STEM Lesson Plans

This two-part lesson models STEM instruction in the context of an ELD classroom. In this lesson (part 2), students pose a research question about clouds, weather, and/or climate, and address it with

This engaging lesson is an introductory lesson regarding the size and scale of the Universe and objects within. This was designed for high school Astronomy but is easily useable with ages down through

In this engaging lesson, students determine the period of rotation for the flying pig toy using formulas derived throughout the circular motion unit.

This two-part lesson models STEM instruction in the context of an ELD classroom. In part 1 (this lesson), the goal is to promote scientific academic discourse in an ELD classroom. Students use a

In this physics lesson, students carry out a lab activity to determine Hooke's Law and investigate spring constants.

By 2028, NASA plans to send a mission to Mars to retrieve samples collected by rovers and return to Earth. Student teams are challenged to build a rover and design a way to retrieve as much cargo as

In this engineering design activity lesson, students will first learn about Civil Engineers. Then, students will be given an engineering challenge to design a tower with specific constraints. They are

In this lesson, students explore glow-in-the-dark materials using regular flashlights and UV flashlights. They then add phosphorescence and the emission of EM energy to previous models of light and

This lesson will help the students to identify methods to analyze, describe and demonstrate a data set of their choice. In this lesson, we are using a digital evolution software called Avida, created

Classes will build three different types of rockets, guess which style will have the highest altitude, launch and calculate results based on right triangle math!

A high school physics plan that allows students to explore with different lenses and lasers.

Students will discover the relationship between mass and volume in relation to density through an inquiry lab. Students will take mass and volume data of several different solid substances and compare

Students will build the distance formula in a spreadsheet to create a sort of "calculator." Students begin by comparing standard math notation with spreadsheets, then practice programming simple math

This design challenge was open for any interested students from grades 9-12. Students met afterschool over the course of the second semester. This is the 3rd sequence lesson in a set of 4. This lesson

During this lesson, the students are going to simulate the flow of electricity using positive and negative charges drawn on pieces of paper that they will pass around in circles. Instead of passing

The students receive a sample population of "bears" and use the colors and ratios to determine the genotypes of the captive bears and their parents.

Students are presented with a real-world problem, the newly poured delivery ramp for the cafeteria is too slick, students are tasked with suggesting a surfacing that will increase the ramp's safety

This lesson has an inquiry hands-on approach, students design a protocol to isolate microbes and test how efficient their method is by comparing with the class results. This is presented under the

The Challenge: Design and build a piece of furniture out of cardboard! In this engaging and creative lesson, students embark on a design challenge with criteria and constraints. Students develop an

You've crash-landed on an alien planet and must find a way to survive with the help of native flora and fauna. Students will document alien life-forms in a field journal and use that information to

Students are introduced to a project that asks them to use classroom materials to create a new form of vision technology. Students review how the eye works, create a plan, and share that plan with

In this lesson, students will discuss where invasive species come from and their impacts on the ecosystems in which they are found. In groups, students will research invasive species common in the

This lesson plan will allow students to explore the use of a PhET simulation in creating a series and parallel circuit, then apply this knowledge in creating a real circuit. Students will also learn

Students will apply their knowledge of food chains within ecosystems to the design of a mandala. This lesson will combine science, visual art and geometry. First, students will get a review of food