Thinking Notes
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Rube Goldberg Project Based Learning Engineering Design & Critical Thinking
Bring creativity, logic, and engineering together with this Rube Goldberg Project-Based Learning Challenge for grades 4–6! Students will dive into the fascinating world of Rube Goldberg, an inventor and cartoonist famous for his comically complicated machines that perform simple tasks. This engaging 2+ hour activity encourages students to think outside the box, analyze inventions, and design their own Rube Goldberg machine inside a head. Perfect for independent work, whole-class learning, ce
4th - 6th
Close Reading, Engineering, Science
CCSS, NGSS
RI.4.3
, RI.5.3
, RI.6.3
+9
STEM Projects Low Prep STEM Challenges Critical Thinking Activities Engineering
Looking for EASY STEM activities to implement that are low prep? These are perfect for Pi Day or any time. Not only are paper plates budget-friendly, these are simple enough to leave with a sub, AND offer high engagement. They also allow space for student creativity and critical thinking practice. Never look at paper plates the same way again! Why are these called simple STEM? The challenges are simple for you to set up! The focus is on one material, but multiple activities. If you see multi
2nd - 6th
Engineering
NGSS
K-2-ETS1-2
, K-2-ETS1-1
, 3-5-ETS1-3
+1
Design Thinking Notebook | Introduction to Engineering Interactive notebooks
Introduce your students to the EDC in an interactive and comprehensive way! This print-and-go interactive notebook is perfect for 5th - 7th grade STEM, science, engineering, or design-thinking. Aligned with NGSS and designed for middle school engagement, this resource helps students connect real-world problem solving with hands-on learning—while building academic vocabulary and critical thinking. ✨ What’s Included: ✅ Engineering Design Cycle Overview Wheel✂️ Cut-and-Paste Sequencing Activitie
5th - 8th
Basic Principles, Engineering
NGSS
MS-ETS1-2
, 3-5-ETS1-3
, MS-ETS1-4
+4
Engineer Design Process Worksheet – Comic Strip process notes
Design Process Comic Strip Worksheet – STEM Reflection for Grades 3–5Make engineering fun and visual with this Design Process Comic Strip Worksheet, created for grades 3–5! This printable resource turns the Engineering Design Process into a creative storytelling experience where students draw and write about each step of their design challenge—from identifying the problem to improving their solution. Perfect for STEM, makerspace, or PBL classrooms, this worksheet helps students sequence their
3rd - 5th
Basic Principles, Computer Science - Technology, Engineering
NGSS
3-5-ETS1-3
Imagine a Future in STEM! STEM and STEAM Career First Day of School Activity
Thinking about your future isn't just important for the imagination, but it helps provide goals, motivation, and a vision of what COULD be. Visualizing a future where you are helping others, contributing to society, and living a fulfilling life is a powerful activity to try with students. Why not try it with STEM careers? ✅ What You'll Get ✅ Overview and teacher notesA to Z STEM careers list! 30+ career ideas are provided for students to think about but this list is by no means exhaustive! Man
K - 5th
Engineering, General Science
Design a Cell Phone Project | STEM, Entrepreneurship, PBL for GATE & Teamwork
Challenge your students to think like designers, innovators, and entrepreneurs with this STEM cell phone design project that blends real world problem solving with creativity and team collaboration. In this project based learning activity, students research, design, and model their own innovative phone, complete with branding, marketing, and a pitch presentation! Whether you're teaching STEAM, GATE, enrichment, or careers, this activity builds valuable life skills like creative problem solving,
5th - 10th, Higher Education
Engineering, For All Subjects
STEM Challenges Popsicle Sticks
STEM Challenges {Popsicle Sticks} encourages critical thinking, engineering skills,cooperation, and creativity! This product focuses on ONLY using Popsicle Sticks when building!
Please note that this product includes quick challenges for students to use when creating. These are not step by step STEM projects.
STEM Challenges {Popsicle Sticks} can be used as...
