Edu News | January 26, 2022
24 STEM Lessons You Can Quickly Deploy in the Classroom
Calling all teachers pressed for time, substitutes looking for classroom activities that don't require a lot of prep, and others hoping to keep students learning in especially chaotic times: We've got a new collection of lessons and activities that you can quickly deploy.
Read on to explore our collection of Quick and Easy STEM lessons and student activities, organized by grade band. Get everything you need to guide students through standards-aligned lessons featuring connections to real NASA missions and science as well as links to student projects, which can be led by teachers or assigned as independent activities.
Grades K-2
-
Make a Paper Mars Helicopter
In this lesson, students build a paper helicopter, then improve the design and compare and measure performance.
Subject Engineering
Grades 2-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Make a Paper Mars Helicopter
Build a paper helicopter, then see if you can improve the design like NASA engineers did when making the first helicopter for Mars.
Subject Engineering
Grades 2-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
What Tools Would You Take to Mars?
Students decide what they want to learn from a robotic mission to Mars and what tools they will put on their robot to accomplish their goals.
Subject Science
Grades K-2
Time 30-60 mins
-
Rockets by Size
Students cut out, color and sequence paper rockets in a simple mathematics lesson on measurement.
Subject Math
Grades K-2
Time 30-60 mins
-
Rocket Math
Students use rocket manipulatives to help them develop number sense, counting, addition and subtraction skills.
Subject Math
Grades K-1
Time 30-60 mins
-
Tangram Rocket
Students use tangrams to create rockets while practicing shape recognition.
Subject Math
Grades K-1
Time 1-2 hrs
-
Student Project: Build a Rover and More With Shapes
Use geometric shapes called tangrams to build a rover and other space-themed designs!
Subject Math
Grades K-2
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Student Project: Build a Rocket and More With Shapes
Use geometric shapes called tangrams to build a rocket and other space-themed designs!
Subject Math
Grades K-2
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Mineral Mystery Experiment
Students explore the science behind an intriguing planetary feature by creating saline solutions and then observing what happens when the solutions evaporate.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Do a Mineral Mystery Experiment
Dissolve salts in water, then observe what happens when the water evaporates.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins
-
What Do You Know About Mars?
Students decide what they want to learn from a robotic mission to Mars.
Subject Science
Grades K-2
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Melting Ice Experiment
Students make predictions and observations about how ice will melt in different conditions then compare their predictions to results as they make connections to melting glaciers.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
Parachute Design
Students design and test parachute landing systems to successfully land a probe on target.
Subject Engineering
Grades K-2
Time 1-2 hrs
-
Planetary Poetry
In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 1-2 hrs
-
Student Project: Write a Poem About Space
Are you a space poet, and you didn't even know it? Find out how to create your own poems inspired by space!
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
Ocean World: Earth Globe Toss Game
Students use NASA images and a hands-on activity to compare the amounts of land and surface water on our planet.
Subject Science
Grades K-6
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Simple Rocket Science Continued
Students gather data on a balloon rocket launch, then create a simple graph to show the results of the tests.
Subject Math
Grades K-2
Time 30-60 mins
-
Spaghetti Anyone? Building with Pasta
Students use the engineering design process to build a structure to handle the greatest load and gain first-hand experience with compression and tension forces.
Subject Engineering
Grades K-8
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Student Project: Building With Spaghetti
Use spaghetti to build a tower modeled after the giant structures NASA uses to talk to spacecraft.
Subject Engineering
Grades K-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Simple Rocket Science
Students perform a simple science experiment to learn how a rocket works and demonstrate Newton’s third law of motion.
Subject Science
Grades K-2
Time 30-60 mins
Grades 3-5
-
Make a Paper Mars Helicopter
In this lesson, students build a paper helicopter, then improve the design and compare and measure performance.
Subject Engineering
Grades 2-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Make a Paper Mars Helicopter
Build a paper helicopter, then see if you can improve the design like NASA engineers did when making the first helicopter for Mars.
Subject Engineering
Grades 2-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Soda-Straw Rockets
Students study rocket stability as they design, construct and launch paper rockets using soda straws.
Subject Engineering
Grades 4-8
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Student Project: Make a Straw Rocket
Create a paper rocket that can be launched from a soda straw – then, modify the design to make the rocket fly farther!
Subject Engineering
Grades 4-8
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Rocket Activity: Heavy Lifting
Students construct balloon-powered rockets to launch the greatest payload possible to the classroom ceiling.
Subject Engineering
Grades 3-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Design a Robotic Insect
Students design a robotic insect for an extraterrestrial environment, then compare the process to how NASA engineers design robots for extreme environments like Mars.
Subject Science
Grades 3-5
Time 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Design a Robotic Insect
Design a robotic insect to go to an extreme environment. Then, compare the design process to what NASA engineers do when building robots for Mars!
Subject Science
Grades 3-5
Time 30-60 mins
-
Mineral Mystery Experiment
Students explore the science behind an intriguing planetary feature by creating saline solutions and then observing what happens when the solutions evaporate.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Do a Mineral Mystery Experiment
Dissolve salts in water, then observe what happens when the water evaporates.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins
-
How Far Away Is Space?
Students use measurement skills to determine the scale distance to space on a map.
Subject Math
Grades 3-7
Time 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: How Far Away Is Space?
Stack coins and use your measurement skills to figure out the scale distance from Earth's surface to space.
Subject Math
Grades 3-7
Time 30-60 mins
-
Melting Ice Experiment
Students make predictions and observations about how ice will melt in different conditions then compare their predictions to results as they make connections to melting glaciers.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
Planetary Poetry
In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 1-2 hrs
-
Student Project: Write a Poem About Space
Are you a space poet, and you didn't even know it? Find out how to create your own poems inspired by space!
