Elementary STEM
Kindergarten Module
Structure & Function: Exploring Design
Students discover the design process, identify products around them designed by engineers, and use what they've learned to design their own paintbrushes. Pushes & Pulls Students investigate different pushes and pulls and apply what they know to a swing set-installation project. Structure & Function: Human Body Students explore the relationship between structure and function in the human body and design a cast. Animals & Algorithms Students explore the ways people control and use technology, as well as program their own digital animations. |
First-Grade Module
Light & Sound
Students investigate light and sound and design a tool to communicate over a distance.
Light: Observing the Sun, Moon, & Stars
Students build upon their knowledge of light and design a playground structure that protects students from UV radiation.
Animal Adaptations
Students learn about animal adaptations and apply what they’ve learned to design a shoe made for desert exploration.
Animated Storytelling
Students build computational-thinking skills by creating animations based on their own short stories.
Students investigate light and sound and design a tool to communicate over a distance.
Light: Observing the Sun, Moon, & Stars
Students build upon their knowledge of light and design a playground structure that protects students from UV radiation.
Animal Adaptations
Students learn about animal adaptations and apply what they’ve learned to design a shoe made for desert exploration.
Animated Storytelling
Students build computational-thinking skills by creating animations based on their own short stories.
Second-Grade Module
Materials Science: Properties of Matter
Students explore materials science and devise a way to keep popsicles cold – without a cooler.
Materials Science: Form & Function
Students research the variety of ways animals disperse seeds and pollinate plants, and use what they know to design a gardening device.
The Changing Earth
Students explore how the surface of the Earth is always changing and design solutions for a fictional community threatened by a landslide.
Grids & Game
Students learn about the sequence and structure required in computer programs and work in teams to build tablet games.
Students explore materials science and devise a way to keep popsicles cold – without a cooler.
Materials Science: Form & Function
Students research the variety of ways animals disperse seeds and pollinate plants, and use what they know to design a gardening device.
The Changing Earth
Students explore how the surface of the Earth is always changing and design solutions for a fictional community threatened by a landslide.
Grids & Game
Students learn about the sequence and structure required in computer programs and work in teams to build tablet games.
Third-Grade Module
Stability & Motion: Science of Flight
Students learn about the forces involved in flight and design a solution to deliver aid supplies via an aircraft.
Stability & Motion: Forces & Interactions
Students explore simple machines such as wheel and axles, levers, the inclined plane, and more and then use what they know to rescue a trapped zoo animal.
Variation of Trails
Students investigate the differences between inherited genetic traits and traits that are learned or influenced by the environment and then model how the gene for a plant’s stem color is passed on.
Programming Patterns
Students discover the power of modularity and abstraction and then use what they know to create a video game for a tablet.
Students learn about the forces involved in flight and design a solution to deliver aid supplies via an aircraft.
Stability & Motion: Forces & Interactions
Students explore simple machines such as wheel and axles, levers, the inclined plane, and more and then use what they know to rescue a trapped zoo animal.
Variation of Trails
Students investigate the differences between inherited genetic traits and traits that are learned or influenced by the environment and then model how the gene for a plant’s stem color is passed on.
Programming Patterns
Students discover the power of modularity and abstraction and then use what they know to create a video game for a tablet.
Fourth-Grade Module
Energy: Collisions
Students investigate how mechanisms change energy by transferring direction, speed, type of movement, and force and then use what they know to design a car safety belt.
Energy: Conversion
Students learn how energy can be converted to meet a human need or want and then develop solutions to move donated food from a truck to a food pantry.
Input/Output: Computer Systems
Students explore how computers work and create a reaction-time computer program to assess a baseline before a concussion occurs.
Input/Output: Human Brain
Students learn about stimuli and responses and then use what they know to create a video to teach children about concussions.
Students investigate how mechanisms change energy by transferring direction, speed, type of movement, and force and then use what they know to design a car safety belt.
Energy: Conversion
Students learn how energy can be converted to meet a human need or want and then develop solutions to move donated food from a truck to a food pantry.
Input/Output: Computer Systems
Students explore how computers work and create a reaction-time computer program to assess a baseline before a concussion occurs.
Input/Output: Human Brain
Students learn about stimuli and responses and then use what they know to create a video to teach children about concussions.
Fifth-Grade Module
Robotics & Automation
Students explore the ways robots are used in today’s world and then design a mobile robot that can remove hazardous materials from a disaster site. Robotics & Automation: Challenge Students explore mechanical design and computer programming and design an automatic-guided vehicle to deliver supplies in a hospital. Infection: Detection Students explore the transmission of infection and run an experiment to help find ways to prevent the spread of illness. Infection: Modeling & Simulation Students investigate models and simulations and apply their knowledge to program a model that simulates the spread of infections. |