Are you looking for the perfect fall STEM activities to bring some seasonal fun into your classroom? As the leaves change and temperatures drop, it’s the perfect time to engage your middle school students with some exciting fall STEM activities!
Whether you’re navigating the pre-Halloween excitement or looking for engaging projects leading up to Thanksgiving, we’ve got you covered with these seasonal engineering design challenges.
Short on time? Grab a low-prep fall STEM activity here!
Candy Bucket Challenge
Transform Halloween excitement into learning opportunities with this Halloween-themed challenge! Students will design their own trick-or-treat candy bucket using the engineering design process to maximize candy capacity.
Through brainstorming, building, and testing, they’ll create a bucket that can hold the most candy without breaking. Creative students can earn bonus points by incorporating Halloween themes into their designs!
Corn Maze Challenge
Bring real-world autumn STEM activities to life with this innovative project. Students begin by exploring the science behind corn maze design, then put their knowledge to work by creating a working 3D marble maze model.
They’ll develop their designs as if presenting to a local farmer, adding an authentic audience to their work. The excitement builds as students test each other’s mazes and vote on their favorites for the perfect blend of seasonal engagement and practical engineering skills.
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 presents students with a relatable problem: designing a table to accommodate unexpected holiday guests.
Using readily available materials, students must construct a table that stands at least 8 inches tall and can support a stack of books. This real-world connection makes the engineering design process both meaningful and fun.
Football Helmet STEM Challenge
As football season kicks into high gear, engage your students with this relevant sports engineering STEM challenge! In this fall STEM activity, Students start by researching the science of concussions and brain protection in football. They’ll apply this knowledge to design and build a model helmet that fits on a plastic or raw egg.
The real excitement comes during testing, when students drop their egg “players” from a height of 10 meters to evaluate their helmet’s effectiveness. This challenge brings together sports, science, and safety in one engaging package.
What’s Included in These 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
Transform Your Fall Teaching Experience
Middle school students can be challenging to engage, but these seasonal STEM activities make it easier! Each project follows the engineering design process, allowing students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills naturally. The building materials are flexible – use building bricks, clean recyclables, basic school supplies, or whatever you have on hand.
Want to keep the STEM fun going all year long? Our middle school students deserve engaging, rigorous STEM learning experiences. These challenges guide students through the engineering design process while solving interesting, real-world problems. They’ll master NGSS Engineering Performance Expectations while exploring a wide range of STEM topics and careers.
Save time and energy while ensuring quality learning experiences! Grab this bundle today to access multiple seasonal activities that will keep your students engaged and learning throughout the fall season and beyond.
