Vivify STEM Blog

As STEM teachers, we juggle more than just lessons. We manage hands-on centers, organize endless supplies, and still try to show up in style. To make it easier, we’ve rounded up our favorite Amazon finds for the STEM classroom, from must-have tools and materials to teacher accessories that are practical and fun. Whether you’re restocking your lab, setting up engaging activities, or adding a little flair to your wardrobe, this list will help you start the year organized, inspired, and ready for anything. Want to browse all of our favorite STEM things?

Looking for engaging, hands-on STEM activities that spark creativity and require minimal materials? Look no further than the humble pipe cleaner. They are colorful, bendable, and surprisingly powerful when it comes to learning. These five challenges are perfect for kids in the classroom or beyond and use only pipe cleaners!

Back-to-school season can feel full of possibility and pressure. As STEM educators, we’re not just setting up classrooms; we’re launching environments where curiosity, problem-solving, and innovation thrive. Whether you're teaching science, engineering, robotics, or coding, these 10 strategies will help you build a strong foundation for an engaging and productive school year.

What if your students could design a machine powered by nothing but the wind? Inspired by the true story of William Kamkwamba, a teen from Malawi who built a windmill to bring electricity to his village, this challenge asks students to design and build a wind-powered machine that can lift a weight. But instead of just throwing together materials, we ask students to use data to inform their design!

Ready to dive into an engineering design challenge with your students? Whether you’re building bridges, launching straw rockets, or creating roller coasters, how you structure the experience matters.

You’ve been tasked with bringing STEM into your classroom, and you’re excited to create a space filled with innovation, problem-solving, and curiosity. You want to inspire and prepare your students for the future. But a quick online search for “STEM activities” bombards you with tower challenges, cardboard art, popsicle catapults, robotics competitions, and even a balloon launch to space. Suddenly, you begin to wonder—is everything STEM? Where do I even begin? What makes an activity STEM?

To help educators navigate this complex and evolving landscape, we’re excited to introduce Vivify’s K–8 Framework for Engineering Education! In this post, we’ll unpack how we define STEM learning and explore what are appropriate goals for a K-8 STEM classroom.

At Vivify, we believe every student deserves the chance to see themselves as a scientist, engineer, or innovator. But far too often, the images and messages students receive about STEM send the opposite signal. Whether it’s a Google search or a superhero movie, the stereotype of who “belongs” in STEM is still far too narrow, influencing students' perceptions from an early age.

In this post, we explore why representation matters, the critical role early exposure plays in shaping students' educational trajectories, and actionable steps educators and communities can take to make STEM pathways accessible to all students.

Summer is a time for adventure, exploration…and building Mars rovers out of toothbrushes! STEM camps are one of my favorite ways to bring hands-on learning to life. Whether you’re a classroom teacher looking to keep the learning going over summer break or you’ve been asked to run a STEM summer camp and don’t know where to start, this post is for you.

In this post, we’ll walk you through why STEM is perfect for the summer, how to plan a summer STEM camp, tips for STEM beginners, and how to use Launchpad, our ready-to-go curriculum designed for elementary students. Let’s get started!

In the world of STEM education, hands-on learning is essential—but it’s also one of the biggest challenges for teachers. Between expensive materials, limited class time, and logistical headaches, running engaging STEM projects in the classroom can be overwhelming. Enter Qweebi, an innovative startup that’s revolutionizing how STEM is taught through a virtual makerspace. Learn how Claire used it in her classroom and how you can too!

Are you looking to elevate your Gifted and Talented program with exciting, hands-on STEM learning? Lauren shares her journey into STEM education, key similarities between STEM and GT learning goals, successful project ideas, and real-world examples from my classroom. Let’s dive into how you can seamlessly integrate STEM into your GT program for deeper, more engaging learning experiences!

Did you know that when space crafts re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, that they travel at speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour and heat up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit? How does NASA keep its astronauts safe in spaceships when re-entering Earth’s atmosphere?

Get your students engaged about the science of heat transfer with a 5E STEM challenge that culminates with students creating a heat shield to protect a space craft and (chocolate) crew! This engineering challenge covers concepts about convection, conduction, and radiation with hands-on activities, including investigating different methods to melt an ice cube.

Do you have a bunch of building bricks or LEGO® blocks in your classroom? Are you looking for low-prep STEM stations for younger students? Check out our free Building Bricks Challenge Mats, a perfect way to introduce K-5 students to STEM! Read all the details including materials, set-up, and lesson plan to implement with your students.

