Are you looking for the perfect fall STEM activities to bring some seasonal fun into your classroom? Or maybe you need to keep your students engaged during the excitement and chaos that comes with school Halloween celebrations… Either way, check out these exciting engineering design challenges that will keep your students’ interested.
Short on time? Grab a low-prep fall STEM activity here!
Candy Bucket Challenge
In this Halloween-themed challenge, students design a candy bucket for trick-or-treating that will hold as much candy as possible! First, students brainstorm ideas for their design. Then they build a candy bucket using household materials. Finally, students score their bucket by testing how much candy it can hold before breaking. They earn extra points if their bucket has a clear Halloween theme!
Corn Maze Challenge
In this fun fall STEM challenge, students will create a 3D marble maze modeled after a corn maze! First, they learn a bit about how corn mazes are created. Then they develop a model corn maze to present to a local farmer. After brainstorming ideas, they build a 3D marble maze using household materials. At the end, students test one another’s mazes and vote on their favorite!
Thanksgiving Table STEM Challenge
Are you looking for the perfect activity to keep your students engaged before the Thanksgiving holiday? This fun Thanksgiving table STEM challenge will capture your students’ energy and attention.
Students are tasked with building a table to accommodate extra guests at their Thanksgiving dinner. Using whatever building materials are readily available students will build a table that stands at least 8 inches off the ground and can support a stack of books.
Football Helmet STEM Challenge
In this exciting sports engineering STEM challenge, students are tasked with designing and building a football helmet that will protect players from concussions. First, students will conduct background research to learn about the brain and concussions in football. Then they will use their knowledge to design and build a model football helmet that will fit on a plastic or raw egg. They’ll test their helmet’s effectiveness by dropping the egg wearing their helmet prototype 5 times from a height of 10 meters. They’ll evaluate the damage to their egg and helmet.
What’s included in the fall STEM activities?
Each STEM challenge includes:
- Detailed teacher notes that include suggestions for facilitating the project during in-person, distance, and hybrid learning
- PDF, Google, and Easel versions of the student project packets
- A slideshow to assist with lesson facilitation
- A rubric for easy grading
- End-of-project celebration certificates
These projects follow the engineering design process allowing students to practice their teamwork and problem-solving skills. The building materials are flexible, meaning you can use what you have on hand! Building bricks, clean recyclables, school supplies, etc.
Grab these fall STEM activities today so you can take a break from planning and know your students will still be learning and having fun as you enjoy the fall season!
Want to keep the STEM fun going all year long?
Middle schoolers can be a tough crowd. Are you struggling to keep your students engaged in rigorous STEM learning? You can promote critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork while teaching the engineering design process with these engaging middle school STEM challenges!
Each middle school STEM activity guides students through the engineering design process, while they work toward solving interesting, real-world problems. Students will demonstrate their mastery of the NGSS Engineering Performance Expectations and explore a wide range of STEM topics and careers.
Grab this bundle today to save your planning and prep time, while knowing your students will be learning and engaged in fun middle school STEM activities.
