Pollinator Lesson Plans for Middle School – Why are bees important?
Have you ever had a bee fly into your classroom during the middle of a lesson? I have… chaos ensued. Some kids were terrified and hiding, while others were chasing the bee trying to kill it with their notebooks. Bees often have a bad rap in middle school, but these pollinators play an important role […]
How does a bottle rocket science project work?
Bottle rockets are a popular STEM project. But you might be wondering “How does a bottle rocket science project work?”, “How do you make a bottle rocket?”, or “What materials are used in a bottle rocket?” Read on to learn all the basics of bottle rocket science. Rockets are devices that use force to move […]
National Engineers Week 2026: 4 Activities for Middle School
Engineering is an excellent profession for today’s youth to consider. The demand for STEM professionals is expected to grow twice as fast as other careers. Recent research also shows that people in STEM professions have higher salaries and experience less unemployment than people in other fields (Okrent and Burke, 2021). You can generate student interest […]
STEM Career Research Project for Middle School
How do you inspire future scientists and engineers? Do your students know what careers are STEM careers and what it means to have a career in STEM? You can answer these questions and more with this multi-day STEM career project! STEM Career Research Project In this project, students will choose an engineering career to research. […]
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 […]
Valentine’s Day STEM Activity for Middle School
This Valentine’s Day STEM activity is the perfect solution for keeping students engaged during the holiday season! This is especially true when you’re teaching hormonal middle schoolers… on Valentine’s Day. Eeeeeeek! Let me help you navigate the chaos and keep your students learning in between celebrations! Light-Up Valentine STEM Activity In this engaging project, students […]
The Complete Guide to Computer Science Education Week 2026
Computer Science Education Week 2026 is approaching, and I’ve been counting down the days since last December! As one of the most exciting and impactful weeks of the school year, it creates an incredible buzz of energy in our classroom. My students and I dive into hands-on coding experiences that spark new passions and open […]
6 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 wonder why coding is so important for kids or what benefits are associated with learning to code. Short on time? Grab no-prep middle school coding […]
Middle School STEM Challenge: Conductors and Insulators Activity
Looking for an engaging insulators and conductors activity for your middle school students? Want to get your students excited about thermal energy? Wondering how to help students understand the real-world applications of conductors and insulators? If you are a teacher looking for the answers to any of these questions, read on! Want to skip straight […]
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 […]