Vivify STEM Blog
Ocean STEM Activities
5, 4, 3, 2, 1! There are 5 oceans 4 (for) our students to explore in these 3 fun ocean activities consisting of 2 science experiments and 1 art project. Let’s dive in!
Rate Your STEM Lesson: What Stage is Your STEM Challenge?
What is the focus in your STEM classroom? Do you love teambuilding activities? Or perhaps you spend most of the year on engineering design? Take our quiz to find out what stage of STEM your lessons are! Then read below for more on the 3 Stages of STEM, example activities, and a free STEM lesson checklist to help plan your lesson!
Design a Prosthetic Leg STEM Activity...for Animals!
Looking for an engaging STEM activity that builds empathy? Read below for a Stage 2 STEM engineering activity that challenges students to learn about and design an interchangeable prosthetic leg. Students then apply concepts for a prosthetic for their favorite animals!
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!
Sub Plans for a STEM Classroom
Are you in need of sub plans for your STEM classroom? Whether it's planned ahead, the morning of, or a 2 week COVID quarantine, I try to always have low-prep STEM lesson plans ready if needed. But sometimes preparing for a sub can feel like more work than actually being there! So I got together with the Vivify team to brainstorm ideas and put together strategies and recommendations for how to run a successful STEM classroom with a substitute teacher!
Go on a Mission to Mars!
I am a science teacher for grades 5- 8, and last fall, my students went on an epic adventure as we tested out Space Club’s Mission to Mars curriculum! Read below for our experience and two space-themed engineering design challenges you can try in your classroom!
Football STEM Challenge!
It’s football season! Challenge your students to create a safer football helmet for their adorable “egg” players. Using the engineering design process, teams of students design, create, and test pint-sized football helmets. Your classroom will have a whole squad when this challenge is complete. But will all of their players make the cut?
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!
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.
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!
10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities
Do you talk about STEM careers in your classroom? Perhaps you don’t have a STEM background and feel intimidated. Or maybe you know about certain careers, but you are looking to expand your knowledge of the diverse field. We can help! Read on for strategies to bring STEM careers to life in your classroom! Through activities that connect STEM to student interests, we will show you how to easily engage kids with the exciting possibilities of real-world STEM.