Vivify STEM Blog
Design a Sustainable Eco-House STEM Project
In the Eco-House Extravaganza STEM project, students work in teams to complete the ultimate project-based learning STEM experience: planning and designing an energy-efficient, eco-friendly house! Read below for how to implement a project that incorporates environmental and earth science, STEM careers, sustainability, and teamwork. This lesson was developed by a middle school science teacher and Harvard graduate student, Kristina Ohl, who shares her experience developing and testing out this lesson so you can bring it to your classroom!
Do you see what I see? Pinhole Camera STEM Challenge
Are you looking to add more science to your engineering design challenges? Watch the video below for some cool demos to share with your students followed by an engineering design challenge on how to construct a pinhole camera that demonstrates "camera obscure.” We also have a complete lesson plan connecting the challenge to the innovation of the light bulb in England!
Critical Issues in Engineering Education
Did you know that most state science standards now include engineering? But does engineering actually support science learning? Are teachers prepared to teach engineering effectively? This isn’t our typical STEM activity blog post, but I am excited to share some of what I am learning in graduate school!
Understanding a Framework for P-12 Engineering Learning
Are you struggling to define a scope and sequence for your STEM or engineering classroom? Read on to learn about the current landscape of engineering education and take a closer look at the recently released Framework for P-12 Engineering Learning to help plan your engineering curriculum!
5 Spooky Halloween STEM Activities
Trick or treat! Get in the Halloween spirit with our favorite spooky STEM activities! Read on for free Halloween paper circuit templates, a robot hand candy grabber, a Haunted House STEM challenge, and more!
7 Ideas for Teaching Social Studies with STEM
STEM by definition is a collaborative way of bringing subjects together to introduce students to higher-order thinking. So it shouldn’t be isolated to the science or specials classes. Bring STEM into your social studies lessons with the ideas and tips below.
How to use Digital & Printed STEM Journals
Elevate any STEM challenge by using a journal to capture student thinking during the engineering design process! Read below for how to use a digital or printed STEM journal including strategies for distance learning.
Superhero Arm: STEM At Home Activity
To support students during school closings, Vivify is launching a STEM Space At Home weekly video series! Tune in every Thursday for a new STEM activity, led by an engineer, and using materials you can find at home. This week’s challenge: Superhero Robotic Arm!
30 Winter STEM Activities
Snow ball fights, candy canes, and reindeer…time for some winter STEM activities for kids! Read on for 30 science experiments, math activities, engineering design challenges, and even coding fun - all with a winter theme! All these activities use simple materials and are perfect for the classroom or at home while stuck indoors.
Scientific Method vs. Engineering Design Process: Which is used in STEM learning?
Are you a STEM teacher? Confused on what process to use in your classroom? Or perhaps you need a refresher on the scientific method versus the engineering design process. Read on for an overview of each, how they are used in the real world and our view of which process is best for STEM education.
Thrilling STEM Activities for Kids: Roller Coaster Challenge
Let’s talk about roller coasters! Make the stimulating challenge of creating a roller coaster part of your next STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) project. By using the engineering design process, student teams are tasked with creating a thrilling ride! Students learn about the science of roller coasters, including various forms of energy, and then using common materials such as craft sticks, paper and tape, students design a track for a ping pong ball to land safely in a cup at the bottom. This activity is definitely one of my new favorite STEM activities for kids!
STEM Explorers: Travel the World with STEM Activities for Elementary
Pack your bags and get ready to go on an incredible journey with your students! One of my favorite things about STEM education is that it is a multidisciplinary approach to project-based learning. Our STEM Explorers lessons truly embody that spirit by connecting engineering design challenges to history and geography while also including math and science. The mission: to explore all seven continents and discover the inventions that were born there. Are you ready? Let’s go!