outdoor science experiments for high school

20 Backyard Science Experiments

By: Author Jacquie Fisher

Posted on Published: May 19, 2020

Categories Nature & Outdoor Activities , Science Experiments

Try these 20 FREE Backyard science experiments & outdoor science projects that are easy to do and turn your backyard into a giant science lab for kids!

As you can tell by our HUGE collection of science experiments & activities for kids , we do many of them right in our backyard. 

This wasn’t always the case — in fact, it came about quite by accident but we now LOVE doing easy outdoor science activities!

Here’s how it all began …

20 Backyard Science Experiments & Outdoor Science Activities

When my son was younger, we would do quite a few of the projects inside since his little sister was a baby. 

But then one day, I had this ‘Mom moment’ when I was cleaning up a mess for like the millionth time that week and I just made a “new house rule” — If it splatters, stains, smokes or stinks, we do it outside!

You know those times when you say something out of desperation because you’re not sure how you’ll deal with one more mess, right? 

Well, kids actually listen sometimes 🙂 

So the next time we were ready to do an experiment, my son said “Aren’t we going to do this in the backyard?”

And that’s how Backyard Science began and we haven’t looked back! 

I absolutely LOVE it because every Spring, Summer and Fall, we transform our backyard into this AWESOME science lab! 

We grab a few of our much-loved outdoor science tools and head outside to experiment.

So today I’m going to show you how to create an amazing Backyard Science Lab that will keep your kids inspired to experiment — all for less than $10! 

Why do Outdoor Science Experiments with Kids?

The backyard naturally lends itself to many ecology, nature and geology experiments but it’s also the perfect place to explore physics, chemistry, zoology and astronomy too!

Plus there are a LOT less distractions outside than there are indoors 🙂

And then there’s the whole ‘get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air’ while burning off a little energy philosophy too.

And remember our house rule — it’s so much better to be in a wide open area if you’re planning to have something splash, explode or fly into the air 😉

Other than the items you’ll find right in your own yard or a few things you’ll have on hand in the house, here are some of the science tools that will transform your yard into one AWESOME science lab!  We’re also including affiliate links to items we love to use so you can learn more about each one.

Outdoor Science Tools for the Backyard

One of the most used science tools for kids is a Kid-friendly Magnifying Glass !  You can get a close-up look at bugs, rocks, flowers and so much more!  These run less than $5 and you can find them at garage sales too.

Most kids will also tell you one of their must-have tools is a set of binoculars!  And yes, you can find them for less than $10 ( woo-hoo !)  Try these Educational Insights Geo-safari Compass Binoculars for younger kids or this set of Mini Zoom Binoculars with bag for tweens and teens — both a great deal!

Another popular item is a set of plastic Test Tubes with Twist-on Caps — these are great for chemistry experiments, testing dirt ( yea, kids like to do that ;), tree seed collectors and more.  If you have younger kids, try the extra large plastic Test Tubes with holding rack .  We also have a set of plastic Beakers that we love for measuring liquids!

Science on a budget can be super easy to do — there are so many thing from around the house that can be used as ‘science tools’ — tweezers, kitchen measuring cups that can double as beakers, jars for bug houses and loads of FREE resources you can find online (including the ones we’ve listed below)!

For each of the science experiments & activities on our list, we’ve included the materials you’ll need, a link to the experiment and the approximate time it takes to complete the activity.

Let the BACKYARD SCIENCE begin!

BOTANY SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

A look at the life of a plant, trees and other items growing in your yard!

1. How does a Plant or Leaf Breathe?

This amazing experiment shows how leaves use oxygen and allows kids to observe part of the photosynthesis process !

Materials:  bowl of water, rock, large leaf, sunny spot in the yard

Time Required:  Set-up is 5 minutes, then experiment needs to sit for 3 hours or more (can be done while the kids play or are at school)

2. Name that Tree!

Learn what trees call your backyard home with these FREE printable tree tags & tree identification printable ! This activity can also be done at a local park too.

Materials:  free tree tags, trees 🙂

Time Required :  30 minutes or less (depending on how many varieties of trees you have in the yard)

3. Dissect a Flower

See what’s inside that beautiful bloom when you dissect a flower and learn about pollination !

Materials:  any large-size flower (tulips, sunflowers, daffodils, etc), a small paring knife, magnifying glass

Time Required:  45 minutes – 1 hour

4. Make a DIY Nature Journal

Learn about plants, trees and wildlife with the 50+ FREE printables included in your own handmade Nature Journal !

