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1 | Engaging Hands-On STEM Activities to Try at Home A list curated by Salmon Public Library | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | How to Use This Spreadsheet: This spreadsheet is a collection of hands-on STEM activities aligned with K-8 curriculum in the state of Idaho. It is intended as a resource for homeschooling families as well as those who are looking to supplement what their children are learning in school with fun activities at home! Each activity has been specially selected and reviewed by our staff for at-home feasability, target age/grade level and overall educational value. Activities are organized by grade level -- click through the tabs at the bottom of the page to select the grade level you are looking for. There are two ways to search for activities: To browse a list of ALL activities, you can scroll through the alphabetical list on the first tab of this spreadsheet. To search for activites by grade level, click through the grade-specific tabs at the bottom of the page. Please note: grade-level activities are chosen for specific alignment with one or more key skills or Idaho content standards for that grade level; however that does not mean this is the only grade level that would enjoy or benefit from the activity. Different homeschool curriculums may cover different topics in different grades, so we encourage you to check out the tabs for adjacent grades if you're not finding what you're looking for. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Materials Key: We have given each activity a rating based on the ease of sourcing the required materials: ▲ = uses common craft supplies and household items ▲▲ = requires some prep work and/or 1-2 non-standard items you can buy locally ▲▲▲ = requires more advanced prep and/or specialized items/equipment you may need to buy online | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Activity | Source | Topic | Grades | Materials | |||||||||||||||||||||
5 | "No Wire" Circuit: Build a circuit using conductive everyday objects. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Electricty & Magnetism | 3-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Airplane Wing: Build a lightweight wing structure that is 12 inches long and can hold up a heavy load (weight) without deflecting. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 3-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Animal Habitats Game: Children draw animal cards and decide which "habitat" (designated areas of your house) in which they would most like to live. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Life Science Plants & Animals Earth & Environment | PK-2 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Art & Science - Decomposition: Investigate the effects of sunlight on material decomposition and how effective different materials are at blocking sunlogjt. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Matter & Interactions Scientific Method Earth & Environment | 4-6 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Balance a Dinosaur: Build a dinosaur at least 6" tall that can balance on two legs using counterbalances. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Forces & Motion Organisms: Structure & Processes Dinosaurs | 3-5 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Balloon-Powered Car: Design, build and race balloon-powered cars | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Energy Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 6-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Bending Plant Roots with Gravity: Investigate how changes in a plant's environment, like the direction of gravity, affect the shape of its growing roots over a period of several days. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Life Sciences Organisms: Structure and Processes | 6-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Birthday Season Weather Report: Kids create weather report cards for their birthday seasons and analyze the similarities and differences between them. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Seasons & Weather Earth & Environment | PK-1 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Build a Bird Feeder: Create a bird feeder from recycled, bird-safe materials and consider how structures can respond to an animal's needs | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Life Sciences Plants & Animals | PK-2 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Build a Plow: Students pretend they are agricultural engineers during the colonial period and design a miniature plow that cuts through a "field" of soil | Teach Engineering | U.S. History Engineering Design | 3-5 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Buoyancy Bull's-Eye: Explore the concepts of buoyancy and mass to create a device to help an action figure stay neutrally buoyant, just like a scuba diver. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 5-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Burning Calories - Literally: Students measure the energy content of food by literally burning it, using a device called a calorimeter they will design and build themselves. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Energy Human Biology & Health Measurement & Data | 6-8 | ▲▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Clean the Air: Design and build a filter to remove pepper from an air stream without blocking more than 50% of the airsteam. | Teach Engineering | Earth & Environment Engineering Design | 6-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Compost : A Scientific Investigation: Students will practice using the scientific method while learning about decomposition, then design their own experiment to test different variables affecting the rate of decomposition. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Matter & Interactions Food Science | 4-6 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Compost Habitat for Worms: Students design an optimal environment for red wiggler worms in a compost bin using the engineering design proces. | Teach Engineering | Life Science Earth & Human Activity Engineering Design | PK-2 | ▲▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Construct a Crane: Build a crane that uses simple machines and mechanical advantage to move heavy objects. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 3-5 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Cooking with the Sun: Students learn about using renewable energy from the sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. | Teach Engineering | Energy Engineering Design | 3-5 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
22 | CRISPR Simulation: Students learn about CRISPR gene editing technology and create a model of the molecular mechanism using stop motion animation. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Genetics Biotechnology Ethics | 6-12 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Discovering Rainforest Locations: Students compare maps showing worldwide temperature, precipitation, biodiversity, and soil nutrition levels to predict where on our planet rainforests are located | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Maps Climate & Biomes Data | 4-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | Do Some Colors Absorb Heat Better? Investigation w/ ice cubes | Teach Engineering | Waves (Electromagnetic) Climate & Weather | K-2 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Earth's Water Simulation (Quick!): See how water is distributed across different sources and how much can be used by humans, and brainstorm ways to decrease your usage of fresh water. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Earth & Environment Measurement and Data | 4-6 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Earthquake Resistant House: Build model earthquake-resistant buildings and measure their movement during a simulated earthquake using Google's Science Journal app | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Earth & Environment Measurement & Data Engineering Design | 6-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
