Teaching STEM Shouldn’t Be Overwhelming.
Our classroom-tested K-8 STEM lessons make it easy to engage students while meeting standards. Click a category to get started!
“I appreciate the way Vivify took out the guesswork and walked me through every step! My students were so engaged, and I can’t wait to try more Vivify lessons in my STEM classroom! ”
STEM Teachers
Are you a K-8 STEM teacher in need of low-prep, high-imact STEM?
Build your STEM course by browsing each of the 3 Stages of STEM, view our K-8 Scope & Sequence, or grab our complete STEM by grade bundles!
Click a category to get started:
“I appreciate the way Vivify took out the guesswork and walked me through every step! My students were so engaged, and I can’t wait to try more Vivify lessons in my STEM classroom! ”
Comprehensive STEM By Grade
Our units are perfect for STEM elective courses, afterschool programs, and gifted and talented enrichment. Lessons include student handouts, editable teacher slides, and a comprehensive teacher guide for low-prep but high-impact STEM learning! View our full K-8 Scope & Sequence here.
Elementary Grades K - 5
Kindergarten
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and STEM Career Activities for the letters A through Z! These activities emphasize generally accepted outcomes for kindergarten readiness in the areas of math and science.
Grades: PreK - 1st
Teaching Duration: Semester
Features an engaging scenario and open-ended prompt, encouraging students to think like real engineers as they build solutions using building bricks (such as LEGO® blocks).
Grades: K - 5th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 3 hours
Transform your classroom into a team of astronauts on an Orbital Mission! This STEM curriculum begins with Stage 1 team challenges that build teamwork and communication skills. Students then work through Stage 2 engineering design challenges. Units are aligned to science and math standards along with a different career focus.
Grades: 5th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 9 - 12 weeks
Are you looking for independent STEM stations for elementary? This growing bundle of STEM task cards covers major holidays and science topics for low-prep stations that only need building bricks or other non-consumable building materials. Just print and go!
Grades: 2nd - 5th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: N/A
Pack your bags and take your students on a voyage of STEM challenges that incorporate the engineering design process with themed activities from countries around the world!
Grades: 2nd - 5th
Middle School
Need a year-long space STEM unit for your STEM classroom or engineering elective course? This Mission to Mars bundle includes engineering design challenges building up to a capstone project of building a habitat on Mars!
Click here for supply list and pacing guide!
Grades: 6th - 8th
Teaching Duration: Year-long Curriculum
1st & 2nd Grade
Through interactive sessions, Launchpad students become a team of astronauts challenged to complete 10 missions centered around a Journey to Moon. Each week, students will read a message from Astronaut Alex, who will introduce the activity, provide background context, and connect to a STEM career.
Grades: K-5
Teaching Duration: 1 month
Become a team of astronauts on a Mission to Mars! This STEM unit of 10 lessons is perfect for elementary STEM classrooms, afterschool programs, or summer camps!
Grades: K-5
Teaching Duration: 1 month
4th Grade
Students learn the history of National Parks, work to research a National Park of their choice, plan a trip to the National Park and then design and build the NEXT National Park using their research knowledge!
Grades: 4th - 6th
Need a semester-long STEM unit? This Mission to Moon bundle includes engineering design challenges building up to a capstone project of building a habitat on the Moon!
Click for pacing guide & supply list.
Grades: 6th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 12 - 18 weeks
In the Eco-House Extravaganza project, students work in teams to complete the ultimate project-based learning STEM experience: planning and designing an energy-efficient, eco-friendly house in the U.S. city of their choice.
Grades: 4th - 8th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 2 weeks
Design a colony on Mars! Take your STEM or STEAM classroom or program to the next level with this in-depth engineering design STEM challenge.
Grades: 5th - 12th
Teaching Duration: 1 month
Students work in teams to complete the ultimate project-based learning STEM experience: designing and building a model of a new manned orbital space station.
Grades: 6th - 12th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 2 months
3rd Grade
5th Grade
This lesson sequence follows the 5E learning cycle to promote both science concepts and engineering design practices in a hands-on project! The STEM project is best suited for upper elementary or lower middle school (4th - 6th grade) with modifications throughout.
Grades: 4th - 6th
Grades: 5th - 12th
Resource Type: Stage 3 - Design Competitions
Teaching Duration: 2 months
Tackle the ultimate STEM project with this all-inclusive classroom guide to launching a weather balloon PLUS links to a shared Google Drive folder with TONS of extra resources! This guide includes an hour-long training video to help you visualize exactly how to complete this project with your class.
