STEM Lesson Plans

This lesson uses a diagram of a football being punted to demonstrate the forces of motion and the transfer of energy. Students are then challenged to apply what they learned to engineer a mechanical

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

This lesson is about exploring Arizona's state bird, the cactus wren, that lives in the desert, has special body parts and behaviors that help it survive in its harsh environment. Students will learn

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

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

In the novel Shiloh, Marty must leave Shiloh in the woods overnight. He quickly finds materials in his shed to build Shiloh a fence and structure to protect him from elements in the woods behind his

Students read the story "Just a Second" to introduce students to geologic time. Next, they are given an activity to understand how long is 4.6 billion years. Then students complete a lab that allows

After becoming familiar with the factors that affect lift from the previous Flight Basics lesson and going over key weather concepts from this lesson, students will be expected to make a device to

Students learn about the chemistry that exists in some of the world's oldest surviving paintings. This lesson is the final part of a 3 part painting series, and focuses on binding agents in paint

Students use a 2-D physics sandbox, called Algodoo, to simulate the factors that might affect the period of a circular orbit of a planet about a star. Students develop Kepler's 3rd Law conceptually by

In this 3 day lesson plan, students will discover the relationships between the sun, earth, moon, solar/lunar eclipses and the tides.

Students will build a model of a riverbank inside of a liter bottle. They will use different materials to improve the riverbank and lessen the erosion. Students will research and investigate what

Students will investigate the geological features of the Santa Catalinas. Specifically the phenomenon of Catalina Gneiss. Students will research the formation of the Tucson basin and Santa Catalinas

Students are introduced to the javelina through reading part of The Three Little Javelinas, reading about javelinas and watching an informational video. They discover potential conflicts and root

An investigation into the function and uses of solar panels in agriculture - Agrivoltaics. Exploring how to get the most efficient use of your solar panels for your gardens.

Students are constructing a cardboard control vehicle. Throughout this process, they will practice working with circuits and motors. In this lesson, students will begin working on the electrical

In this lesson students model a fast change to Earth's surface by creating a landslide and a slow change to Earth's surface by simulating coastal erosion.

This project sets students up to explore animal anatomy and physiology with the idea of replacing a lost appendage (beak, leg, tail, fin, etc.) This is used in small groups of 2 or 3 over the course

The lesson plan challenges students to integrate research, agricultural principles, and engineering concepts, sparking their creativity in designing efficient and sustainable hydroponic setups. From

Students will use evidence from an investigation to model and explain how thermal expansion of land and sea ice impact the sea level. They will quantify the impact of land ice melt and thermal

Saguaro cacti are collapsing in the Phoenix due to extreme heat and the urban island effect. Is there anyway to save them? This lesson allows students to investigate the factors contributing to the

Part 1: Rotation and Revolution (of Earth) Phenomenon: Why do we experience periods of day and night? This is a 1 to 3-day lesson with five activities primarily focusing on rotation of the Earth which

The lesson is adapted from resources created by the Green Drone AZ Project. This is module 1 of 4 featuring focused activities to address real-world environmental challenges within Arizona communities