Picture-Perfect STEM Lesson Plans ClassPacks

Animal Teachers

Students begin by exploring the phenomenon of a mother sea otter interacting with her pup. Through texts, videos, and discussion of sea otters as well as emperor penguins, sea turtles, and a variety of other animals, students identify patterns in the behaviors of both parents and offspring that help offspring survive. They elaborate on this idea by playing a game to model how penguin chicks and their parents use vocalizations to find each other within large groups.

Get the Message

Students read a tall tale featuring the invention of the electric telegraph, learn how to decipher Morse code, and explore the influence of the telegraph and various other communication innovations over time. Then they design a solution that uses sound or light to communicate over a distance and compare the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Let’s Drum

After reading an inspiring true story about a young female drummer, students explore the phenomenon that different kinds of drums make different sounds. They learn about the basic parts of a drum, how drums make sound, and that repeated sound patterns are called rhythms. Students design and build their own drums out of everyday items, explain how they make sound, and create their own rhythms using their handmade drums.

Mirror, Mirror

Learners explore the phenomenon of seeing their reflections in some objects but not others. They learn that mirrors are the best objects for seeing themselves because they are shiny and flat. Then they explore how to redirect a light beam using flashlights and mirrors.

Moon Patterns

Learners explore the phenomenon that the Moon’s appearance changes throughout a month. After reading a fiction book that depicts the Moon phases, they study Moon calendars and describe the shapes and pattern they observe. After reading a nonfiction book and creating a tool to remember the pattern, they predict the next phases on a Moon calendar.

Nature Did It First

In this lesson, students discover that burrs stick to animal fur using tiny hooks, and they learn that Velcro was designed to mimic the way a burr works. Then students use the practice of biomimicry to design a solution to a problem: nature-inspired clothing that can help meet the needs of humans.

No Two Alike

Students explore the phenomenon that although bird species can be identified by certain traits, no two birds are exactly alike. After a read-aloud about bird watching, students set up a bird feeder station so they can observe local birds. They use a poster to identify the birds they see, read an article about similarities and differences within bird species, and listen to a story about two birds that are almost, but not quite, the same. Finally, they create a “spot the difference” picture showing two birds of the same species that are almost identical but have a slight variation in traits.

Pillbots

Students explore the phenomenon that although bird species can be identified by certain traits, no two birds are exactly alike. After a read-aloud about bird watching, students set up a bird feeder station so they can observe local birds. They use a poster to identify the birds they see, read an article about similarities and differences within bird species, and listen to a story about two birds that are almost, but not quite, the same. Finally, they create a “spot the difference” picture showing two birds of the same species that are almost identical but have a slight variation in traits.

Robots Everywhere

After sharing what they know about different types of robots, students model how robots are programmed to perform tasks. They learn that every robot is designed for a specific job, and that job determines what a robot looks like. They also design a solution to a simple problem by creating a labeled drawing of a robot that could complete a particular task in their own home or at school.

Shadow Play

Students explore the phenomenon of shadows. They listen to a classic poem about shadows, create shadows with flashlights and figurines, and change shadows by moving a light source. They read a nonfiction book that explains how shadows are made and then test different materials to see which would be best for making shadow puppets.

Stargazers

Beginning with a fascinating biography of astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, learners are introduced to the beauty of looking up in wonder at the night sky. They explore the phenomenon that stars are visible at night but not during the day using a model. They also observe the phenomenon of constellations moving across the night sky. Finally, they create a lift-the-flap book sharing what they learned about stars.

Build It!

Children love to build. In this lesson, they use their creativity to build structures out of everyday materials. Next, they are introduced to a variety of iconic buildings and learn about the architects who designed them. Finally, students design and build architectural models of some of these famous structures.

Crayons

Crayons provide a fun and familiar context for learning about science and engineering. Students observe the phenomenon that crayons can be changed in many ways (breaking, melting, and cooling) and learn the many steps involved in manufacturing crayons. After designing their own process for recycling broken crayons, they demonstrate their understanding through a creative writing activity.

Flight of the Pollinators

Students are introduced to the phenomenon that certain kinds of flowers are visited by certain kinds of animals. They dissect flowers to investigate what the animals are searching for inside the flowers and learn how both plants and animals benefit from the process of pollination. Finally, students develop a simple model that mimics a pollinator and use it to demonstrate plant pollination.

How Big Is A Foot?

Learners explore the history of measurement from the ancient Egyptian use of nonstandard units to the modern-day metric system. They learn why standard measuring tools are useful and that their development was a problem-solving process that took centuries.

If You Find a Rock

Learners observe the phenomenon that there are many different kinds of rocks with different properties. They observe, describe, and sort a variety of rocks and are introduced to various ways that rocks form. Then they explore different uses of rocks based on their properties.

Imaginative Inventions

Learners explore the properties of matter and the engineering design process as they learn about the invention of the Frisbee, test flying discs to compare the materials they are made of and the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs, analyze data from simple tests of other toys to compare their “fun” and “safe” ratings, and design a toy of their own.

Melting and Freezing

Frozen treats provide a fun, familiar phenomenon for learning about changes in matter. Through engaging read-alouds and some cool activities (pun intended) with Popsicles, students learn about liquids, solids, melting, and freezing.

Our Blue Planet

A famous photograph of Earth called “The Blue Marble” introduces the phenomenon that most of our planet is covered in water. By exploring with maps, globes, and satellite images of Earth and reading a book that shares names and descriptions of various bodies of water, students are able to identify both liquid and solid bodies of water (ice) on Earth. Students also use the Google Earth app to take virtual field trips to different places on the planet and to locate the bodies of water closest to their school.

Science Mysteries

After reading a story about an extraordinary young scientist, students are engaged in solving a mystery that involves exploring properties of matter. Students conduct an investigation, use science practices to gather evidence, and use that evidence to support their claim about the identities of two mystery mixtures.

Seeds on the Move

After observing the phenomenon of dandelion seeds being blown away by the wind, students investigate the various ways other plants disperse their seeds. They read about how wind and water help spread seeds, and they learn that some animals can even “plant” trees. Students take a “sock walk” in which they model one way that plants use animals to move their seeds around. Then they develop their own model that mimics an animal dispersing seeds.

That Magnetic Dog

Learners explore the phenomenon that some things are attracted to a magnet and others are not. They discover through exploration that not all metals are magnetic and communicate their findings in a poster session. Then they learn by reading a nonfiction book that magnets attract iron and iron-containing materials. Finally, they learn how different types of magnets are used for different purposes, and they design their own magnetic solution to a problem.

Wind and Water

Students explore the phenomenon that wind and water can change the shape of the land and remove soil. They explore natural solutions that can help control erosion, such as planting trees and grass, as well as technologies, such as building levees and installing erosion control fabric. Finally, they compare multiple solutions to an erosion problem