Grades: 6th - 12th, Higher Education, Adult Education, Homeschool
Teaching Duration: Semester
“This resource is AMAZING! I am starting mission 8 this week and I can honestly say it is worth every penny and more. It was very so easy to navigate the missions and the work put into organizing these resources was extensive. If you are looking for an engaging, hands-on class, this is the purchase to go with. ”
More STEM by Grade Coming Soon!
Check back for more year-long STEM units or grab them as they are released as a STEM Space Member.
Want to build your own STEM course?
Join the STEM Space Membership for access to 200+ authentic, inquiry-based units that are standards-aligned and classroom-tested for high-impact STEM learning! Includes a suggested scope and sequence for grades K - 8 or create your own with our extensive lesson library!
Stage 1 STEM
Develop STEM Foundations
From constructing the tallest index card tower to designing the perfect paper airplane, Stage 1 STEM lessons lay a crucial foundation for engineering learning and essential habits of mind. These introductory activities foster problem-solving, teamwork, communication, persistence, and systems thinking. Additionally, they serve as an entry point into STEM concepts and the engineering mindset, encouraging innovation, experimentation, and data-driven design grounded in exciting real-world connections.
Stage 1 Best Sellers
Do you know what a sound engineer does? What about a food scientist? This twist on the classic BINGO game will expose students to exciting science and engineering or STEM careers.
Grades: 5th - 12th
Teaching Duration: 1 hour
Students will be introduced to the storyline of Jonny Kim and then create their very own mission patch. As activities are completed, student badges can be added to the mission patch.
Grades: 6th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 2 weeks
Features an engaging scenario and open-ended prompt, encouraging students to think like real engineers as they build solutions using building bricks (such as LEGO® blocks).
Grades: K - 5th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 3 hours
Students will color and draw pictures or write answers to the questions on the activity sheet. Then turn it into a rocket, complete with a window peering in at a picture of them that reads, "I am proud of me."
Grades: PreK - 3rd
Teaching Duration: 30 minutes
“As usual...Vivify STEM challenges are so fantastic. My students loved this challenge...I especially liked how little material it required, but it was so meaningful, requiring them to go through the entire STEM design process and work collaboratively to create a solution!”
Need back to school icebreakers or games that get students moving, communicating, working in teams, and building relationships? Here are 50+ of our favorite basic activities that are low-cost and low-prep for any classroom or subject!
Grades: PreK - 12th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 1 Week
Are you looking for a way to discuss regulating emotions while doing a fun STEM activity? Your students can learn the basics of circuits as well as the basics of the upstairs and downstairs brain functions with calming strategies!
Grades: 1st - 10th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 90 minutes
Are you looking for independent STEM stations for elementary? This growing bundle of STEM task cards covers major holidays and science topics for low-prep stations that only need building bricks or other non-consumable building materials. Just print and go!
Grades: 2nd - 5th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: N/A
This packet contains 5 teamwork challenges that are great for back to school or as icebreakers for a new group of students. The sixth activity is a more in-depth engineering design challenge that uses the complete design process. This activity can be used to set the stage for more rigorous Stage 2 design challenges.
Grades: PreK - 12th
Teaching Duration: 3 hours
Stage 2 STEM
Apply to an Engineering Challenge
Building on Stage 1 experiences, students transition from foundational explorations to applying STEM content in solving real-world engineering design challenges. Through an iterative approach, they analyze data, refine their designs, and develop an intuitive understanding of materials, structures, and systems. By engaging in hands-on problem-solving, students create innovative solutions, deepen their knowledge of the human-designed world, and gain insight into the interconnectedness of science, technology, and engineering.
Stage 2 Best Sellers
This STEM activity is one of our favorite engineering design challenges! The combination of ping pong balls and aliens makes this a winning STEM challenge!
Grades: 3rd - 5th
Teaching Duration: 4 hours
Learn about the effects of an oil spill on the environment through a hands-on engineering challenge! Students work in teams to devise a plan to get the oil spill cleaned up in a specified time of work.
Grades: 2nd - 9th
Teaching Duration: 225 minutes
After learning the history and uses of prosthetic legs, students use the engineering design process to build a prosthetic leg that is interchangeable for multiple people. This design challenge is followed by a research extension to design a prosthetic leg for an animal.
Grades: 5th - 9th
Teaching Duration: 1 week
This lesson sequence follows the 5E learning cycle to promote both science concepts and engineering design practices in a hands-on project! The STEM project is best suited for upper elementary or middle school (4th - 8th grade) with modifications throughout.
