STEM Lesson Plans

Including themes of natural resources, art, and geography; this engineering lesson introduces students to the idea of mass conservation. While using the phenomena of the water crisis in Arizona,

In this lesson, students will learn about Wilson Bentley, the "farmer scientist" who pioneered photomicrography to photograph snowflakes and share them with the world. Students will then design and

Students in 4th grade learned about natural disasters through this interactive STEM lesson focused on the creation on a 'tsunami-proof' home. Students used the Engineering Design Process to create a

Students will learn about water availability in Arizona and design and build a prototype/model of a rain-catchment/recycling system to provide water for a school garden.

How old is Earth? How big is 1 million years compared to 1 billion years? Students will use three models to organize geologic time and practice cross multiplication to solve for a variable.

Students learn about the Colorado River watershed and the impact of water rights and usage. They will read about the past and present water flow data, build a model of the watershed, calculate data

A review of types of rocks and the rock cycle and tectonic movement. The creation of minerals. Using Associative Geology, legends, and probabilities, hunt for possible locations of the Lost Dutchman’s

Three day lesson on garbage, recycling, and composting. Day 1: Students are provided a garbage bag and no instruction on recycling. *Collect all of your disposable garbage for 24 hours. Bring it back

Engineers create and use new materials, as well as new combinations of existing materials to design innovative new products and technologies—all based upon the chemical and physical properties of

Students will explore the drought in Arizona and design a solution for it. They will create their design in a 3D design program, write an informational paper, and present the design and information to

This lesson is to be used as a follow up activity when learning about the water cycle. Students are able to play a game either digitally or physically to demonstrate their own journey through the

This is a smaller part of a larger Digital Citizenship Unit. Students will spend time understanding the concept of a Digital Footprint and the long term consequences of a negative Digital Footprint

Students will use geometric reasoning and the engineering design process to construct solar ovens while learning about renewable energy.

This interactive 4th-grade lesson plan focuses on erosion and weathering, key concepts in understanding Earth's geology. In "Dynamic Earth," students use an interactive simulation to explore how

Explore Coal Mine Canyon's wonders! Watch a documentary, read about geology, draw the canyon, and use tech to learn about geological layers. Fun, interactive learning awaits!

This lesson plan has three main objectives. The first is that students will be able to recreate a map of the canal with 3D structures along the way. The largest structure being Casa Grande, or the

This lesson plan consists of two parts. The beginning of the lesson will introduce students to the 4 parts of the water cycle. During this time, they will be able to identify at which part the water

The objective of this lesson is to engage students in the practical application of science, engineering, and critical thinking skills to design and create a container that effectively keeps perishable

In this project, students will create a professional blueprint of their real-life home. Students will then do research to find at least ten places in the home that impact the environment (positive or

In this project, students will choose an environmental problem to research. They will look up why this problem is occurring and how it is harming the environment. Students will then come up with two

This lesson includes fourth grade reading, writing, math, science, and engineering standards. The potential is endless with additional enrichment activities. Students participate in the nurturing and

Students will be able to look at proportion and percentages of the Earth's layers. Students will research, get the percentages, and create a model of the layers of the Earth.

This lesson is about the rock cycle. Students will start by cutting and folding paper crystals. Then students review what they already know about rocks and the rock cycle. They use their understanding

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