What’s on your STEM lab supply list?
Do you feel overwhelmed when you think about what to add to your STEM lab supply list? Are you worrying about your budget and how you will afford all the niche-specific materials? Filling a STEM lab with appropriate building supplies and materials is one big challenge of being a STEM teacher. Now imagine having a […]
Biomedical Engineering STEM Activity with Animal Prosthetics for Middle School
Exposing students to new career paths and showing them real-world applications is an important part of STEM class! Many students are surprised to learn that some engineers work with animals. In this biomedical engineering STEM activity, students are introduced to three animals, Bob the alligator, Bruce the parrot, and Snoopy the cat. Each potential client […]
Variables that affect solar oven efficiency
So you’re building a solar oven? Solar ovens are a great DIY project! You can create an effective cooking device cheaply from household items. Also, solar ovens use renewable energy from the Sun, which is good for our environment. You’ll learn many important science concepts and develop your engineering skills through the design and building […]
Valentine’s Day STEM Activity for Middle School
Keeping students engaged on holidays is no easy task! This is especially true when you are teaching hormonal middle schoolers… on Valentine’s Day. Eeeeeeek! Let me help you navigate the chaos and keep your students learning in between celebrations with this Valentine’s Day STEM activity! Light-Up Valentine STEM Activity In this project, students will learn […]
Get Your Guide to Computer Science Education Week 2022
I’ve been looking forward to Computer Science Education Week 2022 since December 2021! It is one of my favorite weeks of the school year. There’s a buzz in the air and my students and I have a blast! Also, I get to spend time teaching real-world skills that spark new passions and introduce new career […]
5 Middle School Coding Activities for Computer Science Education Week and Beyond
In recent years, the expansion of computer science programs and the importance of teaching middle school coding (and elementary school coding too!) have been all over the news. You may be wondering why coding is so important for kids or what benefits are associated with learning to code. The importance of middle school coding According […]
Christmas STEM Project Ideas for Middle School
It is a challenge to keep students engaged when the weather is changing and winter holidays are around the corner. If you are struggling to keep your students’ attention and get to the end of the period, you are not alone! Now imagine having an exciting, middle school Christmas STEM project on hand to keep […]
Conductor and Insulator Activities for Middle School
How do you teach conductors and insulators? How can you get your middle school students excited about thermal energy? What are the applications of conductors and insulators to everyday life? What are some fun conductor and insulator activities for middle school? If you are a teacher looking for the answers to any of these questions, […]
Holiday STEM Challenges for Middle School
Do you have a plan for keeping students engaged when the weather is changing and holidays are around the corner? It can be a struggle to keep your students’ attention and get to the end of the period on a normal day. This is especially true when holiday excitement is in the air. Now imagine […]
Teaching Programming to Middle Schoolers
Coding is a very important skill for today’s students. Currently, computer science job openings outpace the number of qualified applicants, and as we move into the future, more and more industries will require employees to have some basic computer programming skills… But how exactly do you go about teaching programming to middle schoolers? It seems […]