STEM Lesson Plans

This lesson uses magnets, playing cards, metal washers, and a PhET simulation to model the effects of mass and distance as acting forces on objects in our solar system.

In this lesson, students will work individually to build a working periscope. They will make a simple one out of card stock and then being creative with whatever supplies their teacher gives them

This hands-on lesson introduces students to gardening and the sustainability of food. Students will grow small gardens and manage them.

This lesson is designed because kids 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 rubber

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

Using my backyard chickens as inspiration, this 5th grade lesson asks children to graph egg production and build a model of a chicken coop and run.

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 will learn about kinetic and potential energy and how energy transfers. They will use that knowledge in order to collaborate with peers to create a roller coaster that will demonstrate this

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

In this geometry/coding lesson, students embark on an exciting journey with Elsa and Anna from Frozen using Code.org. The lesson introduces fundamental coding concepts through interactive puzzles and

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

In this lesson, students will be creating a working model demonstrating Earth’s rotation and revolution. Students will be able to explain the differences between Earth’s rotation and revolution

Students will explore bird habitats and research how natural and human-caused changes to habitats or climate can impact populations. They will participate in an engineering design challenge to model a

Students design and engineer a paper backpack to hold all the supplies swallowed by the well-loved old lady in "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books". They follow the engineering design

This lesson is the beginning stages of planning for a greenhouse. Students work to gather data and information about possible locations for the greenhouse by using their perimeter skills.

Students will be able to obtain, evaluate, and communicate evidence about how natural and human-caused changes to habitats or climate can impact populations. Additionally, they will be able to

Students will research what techniques engineers use to help a building withstand an earthquake and implement two researched strategies into a cardboard structure that will survive a medium sized

Students will understand the basic concepts of magnets and magnetic interactions. Students will be able to apply their knowledge to create and solve simple design problems using Magna-Tiles. Students

Understand geometric concepts such as shapes, angles, and symmetry. Apply engineering and design principles to create structures using Magna-Tiles. Develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills

Students will build a bridge out of toothpicks or craft sticks by using gum drops, marshmallows, and/or wood glue. The purpose is to have it stay upright between two chairs without breaking. Students

Students will be able to understand proportional relationships with rescaling a drawing. Students will be able to draw a reduced scale drawing and enlarged scale drawing in the end. Students will also

This lesson includes slides sharing an introduction to 3D printing and how it works. Students will then research ways 3D printing is used in the real world.

This lesson is the final lesson after teaching all four of Earth's Spheres. The lesson is designed to show the interaction between the Earth's spheres. Students will be assigned two spheres and then

Students will build an ice snowman and a house for him to live in. They will collaborate to design a structure to keep him from melting. This project uses basic materials to study insulation and