Materials:  paper bag, free printables (found at above link), colorful washi tape

Time Required:  1 hour or more

5. Explore the Parts of a Leaf

Always a fun activity — create gorgeous leaf rubbings and learn about the parts of a leaf .  This also includes an experiment using art materials and items from around the house.

Materials:  leaves, crayons/ oil pastels , a variety of paper from around the house

Time Required:  30 minutes

OUTDOOR PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS

These experiments help kids learn about forces and the various laws of science such as gravity, movement, etc.

6. Launching Water Rockets

Learn about forces as you launch water rockets into the sky !

Materials:  garden hose, recycled items to make rockets ( see directions )

Time Required:  1 hour

7. Does Your Food Float?

Explore density with this sink or float experiment which includes a FREE science tracking worksheet !

Materials: large container of water, any fruit or veggies you have in the fridge, free printable worksheet

Time Required : 30 minutes

ANIMAL & INSECT SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Experiments that study animals and their behavior — and no, tell the kids it’s not just zoo animals 😉 Zoology covers the study of all animals.

And if you have bug-loving kids, they’ll enjoy a little Entomology — the study of insects!

Observing Animal Behavior

Grab your binoculars and head outside to see what wildlife you can spot with this FREE observation sheet that looks at animal behavior.

Materials:  binoculars, animal observation sheet (at link above), pencil

Time Required: 30 minutes – 1 hour

Who’s Visiting your Backyard?

Search your yard to identify animal tracks and match them to an Animal Tracks chart !

Materials:  You’ll need some mud, sand or snow in the yard for this one & you may need your magnifying glass.  This is also best done in the early part of the day since many animals come out at night or early morning.

Time Required: 15 – 30 minutes

Let’s Get Buggy!

Use this FREE printable Bug Scavenger Hunt Field Notes to search out & sketch some of your favorite insect friends

Materials:  free printable bug hunt, colored pencils , your magnifying glass

Also be sure to check out Think Outside Boxes !  They offer some great backyard learning on topics like wildlife, weather, nature & more!

Become a Real Life Scientist

These are really cool opportunities!  Kids (and parents) can help collect data for more than 100 actual science studies that are happening around the world!! 

Almost all are online and provide you with details on how to collect & submit your findings.  Explore this list of 12 Citizen Scientist websites to see which interest your family.

Materials:  computer or smart phone

Time Required:  varies by experiment

OUTDOOR CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENTS

So much fun to mix, bubble and blow things up!  And usually messy which is why we do it outside 🙂 PS.  Anytime you’re experimenting with chemicals or chemistry, the kids should be wearing a set of Kid-size Science Safety Glasses to keep their eyes safe!

DIY Wizard’s Lab

Create things that bubble, fizz and boil over with these fun chemical reactions using items from around the house !

Materials:  baking soda, corn starch, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and a set of test tubes

Time Required: 30 – 45 minutes

Blow Up a Balloon WITHOUT any Air!

This cool experiment uses a few items from around the house to create a chemical reaction that can blow up a balloon or blow out a candle!

Materials:  balloon, glass bottle, baking soda, vinegar, a candle and something to light the candle

Time Required:  15 minutes for each experiment

BACKYARD OCEANOGRAPHY PROJECTS

Yes, you can even study the ocean in your backyard no matter who close you may live to it!

Who Lives in the 5 Ocean Zones?

This hands-on science inspires kids to build a set of ocean zones while studying which marine animals live in each area of the big blue sea!

Materials:  5 small glass bottles or plastic containers, water, food coloring, mini ocean animals and if you don’t live close to the water, an amazing book about the ocean is good to have too!

GEOLOGY EXPERIMENTS

Learn about rocks, minerals and if you’re lucky to find them – fossils!

Finding Rocks & Minerals

Learn how to identify the different types of rocks in your yard & test their hardness . 

Then organize what you find in a DIY Mini-Nature Collection container !

Materials:   rocks, hardness table (found in post), small container, newspaper, recycled piece of mail, penny, nail, this free printable Rock Classification chart from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational

Time Required:  30 minutes – 1 hour (this is an activity that can be added to throughout the year)

Rock & Vinegar Testing Experiment

See if you can identify a certain type of rock using this easy science experiment — the Acid Test for Rocks .

Materials:   various types of rocks, a bowl for each rock, white vinegar

Time Needed:  2 0 minutes

BACKYARD ASTRONOMY FOR KIDS

Study the night sky and explore the moon and stars with these activities.  Having a kid-friendly telescope for your yard i

Creating Marshmallow Constellations

Explore the night sky and then use mini-marshmallows & toothpicks to make your own constellations !

