STEM Lesson Plans

What are we learning? We are learning about the history of the Mars Rover program and how scientists had to work together to solve problems and make sure the rover landed safely on the Red Planet. We

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

This two-part lesson models STEM instruction in the context of an ELD classroom. In part 1 (this lesson), the goal is to promote scientific academic discourse in an ELD classroom. Students use a

Students will learn about the history of the National Parks Service and the different biomes and environments within the United States. Then, they will choose a National Park to research and present a

Students are challenged to clean up an oil spill in a river environment. Students create the river environment in a container and add water, plants, sand, and animals. They will spill 1/4 oil into

In this activity, students will complete a Web Quest to find the diameter of the Earth, Moon, and Sun AND will observe how the Earth orbits around the Sun and how the moon rotates around the Earth by

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

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

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 will use science and engineering practices to design and build a parachute out of everyday items. The parachute must be able to carry a metal washer to a specific target on the ground while

Students explore the solar system by conducting research and display their knowledge through creative writing and poetry.

How is Res going to collect samples from Mars? Can you use Edison to design a collector that can help Res collect Mars samples? In this lesson students will use Edison to design a sample collector

Students explore the solar system and space concepts (including microgravity, eclipses, etc.) using technology. Student choice is given with a choice board.

Explore temperature and weather with students. Teachers will guide students through this graphing and research activity. The unit opens with a literacy component, Global Warming with Seymour Simon

NASA needs Resilience to take pictures to send back to Earth for observation. Resilience needs a cell phone holder that can take pictures or videos from multiple views. Can you use Edison to design a

When Res lands on Mars she will encounter various terrain that she must navigate successfully. Can you create wheels that will help navigate her through the terrain? This is part one of a four part

In this set of lesson plans that go with the novel "A Song for a Whale" by Lynne Kelly, students will focus on glaciers. Activities include size of icebergs, melting glaciers and water levels, along

In this engaging and hands-on lesson, students will examine the Gold King Mine spill on the Animas River in Colorado before creating a model watershed in order to develop an explanation of human

This is a phenomena-based lesson where students will create a model to demonstrate the earth’s rotation during each season to investigate the change in light during the seasons. Links to resources are

In this lesson students will explore paper as a recyclable material. They will explore its effects on the environment. Students will make a project with recycled paper and develop a understanding of

Students will compare two non-fiction texts about the Mars Rover, Opportunity. They will then use their knowledge of Computer Science and coding to develop a code instructing a robot to traverse an

This lesson will take your students through the process of making a lunar phases flipbook. When flipped it will be animated and look like the moon going through each phase. Students will learn the

Engineers often create small-size models of a new product to test its design. This is especially true with airplanes. Model testing tells engineers how a design responds to different air conditions