use Subpages to keep your units separate.

• Unit Hubs: Instead of one long page, create a Main Page (e.g., Biology 101) with Subpages for each unit (Cells, Genetics, Evolution).

• The Resource Sidebar: Use the Button widget for high-frequency tools:

  • Math: Link to Desmos or GeoGebra.

  • Science: Link to PhET Simulations or Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

  • Computer Science/Engineering: Link to GitHub, Tinkercad, or Project Folders.

PART 2: Equations & Formulas (Maintaining Precision)

Google Sites does not have a native LaTeX editor. Use these three "Level Up" strategies:

• Level 1: The Toolbar Secret (Simple Sub/Superscript) Highlight your text ($x2$ or $H2O$), click the three dots in the text toolbar, and select Superscript or Subscript.

• Level 2: The Google Doc Embed (Perfect Formatting) Create complex worksheets in a Google Doc using
    Insert > Equation. Use the Docs Widget in Sites to embed it.

  • Why? It preserves your fractions/roots and updates the site automatically when you edit the Doc.

• Level 3: Snipping Tool (Complex Formulas) For Physics or Calculus formulas, take a screenshot of the equation and insert it as an Image.

PART 3: Data, Labs, and Engineering Portfolios

Show, don't just tell. Use interactive elements to visualize your curriculum.

•  Live Data Dashboards: Use the Sheets widget to embed a chart. When data is collected in the lab and entered into the Sheet, the website chart updates in real-time.

•  Image Carousels (Feb 21 Sneak Peek): Perfect for "Step-by-Step" lab procedures, microscope slide galleries, or engineering prototype iterations.

• Collapsible Groups: The "Answer Key" Trick. Put a problem on the page, and hide the solution inside a Collapsible Group so students can self-assess.

PART 4: Technical "Pro-Tips" for STEM

• ·The "Placeholder" Strategy: When building your site, use Placeholders to map out where your future lab photos or data charts will go.

• Hyperdoc Integration: If you already use "Hyperdocs," don't rebuild them! Use the Embed tool to feature them prominently.

• File Permissions: IMPORTANT! Ensure all PDFs, Docs, and Sheets in your Google Drive are shared as "Anyone with the link can view" so your students don't see an "Access Denied" box. This is a common mistake educators make. They embed a great Google Sheet they’ve designed, but the students can't see it because the Sheet itself is private.

Conclusion:

"Your website is your 'Teaching Assistant.' If a student loses their lab manual or forgets the formula for a homework problem at 7:00 PM, your site is the place where they find the answer. Build the skeleton today; we will add the 'advanced' muscles and themes on February 21st!"