Materials:   mini-marshmallows or regular size ones cut into small pieces, toothpicks, constellation app or sky sheet (found in the post above)

Time Needed:  30 minutes

Phases of the Moon

Head outside each night to observe the different phases of the moon and create a 3D moon chart to study the various changes and phases.

Materials:   white clay or playdough (we like to use this Model Magic pack ), plastic top from your recycling bin, dark piece of paper

Time Needed:   2 minutes each night for a month (less than an hour)

Also visit iGame Mom for 11 More Backyard Science Experiments and Science Sparks for 20 Outdoor Science Activities !

More Outdoor Science Experiments to Try:

27 Simple Summer Science Experiments

20 Outdoor Fall Science Experiments

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9 Outdoor STEM Activities That Bring Science Learning Out Into Nature

ALI Staff | Published  August 15, 2023

What is outdoor stem?

You might think STEM is all about experiments in the classroom or working with computers. But it's not just for the indoors!

STEM can be taken outside, and there are lots of outdoor or nature projects that are not as hard as you think. In fact, they can be pretty easy!

Taking STEM out of the classroom and into the outside world makes learning even more real and definitely more fun.

Being in a new environment makes learning exciting for students, ignites their curiosity, and creates memorable learning experiences.

Outdoor STEM activities and projects help students connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

It's also a nice change for teachers, who can show new and different things. The best part?

Outdoor STEM is not something hard or scary. It's a way to learn that fits right in with everything else you are teaching.

Various research studies have found that outdoor play, whether structured or unstructured, offers benefits to a child’s emotional state, attention span, physical fitness, imagination, and more.

Given these general benefits, it’s a natural next step for teachers to consider creating playful outdoor STEM activities that teach kids the elements of science, technology, education, and even math while satisfying their natural inquisitiveness about the world around them.

Keep reading for tips on how to make outdoor STEM work for you and your students, as well as examples of easy STEM projects and activities that you can implement in your classroom.

TIPS FOR Taking Your STEM Classroom Outdoors

With some thoughtful, intentional planning, outdoor STEM projects and experiments can increase students’ understanding of science on multiple levels. Here are some general tips about using the outdoors for science experiments and STEM activities for kids.

Planning Effective Outdoor STEM Activities

• Select appropriate STEM projects for the outdoors: The internet seems to contain an endless number of dramatic science experiments and activities. However, many of these are just flashy demonstrations rather than projects that allow students to truly think and act like scientists and engineers. Remember that STEM learning is most effective when students have the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities that challenge their thinking.
• Align with curriculum and educational standards: Ensure that the outdoor STEM activities and projects you select support and align to the curriculum being used in your school and classroom. A quick outside STEM activity might be an exciting hook for a later classroom lesson, or you might plan a more extensive STEM project to complement work initially done in the classroom.
• Assessing necessary materials and resources: Consider the resources, materials, and equipment required for the planned activities, ensuring that they are available and suitable for outdoor use.

Setting Up the Outdoor STEM Environment

• Define physical boundaries and safety considerations: When taking STEM outdoors, safety is a top priority. Teachers should establish clear physical boundaries in the space to guide students on where they should be during the activity. Additionally, they must identify and address any specific safety concerns unique to the outdoor environment, as these may differ from the safety issues typically encountered in the classroom.
• Prepare the space for STEM activities: Create an inspiring environment that will encourage exploration and discovery. Consider the specific activities you'll be conducting and prepare the space accordingly.
• Providing instructions and defining students' mission: Instructions should be clear and concise, providing students with guidance without stifling creativity. Then, give them the freedom to observe, collect data, and analyze their surroundings on their own.

Structuring STEM Activities and Projects

• Plan both short-term and long-term: Include a variety of STEM activities to keep students engaged. Over time, plan a mix of short-term and longer-term projects and data-gathering activities, which might span two outdoor visits or as much as a full season or more.
• Balance structured and unstructured activities: Consider the balance between structured lessons and unstructured exploration of STEM topics. Decide how much structure to place around these activities, and over time, provide a variety of both unstructured and structured outdoor activities.

OUTDOOR STEM ACTIVITIES FOR KINDERGARTEN

Playtime outdoors is a great time to introduce science concepts and procedures to students and learners of all ages, but especially preschoolers and kindergartners.

Outdoor STEM activities and STEM projects done in nature can ignite the natural curiosity these young learners have about the world around them.

Natural questions students of this age ask, like “Why is the sky blue?” and “Why do some things float while other things don’t?” can easily be turned into engaging science activities outside.

