By Elizabeth Antenucci
Are you looking for immersive outside STEM activities to implement in your K-2 classroom? Look no further! Here are four amazing activities to incorporate into your teaching today.
Experience the captivating concept of pressure through the immersive “Molecules in a Box” activity. By acting as gas molecules confined within an area, students actively participate in grasping this concept. With a long rope and an outdoor area, they engage in walking, colliding, and generating forces that emulate pressure. This interactive demonstration shows students how molecule quantity, temperature, and container size affect pressure. This activity effortlessly caters to individuals with varying levels of comprehension, nurturing a deep understanding of pressure without complex equations and is relatively short (duration depending on the number of times the activity is done). This resource is from the National STEM Honor Society Resources section of our website for members. Make sure to join to gain access to even more invaluable resources.
2. DIY Sundial
Experience the fascinating tradition of timekeeping by creating your own DIY sundial. This simple yet engaging STEM project is perfect for K-2 students and only calls for a paper plate, pencil, and a sunny day. In just 15 to 30 minutes you can set up the sundial and discover how to tell time by observing the shadows cast by the sun. As our planet rotates, the suns’ movement causes these shadows to change; they match up with hour markings on the sundial. By following clear instructions given in the website and using just two materials, this stimulating activity is accessible to everyone and makes outdoor learning more interesting.
Capture the attention of your K-2 students by conducting simple science experiments with roly poly pill bugs! Use a transparent plastic container to gather the bugs and create various scenarios in order to study their behavior. Take note of whether they tend to go towards light or dark places, observe how they maneuver around soft barriers, such as lint from a dryer, and see whether they prefer apples and carrots. These interactive experiments are effortless to set up and offer chances for making predictions and recording observations.
Indulge in the beauty of the outdoors and take a nice stroll to gather various leaves. With a basket, locate two leaves that are similar in both size and color for each leaf type you come across. Once in the classroom, use contact paper or a laminator to preserve these leaves, crafting an entertaining matching game that will undoubtedly enhance your K-2 students’ observation and critical thinking skills. You can also integrate mathematical concepts into the activity by measuring and comparing the leaves.
Utilize these four outstanding outdoor STEM activities in your K-2 classroom today. Students can easily explore the concept of pressure through the interactive “Molecules in a Box” activity or engage in hands-on timekeeping by constructing their own sundials. Furthermore, they can learn from the fascinating little insects, roly poly bugs, with simple science experiments or collect leaves and enjoy a matching game. These exciting activities will not only spark curiosity and a yearning to learn more STEM for your students, but also will allow them to develop their observation, mathematical, and critical thinking skills.
Do you want more resources on the topic of K-2 outside STEM activities? NSTEM’s vast resources database provides thousands of STEM resources that are searchable by category, school level and state. This comprehensive library includes info on enrichment activities, curricula, internships, scholarships and more. Check out a free sampling here. Or get an NSTEM membership today to unlock the complete list.
K-2 is where it all starts with STEM education. The National STEM Honor Society focuses on “From K to Career, NSTEM from the Start!” To start your K-2 Chapter of the National STEM Honor Society, click here.