technology assignments for middle school

Integrating Technology in Middle School

Creative educator lesson plans can help you provide your middle-school students with an engaging and creative approach to content learning..

Depending on your student's abilities, you may also want to explore sixth-grade lesson plans.

Design a Book Cover

Students create a new cover design for a book they are reading to demonstrate comprehension and explore character, plot, setting, symbolism, and conflict.

Do Judge a Book by Its Cover

In this lesson, students build visual literacy and engage in close reading as they investigate the text and imagery on book covers to evaluate whether they are worth reading.

Take Reading SERIESly

In this lesson, students investigate the potential of a book's characters, plot and themes and develop a proposal for turning it into a series.

Hero's Journey

Students will create an eBook identifying and explaining the events in a hero's journey in a text they are reading.

Character Scrapbook

Students will create a digital scrapbook that showcases the viewpoint of the main character.

Interview a Book Character

In this lesson, students craft an interview with a character from a book they are reading to demonstrate comprehension.

Create a Card Game

Students create a card game based on the storyline of a book they are reading.

Students will create a mock social network page from the viewpoint of the protagonist or antagonist in a novel they are reading.

Create a Visual Poem

Students will create a visual, or video, poem as they analyze the imagery in a text.

Publish a Digital Magazine

Students take the lead and design and create their own digital magazine.

The ABC’s of …

In this lesson, students create an alphabet book to share knowledge and information they have learned, organizing their writing using the ABC’s.

Vocabulary Trading Cards

In this lesson, students create vocabulary trading cards that use images to help other students master the meaning of new words.

Book Trailers

Students will develop a movie-style trailer for a book they have read.

Persuade with Emotional Appeals

Students will build persuasive skills and media literacy as they explore techniques of propaganda and develop commercials that persuade viewers.

Here's to Your Health

Students will research a health issue, write an essay, and transform their argument into a public service announcement.

Don’t Let the Earth Down

Students will write persuasively on a conservation issue and create a public service announcement to promote their cause.

Pop-up Plaza Proposal

In this lesson, students craft a proposal for a pop-up plaza or parklet where community members can relax, reflect and connect.

Persuasive and Presidential Writing

Students learn persuasive writing and presentation skills.

Save from the Flames

In this lesson, students share why they would save a specific book from the "firemen" in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.

Infographics

Students will create an infographic poster to share knowledge and data about an issue they are studying.

Plan an Event

Students will plan for an event and create a proposal demonstrating how the event might look and how much it would cost.

Tessellation Sensation

Students will create their own tessellations study the mathematical concepts of patterns, planes, symmetry, and translation.

Surreal Symmetry

In this lesson, students use symmetry to create bizarre creatures around a self-portrait and then write a poem about the image.

Fastballs, Free Throws and Physics

Students will create an animated video that showcases how physics concepts apply to their favorite sport.

Healthier School Lunches

Students will learn about nutrition and create a sample menu for a week of healthy school lunches.

Virtual Museum

In this lesson, students create an online museum for their community.

Commemorative Ceremonies

Students develop a ceremony to honor a person or commemorate an event in history.

The President's Team

In this lesson, students nominate literary characters for each seat in the President's cabinet.

Artifact Interviews

Students will research a historical person or event and retell the story as an animated interview with an artifact from that time or place.

Tourism Trade Show

In this lesson, students develop materials to promote a specific region they are studying and make their pitch for a visit to this location at a tourism trade show.

Video Biographies

Students complete research on a historical figure and create a video biography of that person.

Postcards from the Past

In this lesson, students will create a collection of postcards that demonstrate how different people in the past may have viewed a single event or culture and analyze the range of perspectives in all class postcards to gain a deeper understanding of history.

Set SMART goals

In this lesson, students set SMART goals for the coming school year, identifying action items they can complete to achieve them.

Create a Vision Board

In this lesson, students create a vision board to turn their goals into words and images that represent what life will look and feel like when they reach them.

Political Cartoons Then and Now

Students will analyze and share the history of a political cartoon and then create their own cartoon about a current event.

Not Your Average Portfolio

Students will learn about the life of a famous person and create non-fiction porfolio about the individual.

Historical Journal

Students will create a historical journal from a fictional character's point of view.

Ancient Cultures News Broadcast

Students create a news broadcast while studying ancient civilizations.

A Day in the Life

Students will create a daily newspaper edition to learn about the politics and culture of ancient Rome.