Discovering science concepts through hands-on explorations in nature not only deepens a student's ability to see how science is connected to the real world but also shows how easily outdoor STEM activities can be integrated into their learning experience from a very early age.

Discovering how science is connected to the real world, which STEM is all about, is easily accomplished through hands-on activities and projects outdoors.

Further, engaging young students in intentional discourse invites them to think like scientists.

Teachers can ask open-ended questions like “What did you notice?” or “Why do you think that is?” and start learners on a path to problem-solving that will benefit them throughout their academic careers and beyond.

Many activities for students at this age can be simply structured around sharpening their observation skills and their ability to describe differences in what they notice.

For example, you may focus on the differences between sand, pebbles, garden soil, mulch, and mud.

Or you might gather differently shaped leaves and talk about the different ways to describe them and why they might have evolved to be different.

On a cloudy or windy day, you might ask the students to observe and draw different cloud shapes or find ways to measure and describe how strong the wind is (tying a ribbon to a post, letting a leaf go, and watching to see how far it is taken, improvising a sail, etc.).

Or, simply use the space outdoors for a modified number-matching game, where the learners match numerals with groups of objects you have set up in advance.

9 OUTDOOR STEM ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

1. nature walk.

If you have access to a park or outdoor area, this is an easy and engaging nature STEM (or STEAM) activity.

Simply take learners on a walk, stopping at different locations and asking them to use their five senses to observe and describe what they experience in nature.

If feasible, bring art supplies and use the stops as a chance for students to draw some of the things they observe.

Suggest that they consider animals, plants, soil, clouds, terrain, water, and other aspects of the natural world.

2. Cloud in a Jar

Though not necessarily an outdoor activity, this cool STEM project is nature-themed and allows students to practice the scientific method.

In this science activity, water vapor condenses into water droplets that attach to particles in the air within a Mason jar, creating a visible cloud.

For younger grades, this STEM activity can be paired with reading about weather and then observing, describing, and drawing clouds of different types outside.

Older students can perform the experiment themselves and try two alternate variations as part of a unit on the water cycle and observing and recording weather patterns over time.

3. Identifying Leaf Shapes

Starting inside with a lesson on leaf parts and then venturing outdoors to identify leaf shapes, this nature STEM activity encourages students to explore and understand the variety of shapes in the environment.

Younger learners may not necessarily learn the specialized vocabulary describing different leaf shapes, although they may surprise you with their ability to memorize the names (similar to their ability to memorize different dinosaur names!).

Then take a walk outside to find vines, shrubs, trees, and other plants, and identify their leaf shapes.

Older students might take photographs or sketches and create a poster demonstrating their labeled finds.

Younger learners might start with an art project where they create a set of paper leaf shapes on popsicle sticks that they can use to compare to leaves they find outdoors.

4. Soil Science: How Moist Is That Mud?

This could be a multi-day STEM project, starting with a discussion about soil structure (what soil is made of), what lives in soil, how much water is the right amount (of course, the answer depends on what lives in it), and how to measure the amount of moisture in the soil.

Students experiment with soil moisture and how this affects what grows in it, making it a hands-on outdoor STEM activity that ties science to the real world.

5. The Sun’s Warmth

Explore the sun's effects through this outdoor STEM activity designed for lower elementary grades.

This nature STEM activity invites learners to observe the different effects of sun and shade on different natural and man-made materials and ground covers.

Additional activities that dig deeper include exposing paper cups filled with different types and colors of soil, water, and pebbles to sunlight, and observing or measuring how much heat they absorb.

6. Gone With the Wind: Seed Dispersal

As a complement to a unit or scope on how and why plants disperse their seeds, this outdoor activity can be done outside on a windy day or inside using a table fan.

Students create different types of “seeds” using paper, paper clips, and other art supplies, then observe how well they travel when released into the wind.

This project could be set up as a competition, as a controlled experiment, or even as a STEAM-style activity.

And after you’ve talked about the forces of the wind, you might want to pick a windy day to go fly kites !

7. Measure the Wind with a Hand-made Anemometer

And while we’re working with wind – elementary-age students can create their own anemometers using paper cups, straws, and a pencil.

This elementary STEM project can start inside as a controlled experiment with a fan that runs at different speeds and then move outside on different days and/or in different locations.

Students can also be challenged to convert the speed of their anemometers to miles per hour using their math and geometry skills.

8. Weather Station

This cool STEM project involves creating a weather station over several outdoor sessions.

Starting with some foundational study of weather patterns, it can even be expanded into a semester-long project for older elementary students.

