STEM Lesson Plans

This is a multi-day engineering design project. I use this for 2 weeks, a total of ten 50-minute periods. Students will research and design a dog house, creating a 3D model in a web-based computer

Students are introduced to the concept of nanotechnology with a small group research activity about the different industries using nanotechnology.

This is a hands-on activity where students can visualize, using Skittles as atoms, the concept of balancing chemical reactions. Many students get thrown off by the fact that products often look, smell

Students learn about photochemical reactions which are chemical reactions that require light as activation energy. Students create ball and stick models to recreate sample photochemical reactions

In a chemiluminescence chemical reaction, light is generated as a product. What causes light to be generated from chemicals that interact? This chemistry lesson explores the reasons why light is

In this lesson plan, students will be able to build a simple electric motor and study how simple changes affect the motor's rotation. They will learn how energy comes in many forms, and how electric

In this lesson plan, students will be able to investigate battery cells as they construct their own simple batteries: They will know that batteries are a common store of energy for many devices that

By the end of this lesson, students will understand the unique adaptations of desert tortoises and the importance of conserving their habitat. Students also engineer a habitat for the desert tortoise.

Student teams design insulated beverage cups with the challenge to test them to determine which material works best as an insulator to keep a hot beverage warm for as long as possible. Students test

In this lesson, students cover concepts like states of matter and chemical changes. Students will apply these concepts to an activity where they will make fake snow. Students will be challenged to

This is an introductory activity to reaction kinetics at an AP Chemistry level. Students use model kits or Legos in an activity that allows them to model how changing the concentration of reactants in

Engineers create and use new materials, as well as new combinations of existing materials to design innovative new products and technologies—all based upon the chemical and physical properties of

In this engaging and interactive lesson, students explore adaptation and creative problem-solving. Inspired by "The Great Turkey Race," students will engage in a hands-on engineering lesson to design

Students will create a Google slideshow presentation to document their progress through the engineering design process, which includes: researching the science of sound, then creating an instrument

After learning about emission spectra, electron energy levels, orbitals and configurations, and periodic trends for atomic radius and ionization energy; this is concluding activity that require

This is a phenomena-based introduction to how emission spectra of elements and the connection to electrons and energy levels. Students first get to explore the emission spectra of several gases using

This lesson focuses on using the engineering design process and simple machines to design a device that the students can use to safely transport radioactive orbs across the span of 8 feet. Students

Students will read and respond to the story, Room on the Broom. Then students will plan and create a sturdy broom to hold as many pumpkin candies as possible.

Using the book "Those Darn Squirrels" by Adam Rubin, students will design and create a bird feeder to let the birds IN and keep the squirrels OUT! Communication, collaboration, and creativity are key

Using the engineering design process, students will collaborate to plan and build a tower...but not just any old tower! This "Tower with a Twist" has to include a suspended cup that can also hold

This is the second part of two lessons on density. This lesson is on the density of liquids following the first lesson on density of solids. The lesson is a lab on layering several liquids with

This lesson is on density of solids. It's one lesson of two. This lesson should be first since it introduces density but it can be revised and used after the density of liquids. The lesson has a short

In this high school science/engineering lesson on exploring cracked steel, students will delve into the concept of cracked steel and its impact on structural integrity. They will define composites and

This lesson is about the rock cycle. Students will start by cutting and folding paper crystals. Then students review what they already know about rocks and the rock cycle. They use their understanding