If you're a Texas educator, you’ve likely heard about the new science standards that now include engineering practices. But you might be wondering: What exactly are they, and how can you integrate them into your teaching?

The world’s greatest superhero needs your help! Your mission is to create an exact replica of their top-secret headquarters. But there’s a catch: the villain has stolen all the blueprints! It’s time to put on your engineering hats, strategize with your team, and rebuild the superhero’s headquarters brick by brick. The fate of this mission depends on you—let’s get started!

The Brick by Brick: Intro to Criteria & Constraints lesson builds communication skills, increases understanding of the engineering design process, and is a great way to connect to authentic engineering work. Learn more below and find this lesson for FREE in our STEM resource library.

Water is one of the most vital resources on our planet, yet many students are unaware of the engineering marvels that ensure clean water reaches our taps daily. The water pipeline STEM challenge is an exciting way to introduce students to the crucial role of engineers in solving real-world problems while aligning with key educational standards.

AI has the potential to save teachers valuable time while transforming students' learning experiences. But with the growing number of AI tools available, where should educators begin?

The Astro-Rover STEM Challenge is a classroom favorite, with many of my students calling it the highlight of their entire school year! What makes this space-themed unit unique is the way it blends science concepts and design thinking into one truly interdisciplinary package. The Astro-Rover STEM lesson, perfect for middle school classrooms, captivates students with the thrilling topic of alien life while aligning with key NGSS science standards, such as understanding how the presence of water can indicate potential for life.

Did you know that astronauts eat mac and cheese in space? That’s just one of 203 different things on the menu!

Have you ever wanted to own a zoo? With this STEM challenge, you and your students can!

Why do earthquakes happen? How can we protect people and buildings during an earthquake? These are just some of the questions students explore in the Earthquake 5E STEM challenge. In this challenge, students learn about earthquakes and how engineers design structures to be earthquake-resistant.

Many classrooms around the world are gearing up to view a spectacular event—the 2024 solar eclipse! To make this cosmic phenomenon an unforgettable and enriching experience for both educators and students, we are excited to share the best resources for celebrating the solar eclipse! We also share a free Solar Eclipse Explorer Kit filled with teacher slides, an editable note to families, and tons of resources to plan a solar eclipse party or celebrate in your classroom or home!

Embark on a space adventure with your class! Challenge your students to complete astronaut training to collect all four badges: creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking! Read more on how to build foundational STEM skills through engaging and hands-on Stage 1 STEM activities through the theme of space exploration.

We love using Legos or other building bricks in our STEM classroom for quick builds or independent stations. Read on for our tips on developing task cards along with 25 ideas for quick build STEM challenges covering fall, summer, winter, and more!

My most vivid family memories involved both travel and education. Not in a boring fashion, but super fun, “this will stick with me for the rest of my life” kind of way. Where did my traveling education occur? National Parks! And now, as an educator, I share my love for nature with a National Park project and STEM challenge. Read below for a semester unit on national parks that includes research, planning, budgeting, natural resources, and design through an experience that I hope will spark a sense of wonder and discovery for your students!

Are you a teacher responsible for running Science Fair this year? Not sure where to start? Read on for our Science Fair Guide: Steps to Success! This post includes the basics of Science Fair, our steps to success for teachers, a free science fair poster, a nature of science lesson, and links to real student Science Fair project examples.

With the release of ChatGPT last year, teachers are still scrambling to catch up on the implications and potential of AI in our classrooms. While AI-generated essays and exams are a huge problem, in this post, we focus on all the benefits of AI for teachers! Read on for all the FREE AI tools that can help you improve lessons, support differentiation, ease administrative tasks, and give you some time back in your day. We also share 25 ChatGPT prompts for teachers!

Imagine a classroom buzzing with excitement as students engage in intellectual battles, passionately defending their scientific viewpoints. Science debates breathe life into scientific concepts, transforming the learning experience into a dynamic arena of ideas and exploration. In this post, we unravel the secrets to hosting a science debate for your classroom, a free resource to get you started, plus an example from my classroom covering GMOs and genetics.

Are you ready to take your students on a fun and hands-on journey into the realm of genetics? Blend engineering principles with the tantalizing world of culinary delights with this delicious STEM lab! Read on to explore how food can become the ultimate medium for engaging K-12 students in thought-provoking lessons about genetics and food engineering concepts.