STEM Lesson Plans

This thematic unit has lessons which will introduce students to phenomena we encounter in the real world. Students will learn about high interest phenomenon through hands-on investigations. Students

What does polarized light mean? How can some light waves be blocked while other light waves are transmitted? This lesson plan explores the phenomenon of polarized light and how light waves interact

How do light rays reflect and refract? Does light travel at different speeds in different mediums? This lesson reviews how light waves can be reflected and refracted, and how light waves can change

Students will use their knowledge of Newton's Laws of Motion to design and build a "ski jump" for a Sphero Bolt. This activity can be used for Science, Social Studies, Engineering, and (possibly)

In this hands-on lesson, students will conduct an experiment measuring and comparing temperatures using an IR Temperature gun around the classroom. Students also explore careers where an IR

In this hands-on lesson, students create solid fuel rockets to explore the idea of parabolic motion and outside factors which can affect the path of a rocket. This lesson has enrichment involving the

In this engaging lesson, students will connect the path of a straw rocket to the arc of a parabola. By changing the angle of the launcher, they will discover the relationship between distance and

This lesson uses a diagram of a football being punted to demonstrate the forces of motion and the transfer of energy. Students are then challenged to apply what they learned to engineer a mechanical

In this lesson, students explore gravitational potential energy changes with the mass of an object and the height from which it is dropped. Students record the drop in slow motion to capture the

Does light have energy? In this lesson, students will engage in a practical experiment to witness how light can induce changes such as heating, altering colors, and setting objects in motion. As

In this physics lesson, students will explore force, motion, kinetic energy and potential energy through projects and gameplay. They create a prototype of a cup and ball game using the engineering

In this creative engineering design lesson, students are challenged to use an inclined plane to create a safe and exciting zipline park for Zippy the Elf. This lesson reviews simple machines and has

In this engaging lesson, students will investigate the basics of a circuit by arranging the materials to make a lightbulb light up. They will then create a digital product to demonstrate their

In this lesson, students create paper rockets and measure the distance launched. Students are using the engineering design process and are provided time to modify their design in order to increase the

This lesson was designed because students 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

In this hands-on engineering and science project, students will become earthquake engineers tasked with designing and constructing earthquake-proof structures using toothpicks and mini marshmallows

In this project, 8th-grade students will engage in hands-on exploration of elastic potential energy and its conversion to kinetic energy using small catapults. Through experimentation and data

In this multi-day lesson, students will learn about prosthetics, design and build a model of a prosthetic limb, research prosthetics today and then have a Socratic Seminar to both share and debate

This hands-on lesson helps students understand exponential functions by using an LED circuit. LED luminosity decreases at an exponential rate as more are added in series. As students add more lights

Students will read and respond to the story, I Am Not Just A Scribble by Diane Alber. Students will work with a peer or small groups to build a ScribbleBot using renewable materials and two AA

The investigation focuses on exploring the impact of hose length on water flow rate in a solar-powered pump system. Students will set up a simple experiment using a solar pump connected to hoses of

In this lesson designed for 7th grade, students will explore increasing and decreasing magnetic field of electromagnets by changing the iron core, wire gauge, or wire coils to determine which variable

It can be challenging to sort through the various robot options out in the market for educators. This lesson is for educators who have used robots or are new to using robots. The intention is to use

Students get to investigate how energy transfers using different phenomena. They practice using a Colorado PhET simulation on the differences between potential and kinetic energy. Students will