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Unleash the power of interactive STEM learning
What are Gizmos? ExploreLearning Gizmos are interactive online simulations and case studies for math and science that power inquiry and understanding through hands-on learning and experimentation. Students in grades 3-12 can dig deeper into STEM subjects and really understand challenging concepts as they form, analyze, and test ideas to find solutions, just like real mathematicians and scientists.
What's so great about Gizmos?
Ignite curiosity with interactive STEM simulations.
Gizmos uses an inquiry-based instructional approach that promotes investigation and discovery. Their highly visual, interactive design fosters active learning by doing. With over 550+ STEM simulations covering topics like physics, chemistry, biology, algebra, and geometry, students can experiment, test ideas, and see real-world applications come to life!
Develop strong conceptual understanding through exploration.
Award-winning Gizmos Simulations started it all with interactive virtual labs and case studies for math and science. Gizmos cover both real-world and abstract scenarios with extensive teaching resources that make classroom implementation easy, yet adjustable for your classroom needs. Reporting tools help assess and manage student progress, and embedded formative assessments evaluate student progress as it happens.
New Gizmos Investigations bridge science education gaps and target 6th-8th grade standards and sensemaking practices to prepare students for high-stakes assessments. Gizmos Investigations address the challenges teachers face in helping all students DO the DOING of science and combine a traditional Gizmo simulation with built-in student questioning, interactive investigations, and just-in-time feedback to engage students at their individual levels of understanding. Students take charge of their learning as they explore, test, and retest ideas.
Gizmos STEM Cases are award-winning case studies in the Gizmos library. They put students in elementary grades through high school in the role of STEM professionals tasked with solving real-world problems. ExploreLearning brings authentic concerns to students by consulting with experts in the field for each STEM Case, from professors to engineers and those working directly with the topic, which lean into the engineering design practices in addition to the science SEPs. Students learn the science and do the science sensemaking in the service of and context of designing solutions to the real-world STEM problem.
Support teachers with standards-aligned STEM resources
Correlated to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and state/provincial standards, we’ve made planning and preparation easy for new and veteran teachers! Each research-based Gizmos product has everything you need to succeed, from product support to professional development. What about correlations to core curriculum and textbooks? Gizmos deliver!
Gizmos gets more "ah-ha!" moments.
Classroom-ready Support
Gizmos are standards aligned and lessons easily adapt to whole class, small group, or 1:1 instruction. Plus, our support includes trainers and learning communities. It’s everything educators need to implement, teach, and succeed with Gizmos.
Inquiry-based Exploration
Gizmos uses a proven “structured inquiry” approach. In a typical activity, students perform specific actions and record the results. They then make predictions about new situations and verify their hypotheses using the Gizmo.
Real-world Experiences
Gizmos interactive STEM Cases put students in the role of STEM professional tasked with solving a real-world problem. Students learn foundational knowledge and use virtual labs solve it and save the day!
Visualization and Data
Extensive visualization and data analytics tools help students easily see and experience phenomena and concepts, capture and compare results from experiments, and share their findings with others.
Instant Insights
Reporting tools help assess and manage student progress. Embedded formative assessments evaluate student progress as it happens. And real-time data heatmaps immediately uncover student problem areas.
Classroom-ready Support
Gizmos are standards aligned and lessons easily adapt to whole class, small group, or 1:1 instruction. Plus, our support includes trainers and learning communities. It’s everything educators need to implement, teach, and succeed with Gizmos.
Inquiry-based Exploration
Gizmos uses a proven “structured inquiry” approach. In a typical activity, students perform specific actions and record the results. They then make predictions about new situations and verify their hypotheses using the Gizmo.
Real-world Experiences
Gizmos interactive STEM Cases put students in the role of STEM professional tasked with solving a real-world problem. Students learn foundational knowledge and use virtual labs solve it and save the day!
Visualization and Data
Extensive visualization and data analytics tools help students easily see and experience phenomena and concepts, capture and compare results from experiments, and share their findings with others.
Instant Insights
Reporting tools help assess and manage student progress. Embedded formative assessments evaluate student progress as it happens. And real-time data heatmaps immediately uncover student problem areas.
Classroom-ready Support
Gizmos are standards aligned and lessons easily adapt to whole class, small group, or 1:1 instruction. Plus, our support includes trainers and learning communities. It’s everything educators need to implement, teach, and succeed with Gizmos.
Popular Gizmo Collections
Explore STEM like never before with our curated Gizmo collections!
Discover the Collections
Frequently asked questions about Gizmos
What are Gizmos, and how do they help students learn?
