STEM Lesson Plans

This is the third of a 4-lesson unit on the North American Kestrel. Students will follow blueprints to measure out the sides of a professionally designed nesting box, then help put the box together.

Students get to discover the relationship between solutes and solvents in relation to concentration. As an inquiry based lab, students will mix their own concentrations of Kool-Aid or other powdered

This is a two-day introductory lab exercise using video analysis to derive the equations that govern projectile motion. It employs elements of Modeling Instruction to engage students in doing science.

This lesson is designed to have students investigate how objects, of different masses, will be affected when dropped to Earth. The lesson begins with a phenomena video - this video connects the idea

This hands-on lesson uses a Modeling Instruction approach to experimental design and analysis leading students to develop the graphical and mathematical relationships for accelerated motion, or

In this lesson SW illustrate food systems, food miles, and plant use in everyday items. SW transplant plants from mini garden to raised garden bed. SW perform plant measurements and make observations

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 introduces 5th grade students to forces and motion using "floating" magnets on a dowel and a Newton's cradle. Students will also be introduced to Newton's 3 laws of motion and contact vs

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 will learn about forces and motion by building a straw rocket. They will measure how far their rocket flies and then build a second rocket to see if they can make it go farther.

In this lesson, students will explore how gravity and the layers of the Earth's crust work together to filter contaminated water. Students will build a water filter and test the water filter with

This lesson will take 2 60 minute class periods. Students will watch a video, read a book, and have class discussions about earthquakes. This lesson will walk students through the design process

Go through different STEM, reading, and writing activities with Roz and her friends in The Wild Robot. Students will problem solve, participate in discussions, and learn about artificial intelligence

With this introductory lesson on Newton's Laws, student will have the opportunity to understand and explain Newton's 3 laws through a hands-on experience. This is an excellent way to introduce physics

Can one organism turn an ecosystem upside down? In this engaging lesson, students use an interactive site (hhmi biointeractive) to understand and answer how a species becomes invasive, analyze

From this lesson, students will discover how friction affects how things move. This is an excellent activity that will allow students to be creative and build a marble run to show friction. This

Students will identify a problem, time-telling, and use it to create sundials. They will conduct an experiment and use the data to show how the sun moves in relation to the Earth in the sky. After

Students make a terrarium from rocks, soil, and plants to understand how 4 spheres and water cycle work in a closed system.

This hands-on lesson is based on the book, "If I Built a House". Students use recyclables to create a 'dream' house which is based on their likes and interests. Using the Engineering Design Process as

This lesson allows students to create their own ecosystem to gain a better understanding of how each part works with each other and why they are so important. They will show proficiency when they

In this hands-on lesson, students will consider what they think about several different closed systems. Then students will design and carry out investigations of living things to inform their closed

This lesson is designed to create a 3D model and circle graph that will represent where water in different parts of the hydrosphere is located. The purpose is to get students thinking and problem

This lesson discusses winter weather and snow. We will create a recipe for “snow” following step-by-step directions that includes an addition math problem. Student will be responsible for measuring

In this engaging lesson, students will examine the surface of the Moon to consider hazardous conditions that NASA may find there. Then, they will investigate several hazards (dust, boulders, and