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

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

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

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

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

Get your students engaged in mummification while studying Ancient Egypt. Students make their own mummy in this hands on activity that brings together science and history. Students investigate what type of salt works best to preserve mummies. This is a great way to learn about Ancient Egyptian culture. In the first part, students test different salt solutions to see which works the best to preserve apple slices. They also read about the science of mummification to understand what is happeni

Are your students getting restless at the end of the year and ready for summer break? Looking for a fun activity to keep your students engaged and having fun during the last week of school? This low prep team building activity is perfect for any classroom and subject area. Students cooperatively work together to solve 4 logic puzzles in this end of the year themed escape room game. Great to reinforce critical thinking and deductive reasoning. NEW! Looking for Digital Version? CLICK

This is a digital only escape room review about heat transfer. It covers thermal energy and the movement of particles, types of heat transfer: Radiation, Conduction, Convection, and thermal insulators and conductors. It is made up of a google slides document with an introduction storyline to the escape room and 4 puzzles made of review questions, different decoders for students to get their codes, and a google form that acts as digital locks opening when they get their code right. I have studen

Help students understand how plates move in this plate tectonics activity. Your students will be engaged as as they observe convection currents in action. Students will apply their observations to the convection currents in Earth's Mantle and how the convection moves the tectonic plates. Students read a passage about the convection in the mantle to enhance their understanding and write a CER argument explaining why the convection currents move the water. Now updated to include digit

This product includes 20 spatial logic puzzles where students remove, add, or rearrange toothpicks to solve the problems. The puzzles are included on either full page or ¼ page (paper saving) format. And now includes Google Drive digital version! Students move the digital "toothpicks" around to complete the puzzles. Great for distance learning. These are great for early finishers! I have mine laminated in groups of 10 in zippered pencil pouches for students to grab when they finish early.

Engage your students with this fun volcano activity! Get your students to research, design, and build their own erupting volcanoes! In this activity students will choose their own volcano and then research their volcano, create a poster of their findings (or a google slide), and build a working model of their volcano using the Engineering Design Process. So much fun! What's Included? - Teacher Notes - Student Directions (Includes link to an editable version to meet your students needs) - Stu