The Tinkering Fundamentals course will offer educators and enthusiasts an opportunity to develop a practice of tinkering and making. We see tinkering as a serious endeavor鈥攐ne that is generalizable across content and especially good at interweaving disciplines in a way that leads to complex projects and individualized learning opportunities. Tinkering has recently been introduced into the educational field as a potential driver of creativity, excitement, and innovation in science learning. It is seen by many as an effective means to engage in exploring STEM concepts, practices and phenomena. Tinkering typically blends the high and low tech tools of science along with a strong aesthetic dimension that supports children鈥檚 (and adults鈥) self expression. NB: This is a hands-on course, so you will need several tools and materials to do weekly activities. You are welcome to purchase only what you don't already have鈥攐r even better try to scrounge them from surplus stores! We have put together a list of recommended materials, which you can find here: http://bit.ly/motion-materials For over a decade, the Exploratorium has been developing science-rich tinkering activities for both children and adults. We see tinkering as a fun yet serious endeavor鈥攕panning many disciplines and content areas and fostering connections between art, science, and technology. Learners follow their own path to understanding by investigating tools and materials and exploring questions that interest them. This opens up a wide range of possible answers rather than any specific 鈥渞ight鈥 one, particularly for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) subjects in the classroom. This course centers on activities related to Motion and Mechanisms, which offer a wealth of opportunities for thinking through making. In this course, we won鈥檛 just show you how we develop tinkering activities; we鈥檒l also delve into why. We鈥檒l focus on three important aspects: activity design around specific materials, facilitation strategies, and environmental organization. We鈥檒l also share some guiding principles and learning indicators we鈥檝e developed that can help you integrate tinkering into your elementary and middle-school science program. Whether you鈥檙e new to making or a seasoned tinkerer, we hope this course will help you take the next step! OUR APPROACH TO TEACHING This is a hands-on workshop, not a lecture-based class. Participation is essential! We want everyone to be making and tinkering together: trying things out, asking questions, sharing ideas, and reflecting together as a community. This is a wonderful chance to tinker and learn alongside people from all over the world and from all walks of life, so don鈥檛 be shy! PLEASE NOTE: We have put a great deal of effort towards creating a supportive space that encourages exploration. We鈥檒l give you a few ways to get started; prompt you to share your own observations and experience as learners, designers, and facilitators; and hopefully spark interesting conversations and discoveries along the way. While it鈥檚 not a requirement, we encourage you to take this class with a friend or colleague, or meet with other people in your area: having support or doing activities with others will enhance your experience and help you stay engaged. This project was funded by generous support from Overdeck Family Foundation and the National Science Foundation.