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Digital Citizenship | Google Apps | Coding and Programming | Technology Curriculum | Microsoft Office | Middle School | Lesson Plans | Digital Literacy

Middle School Technology Lesson Plans: Where to Find Them

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September 20th, 2022 | 8 min. read

Brad Hummel

Coming from a family of educators, Brad knows both the joys and challenges of teaching well. Through his own teaching background, he’s experienced both firsthand. As a writer for iCEV, Brad’s goal is to help teachers empower their students by listening to educators’ concerns and creating content that answers their most pressing questions about career and technical education.

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If you’re a new middle school computer applications teacher, you’re facing many choices for technology lesson plans for your students. Making the right choices for your classroom can seem overwhelming since learning basic computer and technology skills will set them up for later success.

Thankfully, finding the right resources isn’t as difficult as you might think. Four of the most popular topics taught in middle school technology classes are:

• Website Creation and Beginner Coding Lessons
• Digital Citizenship Lessons
• Google Suite Lessons
• Microsoft Office Lessons

In this article, you’ll find an example resource for each topic and where to find additional lesson plans so you can choose the most appropriate materials for your program.

1. Website Creation and Beginner Coding Lessons

Example: TechnoKids Intermediate Resources

An excellent resource for middle school technology lesson plans in coding and website creation comes from TechnoKids. TechnoKids publishes K-12 curriculum to help students understand key technology and computer science concepts.

While TechnoKids offers several different lesson options, middle school teachers will find their Intermediate resources the most appropriate for their students. Designed for learners in grades 6-9, the resources assist students in learning some of the most popular topics within a middle school technology class.

These materials are available individually or as an intermediate-level collection. The TechnoKids Intermediate lesson plan options include:

• Website Creation
• Entrepreneurship
• Personal Finance

One strength of the TechnoKids lessons is that it makes complex computer coding simple and accessible for students, so it’s great for middle schoolers who are just starting to learn these skills.

How Much Do These Technology Lesson Plans Cost, and Who Are They For?

If you only want a single TechnoKids project to use in your classroom, you’ll pay $40. You can also buy the entire Intermediate Curriculum Collection for $295, which includes access to more than a dozen projects.

TechnoKids is an excellent fit for instructors who want to emphasize computer coding and website creation since the resources make learning these skills accessible to younger learners.

Teachers who don’t think they’ll use all the materials in the collection may want to focus on one or two projects or look for a set of lesson plans that’s a better fit.

Related Resources to Teach Coding

• 5 Top Middle School Technology Curriculum Options
• Top 5 Free Middle School Computer Science Resources to Teach Coding

2. Digital Citizenship Lessons

Example: Common Sense Education

Technology teachers often look for lesson plans to teach digital citizenship and literacy skills. Addressing these topics in a middle school classroom is critical to ensuring students can safely, responsibly, and respectfully use technology going forward.

Common Sense Education is a nonprofit organization that helps students and families understand and responsibly use media. Their Digital Citizenship resources provide ready-to-teach lessons for K-12 teachers that were developed in partnership with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The Common Sense digital citizenship lessons are divided into six categories:

• Media Balance and Well-Being
• Privacy and Security
• Digital Footprint and Identity
• Relationships and Communication
• Cyberbullying , Digital Drama, and Hate Speech
• News and Media Literacy

You’ll find a lesson for grades 6, 7, and 8 for 18 middle school digital citizenship lessons for each of these topics. You’ll also find take-home resources to share with families.

As a nonprofit organization, Common Sense Education provides its lesson plans for free.

You could easily supplement your existing materials with these resources if you cover one or more of the lesson categories in your technology classes.

However, consider additional materials to build a complete technology curriculum if you're covering these areas in more depth.

Related Resources to Teach Digital Citizenship

• What Is Internet Safety and Why Is It Important to Teach?
• 4 Best Digital Citizenship Lesson Plans for Middle School
• Top 4 Digital Citizenship Activities for Middle School
• The 5 Best Cyberbullying Resources for Middle School  

3. Google Suite Lessons

Example: Google Drive Bundle from Gavin Middleton

Because they’re easy to use and allow for quick, web-based collaboration, more and more teachers include the Google suite of applications in their middle school technology lesson plans. One example of a quality Google lesson plans provider is Gavin Middleton.

Gavin Middleton is a notable computer applications resource provider on Teachers Pay Teachers, the marketplace where instructors can buy, sell, and share classroom resources.

His Google Drive Bundle is a set of resources designed to help teach the Google Suite of applications for students in grades 6 and up.