Students build four simple tools to collect data on wind speed, air pressure, temperature, and precipitation, then make their own weather predictions based on the science of weather.

9. Stick Towers Challenge

A hands-on outdoor STEM activity that builds teamwork; this one is always a fan favorite.

Group your students into small teams and challenge them to build the largest tower they can using only string and sticks of different sizes.

In addition to being an engineering challenge, this activity gives them practice with math skills since they must “purchase” their materials using points, and they must measure their final tower and calculate the points they gain from each centimeter of height.

Using Nature STEM activities to Connect to the Outside World

Your ability to lead these activities may depend on your access to the outside world.

However, you don’t need to take your class to a national park to observe the clouds or measure air temperature: whether you’re in an area of outstanding natural beauty or an urban school playground – you are still surrounded by the natural world, and there will be things to pique the students’ curiosity and satisfy their inquisitiveness.

Children love any opportunity to explore nature.

So, go out and explore! 

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Throughout history, many Black scientists have made tremendous contributions to the advancement of STEM and positively...

How To Teach Math Vocabulary

Even for students with an intuitive sense of math, its specialized vocabulary often gets in the way, but that doesn’t...

The Top 8 Tips First-Year Teachers Need To Know

Whether fresh out of college or entering teaching as your second career, these tips will guide you in making the most...

Game-Based Learning vs. Gamification: Using Gaming In The Classroom

Games are highly motivating for everyone, including students. But you don’t have to turn your classroom into a game...

Overcoming Math Anxiety and the Fear of Math

Remember the first time you noticed a student's hands shake during a math test? Or that student who suddenly had to...

Taking A Fresh Look At STEM Professional Development

Professional development for STEM teachers is a tall order these days. 

As the pace of scientific advancement has...

STEM Integration from Kindergarten to High School

STEM education benefits students of all ages. Students as young as kindergarten can begin reaping the positives just...

The Challenges of STEM Education: Barriers to Participation

Incorporating new instructional strategies into your teaching practices is always challenging at first, but it gets...

The Pros and Cons of STEM Education

Introducing any new curriculum into an existing educational system always has pros and cons. There’s often a learning...

Any Classroom Can Be a STEM Classroom: Tips for Creating a STEM Learning Environment

You too can create a STEM classroom where students are actively engaged in collaborating to solve problems using...

How STEM Education Can Shape the Future

The future is ultimately uncertain. We can never completely predict what will happen to the economy, the job market,...

Why STEM is Important for Students, Schools, and Society

The buzz around STEM education continues to grow as teachers discover how it builds creative problem-solving through...

Cooperative Learning in STEM

STEM and cooperative learning strategies go hand-in-hand. If cooperative learning is the teaching method to engage...

All About The Concrete Representational Abstract (CRA) Method

Think back to your earliest memories of math class...

Do you remember using blue graphing blocks or cut-outs of...

How STEM Education Contributes To Career and College Readiness

We've previously discussed the benefits of STEM in early childhood education – but what about its benefits for students...

5 Reasons the Productive Struggle Belongs in STEM

It may be hard to watch students struggle, but facing the challenges of learning with the right attitude and seeing how...

Why is STEM So Important in Early Childhood Education?

STEM in early childhood education isn’t a new approach to teaching, but it is gaining traction as an important piece in...

STEM Spotlight: Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson, a mathematician and aerospace technologist at NASA, made significant contributions to the first...

There’s Nothing Ordinary About the STEM Everyday Podcast

Host chris woods brings fascinating interviews with a fantastic array of authors, makers, educators, and stem....

Using Inquiry-Based Learning With STEMscopes Math Activities

Traditional methods of teaching math only work for a handful of students. The majority of students struggle trying to...

Simple Strategies to Teach Math Through Play

Research indicates that attitudes towards mathematics, especially at a young age, can significantly influence a child’s...

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Walter Alvarez's Contributions to STEM

Walter Alvarez is known for having formulated the theory that the impact of an asteroid extinguished dinosaurs, an idea...

Bringing NASA’s DART Mission into the Classroom

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is a method of planetary defense against near-Earth asteroids, which changes...

How To Foster A Growth Mindset in the Classroom

Do you ever wonder why some students embrace making mistakes while others shy away from them?

Using The 3 Little Pigs To Teach 5E STEM

Let’s take a closer look at the classic children’s story, The Three Little Pigs, and how it serves as the foundation...

Integrating ICT Into STEM Education

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is used everywhere in the world and has become an integral part of our...

Top 10 Tips for an Effective STEM Classroom

Today's students are coming of age in a world vastly distinct from the one their educators experienced during their own...

