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 state standards while you're getting students hooked on science, math, 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? 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 in Elementary or Middle School?
STEM education is defined by its focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and that applies to education from K through 12. But when it comes to teaching these skillsets to students who are just beginning to understand basic math and science, you're not teaching Boolean logic or even doing the popular egg drop activity.
But don't feel flummoxed! Elementary STEM education is laying a foundation for secondary STEM teachers to build on, and that's important.
STEM education can include:
- Introduction of the scientific method
- Basic science experiments
- Building digital literacy skills
- Math problems based on real-world applications
- Coding and algorithms
- Critical thinking and problem-solving activities
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 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 Georgette Yakman, a Virginia-based teacher, 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.
- STEAM and STEM were both proposed in 2012 by the United States National Research Council as a new form of teaching K-12 science education. The goal was to focus on deep and collaborative learning to build a strong foundation for students that would prepare them for a technology-heavy working environment in the future.
- 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.
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3D Christmas Ornaments Printable - STEM Challenge
Challenge your students to make three-dimensional paper Christmas ornaments with a STEM challenge.
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STEM Word Wall Cards
Use our free printable STEM word wall to display essential STEM and STEAM-related vocabulary words.
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Innovate and Invent! Science Word Search
Build your students’ vocabulary around the topics of innovation and invention with a word search worksheet.
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Christmas STEM Project - Elf Trap
Experience hands-on STEM concepts with an engaging Elf Trap Project!
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STEM Thinking Prompts - Higher Order Thinking Skills Questions
Use our printable STEM Thinking Question cards to improve scientific conversation and higher order thinking skills in your students.
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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.
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Build a Pirate Ship - STEM Design Challenge (1-2)
Challenge your first and second graders to build a pirate ship with a STEM design challenge.
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Simple Machines Roller Coaster Challenge - STEM Project
Implement a Roller Coaster Stem Project to help your students demonstrate knowledge of simple machines.
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STEM Building Challenges (3-4)
Use our easy STEM Challenges to inspire problem solving and creative thinking in your 3rd and 4th Grade classrooms.
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The Three Billy Goats Gruff - Float-a-Goat STEM Project
Build the Three Billy Goats Gruff a raft to cross the river and avoid the troll’s bridge with a fun STEM activity.
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Assembly Line Production - STEM Project
Engage your students in learning about the U.S. assembly line process with an exciting project-based task.
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End of Year - Build a Board Game Project
Build critical thinking, writing, and reading skills by engaging your students with an end-of-year S.T.E.M activity.
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Famous Landmarks STEM Challenge Cards
A set of 8 famous landmarks STEM challenge cards encouraging students to build famous structures.
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Build & Destroy - STEM Building Challenges for Kindergarten
Build, destroy, and promote STEM education with our printable STEM building challenges for Kindergarten.
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Build It! STEM Brick-Building Challenge Cards
Challenge your students to build amazing structures with a set of printable STEM Building Cards for plastic construction bricks.
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Outdoor STEM Activities Resource Pack
Take your STEM lessons outside with our printable Outdoor STEM Activities Resource Pack.
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What is S.T.E.A.M. Education? Teaching Slides
Introduce your students to the world of STEAM Education with our 'What is STEAM Education? Teaching Presentation.
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Design a Pirate Ship - STEM Science Project (3-4)
Build a pirate ship and get your students thinking outside the box (or boat) with exciting pirate-themed STEM science projects.
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Pirate Ship Building STEM Challenge (5-6)
Challenge upper grade students to build a pirate ship with a fun (and engaging) STEM Building challenge created by teachers, for teachers.
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Build a Pizza Box 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
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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.
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Shelter Building STEM Challenge (1-2)
Discove rhow shelters protect living things by challenging your students to build an animal shelter in this Shelter Building Stem Activity.
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Spacecraft Design Task - STEM Project (Grades 1-3)
Implement STEM Education in the classroom with an exciting 'Build a Spacecraft' STEM Project for first through third grade students.
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STEM Activity Graphic Organizer - Lower Grades
Use this STEM Activity graphic organizer with your students when completing STEM challenges.
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STEM Projects for Middle School - Challenge Cards
Use our Stem Projects for Middlle School Challenge Cards to inspire problem-solving and creative thinking.
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STEM Challenge Graphic Organizer - Upper Grades
Use this STEM Challenge Planning sheet with to keep your students on task and organized when completing STEM challenges.
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STEAM Challenges - Task Cards for 1st and 2nd Grade
Use our easy STEAM Challenges to inspire problem solving and creative thinking in your 1st and 2nd Grade classrooms.
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Printable Journal for STEM Experiments
Use this STEM Experiment journal to organize data and learning with your students when completing STEM experiments.
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Folktale STEM - Gingerbread Boat Building Activity
Explore floating and waterproof materials in this Gingerbread STEM investigation for early learners.
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STEM Investigation Build A Bridge
Explore this STEM investigation about the construction of bridges using everyday materials, embedded in a real-life situation.
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Can You Save Fred? Activity
Can You Save Fred? Encourage teamwork and resilience with a fun, hands-on problem-solving and team-building STEM activity.
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Design the Perfect Dog Breed - Animal Traits Project
Investigate inherited traits that parents pass to their offspring with a Create-a-Puppy selective dog breeding project.