Grades: 5th - 8th
Transform your classroom into a team of astronauts on an Orbital Mission! This STEM curriculum begins with Stage 1 team challenges that build teamwork and communication skills. Students then work through Stage 2 engineering design challenges. Units are aligned to science and math standards along with a different career focus.
Grades: 5th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 9 - 12 weeks
Become a team of astronauts on a Mission to Mars! This STEM unit of 10 lessons is perfect for elementary STEM classrooms, afterschool programs, or summer camps!
Grades: K-5
Teaching Duration: 1 month
Students use the engineering design process and explore the forces of gravity and air resistance to design a drag device to slow down a payload. This challenge uses a ping pong ball to represent a rover landing on Mars. The rover must remain inside an uncovered cup during drop and impact testing.
Grades: 2nd - 8th
Teaching Duration: 2 hours
In this hands-on STEM challenge, students design and build a bug to solve a mystery! This unit brings together engineering, life science, and physical science topics for an engaging design challenge.
Grades: 3rd - 6th
Teaching Duration: 2 days
“As a middle school STEM educator, I always look for fun and engaging ways to bring hands-on learning into my classroom. I recently used the STEM Catapult Challenge, which was one of the most exciting and educational activities I’ve used all year. The challenge was a hit with my students and a fantastic opportunity for them to apply physics principles in a real-world context.”
Stage 3 STEM
Extend to an Open-Ended Engineering Problem
In Stage 3, learning expands into an open-ended, student-driven project that encourages deeper inquiry, creativity, and real-world application. These projects require independent research, integration of expert input, and advanced data collection and analysis. By tackling complex challenges, students refine their problem-solving skills, apply interdisciplinary STEM knowledge, and develop solutions that reflect authentic engineering and scientific processes. This stage fosters critical thinking and innovation, preparing students for future STEM pathways and lifelong learning.
Stage 3 Best Sellers
This lesson sequence follows the 5E learning cycle to promote both science concepts and engineering design practices in a hands-on project! The STEM project is best suited for upper elementary or lower middle school (4th - 6th grade) with modifications throughout.
Grades: 4th - 6th
Design a colony on Mars! Take your STEM or STEAM classroom or program to the next level with this in-depth engineering design STEM challenge.
Grades: 5th - 12th
Teaching Duration: 1 month
Students learn the history of National Parks, work to research a National Park of their choice, plan a trip to the National Park and then design and build the NEXT National Park using their research knowledge!
Grades: 4th - 6th
Design a school garden! Take your STEM or STEAM classroom or program to the next level with this in-depth engineering design STEM challenge.
Grades: 4th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 2 months
In the Eco-House Extravaganza project, students work in teams to complete the ultimate project-based learning STEM experience: planning and designing an energy-efficient, eco-friendly house in the U.S. city of their choice.
Grades: 4th - 8th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 2 weeks
This hands-on project is an engaging design challenge that allows students to learn how to do research, apply the engineering design process, and connect to a real-world STEM career. Included are handouts and editable slides to teach about biomes, ecosystems, and habitats.
Grades: K - 5th
Teaching Duration: 1 week
Family Engagement
Host an Unforgettable STEM Family Night
Excite students, teachers, and families with a hands-on event that engages the whole school in STEM! We’ve planned hundreds of family events and packed our best activities into a low-prep guide! Plus you can even purchase an all-inclusive turnkey kit through Pitsco Education.
Science Teachers
Are you a science classroom teacher looking to integrate STEM or engineering design into your instruction?
The following units are intended to promote understanding of science concepts through a 5E unit that includes both scientific inquiry and engineering design. These NGSS-aligned units are perfect for science educators to use in formal classroom settings.
This lesson sequence follows the 5E learning cycle to promote both science concepts and engineering design practices in a hands-on project! The STEM project is best suited for upper elementary or middle school (4th - 8th grade) with modifications throughout.
Grades: 5th - 8th
In the Eco-House Extravaganza project, students work in teams to complete the ultimate project-based learning STEM experience: planning and designing an energy-efficient, eco-friendly house in the U.S. city of their choice.
Grades: 4th - 8th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 2 weeks
This lesson sequence is intended to guide students in upper elementary or middle school (4th - 8th grade) through a 5E STEM unit targeting heat transfer. No prior knowledge of heat transfer is needed.
Grades: 5th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 2 days
NASA needs your help to design a new science experiment in space! What do you want to learn about living in space?
