STEM Lesson Plans

By 2028, NASA plans to send a mission to Mars to retrieve samples collected by rovers and return to Earth. Student teams are challenged to build a rover and design a way to retrieve as much cargo as

Students will design paper gliders to develop an understanding of the principles of flight. This is a low-tech lesson that does not require extensive/expensive supplies. It can be scaled up or down

This multi-day activity is designed for introductory 5th grade STEM after school club. On Day 1, each student will build and test a simple roller coaster following the teacher’s instructions. Students

In this lesson, students will be learning about solar energy and how it may be used to solve problems. After reading and comparing two texts about solar energy, students will use simple materials to

Students will discover the relationship between mass and volume in relation to density through an inquiry lab. Students will take mass and volume data of several different solid substances and compare

Students will understand how we see objects. They will learn that your eyes see objects when light hits an object and reflects off the object into your eye. They will also be able to identify the

Students will work to discover an understanding of the part light plays in seeing color. They will work with looking at colors in red and blue light. They will expand on what they explore during these

Students will learn the real primary colors by analyzing a decomposed image and experimenting with different paint colors to understand the primary colors of paint are cyan, magenta, and yellow.

Students will understand the concept and properties of buoyancy and density, through a hands-on exploration with the Lakeshore Design and Play STEAM Kit Boats by assembling boats using a foam hull

Students will explore the different types of mouth parts and how their feeding needs are met. Students will 'pretend' to be insects with different mouth types and collect data on their success on

Students will design and build their own popsicle stick catapults, exploring principles of force, motion, and engineering. This lesson does have a Halloween theme to it, but can be modified is needed.

Could Iron Man actually survive a superhero landing? In this lesson, students follow the engineering design process to create a "suit" for an egg to protect it from being dropped on the ground. They

In this hands-on lesson, students identify Newton’s Laws of Motion, analyze the difference between force and motion, compare balloon car designs with group mates and demonstrate how to design and test

Mad For Magnets is a lesson plan for K-4th grades. Scholars will learn about magnets, how they attract and repel, north and south poles to apply to the assigned challenge. Scholars will design and

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.

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

This design challenge is broken up into four parts, this is part four. This lesson will focus on sharing each group’s design and discussing their iterations (Share). In order to successfully execute

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

This design challenge is broken up into four parts, this is part three. This lesson will focus on completing the build and evaluating/revising the device that groups began building in the previous

Design a helicopter out of paper only. Students will explore design and paper types.

Your job is to build an aqueduct that will supply the Roman cities with clean water to private homes, public baths and glorious fountains. With this success, the citizens will drink clean water

In this lesson students learn about forces and motion by designing cars with materials provided in the Lakeshore Learning Design & Play: Cars materials. Students will measure distance driven, reflect

In this lesson, the students will plan and carry out investigations to explore sound propagation and its characteristics through simple activities. They will discover in which medium sound travels

An integrated fourth grade math and geography lesson. This lesson is aligned to the ADE/NGSS Cross Cutting Concept of Scale, Proportion, and Quantity. The fourth grade social studies/geography