Sunshine STEM

Complete fossil unit aligned with NGSS with best-selling FOSSIL STATIONS! Explore the world of fossils with your students in a fun and engaging way with All About Fossils! Students will enjoy learning about fossils with several interactive, engaging lessons. Your students will love the hands-on activities such as; making secret fossils in either clay or Play-doh before the class takes a guess as to what it is, making mold fossils out of bread and Swedish fish and comparing maps of T. rex fos

During the 1930's, people viewed wolves as dangerous and destructive animals and sought to remove them from Yellowstone National Park. This three-part informational text takes students on a journey from the wolves removal in the 1930s to their amazing return in the 1990s and the subsequent transformation of Yellowstone's present-day ecosystem. The ecological changes after their removal were widespread and evident. An excellent lesson about the power of nature's interconnections and the casca

A highly engaging NGSS aligned unit covering natural selection and adaptations. Students will enjoy the interesting reading passages based on scientific phenomena that are given as a central theme to each lesson. Reading comprehension questions are aligned with ELA standards. Also included are several fun, engaging activities that students will enjoy while gaining a deeper understanding of the content. Students sharpen their math skills by graphing data and analyzing results. Students also u

Engaging informational text about animals' amazing senses! Students begin by sketching each of the five senses and how humans use these senses to survive. Next, students read an informational text before identifying a familiar animal with an amazing sense or senses. Next, answer comprehension questions and complete a model drawing of echolocation paths from a bat to different objects in nature. Students also have some fun by matching animal senses to the animal. Students then draw a map usin

A fun and engaging way for students to understand the difference between mass and weight using a rock as an example! Students first read the informational text describing the differences between mass and weight. Next, the rock takes a trip to each of the different planets in our solar system so students can calculate the weight of the rock on each planet and compare with its mass. Students then answer comprehension questions before creating their own planet to calculate the weight of the rock

⭐Now with a Google Slide option! Six engaging stations - take your students on a journey to learn about the predictable patterns of the earth, moon, and stars! Each station has an interesting informational text to give students background information and how these patterns have been used since ancient times. After students read the informational text and observe the pictures, illustrations, and/or graphs they apply what they have learned by answering thought-provoking questions, creating grap

Give your students a complete introduction to engineering and the engineering design process in a fun and engaging way! Students are introduced to engineering before choosing a branch of engineering to research. Guided research is provided with websites and questions for students to answer. Students then pair up to teach each other about their branch of engineering before completing an attractive engineering poster. Great to hang in the classroom or hallway to show student work and collaborat

Students dive into the engaging informational text about Charles Darwin's journey to the Galapagos Islands where he found evidence of adaptation and evolution! Reading passage gives students background information about Darwin and the creatures he encountered on the islands that provided sound evidence of adaptation and evolution. Students complete comprehension questions after reading the text. Next, students construct a claim, evidence, reasoning (CER) based on Darwin's findings. Students a

Now comes in print or digital (Google Slides) Natural Selection and Adaptation text passages provide enriching information and thought provoking comprehension questions! Your students will enjoy each of the six reading passages based on scientific phenomena. Each of the six passages comes with informational text comprehension questions aligned to 3rd and 4th-grade common core standards in ELA and NGSS standards. Full answer key included for each set of comprehension questions and a rubric. T

Students have a blast designing and building a bridge model in the classroom out of materials they choose. This project is a multi step, multi-day mini unit that concentrates on two aspects of science; the process and principles of engineering as well as supporting core scientific content of forces, weight and gravity! The project is designed for students to research, design, build and modify a bridge capable of holding 5 pounds of weight for at least thirty seconds.  This lesson is closely ti

Students discover the biological evolution between two species in this engaging resource that covers MS-LS4-2! Is Tyrannosaurus rex a distant relative of chickens? Students examine both T rex and chicken skeletons to find similarities and differences between the two in this engaging activity. After completing a graphic organizer, students write an explanation based on their findings. Next, students read an informational text citing evidence of Tyrannosuarus rex's stance and appearance befo

⭐⭐Now available in print OR Google Slides! ⭐⭐ Highly engaging and collaborative! Students rotate through six stations to learn about amazing and diverse environmental efforts happening around the world. Each station has an informational text to read as well as pictures of the efforts. Graphs and charts accompany some of the stations for students to analyze. After reading the text, students answer comprehension questions before evaluating the overall effectiveness of t

Students will love creating their own colony on Mars with other space colonists! First, they create a list of daily activities they do here on Earth before conducting guided research to make sure they have all the necessities on Mars to live and be happy. Research includes: Energy source - students pick a source of energy from a list to research before determining if it is the right energy for their new homeFood - Students research foods that could grow on Mars. Make sure you have all your fo

A close read of two informational text passages regarding wind and coal energy. Students read both texts, underlining words that they are unfamiliar with. Next, students choose two words from each passage to find the definition for and write in the margins of the passages. Next students complete a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting the two energy sources before evaluating which source is more beneficial. This product is aligned is part of a full NGSS aligned unit Earth and Human Ac

Students will gain an understanding of what fuels convection currents in the Earth’s system and how convection currents drive natural processes. Students will break into groups of three to research one of the following spheres using guided research questions. The geosphere – plate tectonics The atmosphere - wind The hydrosphere - ocean currents Next, students will create a new group of three with one group member from each sphere group. Students will teach the other members about their sphere.

An engaging unit that covers NGSS 3-LS2, Ecosystems: Interactions, energy, and dynamics in print or digital! Students learn about the reasons why animals form groups before an engaging stations activity. Each of the five stations includes a short informational text about animals who form groups for different reasons. Students log all answers in their Animal Group Stations Booklet. Finally, students construct an argument using the informational texts as resources of information. Claim, evid

⭐ Now in digital as well! This resource is perfect to use with NGSS Earth's Systems! Students watch a super creative and fun 5 minute Ted Talk video about Pangaea and plate tectonics before completing two activity worksheets that go along with the video. Students will answer questions, label diagrams, and match terms to illustrations. If time, students may color in the high-quality diagrams and illustrations. This resource is perfect for one class period and can be completed with the teache

Fun and engaging way to COVER NGSS 3-5-ETS1! Students are introduced to the engineering design process with an attractive, colorful chart as well as a suggested video link before answering questions. Next, students practice using each step of the engineering design process by designing and creating a bridge made out of paper. Organized, student worksheets guide them through each step as they have fun becoming junior engineers! Rubric included for quick and easy grading as well as a teacher

Engaging activity which requires students to identify eight different reactions as either chemical or physical change using two charts as their guide. Students must explain evidence to prove their choice for each reaction. Next, students will answer questions pertaining to the activity and finally draw both a physical and chemical change that occurs in their everyday lives. This resource requires no prep, just print and go! Also included are colorful charts that can be used by students or

On February 18th, 2021, NASA successfully landed its fifth rover on the planet Mars. Perseverance has four main objectives to complete on the planet over the next several years. This resource gives an interesting overview of the rover itself and what scientists are planning on collecting and why. The resource begins with an informational text about Perseverance, the landing site, and what scientists are looking for. Next, students examine a photo of Jezero crater and label its features befo