27 | Engineering Design Process: Students are introduced to the engineering design process by solving two real-life, everyday problems. | Teach Engineering | Engineering Design | 6-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
28 | Hand-Powered Light: Design and build a simple generator that turns on a small LED light for at least 1 minute without using a battery | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Forces & Motion Electricty & Magnetism | 3-5 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | Landing a Rover: Design and build a model of a Lunar Transport Rover that will carry equipment and people on the surface of the Moon. | NASA | Forces & Motion Engineering Design Space Exploration | 6-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
30 | Lunch in Space: Design a device to help astronauts eat lunch in space, in the absence of gravity | Teach Engineering | Earth & Outer Space Engineering Design | 3-5 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
31 | Mechanical Face: Build a robotic face that can make facial expressions using simple machines. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Forces & Motion Organisms: Structure & Processes | 3-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
32 | Miniature Habitat: Students build a shoebox habitat that mimics a real-life habitat for an animal of their choice | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Plants & Animals Ecosystems | K-2 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
33 | Mint-Mobiles (Elementary): Students design, build and test model race cars made from simple materials as a way to explore independent, dependent and control variables | Teach Engineering | Scientific Method Data & Measurement | 3-5 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
34 | Mint-Mobiles (Middle School): Students design, build and test model race cars made from simple materials as a way to explore independent, dependent and control variables | Teach Engineering | Scientific Method Data & Measurement | 6-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
35 | Model Roller Coaster: Build and test model roller coasters using foam tubing, toothpicks and masking tape. | Teach Engineering | Energy Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 6-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
36 | Modeling Oil on the Ocean: Students learn about oil spills and their environmental and economic effects, then model and redesign oil booms for optimal spill clean-up. | Teach Engineering | Earth & Environment Engineering Design Matter & Interactions | 3-5 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
37 | Modeling Water Bodies: Students investigate different types of water bodies on Earth by making models of lakes, oceans, and rivers inside an aluminum pan using various materials and real water. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Geology Earth & Environment | 1-3 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Newton Rocket Car: Build a small wooden car to demonstrate Newton's third law, and the concept of thrust. | Teach Engineering | Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 3-8 | ▲▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
39 | Noise Meter: Measure and graph sound levels in different scenarios. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Waves (Sound) Measurement & Data | 6-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
40 | Off-Road Wheelchair Challenge: Delve into assistive technology through this empathy-based engineering exercise. | Teach Engineering | Empathy Engineering Design Biomedical Engineering | 6-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
41 | Popsicle Engineering: Follow a version of the engineering design process adapted for young learners to create a popsicle production line | Teach Engineering | Measurement & Data Counting Engineering Design | PK-2 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
42 | Recycling Sorting Machine: Build a machine that uses various methods, like magnets or puffs of air, to separate shreds of paper from paper clips | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Forces & Motion Magnetism Engineering Design | 6-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
43 | Safe Stopping Robot: Engineer a robot that turns itself off when it leaves its "safe" zone | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 3-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
44 | Sea Level Rise: Conduct an investigation to find out if sea levels rise when ice melts and if it matters whether ice is on land or already in the water | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Matter & Interactions Scientific Method Earth & Environment | 5-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
45 | Seed Dispersal Prototype: Build a device that will carry a seed at least 3 feet from where it is launched. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Life Science Organisms: Structure and Processes | 1-5 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Self-Propelling Boat: Build a fast, stable boat that can move through the water for at least 1 foot using a hand-powered propeller. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 3-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
47 | Shade Device: Use craft materials to create a device that protects an animal and its territory from the sun. | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Energy (Heat) Earth & Environment | PK-2 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
48 | Signal Horn: Build a signal horn to make low frequency sounds that can be heard from far away. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Waves (Sound) | K-3 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
49 | Snow Load Roof Model Demo: Investigate what happens when a "snow load" is placed on three different roof shapes. | Teach Engineering | Geometry Cimate & Weather Engineering Design | 1-3 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Sound-Insulating Container: Design and protoyype a device meant to contain sounds you don't want to hear | Science Buddies (create a FREE account to see full lesson) | Waves (Sound) Engineering Design | 6-8 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
51 | Soundmaker: Build a machine that makes sound waves by vibrating itself or the air around it. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Waves (Sound) | K-3 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
52 | Spinning Machine: Build a machine that uses balanced and unbalanced forces to spin | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Forces & Motion Engineering Design | 3-8 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
53 | Sunflower Seed Investigation: Determine the optimal light and soil moisture conditions to grow sunflower seeds. | Teach Engineering | Life Science Scientific Method | K-2 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
54 | Survive That Tsunami! Build a table-top tsunami generator to observe the formation and effects of a tsunami, then create model houses to see how different types of materials are affected by the huge waves | Teach Engineering | Earth & Environment Engineering Design | 4-8 | ▲▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
55 | Tin Can Telephone: Reuse some cans to build this project that illustrates vibration and sound waves. | Learning Library @ education.com | Waves (Sound) | K-3 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
56 | Water Power: Students learn about hydropower plants and work as engineers to create model waterwheels while considering resources such as time and materials, in their designs. | Teach Engineering | Energy Engineering Design Civil Engineering & History | 3-5 | ▲▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
57 | Wave Machine: Make a device that will carry a wave and record the wave’s movement. | Technovation Families (create a FREE account to access) | Waves (Sound) | 3-5 | ▲ | |||||||||||||||||||||
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