Tips from Former Teachers at STEMscopes (Part II)

Many STEMscopes employees come from a teaching background. In this 2-part blog, we draw on their past experiences to...

Tips from Former Teachers at STEMscopes (Part I)

Thanks to our teachers

All of us have had teachers that have touched our lives. For some of us, it’s been a few simple words of encouragement...

Best Practices for Remote Learning

The world can be an unpredictable place. We’ve all experienced that recently. And one of the hardest adjustments many...

Teaching Student Confidence

Can confidence be taught? Of all the questions math teachers ask when thinking through ways to improve instruction,...

Accelerate Learning STEMscopes and Google Classroom Integration

Today we are announcing that your favorite science and math curriculum can now be used with Google Classroom LMS. We...

Teaching Problem-Solving In Math

Problem-solving is essential in math education.

Black History Month Hero: Katherine Johnson

February is recognized across the US as Black History Month. In keeping with this tradition we like to look back on...

Math Teacher Writer Highlight: Helen Squire

Helen Squire’s love for STEM can be found in all areas of her life—from her job as a math teacher at a charter school,...

What is Computational Fluency?

Let's explore computational or mathematical fluency, a key component of STEM education.

Math fluency is a combination...

Fact Fluency in Math: Everything You Need To Know

Fact fluency is a skill that allows students to naturally solve problems with little to no conscious effort. The ease...

SEL for Teachers

Introduction

Across the country, school districts are adding social emotional learning (SEL) to their curriculum. SEL...

National Native American Heritage Month Hero: Matthew Yazzie

National Disability Employment Awareness Month Hero: Temple Grandin

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Rachel Neir

Hitting her one-year anniversary as a STEMscopes writer, Rachel Neir brings her bright smile and big ideas to...

SEL in Math: Promoting Social-Emotional Learning in Math Class

Integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into math instruction is more than a trend; it's a meaningful shift in how...

STEMscopes Celebrates the Achievements of Hispanic STEM Pioneers

September 15th through October 15th marks National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time of year where we honor the...

Solving Word Problems With Three Reads

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Susan G. Galvan

It’s all about the science for Susan G. Galvan. Not only has she worked in science education practically her whole...

Math Teacher Writer Highlight: Steve Baker

Steve Baker writes for STEMscopes Math on the go. After teaching elementary math and science for years, Baker and his...

Math Intervention and Tutoring: Helping Struggling Students

In education, not all students progress at the same pace, especially in mathematics.

For those facing challenges in...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Danielle Porterfield

New to science writing, Danielle Porterfield is making an impression with her commitment to tackle new things. She puts...

Going the Extra Mile: Acceleration and Intervention

The learning needs of one student are often not those of their classmates. To meet each student where they...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Stephanie Even

Stephanie Even has been with STEMscopes since June of 2017, making this her fourth year with the curriculum writing...

Understanding Focus, Rigor, and Depth

When it comes to math education, we all want the same thing: students who are confident critical thinkers and problem...

Which Way is Right? Problem-Solving in Mathematics

The Mona Lisa is surprisingly, almost shockingly, small. Yet its far-reaching influence has made it synonymous with...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Katy Grose

After teaching fifth-grade science for over six years, in addition to teaching multiple other subjects to third-,...

The American Rescue Plan and What It Includes

How Schools Will Spend HR 133 and ARP Funding

Announcing our STEMscopes Coding Contest Winners

This month we celebrated two special holidays, Mother’s Day and Teacher Appreciation Day. We invited students and...

Meet Jenny Stallworth

Jenny Stallworth is a dynamo of an educator. She has taught almost all STEM subjects, homeschooled her four children...

A Better Understanding of Mistakes Brings More Growth and Development for Both Students and Teachers

Throughout this past year, COVID-19 has reminded us that things don’t always go according to plan. The pandemic has...

How To Scaffold In Math

Scaffolding is a powerful educational strategy that provides temporary support to help students grasp new concepts and...

Meet our Writers: Kimberly Pardue

With a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education, a Master’s in Administration, and extensive experience teaching...

Understanding HR133

The effects of the pandemic have left almost no one untouched, and education is one area in particular that has...

Celebrating women in stem

Focusing on Social and Emotional Learning: Making a Pandemic Comeback

The coronavirus pandemic has changed a lot for students across the country. They’ve spent time learning virtually,...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Lisa Culberson

After a whopping 23 years of being a science teacher, science department head, science teacher trainer and a summer...

Learning Loss and Its Impact on Math Education

What is learning loss? 

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Kathy Blanton

Kathy Blanton’s instructional experience is vast. Before joining STEMscopes , she taught math, health, and science to...

