mindMESA
32 Followers
Cañon City, Colorado, United States
About the store
The Expertise Behind the Innovation: With over 14 years of experience in the trenches of STEM education, we've led everything from all-female engineering cohorts to district-wide science initiatives. Our background isn't just in teaching science—it’s in advancing it through accessible technology. We’ve integrated programmable drones, CAD design, micro:bits, and 3D printing into curriculum that meets standards while capturing imaginations.
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Earth and Space Science: Geology & Earth’s Systems Bundle
Earth & Space Science: Geology & Earth’s Systems BundleDescription: This bundle now includes 15 hands-on labs, simulations, and engineering challenges that help students explore the structure, processes, and dynamics of Earth and the solar system. Students investigate rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, the rock cycle, crystallization, seismic activity, and solar system concepts through engaging experiments, models, and STEM design challenges. Perfect for Grades 3–9 Earth Science, Physical S
3rd - 9th
Earth Sciences, Environment, Physical Science
Nature's Cleanup Crew Lab — Isopods & Decomposers in Soil Ecosystems
Title: Nature’s Cleanup Crew — Isopod Ecosystem Lab & Decomposer Investigation Summary: In this hands-on ecosystem investigation, students explore how consumers and decomposers work together to recycle nutrients in soil ecosystems. By observing organisms such as isopods, earthworms, and springtails, students identify their ecological roles and document how these “cleanup crew” organisms break down leaf litter and support nutrient cycling. Students complete observational drawings, analyze the rol
5th - 9th
Biology, Earth Sciences, Environment
Also included in: Ecosystems & Ecology Labs Bundle
Atmosphere, Weather, Climate, and Hydrosphere Bundle
Atmosphere, Weather, Climate, and Hydrosphere BundleDescription: This bundle includes 14 hands-on labs, modeling projects, and data analysis activities to explore the dynamics of Earth’s atmosphere, weather patterns, climate, and water systems. Students investigate atmospheric layers, air pressure, cloud formation, condensation, climate graphs, the water cycle, evapotranspiration, density-driven ocean layering, groundwater filtration, and climate impacts on local economies. Engaging experiment
3rd - 9th
Earth Sciences, Environment, Physical Science
Solar System Mobile Project — Planet Types & Characteristics
Title: 🪐 Solar System Mobile Project — Planet Types & Characteristics Summary: Students create a tiered mobile of the solar system to compare planets by size, distance from the Sun, composition, and moons. Each student contributes research and builds scaled planet cutouts with labeled scientific facts. The activity reinforces patterns between inner and outer planets, relative scales, and space visualization. A simple rubric and peer review form are included to assess accuracy, scale, comm
6th - 10th
Earth Sciences, Environment
Also included in: Earth and Space Science: Geology & Earth’s Systems Bundle
Weather Map Lab – Surface Pressure & Temperature
Title: 💡 Weather Map Lab – Surface Pressure & Temperature Summary: Students practice reading and interpreting weather maps by creating surface air pressure and air temperature maps. They draw isobars to connect equal pressure values, label highs (“H”) and lows (“L”), indicate likely weather, and show wind directions around pressure systems. For temperature, they draw isotherms, shade warm and cold regions, identify air masses, and use interpolation to estimate values between stations. The
6th - 10th
Earth Sciences, Environment, Physical Science
Nature’s Cleanup Crew: Isopod Ecosystem Lab
Title: Nature’s Cleanup Crew: Isopod Ecosystem Lab Summary: In this hands-on ecosystem investigation, students explore the tiny organisms that act as nature’s “cleanup crew.” By observing isopods, worms, springtails, and evidence of fungi and bacteria, students learn to identify biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems, classify organisms as producers or consumers, and understand how decomposers recycle nutrients in soil systems. The lab includes observation prompts, scientific drawing spa
6th - 10th
Earth Sciences, Environment
Also included in: Ecosystems & Ecology Labs Bundle
Colorado Climate Change & Economy Poster
Title: 💡 Colorado Climate Change & Economy Poster Summary: Students investigate how climate change impacts Colorado’s economy by reading about climate trends, water availability, and sector-specific effects on agriculture, tourism, energy, and wildfire management. They create a poster highlighting three climate impacts with graphics, labels, and sentences explaining how each impact affects economic activity. The lab emphasizes climate literacy, critical thinking, and scientific communicatio
6th - 10th
Earth Sciences, Environment, Physical Science
Also included in: Atmosphere, Weather, Climate, and Hydrosphere Bundle
Mining Impact Triptych Lab — Before, During & After Land Extraction
Title: Digging Deep — How Mining Changes the Land: Local Mines Triptych Project Summary: In this collaborative Earth science activity, students investigate how natural resource extraction changes landscapes over time. Working in small groups, students create a three-panel triptych showing land before mining, during extraction, and after mining for a specific resource such as coal, oil, natural gas, gold, or diamonds. The project combines visual modeling, research, and short written explanation
