STEAM Teaching Resources
Bring STEM and STEAM learning to life in your classroom with engineering activities for kids, STEM challenges, printable worksheets and more resources designed by teachers for teachers.
This collection of printables and digital activities includes curriculum-aligned resources that will help you meet Australian science curriculum standards while you're getting students hooked on science, maths and more. In addition to being created by teachers, each resource has undergone a rigorous review by the Teach Starter teacher team. That means they're classroom-ready — so you can cut down on planning time!
Looking for tips on integrating STEM into your lessons? Curious about what's in the Australia STEM curriculum? Or maybe you're just trying to figure out how we ended up with STEM, STEAM and STEMM? Read on for tips from the Teach Starter teacher team!
What Is STEM Education?
- Introduction of the scientific method
- Basic science experiments
- Building digital literacy skills
- Maths problems based on real-world applications
- Coding and algorithms
- Critical thinking and problem-solving activities
Although there is no STEM curriculum in Australia per se, the science, technology and maths curricula join together to help students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as providing the scientific literacy needed to succeed in STEM or STEAM careers.
While there is no engineering curriculum here in Australia, there are aspects of engineering design and problem-solving that are integrated into the design and technology components of the curriculum. The technology curriculum in primary and secondary schools also ensures students explore the use of various technologies, get acquainted with design processes and learn about the impact of technology on society.
What Does STEM Stand For?
Your school may refer to this sort of education as STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Why STEM?
The acronym has been used in education since the early 2000s when the National Science Foundation in the United States began using the four-letter term to refer to the concept of interdisciplinary education.
What Does STEAM Stand For?
STEM isn't the only term for teaching children these concepts, of course!
Your school may refer to this part of the curriculum as STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. You might even see it written as ST∑@M™.
The addition of the 'A' to STEAM to include art is often credited to American educator Georgette Yakman, who has said that STEAM is not a replacement of STEM.
Instead, Yakman says, 'The liberal arts add the ‘who & why’ to the ‘what & how’ of STEM.'
STEM vs STEAM vs. STEMM — What's the Difference?
There is nothing the education system likes as much as a good acronym, so which one should you be using these days? We have touched on STEM and STEAM, but what is STEMM? And which one should you be using?
- STEM — short for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math — is often considered the OG here with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) showing up as a relatively recent addition, but the truth is STEM and STEAM have both been around for awhile.
- STEMM is the newcomer here. It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine. Educators and STEMM policymakers say the inclusion of that second M should also come with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
- Plus Plan
Perimeter Maths Investigation – Design a Garden
Get students to design a garden with this student-centred perimeter project for middle primary students.
- Plus Plan
Angles Maths Investigation – Design a Room
Turn your students into interior designers with this inquiry-based maths project based on drawing and measuring angles.
- Plus Plan
Paper Airplane Challenge - Measuring Distance Maths Activity
Practise measuring distance and have fun hosting a paper plane competition using a printable math investigation workbook.
- Free Plan
Treasure Map Coding Robot Mat
Implement coding for kids with a printable coding robot map activity.
- Plus Plan
Build a Board Game – Maths STEM Project
Improve maths skills and spark creativity by having students plan, design, and create their own maths-based board games.
- Plus Plan
Design a Planet Project
Explore the different planets during this design your own planet project for kids.
- Plus Plan
Build a Pirate Ship - STEM Engineering Activity (3-4)
Build a pirate ship and get your students thinking outside the box (or boat) with exciting pirate-themed STEM science and engineering projects.
- Plus Plan
The Solar System in Our Space — Mathematics Investigation
A mathematics investigation about number and the scale of the solar system, embedded in a real-world context.
- Plus Plan
Severe Weather STEM - Build a Storm Shelter Project
Design a storm shelter to protect against wind and rain with a hands-on Weather Stem Challenge.
- Plus Plan
STEM Challenge Activity Cards - Years 5-7
Use our Stem Challenge Activity Cards to inspire problem-solving and creative thinking in your upper-years classroom.
- Plus Plan
Spacecraft Design STEM Project (Years 2-3)
Implement STEM Education in the classroom with an exciting 'Build a Spacecraft' STEM Project for Years 2-3.
- Plus Plan
Can You Save Fred? Teamwork Activity
Can You Save Fred? Encourage teamwork and resilience with a fun, hands-on problem-solving and team-building STEM activity.
- Plus Plan
Build It! Brick-Building STEM Challenge Activity
Challenge your students to build amazing structures with a set of printable STEM Building Cards for plastic construction bricks.
- Plus Plan
Pirate Ship Building STEM Challenge (5-6)
Challenge upper years classes to build a pirate ship with a fun (and engaging) STEM Building challenge created by teachers, for teachers.
- Plus Plan
STEM Activity Graphic Organiser - Lower Years
Use this STEM Activity Graphic Organiser with your students when completing STEM challenges.
- Plus Plan
Design a Conservation T-Shirt – Inquiry-Based Project
Use this conservation project to teach your students about how to ignite positive change in the face of a global environmental crisis.
- Plus Plan
Gingerbread STEM Investigation - Build A Gingerbread Boat
Explore floating and waterproof materials in this Gingerbread STEM investigation embedded in a fun fairy tale story.
- Plus Plan
STEM - Engineering Process Poster Pack
Classroom posters outlining the STEM engineering design process.
- Plus Plan
Build a Pizza Box Pizza Oven - Solar Energy STEM Project
Build a pizza box solar oven to demonstrate the power of thermal energy with an exciting Solar Oven Stem Project
- Plus Plan
STEAM Activity Task Cards - Lower Years
Use our easy STEAM Challenges to inspire problem solving and creative thinking in your Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms.
- Plus Plan
STEM Investigation Build A Bridge
Explore this STEM investigation about the construction of bridges using everyday materials, embedded in a real-life situation.
- Plus Plan
Back to School STEM Challenge Cards - Lower Years
Integrate STEM activities into your back-to-school plans by guiding students to create a picture frame, name tag, and pencil cup.
- Plus Plan
Build & Destroy - Block Building Challenges Task Cards
Build, destroy, and promote STEM education with our printable STEM building challenges for Early Years.
- Plus Plan
Outdoor STEM Activities Resource Pack
Take your STEM lessons outside with our printable Outdoor STEM Activities Resource Pack.
- Plus Plan
Fairy Tale STEM - Cinderella's New Shoes Design Challenge
Use Fairy Tale STEM Challenges in your classroom and enlist your students help in designing Cinderella's new shoes with an exciting design task.
- Plus Plan
STEM Design Challenge - Build a Pirate Ship (1-2)
Inspire your early years students to build their a pirate ship with a STEM Design Challenge.
- Plus Plan
Shelter Building - STEM Experiment
Discover how shelters protect living things by challenging your students to build an animal shelter in this Shelter Building Stem Activity.
- Plus Plan
STEM Learning Journal - Experiment Notebook
Use this STEM Learning journal to organize data and learning with your students when completing STEM and STEAM activities.
- Plus Plan
STEM Activity Cards - Middle Years
Use our easy STEM Activity Cards to inspire problem solving and creative thinking in your Year 3 and Year 4 classrooms.
- Free Plan
STEM Vocabulary Word Wall Cards
Use our free printable STEM vocabulary word wall to display essential STEM and STEAM-related vocabulary words.
- Free Plan
Design a Paralympic Mascot – Inquiry-Based Project
Have your students design a new mascot for the Australian Paralympic Team with this inquiry-based learning project.
- Plus Plan
Back to School STEM Challenges – Upper Years
A selection of 3 STEM activities for upper years students that are perfect for the back-to-school period.