Learn about the winter solstice with a science lesson and engineering challenge! In this STEM activity, students will explore how light reflects and refracts and how materials can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. Teams will then use the engineering design process to build a lantern to expand the light cast by a flashlight. Plus, tons of videos and real-world STEM connections!

As the Thanksgiving leftovers slowly dwindle in our fridge, it is time to look forward to the Christmas season and help Santa get ready for his epic journey around the world. What better way to model the engineering design process than with activities that help Santa navigate the challenges of the Christmas holidays? From transporting toys with pneumatics or coding an elf, here are our favorite 5 Christmas STEM activities.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1! There are 5 oceans 4 (for) our students to explore in these 3 fun ocean activities consisting of 2 science experiments and 1 art project. Let’s dive in!

What is the focus in your STEM classroom? Do you love teambuilding activities? Or perhaps you spend most of the year on engineering design? Take our quiz to find out what stage of STEM your lessons are! Then read below for more on the 3 Stages of STEM, example activities, and a free STEM lesson checklist to help plan your lesson!

Looking for an engaging STEM activity that builds empathy? Read below for a Stage 2 STEM engineering activity that challenges students to learn about and design an interchangeable prosthetic leg. Students then apply concepts for a prosthetic for their favorite animals!

In the Eco-House Extravaganza STEM project, students work in teams to complete the ultimate project-based learning STEM experience: planning and designing an energy-efficient, eco-friendly house! Read below for how to implement a project that incorporates environmental and earth science, STEM careers, sustainability, and teamwork. This lesson was developed by a middle school science teacher and Harvard graduate student, Kristina Ohl, who shares her experience developing and testing out this lesson so you can bring it to your classroom!

Are you in need of sub plans for your STEM classroom? Whether it's planned ahead, the morning of, or a 2 week COVID quarantine, I try to always have low-prep STEM lesson plans ready if needed. But sometimes preparing for a sub can feel like more work than actually being there! So I got together with the Vivify team to brainstorm ideas and put together strategies and recommendations for how to run a successful STEM classroom with a substitute teacher!

STEM is an inventive, creative, thought-provoking process. But it also involves a lot of supplies, choice of partners (who we may or may not enjoy working with), and open-ended projects that lead to a sometimes chaotic environment! How do we manage all of this as a teacher trying to foster a creative STEM process yet maintain learning objectives and behavioral order in our classrooms? Here are our top 10 tips for classroom management for a STEM learning environment!

STEM Space At Home is a video series led by an engineer and using materials you can find at home. The videos are intended to support elementary and middle school students through fun engineering design challenges with a real-world connection. This week’s challenge: design a solar-powered tower!

Trick or treat! Get in the Halloween spirit with our favorite spooky STEM activities! Read on for free Halloween paper circuit templates, a robot hand candy grabber, a Haunted House STEM challenge, and more!

STEM Space At Home is a video series led by an engineer and using materials you can find at home. The videos are intended to support elementary and middle school students through fun engineering design challenges with a real-world connection. This week’s challenge: design a rover!

STEM Space At Home is a video series led by an engineer and using materials you can find at home. The videos are intended to support elementary and middle school students through fun engineering design challenges with a real-world connection. This week’s challenge: design a spacesuit!