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
Planetary Travel Time
Students will compute the approximate travel time to planets in the solar system using different modes of transportation.
Subject Math
Grades 4-6
Time 30-60 mins
-
The Ring Wing Glider
In this simple engineering design lesson, students turn a piece of paper into an aircraft wing and then try to improve upon their design.
Subject Engineering
Grades 3-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Make a Paper Glider
Turn a piece of paper into a glider inspired by a NASA design.
Subject Engineering
Grades 3-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Ocean World: Earth Globe Toss Game
Students use NASA images and a hands-on activity to compare the amounts of land and surface water on our planet.
Subject Science
Grades K-6
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Spaghetti Anyone? Building with Pasta
Students use the engineering design process to build a structure to handle the greatest load and gain first-hand experience with compression and tension forces.
Subject Engineering
Grades K-8
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Student Project: Building With Spaghetti
Use spaghetti to build a tower modeled after the giant structures NASA uses to talk to spacecraft.
Subject Engineering
Grades K-8
Time 30-60 mins
Grades 6-8
-
Make a Paper Mars Helicopter
In this lesson, students build a paper helicopter, then improve the design and compare and measure performance.
Subject Engineering
Grades 2-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Make a Paper Mars Helicopter
Build a paper helicopter, then see if you can improve the design like NASA engineers did when making the first helicopter for Mars.
Subject Engineering
Grades 2-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Soda-Straw Rockets
Students study rocket stability as they design, construct and launch paper rockets using soda straws.
Subject Engineering
Grades 4-8
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Student Project: Make a Straw Rocket
Create a paper rocket that can be launched from a soda straw – then, modify the design to make the rocket fly farther!
Subject Engineering
Grades 4-8
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Rocket Activity: Heavy Lifting
Students construct balloon-powered rockets to launch the greatest payload possible to the classroom ceiling.
Subject Engineering
Grades 3-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Mineral Mystery Experiment
Students explore the science behind an intriguing planetary feature by creating saline solutions and then observing what happens when the solutions evaporate.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Do a Mineral Mystery Experiment
Dissolve salts in water, then observe what happens when the water evaporates.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins
-
How Far Away Is Space?
Students use measurement skills to determine the scale distance to space on a map.
Subject Math
Grades 3-7
Time 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: How Far Away Is Space?
Stack coins and use your measurement skills to figure out the scale distance from Earth's surface to space.
Subject Math
Grades 3-7
Time 30-60 mins
-
Melting Ice Experiment
Students make predictions and observations about how ice will melt in different conditions then compare their predictions to results as they make connections to melting glaciers.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
Planetary Poetry
In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 1-2 hrs
-
Student Project: Write a Poem About Space
Are you a space poet, and you didn't even know it? Find out how to create your own poems inspired by space!
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
Planetary Travel Time
Students will compute the approximate travel time to planets in the solar system using different modes of transportation.
Subject Math
Grades 4-6
Time 30-60 mins
-
The Ring Wing Glider
In this simple engineering design lesson, students turn a piece of paper into an aircraft wing and then try to improve upon their design.
Subject Engineering
Grades 3-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Make a Paper Glider
Turn a piece of paper into a glider inspired by a NASA design.
Subject Engineering
Grades 3-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
Ocean World: Earth Globe Toss Game
Students use NASA images and a hands-on activity to compare the amounts of land and surface water on our planet.
Subject Science
Grades K-6
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Spaghetti Anyone? Building with Pasta
Students use the engineering design process to build a structure to handle the greatest load and gain first-hand experience with compression and tension forces.
Subject Engineering
Grades K-8
Time Less than 30 mins
-
Student Project: Building With Spaghetti
Use spaghetti to build a tower modeled after the giant structures NASA uses to talk to spacecraft.
Subject Engineering
Grades K-8
Time 30-60 mins
-
How Do We See Dark Matter?
Students will make observations of two containers and identify differences in content, justify their claims and make comparisons to dark matter observations.
Subject Science
Grades 6-12
Time Less than 30 mins
Grades 9-12
-
Mineral Mystery Experiment
Students explore the science behind an intriguing planetary feature by creating saline solutions and then observing what happens when the solutions evaporate.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins
-
Student Project: Do a Mineral Mystery Experiment
Dissolve salts in water, then observe what happens when the water evaporates.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins
-
Melting Ice Experiment
Students make predictions and observations about how ice will melt in different conditions then compare their predictions to results as they make connections to melting glaciers.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
Planetary Poetry
In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 1-2 hrs
-
Student Project: Write a Poem About Space
Are you a space poet, and you didn't even know it? Find out how to create your own poems inspired by space!
Subject Science
Grades 2-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
Let's Go to Mars! Calculating Launch Windows
Students use advanced algebra concepts to determine the next opportunity to launch a spacecraft to Mars.
Subject Math
Grades 9-12
Time 30-60 mins
-
How Do We See Dark Matter?
Students will make observations of two containers and identify differences in content, justify their claims and make comparisons to dark matter observations.
Subject Science
Grades 6-12
Time Less than 30 mins
Explore More
Find our full collection of more than 250 STEM educator guides and student activities in Teach and Learn.
For games, articles, and more activities from NASA for kids in upper-elementary grades, visit NASA Space Place and NASA Climate Kids.
Explore more educational resources and opportunities for students and educators from NASA STEM Engagement.
TAGS: Lessons, Teachers, Educators, Parents, Substitutes, Activities, Students, Science, Engineering, Quick and Easy