-Early finisher activity
-Center activity
-Whole class STEM activity
-Class wide or student specific positive behavior incentive
Teach
1st - 4th
Engineering
Rube GOLDBERG Project Based Learning | STEM Activities | Digital and Printable
Explore the science behind RUBE GOLDBERG's “outside of the box” thinking with this project-based learning challenge from GATER Educator! Students will utilize creativity, higher-level thinking activities, and simple machines to design a similar machine inside their head. Free teacher notes and answer keys are included.>>Simply PRINT & Go for the classroom or CLICK & Share for Distance Learning<<The CLICK & Share activity is the perfect setup for quick and engaging project-based lear
4th - 6th
Engineering, Science
52 STEM Activities with Spring, End of School Year & Summer STEM Challenges
Super-charge your STEM class with 52 high-engagement, critical thinking, problem-solving, NGSS-aligned challenges to take you through the entire year! Modifications are included to make these activities engaging and challenging for students in grades 2 - 8. The basic idea: Students work in partners or groups against criteria & constraints lists and use a combination of science, engineering, math, and technology skills to design and build solutions to problems. Each challenge includes a video wa
2nd - 8th
Engineering, General Science, Social Emotional Learning
NGSS
K-2-ETS1-2
, K-2-ETS1-3
, MS-ETS1-2
+7
STEM Challenges: Year-Round Mega Bundle Digital VERSION
Super-charge your STEM class with 52 high-engagement, critical thinking, problem-solving, NGSS-aligned challenges to take you through the entire year! Modifications are included to make these activities engaging and challenging for students in grades 2 - 8. (Note: Two of the 52 challenges are included in bonus file.) The basic premise: Students work in partners or groups against criteria & constraints lists and use a combination of science, engineering, math, and technology skills to design and
2nd - 8th
Engineering, Math, Social Emotional Learning
NGSS
K-2-ETS1-2
, K-2-ETS1-3
, MS-ETS1-2
+7
Kite Activity Spring STEM Challenge - Wind Energy & Gravity - March April May
Looking for a high-engagement Spring STEM activity that gets students thinking and moving? This Kite STEM Challenge is the perfect hands-on way to explore wind energy and gravity while building critical thinking skills in grades 2–5. Students will love designing and testing their own kites in this exciting spring STEM activity! What’s Included:Teacher notes with easy implementation tips STEM challenge cards with clear student directions Suggested materials list (plastic bags, wooden skewers, str
3rd - 6th
Engineering, Science
Also included in: Spring STEM Activities and Challenges BUNDLE | March April May Projects
Rube Goldberg DIGITAL Reading Passages and Activities | Project Based Learning
Explore the mind and science behind Rube Goldberg's “outside of the box” thinking in a fun project-based learning activity. Students will utilize creativity, higher-level thinking activities, and simple machines to design a similar machine inside their head.Please see the PREVIEW above for an idea of everything included!With the purchase of this PDF, you will receive a clickable link for access.With the digital version, you have the option to go 100% paperless.Check out the PRINTABLE Version whi
4th - 6th
Engineering, Science
April STEM Activities Spring Themed STEM Challenge Task Cards Building Bricks
STEM activities for spring that are easy to implement! If you were thinking of trying STEM Fridays or Maker Mondays, or you need something more engaging for your early finishers than worksheets or reading, this is the resource for you. Not only will your students be working creatively to solve problems, they will be reading, writing, and using math skills. Please note: LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this resource. What You'll GetInstructions
K - 4th
Engineering
Winter Logic Puzzles, Brain Teasers, WODB, worksheets for 3rd-5th
This winter season, are you looking for a low-prep way to boost critical thinking and math/writing enrichment in your 3rd–5th grade classroom? This engaging Winter-themed collection of Logic Puzzles, Brain Teasers, WODB challenges, and Emoji Math will have your students thinking deeply and having fun. Both Worksheet and Task Card versions included! Perfect for early finishers, GATE/GT/TAG (gifted education), math stations, enrichment blocks, or sub plans—and it comes in both full color and blac
3rd - 5th
Creative Writing, Engineering, Other (Math)
Spring Logic Puzzles, Brain Teasers, WODB, Springtime worksheets for 3rd-5th
This spring season, are you looking for a low-prep way to boost critical thinking and math/writing enrichment in your 3rd–5th grade classroom? This engaging Spring-themed collection of Logic Puzzles, Brain Teasers, WODB challenges, and Emoji Math will have your students thinking deeply and having fun. Both Worksheet and Task Card versions included! Perfect for early finishers, GATE/GT/TAG (gifted education), math stations, enrichment blocks, or sub plans—and it comes in both full color and blac
3rd - 5th
Creative Writing, Engineering, Other (Math)
Back to School STEM Logic Puzzles, Brain Teasers, WODB, worksheets for 3rd-5th