6th - 10th
Earth Sciences, Environment
Also included in: Earth Science Weathering, Erosion, and Landforms Bundle
Water Filtration Engineering Design Lab — Filter with Geology Layers
This engineering challenge connects the geological concept of percolation to environmental engineering, demonstrating how Earth’s natural layers act as a massive purification system for the water we drink. Activity DescriptionThe Engineer Your Own Water Filter lab is a STEM-based simulation of groundwater movement. Students explore how different geological materials—gravel, sand, and soil—interact with water. By layering these materials in a tube, students mimic the Earth’s saturated and unsa
5th - 8th
Earth Sciences, Engineering, Physical Science
Also included in: Atmosphere, Weather, Climate, and Hydrosphere Bundle
Earth Science Weathering, Erosion, and Landforms Bundle
Earth Science Weathering, Erosion, and Landforms BundleDescription: This bundle includes 10 hands-on labs, simulations, and field activities designed to explore how natural forces shape Earth’s surface. Students investigate mechanical and chemical weathering, soil formation, erosion by water, wind, and glaciers, sediment deposition, and strategies for mitigating natural hazards through engineering design. Activities include stream table investigations, sand tray experiments, and outdoor explo
3rd - 9th
Earth Sciences, Environment, Physical Science
Water Cycle in a Bag Lab — Model Evaporation & Condensation
This lab provides a contained, accelerated model of Earth’s hydrological system, allowing students to witness the transition of water between states of matter in real-time. Activity DescriptionGetty Images The Water Cycle in a Bag Lab is a classic "closed system" experiment that demonstrates how energy drives the movement of water. By using a hair dryer to simulate the Sun’s radiant energy, students accelerate the evaporation process. As the warm water vapor hits the cooler plastic at the top
3rd - 8th
Earth Sciences, Physical Science
Also included in: Atmosphere, Weather, Climate, and Hydrosphere Bundle
Chalk Weathering Lab — Abrasion vs. Chemical Weathering Comparison
This lab uses chalk as a carbonate rock surrogate (like limestone or marble) to provide a clear, sensory-based comparison between physical breakdown and chemical transformation. Activity DescriptionThe Chalk Weathering Investigation is a dual-part experiment designed to distinguish between mechanical and chemical processes. In the Abrasion Test, students use sandpaper to grind the chalk, simulating physical weathering where rock is broken into smaller fragments without changing its composition
4th - 8th
Earth Sciences, General Science, Physical Science
Also included in: Earth Science Weathering, Erosion, and Landforms Bundle
Cradle to Grave Product Lifecycle Poster – Sustainability Project
Title: Cradle to Grave Product Lifecycle Poster – Sustainability Project Summary: In this engaging sustainability project, students investigate the full life cycle of a product, from raw material extraction to disposal or recycling. Students choose a common product—such as a plastic bottle, T-shirt, or smartphone—and create a cradle-to-grave poster illustrating the stages of raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use, and end of life. The activity helps students analyze resource use, was
6th - 10th
Earth Sciences, Environment
Also included in: Sustainability & Human Impact Projects Bundle
Sedimentary Rock Formation Lab — Clay Layers & Lithification Model
This lab models the gradual accumulation of Earth's "history books," showing how time, gravity, and pressure turn loose debris into solid geological records. Activity DescriptionThe Sedimentary Rock Modeling Lab is a tactile exploration of lithification—the process of turning sediment into stone. By using different colors of clay to represent various minerals and actual sand and gravel to represent different clastic sizes, students simulate millions of years of deposition. The activity reinfo
4th - 8th
Earth Sciences, Physical Science
Also included in: Earth and Space Science: Geology & Earth’s Systems Bundle
Evapotranspiration Lab — Transpiration & Stomata Nail Polish Cast
This lab connects the biological functions of plants to the global water cycle, illustrating how living organisms act as "pumps" that move water from the soil back into the atmosphere. Activity DescriptionThe Evapotranspiration Investigation is a dual-method lab that explores the "invisible" part of the water cycle. In Part 1, students use a sealed bag to trap and visualize the water vapor released by a leaf—a process called transpiration. In Part 2, students use a "nail polish cast" techniq
5th - 9th
Biology, Earth Sciences
Also included in: Atmosphere, Weather, Climate, and Hydrosphere Bundle
Glacier Erosion Lab — Anatomy of a Glacier & U-Valley Formation
This lab uses a simulated "mountain" to demonstrate the immense power of moving ice, showing how glaciers act as giant conveyor belts that scrape, carve, and deposit Earth's materials. Activity DescriptionThe Glaciers: Erosion & Anatomy lab explores the mechanics of glacial geomorphology. Students use a literacy-based introduction to contrast the sharp V-shaped valleys carved by rivers with the broad U-shaped valleys carved by glaciers. The core of the activity is a physical simulation where
