STEM Lesson Plans

What would you do if you were dropped into the wilderness, with nothing but what you could fit into a backpack, and had to survive harsh weather, a hostile location, and possibly aggressive wildlife

This lesson is in collaboration with the National Park Service and contains additional activities from the Jr. Ranger program. Using the NPS brochure guide/map and Plantnet app, students will identify

In this hands-on lesson, students will carry out an investigation to gather evidence to determine whether a change is chemical or physical. This lesson concludes with a pixel art activity.

This hands-on lesson introduces students to gardening and the sustainability of food. Students will grow small gardens and manage them.

In this hands-on lesson, students study and record water quality readings by gaining an understanding of the significance of the readings along with the use of the correct vocabulary.

In this engaging lesson, students move the learning from within the classroom to outside its walls in order to study and record air quality readings (with no tech and tech applications). Students gain

Students will create an engineering notebook that documents their progress through the engineering design process as it applies to their choice of project, either creating a toy from “trash” or a

This is a virtual 360° Tour of Coronado National Memorial Cave. Students can take the tour and follow along with the resources embedded in both the tour and the lesson. Students will locate the key

In this engaging lesson, students will develop an understanding of how solar panels convert sunlight into electrical energy. They will investigate factors affecting the amount of electricity generated

This hands-on lesson digs deeper into the study of weathering and erosion. It should be taught after students have an understanding of the sun’s energy and some of the ways it impacts the Earth. The

Students will build and use an anemometer to calculate wind speed and then use the wind speed to determine the affect wind has on temperature and the temperature that you feel (wind chill). Students

What does polarized light mean? How can some light waves be blocked while other light waves are transmitted? This lesson plan explores the phenomenon of polarized light and how light waves interact

How do light rays reflect and refract? Does light travel at different speeds in different mediums? This lesson reviews how light waves can be reflected and refracted, and how light waves can change

This lesson will allow students to measure the health of the water from sources in their community or everyday life. Students will measure the pH from different sources using test strips and a color

This lesson provides context for the 6th grade physical science standards dealing with matter. It enables students to anchor their learning in real world issues as they combine data literacy and art

In this engaging lesson, students use real-world data to explore criteria for air pollutants. If students continue to the next lesson in this series, they create data-based art to deepen and

Does light have energy? In this lesson, students will engage in a practical experiment to witness how light can induce changes such as heating, altering colors, and setting objects in motion. As

Students will learn about nanotechnology in medicine and the use of nanorobotics. In this hands-on STEM lesson, students create nanobot using simple materials like toothbrush heads, motors, and

In this engaging STEM lesson for 4th - 5th graders, students explore nanotechnology through hands-on activities, discussions, and a creative project. They learn about the tiny world of nanoscale

Students will explore the concepts of sound and rhythm through a STEM-focused lesson plan that integrates science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with music. Students will engage in hands-on

Students will investigate the properties of different types of matter and apply the concept of "P1: Matter" to design, model, and 3D print an object using a MakerBot 3D printer. Hands-On STEM Design

This lesson was designed because students love to compete, and it primes them to use the Engineering Design process to build a boat and revise their design as needed. Students must use at least one

This STEAM lesson is ideal for Tucson/Pima County Middle School Students who can participate in the annual KIDStruction building contest but you can also duplicate many of the learning opportunities

This lesson explores the concept of density. Students will observe a phenomenon involving floating and sinking. They will design their own investigations and they will learn how to use the density