Learning from My Coworkers

When protests erupted across the country last spring, I was confused as to what they were about. Naturally, I was...

COVID Funding for K-12 Education

To date the federal government has designated funding for COVID-19-related expenses through two major federal bills...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Jennifer Donovan

It’s no surprise that STEMscopes sought Jennifer Donovan to join the company’s team of curriculum writers. Donovan’s...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Carri Bevil

Carri Bevil saw firsthand how effective STEMscopes Science was in her district. So when asked to join the new...

Breaking Down Norman Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Model

Learning is a process that entails different levels of understanding. This is the basic idea behind Norman Webb’s Depth...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Morgan Christiansen

Morgan Christiansen fully commits herself in every aspect of her life. Her daily runs, her nearly decade-long marriage...

Introducing Students to the Future of Coding

The world as we know it is changing every day. With emerging technology shifting more and more toward the digital...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Bonnie Smith

No task is too complex or unfamiliar for Bonnie Smith, who joined our team of STEMscopes Science teacher writers at the...

Bridging the Opportunity Gap in STEM Education

With new innovations emerging daily, technology seems to be evolving at the speed of light, and increasingly jobs...

Being Good at Math Means Finding a Good Job

Is being good at math necessary to finding a good job? Increasingly so, this is the case. While a discrete math skill...

Teacher Writer Spotlight: Erin Rawlinson

Sometimes things just come together at the right time. Erin Rawlinson was a new mom. She loved her job as a third-grade...

How STEMscopes Works: A Teacher’s Introduction to STEMscopes Math Lessons

STEMscopes is built around an instructional concept pioneered by Rodger Bybee in the 1980s and further refined over the...

Math as the Language of STEM

If we consider science to be the understanding of phenomena, technology the tools used to investigate phenomena, and...

Process Over Answer

3 Easy Steps to Making Math a Daily Routine at Home

We all know that very familiar adage, practice makes perfect —or as my third-grade teacher liked to say, practice makes...

Celebrating the teachers that make it possible: Nicole Blakeslee

How Introducing Coding at the K-12 Level can Help Bring About Equity

While the United States has come a long way in terms of education, there are still gaps in equity. One way to level the...

Providing Equity with Guided Math Small-Group Math Lessons

“When a teacher begins a math lesson with direct instruction they completely disregard and ignore their students’...

Math Teacher Writer Highlight: Taylor Wheeler

A year after Taylor Wheeler resigned from her teaching job to focus on raising her children, a former mentor called to...

What We Believe: The Pedagogical Philosophies that STEMscopes Math was Built On | Part 2

We’ve all heard the expression “practice makes perfect.” Rote math drills, however, have proven to be an ineffective...

What We Believe: The Pedagogical Philosophies that STEMscopes Math was Built On | Part 1

When the STEMscopes math team came together to design our curriculum, we set out to solve a problem that has always...

Science Teacher Writer Highlight: Lindsay Van Wyk

Overnight, COVID-19 created a demand for flexible lessons that can be taught virtually. Teachers everywhere are now...

Preventing the Summer Slide

Teachers and parents alike want to prevent summer slide , which may be exacerbated this year by school closures. As a...

World Oceans Day: 5 Ways to Take Action

Did you know that oceans make up 71% of Earth’s surface? Or that oceans contain 99% of Earth’s area that can be...

Math Teacher Writer Highlight: Alicia Chiasson

When her school district adopted STEMscopes Science in 2016, Alicia Chiasson knew there was something special about it....

10 Climate-Friendly Actions to Support Earth Day

In 1970, 20 million Americans came together for the very first Earth Day to raise awareness of the massive impact...

Nurturing Self-Directed Learning in the Classroom

Self-directed learning isn’t a new concept.

Maintaining Student-Teacher Connections During Remote Learning

Imagine this scenario: a star 5th grader is forced to stay home from school but continue learning. She’s accustomed to...

How to Give Assignments | Part 2

In our preview post , we shared a bit about setting expectations when assigning tasks remotely, along with the benefits...

How to Give Assignments | Part 1

What should be the expectation.

As more schools close due to the unforeseen impact of the coronavirus, districts are...

How Teachers Can Help in COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis is changing the country as we know it. With cancellations of well-established events like the ...

5 Ways to Boost Student Engagement while Teaching Remotely

Distance learning brings with it many adjustments, from settling into an at-home work environment and keeping kiddos...

Math Chats, Going Beyond the Answer

Bridging the student gap between the problem and the solution .

As teachers, it is easy for us to get caught up in the...

