Science is all about exploring and understanding the natural world around us. Scientists ask questions, conduct experiments, and observe how things work. They study everything from tiny cells and insects to vast oceans and outer space, helping us discover new things, solve problems, and improve our lives and the environment.
Technology is about using knowledge and tools to create inventions that solve problems and make life easier. It includes everything from smartphones and computers to medical devices and robots. Technology changes rapidly and affects how we communicate, work, travel, and entertain ourselves. Engineers and inventors use technology to innovate and create things that improve our everyday lives.
Engineering is about designing and building things that solve problems and meet human needs. Engineers use math, science, and creativity to develop everything from bridges and buildings to cars and airplanes, working in many fields, like civil engineering (designing structures), mechanical engineering (creating machines), and aerospace engineering (building spacecraft). Engineering helps us build a better world with safer, more efficient, and more sustainable solutions.
Mathematics is the study of numbers, shapes, patterns, and relationships. It helps us understand how things work and solve problems in many fields, from science and technology to finance and art. Mathematicians explore concepts like algebra, geometry, statistics, and calculus to analyze data, make predictions, and create computer algorithms. Math is essential for everything from designing video games to exploring space and understanding the universe.
Life science is like being a detective in nature! Imagine exploring the world to discover how plants, animals, and even tiny microbes live and grow. It's like having a superpower that lets you understand how things work in the world around you.
Students learn how plants get and distribute nutrients while making multicolored flowers (estimated time to complete - 6 hours)
Students study genomes by extracting genetic material from strawberries using common household items (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Earth and space science is an exciting adventure where you get to be a scientist exploring the wonders of our planet and the universe. It's a never-ending journey full of discoveries waiting for young explorers like you!
In this classic science fair experiment, students learn about geology as they combine baking soda and vinegar to simulate a volcanic eruption (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
With just paper and colored pencils, students design an entirely new planet that can sustain life with liquid water, oxygen, energy, and atmosphere (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Chemistry is all about discovering what things are made of and how they change. Imagine mixing colorful potions, creating fizzing reactions, and even making things glow in the dark. Chemistry helps you understand the tiny building blocks that make up everything around us!
Students create an exciting substance by reacting glue and slime activator that they can take home (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Students make a lava lamp by combining oil, water, food coloring, and Alka-Seltzer tablets (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Physics is an exciting adventure that lets you uncover the mysteries of how everything works. It's a thrilling journey where you get to be a superhero scientist, discovering the amazing principles that govern our world and beyond!
Students explore Bernoulli's Principle by using a hairdryer to levitate a ping pong ball (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Students learn how sound waves travel by creating and playing an instrument that relies on water (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Computers and artificial intelligence (AI) are like having a team of super-smart helpers that can solve problems, play games, and even learn new things! It's all about understanding how these amazing machines work and how they can do so many cool things.
Students learn how computers store information by making bracelets with their initials written in binary code (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
By working together in groups, students take on the roles of a coder and a robot to learn how computers understand code (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Students discover how to distinguish between real images and AI-generated images by voting as a class whether a projected image is real or AI (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Electronics are all about understanding how tiny components work together to create amazing gadgets, from smartphones to robots. Imagine being able to create circuits that make lights blink, motors spin, and sounds play. Electronics lets you explore the fascinating world of how devices work.
Students create a simple electric circuit to make their own light-up lightsaber (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Students create artwork with LED lights and markers while learning about the importance of conductive metals in electronics (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Biotechnology is like combining science and magic to improve our lives and the world around us! It's all about using living things, like plants, animals, and even tiny microbes, to create useful products and solve problems. Imagine growing medicines, creating eco-friendly fuels, and even designing better crops. Biotechnology is a fascinating field that lets you explore the wonders of life and technology.
Students become a forensic scientist by analyzing their enlarged fingerprints on a balloon (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Students create a stethoscope and measure resting and active heart rates while thinking like a biotechnologist (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Mechanical engineering is like being a master builder who designs and creates machines and structures that make our lives easier and more fun! It's all about understanding how things work, move, and fit together. Imagine designing robots, cars, and even roller coasters!
Students become mechanical engineers by learning basic automotive engineering and kinetic friction principles (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Sports-loving students can learn engineering as they design their own sports equipment out of recyclable materials (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Civil engineering is all about creating the structures and systems that make our cities and communities work. Imagine designing bridges that span rivers, skyscrapers that touch the sky, and roads that connect places. Civil engineering is a fascinating field where you get to shape the world and make it better for everyone.
Students become civil engineers by constructing skyscrapers out of marshmallows and toothpicks (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Students learn about structural engineering as they build bridges out of paper that can hold pennies or small rocks (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Imagine creating airplanes that fly faster and higher, rockets that travel to outer space, and satellites that orbit the Earth. Aerospace engineering is a dynamic field where you get to blend science, engineering, and innovation to reach new heights.
Students discover how aerospace engineers work to keep astronauts safe on their way home to Earth in this classic activity (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Students learn exciting aerodynamic principles as they create a whirlybird to determine the effects of lift and drag forces (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Students become rocket scientists as they create rockets with and without fins to figure out which method works best (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Environmental engineering is like being a guardian of the planet, working to protect and improve the natural world we live in. It's all about using science, engineering, and technology to solve environmental problems and promote sustainability. Imagine cleaning up pollution, conserving resources, and designing systems that protect ecosystems and human health. Environmental engineering is a vital field where you get to create a healthier, more sustainable future.
Students create pinwheels to determine which design works best while learning about wind energy (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Students learn how sustainable homes are built as they design a structure capable of weathering intense wind and rain (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Math and music are like two harmonious languages that blend creativity with precision, allowing us to explore patterns, rhythms, and emotions in unique ways.
Students get to move around in this fun activity, learning about the musical staff and how math is used in music (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Students get to listen to fun, clean pop songs and learn how to calculate time signatures (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Probability and games go hand in hand, blending mathematics with the excitement of chance and strategy. Whether you're rolling dice, flipping coins, or playing card games, understanding probability can give you an edge and enhance your enjoyment of the game.
Students become statisticians, discovering how more coin flips lead to a closer 50/50 probability (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Students create their own bingo cards based on the probability of rolling a specific die color combination, learning about how they can use probability to maximize their winning chances (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
When artists use shapes like circles and triangles in their paintings, or create patterns that repeat in computer art, or use special rules to make interactive artworks, they're showing how math and art work together to make cool things. It helps us see how numbers and shapes can make art more interesting and fun to learn about!
Students explore the beauty of mathematics and how shapes of function graphs can combine to create art (estimated time to complete - 45 minutes)
Students use mathematical ratios to create new, varying colors from red, blue, and yellow (estimated time to complete - 30 minutes)
Many of our activity plan images and instructions come from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/
Future of STEM does not claim ownership of these images or instructions.
Our expertise lies in testing the activities and evaluating their use for all families, regardless of income or background.
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