STEM Activity Modules
Our faculty and students have developed engineering activities that can be run as classroom presentations or hosted at a table as a STEM Day station. Use the menu below to learn more about each available activity.
STEM Activity | Suggested Grades |
Amazing Egg Drop | 4-8 |
Articulated Grabbers | 4-8 |
Binary Bead Bracelets | 4-8 |
Bridge Building | K-8 |
Catapult Challenge | 4-8 |
Engineering Design Process | K-8 |
Illuminating Artwork | 4-8 |
Mini Straw Rockets | 4-8 |
![a bead bracelet](/academics/college-of-engineering/k-12-outreach/_images/STEM%20Module-Binary%20Beads.png)
Binary Bead Bracelets
Discipline: Computer Science
Suggested Grades: 4th-8th
Activity Type(s): Classroom Presentation or Activity Station
Summary: Students learn about bits and binary code used for computers to communicate. They then translate their initials into binary code and use bead colors to represent each bit to create bracelets.
![catapult challenge](/academics/college-of-engineering/k-12-outreach/_images/STEM%20Module-Catapult%20Challenge.png)
Catapult Challenge
Discipline: Mechanical Engineering
Suggested Grades: 4th-8th
Activity Type(s): Classroom Presentation or Activity Station
Summary: Students explore simple machines and physics through experimenting with, designing, and building catapults from everyday objects. A final competition assesses catapult strength and accuracy.
![sketch of tower design](/academics/college-of-engineering/k-12-outreach/_images/STEM%20Module-Engineering%20Design%20Process.png)
Engineering Design Process
Discipline: Civil Engineering, General Engineering
Suggested Grades: K-8th
Activity Type(s): Classroom Presentation or Activity Station
Summary: This activity uses a typical STEM activity to introduce students to the Engineering Design Process: designing and constructing towers made of uncooked spaghetti noodles and marshmallows.
![artwork of a fish](/academics/college-of-engineering/k-12-outreach/_images/STEM%20Module-Illuminating%20Artwork.png)
Illuminating Artwork
Discipline: Electrical Engineering
Suggested Grades: 4th-8th
Activity Type(s): Classroom Presentation or Activity Station
Summary: Students learn the basics of electricity and circuits, and then apply this new-found knowledge to create illuminated artwork using copper tape, LEDs, and batteries. Students learn about conductors, basics of electricity, and different types of circuits.
![straw rocket](/academics/college-of-engineering/k-12-outreach/_images/STEM%20Module-Straw%20Rockets.png)
Mini Straw Rockets
Discipline: Mechanical Engineering
Suggested Grades: 4th-8th
Activity Type(s): Classroom Presentation , Activity Station, or At Home Activity
Summary: Students learn the basics of energy and momentum as they design and test a miniature straw rocket design that can fly the furthest, staraightest, and most accurate path possible.