This back-to-school season, are you looking for a low-prep way to boost critical thinking and math/writing enrichment in your 3rd–5th grade classroom? This engaging STEM-themed collection of Logic Puzzles, Brain Teasers, WODB challenges, and Emoji Math will have your students thinking deeply and having fun. Both Worksheet and Task Card versions included! Perfect for early finishers, GATE/GT/TAG (gifted education), math stations, enrichment blocks, or sub plans—and it comes in both full color an
3rd - 5th
Creative Writing, Engineering, Other (Math)
Snowflake STEM Challenge - Reverse Engineer a Snowflake
Take a paper snowflake someone else designed and try to reproduce it! Use the introductory activities to think critically about how a folded paper with holes will look after it is unfolded. Engineers often look at products that have already been designed to see how they work, how they might use aspects of that design, and how they might improve the design to make it their own. This is a slightly different skill than just creating out of your own imagination - you need to get inside the head of s
3rd - 8th
Engineering
Spring Nest STEM Activity Engineering Design Challenge Easter Egg STEAM Nature
This Spring STEM activity is perfect for nature based STEM or Easter STEM - it will have your students thinking like a bird that builds! Design and create a sturdy nest from items found in nature or craft supplies. ✅ What You'll Get ✅ Getting Started: Suggested Material List STEM Challenge Tips: STEM challenge tips for you! Challenge IncludesTeacher NotesSample PicturesPrintable Challenge Poster: Hang at your STEM center or near where the STEM creations are, especially if they will be on displa
3rd - 6th
Engineering
NGSS
3-5-ETS1-3
, 3-5-ETS1-1
, 3-5-ETS1-2
St Patricks Day STEM How to Catch a Leprechaun Simple Machines NGSS 3-PS2-1
March STEM Challenge is a fun and engaging way to teach science, technology, engineering, and math skills. Students learn to think critically and design their own leprechaun traps to learn how to catch a leprechaun using what they know about simple machines collaboratively. This March-themed activity provides students opportunities to think creatively and critically by giving specific criteria for solving a problem. Check out my GROWING BUNDLE for all of my STEM products. Who is this Product Fo
2nd - 5th
Engineering
Also included in: STEM Activities Bundle STEM Challenges
Operation Egg Drop
Who doesn't love a great Egg Drop project? This is such a fun project. Students get to use both creative and critical thinking during this challenge. Students are challenged to invent and engineer a device that will prevent an egg from breaking when dropped from the height of a second story on a building. I have local firemen come in and drop our devices on the final day of the project. They continue to raise the height for those that don't break on round 1. Students have to think about a desig
4th - 7th
Engineering, Physics
March STEM Activity Extreme Weather Engineering Challenge Spring STEM
Whether you want to explore extreme weather or focus more on forces and motion plus structural stability, this challenge has you covered! Quick STEM Challenge: If you have thought about trying a STEM challenge but weren't sure where to start, this is a great way to dive in! If you already love doing STEM challenges with your students, I know you will enjoy this challenge. This resource has one QUICK STEM challenge you can do with readily available materials. STEM challenges are wonderful for te
2nd - 6th
Engineering
NGSS
MS-ETS1-2
, 3-5-ETS1-3
, 3-5-ETS1-1
+3
Fairy Tale STEM {Three Little Pigs} Build a Toothpick House
This is a STEM engineering projects based on The Three Little Pigs. Students will construct a toothpick house for the little pigs. This activity is designed to encourage critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills, as well as, problem solving and teamwork.
Included:
-Student recording sheets (four options)
-grading rubric
-parent letter
-extension menu
-detailed notes to teacher
Additional materials that you will need:
toothpicks (make sure you get the FLAT kind not the round ones!)
gr
3rd - 5th
Engineering, English Language Arts
Also included in: STEM Challenge Bundle (Fairy Tale, Nursery Rhymes, Seasonal STEM)
Thanksgiving STEM: Build a Table
Thanksgiving Table is a STEM building and engineering projects with a Thanksgiving theme. Students will construct a table using only paper and tape. This activity is designed to encourage critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills, as well as, problem solving and teamwork.
Want STEM for more holidays and seasons? This product is also part of
☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ Seasonal STEM Megabundle! ☜ ☜ ☜ ☜
Great for use in a STEM or gifted classroom!
It can be completed in one class period of an hour or les
3rd - 5th
Engineering
Also included in: Seasonal STEM Megabundle!
Fairy Tale STEM (Billy Goats Gruff) Build a Raft
This is a STEM engineering projects based on The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Students will construct a raft house for the billy goats. This activity is designed to encourage critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills, as well as, problem solving and teamwork.
Included:
-Student recording sheets (four options)
-grading rubric
-parent letter
-extension menu
-detailed notes to teacher
Additional resources you will need:
-straws
-pipe cleaners
-tub of water
-10 gram piece (or something to re
3rd - 5th
Engineering, Science
Also included in: STEM Challenge Bundle (Fairy Tale, Nursery Rhymes, Seasonal STEM)
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