K-5 Elementary STEM resources and ideas to integrate into the classroom
James Wadsworth STEM Elementary School
Bucket Towers is an original STEM Challenge for upper elementary classes and it is a student favorite. You will love the easy prep! This is hard to believe, but some of our best STEM Challenges have been created accidentally. The STEM Bucket Tower challenge is one of those! Building boats was another total spur-of-the-moment challenge.
STEM Bins for Elementary Students “I’m finished! What do I do now?” How many times during our teaching day do we hear these words from our students? Oftentimes, it is much too often, and students are provided a handful of the same options to keep them busy until our next transition. Sometimes students are instructed...
If you need STEM projects ideas, this is THE place to go! This is a collection of over 200 STEM projects and activities that kids love!
A few months back I experimented with a STEM Challenge we called a Quest. Whoa! I could not have found a more perfect way to add a design challenge together with some intense problem-solving. It's a race against the clock and other teams to open locked boxes after completing a task. My fourth and fifth
If you're on the lookout for a STEM project for elementary grades, you're going to love this one! Click through to get all the details and start today.
Ready to build your STEM library with the best picture books? Start Here! Check out my Top 10 all time favorite read alouds for elementary STEM
Try this STEM Activity Challenge at home or in the classroom!! In this activity students will work in groups to design and build a small boat from aluminum foil. They will then see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks. The goal is for each student to work with their group to build and modify their boat to hold as many pennies as possible. Materials (per group, 3-4 students): 2 aluminum foil squares that are 15cm by 15cm (1 square will be in case they make a mistake or want to redesign their boat) 1 beaker or clear cup (to show the aluminum foil and penny sinking at the beginning of this activity) approx. 50 pennies (I put these in a small cup) A fish tank / large bowl for setting these in when filling with pennies (1 tank per class) Video Tutorial: https://youtu.be/KqeJr-eJe0E Available for purchase in my TpT Store: k-2 Grade Activity, 3-5th Grade Activity, 6-8th Grade - Student Worksheet - Teacher / Parent Instructions - Grading Rubric - Other fun and exciting STEM Activity Challenges! This STEM Activity Challenge includes teacher instructions, student instructions (worksheet), grading rubrics, a demonstration video for the teacher, a materials needed sheet, and the related NGSS standards! In the teacher demonstration video, I give you an overview of the activity challenge, talk about the materials involved and where to get them, demonstrate how to set up the challenge for the students, and discuss the science involved. Teachers have found these videos to be very helpful by showing them step-by-step how to run the activity and giving them a better understanding of the science behind it. This activity will challenge students to work together in groups to complete the given task. These activities are fun, engaging, and the students will learn science in the process. Group work and problem solving are at the heart of these challenges. Each activity challenge will end with a real-world research question, video, or activity. It is usually an extension of what the students just discovered and learned. The students will be involved, excited, and looking forward to future activity challenges in your classroom.
The end of the year is the perfect time to incorporate hands-on projects and cooperative activities. The following are my top 5 favorite projects to keep students motivated and engaged in learning up until the last day of school.
This STEM Challenge is made for kids as they engineer a foosball table with players competing on two teams. It’s a perfect team building project with students choosing between building the playing field, the players, or decorating the model. This STEM activity was designed and tested with 4th and 5th-grade students and it’s completely free....
A new way to STEM! Guide your students through the entire STEM engineering design process using a simple trifold. Students will ask, imagine, plan, create, evaluate, reflect, and improve...all in the trifold! For this challenge which can be completed in one class period, students will construct a sli...
These STEM Building Challenges for Kids are great for building skills in Math, Technology and Engineering, & they're super fun for all age groups!
Rainbow Bridge (Arch Bridge) STEM is a low prep, St. Patrick's Day and Spring themed STEM activity that is perfect to engage your elementary engineers in March!***SAVE BIG WITH THE MARCH STEM BUNDLE***Includes the following components for RAINBOW ARCH BRIDGE STEM ACTIVITY:Detailed Lesson Plan with S...
STEM activities are a lot of fun and educational, but the best kind of STEM activities are open-ended, allowing children to think for themselves. In this umbrella STEM challenge, kids are challenged to make an umbrella from household supplies. They must follow all elements of a real design process, including brainstorming, blueprints, prototypes, tweaking, and
classroom tips, teaching ideas, special education, technology tips, elementary grades, sped, behavior management
S.T.E.M. and Growth Mindset concepts complement and reinforce each other
Teach your elementary students about force and motion with this International Dot Day STEM challenge by Carly and Adam! This Dot Day STEM activity works as a great companion to The Dot by Peter Reynolds. This STEM challenge and over 500 more are available in the STEM Teachers Club Membership. Click for your $5 off coupon code.
Build a Bridge - The STEM activity is to build a bridge using marshmallows. The bridge must hold weight & be a specific length. Tips and ideas on this post!
