STEM Lesson Planning Tools

STEM4 Real is a nonprofit education group that assists K–12 educators in building Next Generation Science Standards–based science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) lessons and programs for all students. On the organization’s website, teachers can access STEM lesson planning tools such as the Learning Sequence Planner, a multi-page document that guides teachers in creating STEM lessons. The document helps teachers outline an instructional sequence and apply each stage of the 5Es (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate)—including thinking about what the teacher does and what the students do in each lesson of the instructional sequence—while continuing to focus on the three dimensions of the NGSS. In addition, the site has ready-to-use example lessons that have been created using the tool. For example, Global Warming on Living Systems (grade 6) examines the root causes of climate change and how key policy and economic decisions impact lower socioeconomic communities. My Stomach Hurts (grades 6–12) explores stomach aches and what different cultures do to treat stomach ailments. 

Plastics Pollution Education Resources

Developed by environmental education group Agalita, the Wayfinder Society’s environmental education resources include lesson plans, classroom toolkits, videos, activity guides, and more, all focused on plastics pollution. Most appropriate for grades 3–12, the resources engage students in learning about—and taking action on—the problem of plastics in the environment. For example, Plastics and Our Health: Socratic Seminar (for grades nine and up) engages students in exploring the ethical considerations of the harm to plant and animal species due to plastic production and use. In Synthetic Sand Lab (for grades five and up), students investigate provided samples of beach sand for plastics contamination levels using their senses and a clue sheet to distinguish synthetic debris from natural components in sand like shells, rocks, and plant matter. Campus Cleanup (for grades four and up) challenges students to collect and sort trash found at school to help develop a solution for decreasing trash on campus.

How Past Medical Practices Demonstrate the Changing Nature of Scientific Ideas

How does medicine deal with new medical practices, and what influence does media have in sharing these new practices? An activity posted in the Library of Congress (LOC) blog Teaching with the Library engages middle level and high school students in meaningful reflection on the topic. In the activity, students compare medical practices from the past to current technologies using photographs and other primary source documents from the LOC’s collection. The primary sources focus on the topics of X-ray use in the 1940s and the use of Fever Therapy in the 1930s, which at the time was a practice touted as a treatment for eradicating bacterial infections and other diseases. 

The activity provides question prompts and links to guide class discussions about the impact of changing medical practices and safety standards in health and medicine, the role of media in portraying these changes, and how the scientific mindset embraces the idea of being open to change when presented with new evidence. Students may discuss how the work of scientists involves peer review, collaboration with other scholars, and testing to ensure new treatments are safe, as well as how scientists’ tradition of testing and collaboration has led to new ways to solve problems, including using radiation to treat cancer, creating antibiotics, and banning practices proven to be harmful, like X-ray shoe fitting. The activity concludes with an invitation for students to share their opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of the scientific mindset.

AFCEA Ciena Teaching Grants 
 
The AFCEA Educational Foundation provides support to STEM students and teachers. The Ciena Grants provide funding to K–12 classroom teachers for implementing innovative and engaging STEM programs, activities, and technology (software and hardware). Grants of up to $3,000 are awarded. Applicants must currently be teaching science, technology, engineering, or math in grades K–12 in the United States or at any DoDEA school. Schools with high economic need (more than 50% of the students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch assistance) will be given priority consideration. Innovative distance and virtual learning projects and programs will be considered.

SeedMoney Challenge

Applications are open for the SeedMoney Challenge, a 30-day crowdgranting competition open to public food garden projects of nonprofit groups, including schools. No previous online fundraising experience is needed. The SeedMoney Challenge can help your project raise the funds it needs to flourish. Participating projects receive 100% (i.e., 0% fees) of what they raise, whether they reach their funding goal or not. In addition to the funds they raise, projects compete for 432 challenge grants of $100 to $1,000. The more funds a project raises, the larger the grant it qualifies to receive. Apply by November 12.

On November 15, all funding campaigns whose applications were submitted on time and fit the criteria will go live. On December 15, the 30-day challenge period ends. Your campaign will be able to keep whatever it has raised even if it hasn’t managed to reach its funding goal.

Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program

One of the program’s Strategic Areas of Giving is education with a focus on STEM. These grants must be used to improve knowledge and literacy with a focus in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math among students, teachers, and the general public. To determine eligibility, consider these questions.

• Will this grant enhance a STEM subject matter for students or teachers in all or any grades, kindergarten through college/university level, or for the general public?
• Will the grant assist an overall mission of educating?
• Will the grant be used to help spark an interest in STEM-related careers among youth?

Westinghouse accepts applications on a rolling basis and there is no maximum on the amount requested.