Grades: 6th - 9th
Teaching Duration: 2 days
Inspired by the true story of Xulei Wu, NASA’s Space Food Systems Manager who creates meals for astronauts, this unit blends nutrition science and engineering practices in an engaging challenge.
Grades: 8th
In this hands-on STEM challenge, students design and build a bug to solve a mystery! This unit brings together engineering, life science, and physical science topics for an engaging design challenge.
Grades: 3rd - 6th
Teaching Duration: 2 days
With 40 pages of teacher slides, step-by-step guide with photos and videos, and 30 pages of editable student handouts - this is everything you need for a complete 5E science unit covering key tops of ocean layers, buoyancy, salinity, and density!
Grade Levels: 2nd - 7th; Homeschool
Duration: 1 week
Students will complete a hands-on apple observation of hybrid and non-hybrid apples, giving students the opportunity to look, smell, touch and taste the different varieties. Building from this experience, students will explore key genetic concepts on hybrids through readings, videos, and discussions.
Grades: 4th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 1 week
Related Blog Posts
Engage students with a hands-on monster engineering challenge that helps them understand key genetics concepts like dominant and recessive traits! This 5E complete STEM unit includes editable handouts, teacher instructions, presentation slides, and science background pages.
Grades: 4th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 1 week
Students will complete a hands-on mystery box exploration to experience the process of doing science. This experience will help students build a deeper understanding of what it means to think like a scientist through discussion, readings, and videos. Concepts will be applied to design their own experiment. To synthesize, students will compare and contrast the scientific method against their experience of doing science throughout the unit.
Grades: 3rd - 10th
Students will complete a hands-on apple observation of GMO and non-GMO apples, giving students the opportunity to look, smell, touch and taste the different varieties. Building from this experience, students will explore key genetic concepts on GMOs through readings, videos, and discussions.
Grades: 4th - 8th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: 1 week
Demonstrate Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion with four engaging activities delivering a learning experience that is sure to grab the attention of all types of learners.
Grades: K - 6th
Teaching Duration: 1 hour
Informal Educators
Plan your summer STEM camp or afterschool program with ease using our low-prep and highly engaging lessons!
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and STEM Career Activities for the letters A through Z! These activities emphasize generally accepted outcomes for kindergarten readiness in the areas of math and science.
Grades: PreK - 1st
Teaching Duration: Semester
Are you looking for independent STEM stations for elementary? This growing bundle of STEM task cards covers major holidays and science topics for low-prep stations that only need building bricks or other non-consumable building materials. Just print and go!
Grades: 2nd - 5th; Homeschool
Teaching Duration: N/A
Become a team of astronauts on a Mission to Mars! This STEM unit of 10 lessons is perfect for elementary STEM classrooms, afterschool programs, or summer camps!
Grades: K-5
Teaching Duration: 1 month
A STEM calendar with science, engineering, and math challenges! Activities are straightforward and accessible to students of all levels with little or no supplies needed. Get them up, outside, and exploring the world!
Grades: 3rd - 8th
Teaching Duration: N/A
Looking for a complete STEM curriculum that includes hands-on engineering design, real-world connections, science, and math connections all centered around one theme? Look no further with our Space Club: Mission to Moon curriculum!
Grades: 5th - 8th
Teaching Duration: semester
Through interactive sessions, Launchpad students become a team of astronauts challenged to complete 10 missions centered around a Journey to Moon. Each week, students will read a message from Astronaut Alex, who will introduce the activity, provide background context, and connect to a STEM career.
Grades: K-5
Teaching Duration: 1 month
This engaging STEM challenge is a fun way to learn about pioneering women in history and incorporate the engineering design process as students use it to harness the sun's energy by constructing a solar oven to heat s'mores!
Grades: 3rd - 8th
Teaching Duration: 3 days
Design a school garden! Take your STEM or STEAM classroom or program to the next level with this in-depth engineering design STEM challenge.
Grades: 4th - 8th
Teaching Duration: 2 months
FREE Space Club for Middle School
Transform your classroom into a team of astronauts on an epic space adventure! Our Space Club Mission to Moon and Mission to Mars units, developed in partnership with NASA, are available for FREE in our STEM Space Explorer Library. The Moon and Mars units also have kits available from Pitsco Education.
Are You Struggling to Find High-Quality STEM for Your Classroom?
We can help! Move beyond repetitive building activities and elevate your STEM classroom with authentic, inquiry-based units that are standards-aligned and classroom-tested for high-impact STEM learning!
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