Get up close with the photosynthesis process by painting with chlorophyll. This STEM chlorophyll science lesson will be memorable for all.
How can you stand on a paper cup without breaking it? The secret is in how you place the cups. Paper cup STEM Challenge for kids.
Build a device with paper, tape, string, and paper clips to pick up a ping pong ball from a distance in this fun engineering lesson plan!
This list of STEM activities using paper is full of fun STEAM activities for kids. Whether your kids are 3, 19, or somewhere in between, they are going to love these fun ideas!
You've probably noticed pictures of STEM engineering challenges floating around the teacher blog world recently, especially if you happen to be on Pinterest. There are so many pictures of plastic cup towers, coffee filter parachutes, and other cardboard contraptions. Perhaps you've plunged into the fun headfirst, or maybe you are still standing on the diving board wondering, "Will this really benefit my students?" Read this post to learn 8 reasons STEM challenges are beneficial for students and download a free STEM engineering project!
From elementary school to middle school to high school, we've rounded up 41 STEM projects and activities for kids of all ages!
Choose from 58 fun STEAM art projects and activities for kids to explore art while learning science, technology, engineering, and math, too!
Over 50 fun science experiments for kids! Simple science activities you can do at home or in the classroom.
Teacher friends, It’s typical for students to begin losing focus in the classroom as the end of the school year is approaching. Real learning does not have to go out the window just yet, you just have to mask it such a way where it doesn’t quite seem like learning to students… but in fact, still is! Do your
Learn how to integrate the Blow Cup Challenge in the classroom with this engaging STEM project and lesson plan that incorporates math and science standards.
Kids learn how to make a paper airplane and then use that plane to challenge their STEM knowledge by adding weight and flying the paper airplane...
28 engaging hands-on STEM activities that use recylced and craft materials for a home, library, or classroom makerspace
With a little hot glue, paperclips, and a few spare parts you can transform an ordinary clothespin into a mini robot bug with glowing LED eyes that moves across smooth surfaces. The materials are super easy to come by making it a quick and fun DIY project that's guaranteed to please. Educators might also want
This baking soda and vinegar powered boat was such a fun way to build and explore movement powered by science. My kiddos and a niece and nephew built this boat using recycled materials, (a lot like we did last week with our evaporation experiment). This boat required a baking soda and vinegar reaction to power ... Read more
My 9-year-old son's first science unit this year is electricity. While it's usually a struggle to get him to tell me about his school day, the reports about what he's learning in science roll off his tongue easily. No nagging required. In summary, he's loving it. To take his school lessons further at home, I snagged an amazing book by Laurie Carlson. Thomas Edison for Kids: His Life and Ideas has everything from a timeline to detailed biographical info and my favorite - 21 activities. Making an electromagnet is one of them. Here's what we used and how we did it. 2-3 feet of ball wire (copper wire with a plastic insulated sheathing) Large nail Tape (optional) C or D battery small metal objects (paper clips, thumbtacks, etc.) Scissors (or a wire stripping tool) Wrap the wire around the nail making a coil, leaving four to six inches of wire extending from each end. Do your best to wrap it as tightly as you can. Trim about 1/2 inch of the plastic covering from each end of the wire. If you have a wire stripping tool, use it (we did) or score with a pair of scissors and using your fingernails pull the plastic coating from the wire. Now, if you've got tape handy, cut a long strip and use it to secure the battery to the table. Hold the nail wrapped wire and pinch the ends of the wire so they touch both metal ends of the battery. DON'T TOUCH THE EXPOSED WIRE; as electric current passes through it, these ends will become hot. Now take your small metal objects (we used safety pins) and see if the electricity in the battery has made the ends of the nail magnetic. What happens if the wire's connection with the battery is broken? Is the nail still a magnet? (Nope.) Electromagnets played a significant role in Thomas Edison's inventions. He used them to separate premium iron from low-grade unusable iron ore, that was collected from the New Jersey mines he owned. His discovery of the electromagnetic wave lead to the invention of the radio in the 1890s. Today, electromagnets are still at work in coin-operated vending machines! Want another great book to read? We liked National Geographic Kids Level 2 reader Thomas Edison by Barbara Kramer.
I recently had another opportunity to observe a science program in an after school setting, this time at Greenleaf Elementary School in Oakland, CA. The rising fifth graders have an hour and a half of STEM programming after lunch every afternoon, and the day I visited they did an activity about cleaning up oil in the ocean. They worked with trays filled a few inches with water, feathers, straws, cotton balls and sponges. I think it's especially challenging to lead activities like this, where the materials you have to work with are analogies of what really happens in the real world. I was impressed with the ways the facilitator drew connections between the activity they were doing and what happens in the real world. The facilitator started the activity by asking the kids what they already knew about oil spills. I was struck by how many hands went in the air, and details the kids knew including the catastrophic spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The group discussed what kinds of engineers help solve the environmental problems caused by oil spills - chemical and environmental engineers. In groups, the kids examined their 'oceans' of water, with oil floating on top. They discussed and wrote observations in their science notebooks. The facilitator introduced some terms and definitions and then passed out materials the kids would use to try to clean up the oil. As kids formulated their plans for working together to get the oil off the feathers and out of the 'ocean', the facilitator passed around photos of actual oil spills and the effects they have on wildlife. Then it was time to work together to figure out how to use materials to clean up the oil. During the discussion after the activity, the kids all said that they enjoyed this activity even though it was very difficult to get all the oil out of the water and off of the feathers. In order to help kids make connections between the science activities we do after school and science in the real world, here are some things we see quality programs doing: Ask kids what they already know about related issues Show kids pictures, news articles or videos Introduce kids to a scientist who works on the problem in the field Take a field trip Participate in a citizen science project to help a scientist conduct a study on a related issue Let us know some ways that your after school science program connects kids to real world science!