Structure and STEM Resources for Distance Learning

We realize these days look different from our normal routine, especially for students who are used to following a...

Science Learning at Home: K-5 STEM Activity Pack

We’re all in a strange place of uncertainty right now due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Schools have shut down, parents...

COVID-19 Update | Keep the Learning Going

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has dominated the news, so we’re ready to help you be informed. In this blog, we’ll explore...

5 Fun and Educational Ways to Celebrate Pi Day

Yes, we all know that Pi Day on March 14th is a fun excuse to eat one of the best desserts ever, but it’s also a great...

How to Improve Mathematical Discourse in the Classroom

Fostering mathematical discourse in the classroom is key to helping students understand and enjoy math. It can instill...

6 Take-Home Activities to Engage Your Student in STEM Over Winter Break

While winter break is a special time to spend with family, friends, and plenty of food, it doesn’t necessarily mean...

Teacher Tip: Intellectual Risk Taking

As educators, we are aware that our current students will be redefining knowledge and possibilities in the future, in...

Using Extended Vocabulary Instruction

­­­ We all know the importance of language acquisition , but did you know that how you teach students new science...

All Students Are Created Equally and Differently: Addressing Diverse Learning Styles in the Science Classroom

Imagine you are a middle school student challenged with the phenomenon, “What causes rainbows?” in your science...

STEMscopes Announces Exciting Fall 2018 Product Updates

Everyone at STEMscopes has been hard at work over the summer to improve the online application, so take a look below to...

What are NGSS Evidence Statements?

The NGSS have undergone numerous evolutions since their inception. Among the most powerful (and most recent) are the...

The Flipped Classroom: Everything You Need To Know

The flipped classroom is an educational model that turns the learning environment into a workshop for concepts...

Accelerate Learning Releases STEMscopes NGSS 3D Curriculum to Help Teachers Engage Students in Three Dimensional Learning and Phenomena-Driven Inquiry

Although the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were released more than five years ago, many teachers still feel...

10 Careers that Use Math You Should Consider

Not everyone cringes at the idea of math class or reacts with panic to memories of algebra, but for people who...

10 More Careers in Science for 2018

When it comes to unique science jobs , professional opportunities aren't in short supply. Many top, high-paying...

10 More Careers that Use Technology

Technology is everywhere. In fact, nowadays it may be hard to imagine life without it, as it's part of every...

ELL Strategies: 7 Teaching Strategies For English Language Learners

English Language Learners (ELLs), or Multilingual Learners (MLLs), bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the...

Five ELL Resources for the Classroom

For a student who does not speak English as their first language, learning is an entirely different experience.

What Defines an English Language Learner?

English Language Learners (ELL) represents a growing population of U.S. students. According to the National Center...

Top 10 Science Jobs in the United States

Astronaut. Marine Biologist. Archaeologist. Every child dreams of what they want to be when they grow up. Often...

STEMscopes Early Explorer Named CODiE Award Finalist for Best PreK/Early Childhood Learning Solution

The 2018 SIIA CODiE Awards have selected STEMscopes™ Early Explorer as a finalist in the Best PreK/Early Childhood...

Top 10 Ways to Thank a Teacher this Week

Another Teacher Appreciation Week is upon us and the STEMscopes team is excited to have so many teachers and former...

What are Cooperative Learning Strategies and How Do They Affect my Classroom?

As a first-time teacher, how do you start aligning a lesson plan and classroom setup with cooperative learning...

How STEM Education Differs from Science Education Instruction

If you are a teacher in the 21st Century, then you know that the education landscape has changed quite significantly...

STEMscopes PreK-12 Digital Curriculum Named Finalist for EdTech Cool Tool Award in STEM Solution Category

Accelerate Learning announces that the STEMscopes™ PreK-12 digital STEM curriculum has been chosen as a finalist...

Accelerate Learning Founder and CEO Honered as EdTech Leadership Award Finalists

  Accelerate Learning announces that Reid Whitaker, founder of the company and creator of the award-winning ...

STEMscopes Dive-In Engineering Named Finalist for EdTech Cool Tool Award

Created by Accelerate Learning and the New York Hall of Science, the hands-on engineering curriculum provides...

Mississippi Approves STEMscopes Digital Science Curriculum for Grades K-12 in State Science Textbook Adoption 

Accelerate Learning announced earlier this week that the STEMscopes™ digital science curriculum has been approved...

How Playing Outside Increases Science Understanding and Real World Learning 

Outdoor play has always been an important part of childhood. Imaginative play, exploratory discovery, and real-world...

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