Sarah's STEM stuff

Looking for an ENGAGING activity to get your students hooked on science?!? Students follow the steps of the scientific method in this low prep skittles experiment. Watch the rainbow magically forms in front of their eyes as students make observations, record data, and write conclusions. Then they can "taste the rainbow" and eat their skittles once they have finished the activity! This will become a student favorite in your class. Such a fun and satisfying experiment and perfect for S

In this no prep digital escape room activity, students solve a CSI: Crime Scene mystery using forensic science and critical thinking. In the no prep activities, students analyze 4 different pieces of evidence (fingerprints, shoe prints, unknown powder, and pen samples) and keep track of evidence and suspects. They use their power of observations to “crack the case” and prove their innocence by figuring out who really committed the crime. This activity can be done all at once in the format of

Looking for a fun science experiment to engage your students? This water bottle flipping STEM activity guides students through an experiment to find out how much water is the best for flipping a water bottle. My students LOVE this experiment every year!! Students design and perform an experiment, collect and analyze data. Differentiated worksheets based on grade level and math background. They then graph their data and learn about the physics behind the water bottle flip. This is a great wa

This is definitely a favorite activity! In this experiment, students watch the chemical change that happens when hydrogen peroxide, yeast, and dish soap react to make ELEPHANT'S TOOTHPASTE - SO much foam! This lab is so exciting and has major wow factor! In this version, students learn about physical and chemical changes with this fun reaction! The activity can be done as a teacher demonstration, or working in lab groups. After completing the activity, students read about physical a

Students use forensic evidence, teamwork, and critical thinking to solve this CSI Crime scene escape room. In the activities, students analyze 4 different pieces of forensic evidence (fingerprints, shoe prints, unknown powder, and pen samples) and keep track of evidence and suspects. They use their power of observations to “crack the case” and prove their innocence by figuring out who really committed the crime. Great for a science class, forensics class, or just for fun!!** CLICK HERE fo

Get ready to challenge your students with this engaging End of Year Escape Room! This no-prep activity is perfect for building critical thinking skills and can be used in any subject across multiple grade levels. With four puzzling challenges to solve, your students will be fully engaged as they work through each stage of the game. This digital version is no prep, making it easy to use in any classroom. The End of Year Escape Room features a fun end-of-year theme, adding an extra layer of excite

Build your students' critical thinking skills with this no prep detective themed digital escape room. Students will work together to solve 4 engaging logic puzzle "clues" to solve to track and catch the criminal. Students start off reading their case file and begin solving each puzzle. Each puzzle will give them the code to unlock the next clue in the game. Your students will love this fun escape room game that works with any content, you will love that it is no prep! The game is totally

Build your classroom community and get your class working together and collaborating with this fun team building escape room game! This activity includes 4 logic puzzle challenges that help build critical thinking skills and help students persevere when things get tough. This escape room game can be used in any subject area! This is great for back to school, end of the year, or anytime you want to add in some fun collaboration time! Each puzzle has multiple levels to allow for differenti

In this activity, students are wowed by the chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide, yeast, and dish soap when they make elephant's toothpaste - so much foam! In this grades version, students are introduced to chemical reactions including: chemical equations, exothermic and endothermic reactions, reactants and products. This is a class favoriete - it is so exciting and has major wow factor. The activity can be done as a teacher demonstration, or working in lab groups. After co

Support reading comprehension in your science class with these focused reading passages about energy in the cell! This no prep reading resource contains 2 one page reading passages - one about photosynthesis and the other about cellular respiration. Each reading passage is followed by reading comprehension questions to focus the students attention on the main topics. Each engaging non-fiction reading passage focuses on the topics below: • Photosynthesis Focuses on the role of chloroplas

This NGSS aligned activity uses chocolate chip cookies to model the effect of mining on the environment. Great to show human impact! The activity requires little prep work and it is a lot of fun! This is a perfect addition to your natural resources unit. My students go wild for cookies and it really makes an impact. MS-ESS3-1.Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and cu

Looking for areat tool to learn about energy in the cell? In this resource, students fill in a graphic organizer about photosynthesis and cellular respiration followed by a review worksheet. This is a great way to introduce or review the cycle of energy in the cell. The graphic notes can be filled in together as a class, have students use it for note taking while reading or during a lecture, or have students complete it as a quick check or assessment at the end of the unit. The graphic org

Build a roller coaster while learning about kinetic and potential energy in this engaging STEM challenge! Your students will love learning about the physics of roller coasters! Students research, plan, build, and test marble roller coasters made of paper and tape. This is a yearly favorite! Students apply their understanding of kinetic and potential energy transformations as they create 4 thrills in their paper coasters. This is an annual favorite in my class! Also includes an interact

Bring the wow-factor to your classroom with this best-selling Elephant Toothpaste science experiment— bundled for Grades K-8! This hands-on activity is a student favorite, combining exciting experiment with standards-aligned science instruction. Whether you’re teaching one grade or multiple, this bundle is designed to meet your needs and differentiate with ease. What’s Included: Grades K-2 Version – Introduce young scientists to the scientific method in a simple and engaging way. Perfect for e

In this hands on escape room activity, students solve a forensic mystery using science, teamwork, and critical thinking. In the crime scene activities, students analyze 4 different pieces of evidence and keep track of evidence and suspects. They use their power of observations to “crack the case” and determine which suspect is guilty. This activity can be done all at once in the format of an escape room to try to “beat the clock” – about 45 minutes to complete or it can be broken up into diffe

Bring the water cycle to life right in your classroom! In this engaging STEM activity, students apply their knowledge to design and build a working model of the processes that happen during the water cycle. Students follow the engineering design cycle to plan, build, test, and improve their models. After completing the activity, students complete a quick assessment. Designed for middle school students but can be used with upper elementary with teacher support. This is definitely a stud

This no prep digital lab uses a google slides activity with video tests to guide students through a virtual electromagnet lab. Students change variables to see how they affect the strength of the electromagnet. Students can change 3 variables: Wire gauge, # of coils, and number of batteries. After testing each variable, the students write a short conclusion to explain how the variable affects the strength of the magnet and use evidence to support their ideas. In the final step, student

Get your students engaged with this hands on STEM Activity! Your students will be creative thinkers as they build windmills to harness the wind and investigate alternative energy sources. These activity is PERFECT for use in your classroom or a STEM open house! ❤️ You will LOVE using this Windmill STEM activity because it is so SIMPLE! The bases are reusable from class to class and the students focus on building the blades. Students follow the engineering design process to design, buil

Looking for something fun and easy to keep your students engaged this Halloween? In this low prep STEM activity, students design and build paper bat wings to see which ones can fly the farthest. Students follow the engineering design process to build, test, and improve their design. Simple easy to find materials: black paper, tape, straws, and scissors. After completing the STEM activity, learn about bat adaptations by reading a short passage and playing a simple whole class game that r

Looking for a no prep activity where students analyze data? In this virtual lab, students collect and analyze data from two digital lab activities about air pressure and temperature in the atmosphere to answer the question: How does altitude affect temperature and air pressure?After collecting and graphing the data, students read the included passage about air pressure and temperature in the atmosphere to support writing their CER argument to explain how altitude affects temperature and p