Weathering vs Erosion STEM activity is a super easy and fun Science experiment that will teach your kids how the earth works.
Use STEM in your science activities for kids. It's easy! Just add technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Full, step-by-step, picture tutorial for making an easy, fun, drawing robot. A great first robotics projects for kids of all ages.
Join us as we give you all the details about our popular Space Lander STEM Challenge and link up with some other great STEM educators sharing the BEST STEM CHALLENGE EVER! Teachers love the Space Lander STEM challenge because the students are completely engaged. Students not only learn, but deeply
My students LOVE, LOVE, LOVE STEAM projects! This week we learned about the Wheel and Axle Simple Machine. A wheel and axle is a simple machine that has a “wheel” and a smaller axle that uses the two parts to rotate together to transfer force from one part to the other.
Join the STEM Teachers Club and get this STEM Challenge and 500+ more ready to use lessons today! Earlier this fall we experienced multiple hurricanes in and around the United States. As a teacher in Indiana, my students are not very familiar with hurricanes. I wanted a fun and hands on
Successful egg drop challenge project design with straws, with design tips and tricks. Fun outdoor physics science STEM challenge for kids of all ages.
Teacher friends, It’s typical for students to begin losing focus in the classroom as the end of the school year is approaching. Real learning does not have to go out the window just yet, you just have to mask it such a way where it doesn’t quite seem like learning to students… but in fact, still is! Do your
STEM Challenge- Build a structure that can withstand a mild shaking! Without a good base the structure will topple over! Check this post for details!
Use STEM engineering activities in elementary school as a fun, engaging, and meaningful way to tackle the Next Generation Science Standards.
These 40+ free STEM websites: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are for grades 6-12; middle school and high school. Hands on science
My kids weren't really interested in learning about cells until I said slime. Okay, it was a fairly cheap trick since I knew they loved slime. But I also knew that slime would be the perfect way to learn about cells. I can't say I've ever touched cytoplasm but it sounds very slime-like to me.
Try our favorite STEM challenges for elementary students!
STEM Earthquake Challenge - students experiment on cardboard houses & different materials to create the best structure to withstand a simulated earthquake.
Try this oil spill clean up experiment with your students or kids! This is agreat one for Earth Day or anytime you want to teach about the environment!
Four free plug-and-play lessons, videos, and STEM resources to help you teach the engineering design process with tools, examples, and learning aids that suit the needs of your classroom.
Plan these simple and fun Paper bag STEM challenges for kids! Easy STEM activities that use what's around to encourage invention and design.
28 days of hands-on STEM activities for kids - coding, STEM challenges, STEM on a budget, and more! It's science, tech, engineering & math made fun.
From elementary school to middle school to high school, we've rounded up 41 STEM projects and activities for kids of all ages!
Over 3000 STEM (Science Technology Engineer Math) activities for kids compiled by top science museums in the country, all are free.
STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math”. In education, STEM is a subject that includes mostly project-based learning where students work together to solve a pr…
Students choose different ways to create the longest paper chain out of one sheet of construction paper in this easy to prep and complete STEM Challenge.
Such fun! Such fun! One of my favorite parts about studying science is the experiments! If you're studying earth science, these STEM activities are a must. Discover why erosion is different than weathering with gelatin and dirt. Your child will love it!
From elementary school to middle school to high school, we've rounded up 41 STEM projects and activities for kids of all ages!
Did you know that STEM activities are a great way to build classroom community and teamwork at the beginning of the year? Unfortunately, STEM challenges can tend to be used as a classroom competition where students and groups are competing against each other. While classroom comp
Our editors combed the World Wide Web for the best science, technology, engineering & mathematics resources for teachers of grades preK-12.
Check out these super fun STEM toothpick activities that the kids are going to love. Kids will have fun exploring concepts in a hands-on way!
STEM Challenges: Paper circuits with copper tape are so much fun! All you need is some copper tape, coin batteries and LED lights.
I decided to take on my own challenge of incorporating a STEM activity every day for a week. It turned out to be a huge success where both my students and I had a blast. Here were the various …
STEM Challenge: build Da Vinci Bridge with Pencils. Step-by-step instruction, learn engineering design process, physics, force, ... | team work | science