4th - 9th
Earth Sciences, General Science, Physical Science
Also included in: Earth Science Weathering, Erosion, and Landforms Bundle
Flood & Landslide Mitigation Challenge — Design & Test Structures
This project is an engineering and environmental science challenge that tasks students with designing and testing solutions to protect a simulated community from natural disasters. Activity DescriptionThe Flood & Landslide Mitigation Challenge is a hands-on STEM lab where students act as civil engineers. After a brief literacy exercise defining floods, landslides, and mitigation, students select a specific strategy to defend their "city" on a sloped landscape. By choosing between structural
4th - 8th
Earth Sciences, Engineering, General Science
Also included in: Earth Science Weathering, Erosion, and Landforms Bundle
Plate Tectonics Investigation — Notes & Paper Model of Boundaries
This lesson utilizes multimedia and physical modeling to illustrate the dynamic movement of the Earth's lithosphere and the geological consequences of plate interactions. Activity DescriptionShutterstock The Plate Tectonics Explained & Modeled lesson is an introductory study of the Earth's "puzzle-piece" structure. Students begin by watching a video to visualize the slow-motion movement of plates, followed by a cloze-note exercise to define key terminology. The core of the activity is a Paper
6th - 9th
Earth Sciences, General Science, Physical Science
Also included in: Earth and Space Science: Geology & Earth’s Systems Bundle
Mineral Crystallization Lab — Salol & Epsom Salt Nucleation
This lab provides a direct look at the physical chemistry of geology, demonstrating how minerals transition from liquid to solid states to form crystalline structures. Activity DescriptionThe Minerals & Crystals Lab is a three-part comparative study of crystallization. In Part 1, students use Salol to witness rapid "melt-and-reform" cycles under a microscope, mimicking how igneous rocks crystallize from magma. Part 2 uses Epsom salt and dish soap to create "frost" patterns on glass, illustr
5th - 8th
Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physical Science
Also included in: Earth and Space Science: Geology & Earth’s Systems Bundle
Condensation Investigation — Cloud in a Jar & Water Cycle Lab
This lab provides a hands-on look at the invisible stages of the water cycle, specifically how thermal energy and temperature gradients transform gas into liquid. Activity DescriptionThe Condensation Lab uses two distinct models to demonstrate phase changes in the atmosphere. Students first complete a Water Cycle Bag experiment, which uses a sealed environment to show evaporation and the "rain" that follows as droplets collect on the plastic. The second demo, Cloud in a Jar, introduces the co
3rd - 8th
Earth Sciences, Environment, Physical Science
Also included in: Atmosphere, Weather, Climate, and Hydrosphere Bundle
Showing 1-20 of 45 results
About the store
Experience
The Expertise Behind the Innovation: With over 14 years of experience in the trenches of STEM education, we've led everything from all-female engineering cohorts to district-wide science initiatives. Our background isn't just in teaching science—it’s in advancing it through accessible technology. We’ve integrated programmable drones, CAD design, micro:bits, and 3D printing into curriculum that meets standards while capturing imaginations.
Teaching style
Our Classroom Philosophy: We energize the learning environment with a blend of "maker" spirit and pedagogical expertise. Our style is experiential, hands-on, and deeply relevant. We don’t want students to just read about a concept; we want them to hold it in their hands. By bringing 3D design and cutting-edge tech into the classroom, we foster a space where students transition from being consumers of information to innovators and problem-solvers.
Beyond the Bells: Our commitment to the "educational frontier" extends to leadership and advocacy. We have successfully spearheaded mentoring initiatives and secured significant funding through DonorsChoose to revitalize science departments. At mindMESA, we aren't just selling files or prints—we are sharing a philosophy of collaborative, tech-forward, and joyful learning.
Awards & shining teacher moments
Georgia Tech STEM Educators Network Member, 2024
DeKalb PATH Academy Impact Teacher Award, 2021
U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Carson, CO, Mountain Mover Award, 2012
My own education history
Our educational journey is the DNA of mindMESA. With a Docctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Leadership from Columbus State University, where we specialized in how 3D printing and engineering interventions shape the way students see the world. Our 'E' and 'M' (Engineering and Math) come from a Master of Science in Biosystems Engineering Technology from the University of Tennessee, where we researched the physics of vehicle-terrain interaction. The 'S' (Science) was born at Berry College, where I earned a B.S. in Environmental Science, concentrating in Biology with a minor in Geology. Every print we make is backed by a lifetime of scientific inquiry.
Additional biographical information
Our journey reflects a deep commitment to innovation, collaboration, and educational excellence, with a clear vision to make a lasting impact on the field of STEAM education.
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