ExploreLearning Gizmos are interactive online simulations that allow students to explore math and science concepts through hands-on experimentation and exploration. They encourage inquiry-based learning, helping students grasp complex topics more effectively.
What grade levels are Gizmos designed for?
Gizmos are designed for students in grades 3-12, covering a wide range of STEM topics in math and science.
How can teachers use Gizmos in the classroom?
Gizmos come with ready-to-use lesson plans, teaching guides, and activities. They work in whole-class instruction, small groups, and independent learning, making them adaptable for different classroom settings.
Are Gizmos aligned with educational standards?
Yes! Gizmos align with state and national STEM education standards, including NGSS and Common Core.
Do Gizmos work with different learning styles?
Absolutely! Gizmos provide visual, interactive, and inquiry-based learning experiences that support various student needs, including hands-on learners and students who benefit from experimentation.
How do I try Gizmos for free?
You can easily sign up to try Gizmos for free today. With a free trial, you’ll have access to an on-demand library of self-paced training and implementation tools to help you get started (trials do not include answer keys – contact us to get access)! You’ll also have access to our on-call Professional Development team as well as access to our PD course catalog. After the trial, you can continue using a limited selection of our full library.
Everybody's Talking About Gizmos
“I see more student engagement with lesson content when students are using Gizmos. Student grades have shown more understanding of the topics.”
- Gizmos Teacher, Salinas Unified School District, CA“Gizmos is one of the best find resources of my 30-year career in education! I use them as pre-teach, ancillary, or remediation activities. [With Gizmos] students test scores increased significantly and were well above the state average in science.”
- Gizmos Teacher, Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District, NJ“Gizmos STEM Cases is the most engaging program that I’ve ever seen! High-quality graphics and real-world stories make them more thought-provoking than traditional teaching materials. Students become more personally invested in the lessons and feel a sense of accomplishment [when doing them].”
- Gizmos Director of Science, Walker School, GA“You could hear a pin drop from start to finish. The students were extremely engaged and excited to have part in helping diagnose or treat individuals in the different Gizmos STEM Cases.”
- Gizmos STEM Instructional Specialist, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES, NY“I’m really a strong proponent of Gizmos in science because I have seen firsthand what it does in terms of engaging kids in labs. Gizmos really allow students to go deeper in terms of problem solving and critical thinking.”
- Gizmos Assistant Superintendent, Miami-Dade Public Schools, FL“Teachers deserve a tool like Gizmos to empower students to conduct their own investigations, learn without reading lots of text but by doing lots of reasoning.”
- Gizmos Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District, CA“Using Gizmos has had a positive impact it had on student learning. Gizmos allows them to dig deeper and manipulate variables to lead them to a higher-level depth of knowledge. There were plenty of students who had a ‘light bulb’ moment using a Gizmo!”
- Gizmos Teacher, Racine Unified School District, WI“I see more student engagement with lesson content when students are using Gizmos. Student grades have shown more understanding of the topics.”
- Gizmos Teacher, Salinas Unified School District, CA“Gizmos is one of the best find resources of my 30-year career in education! I use them as pre-teach, ancillary, or remediation activities. [With Gizmos] students test scores increased significantly and were well above the state average in science.”
- Gizmos Teacher, Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District, NJ“Gizmos STEM Cases is the most engaging program that I’ve ever seen! High-quality graphics and real-world stories make them more thought-provoking than traditional teaching materials. Students become more personally invested in the lessons and feel a sense of accomplishment [when doing them].”
- Gizmos Director of Science, Walker School, GA“You could hear a pin drop from start to finish. The students were extremely engaged and excited to have part in helping diagnose or treat individuals in the different Gizmos STEM Cases.”
- Gizmos STEM Instructional Specialist, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES, NY“I’m really a strong proponent of Gizmos in science because I have seen firsthand what it does in terms of engaging kids in labs. Gizmos really allow students to go deeper in terms of problem solving and critical thinking.”
- Gizmos Assistant Superintendent, Miami-Dade Public Schools, FL“Teachers deserve a tool like Gizmos to empower students to conduct their own investigations, learn without reading lots of text but by doing lots of reasoning.”
- Gizmos Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District, CA“Using Gizmos has had a positive impact it had on student learning. Gizmos allows them to dig deeper and manipulate variables to lead them to a higher-level depth of knowledge. There were plenty of students who had a ‘light bulb’ moment using a Gizmo!”
- Gizmos Teacher, Racine Unified School District, WI“I see more student engagement with lesson content when students are using Gizmos. Student grades have shown more understanding of the topics.”
- Gizmos Teacher, Salinas Unified School District, CASuccess Story
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