These lesson plans cover all of the fundamentals of using Google applications, including:

• Files, Folders, and Sharing within Google Drive
• Google Docs
• Google Slides
• Google Sheets
• Google Drawings
• Google Forms
• Updates and Add-ons in Drive

When you use each lesson plan, you’ll be able to give your students a working knowledge of applications they’ll use for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and file sharing.

Gavin Middleton’s lesson plan bundle costs $19.95, a 40 percent savings over purchasing each of the resources individually.

If you cover the Google Suite in your technology lessons, there’s a high chance you’ll benefit from these materials. Considering the bundle contains over 500 pages of content, you’ll be able to teach many classes using just these resources.

Related Resources to Teach Google Apps

• How to Teach Google Docs in Middle School  
• Top 3 Google Docs Lessons for Middle School
• 3 Best Lesson Plans for Teaching Google Sheets in Your Middle School Classroom  
• 3 Places to Find Google Sheets Activities for Middle School Students
• Top 3 Google Slides Lesson Plans & How to Use Them

4. Microsoft Office Lessons

Example: Microsoft Office Mega Bundle from TechCheck Lessons

Microsoft Office lessons remain popular in many middle school technology classrooms because they introduce students to a suite of productivity tools they can use throughout their careers. A solid place to start is with TechCheck Lessons, another reputable seller offering lesson plans through Teachers Pay Teachers.

Designed for grades 7-11, TechCheck’s Microsoft Office Mega Bundle includes an incredible 856 pages of resources.

The bundle includes an extensive amount of Microsoft Office lesson plans and activities:

• 33 Word lessons
• 35 PowerPoint lessons
• 20 Excel lessons
• 9 Outlook activities

In the bundle, you’ll also receive other lesson plans to teach your students essential computer skills like keyboarding and digital citizenship.

The TechCheck Microsoft Office Mega Bundle is available for $45. With 856 pages of content, you should be able to teach an entire course on these computer applications. On the other hand, if you need just a few lessons on a specific Microsoft Office topic, you can purchase individual units from within the TechCheck Bundle.

These lesson plans are of great value for a teacher focusing on the Microsoft Office application suite and provide a wealth of content you can incorporate into your middle school technology classes.

Related Resources to Teach Microsoft Office

• 3 Top Places to Find Excel Lesson Plans for Middle School
• How to Teach Microsoft Word for Middle School
• The 4 Best PowerPoint Lesson Plans for Middle School
• 4 Best Microsoft Office Curriculum Resources for Middle and High School

Meet Your Technology Lesson Plan Needs with a Comprehensive Curriculum

Covering technology topics in a middle school classroom can often feel overwhelming. Whether you’re covering digital literacy or computer coding, you must give your students appropriate resources to help them learn and grow.

Depending on the subjects you need to cover, any of these technology lesson plans could be an excellent choice for your middle schoolers.

However, we’ve often heard from educators that students learn best when they have continuity in the learning process.

If this is true in your classroom, consider a comprehensive curriculum system, such as Business&ITCenter21 from AES. When you teach with a curriculum system, you’ll be able to cover a range of technology subject areas while providing consistency and continuity for your students.

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29 Technology Activities For Middle School: DIYs, Online Games, Coding Tasks, And Projects

March 12, 2024 //  by  Jill Webb

Technology isn’t just fun with computers, it also includes screen-free technology activities! The list below contains a variety of low and high-tech activities for your middle schoolers to try out! Whether they are interested in science, math, art, or even English, there are ways to implement technology into their lessons. So scroll down to find 29 of the most creative ideas for bringing more technological learning into your classroom!

1. Create a GIF

If middle schoolers had their own language- they’d be talking in GIFs! They’ll be totally stoked to have a lesson on how to make GIFs in Photoshop using animation. This is not only an engaging activity, but it’s a great skill for them to learn how to create digital art using Adobe.

Learn More: The Art of Education

2. Circuit Activity

Now here’s a simple, yet important lesson to teach your students about circuits! The video teaches them how to make an easy circuit, but you can also have them make more complex ones once they’ve gotten to grips with the basics.

Learn More: YouTube

3. Digital Storytelling Activity

Using technology to tell stories is a great skill for your kiddos to learn; especially as things become more technology-centered. Even your reluctant writers will be excited to try out this program! Book Creator will help them understand how to tell captivating, digital stories that can be read time and time again. 

Learn More: Book Creator

4. Technology Scavenger Hunt

Take your kids on a trip around the world from the seats of your classroom! Google Earth is an amazing resource for your kids to get a sense of travel by zooming into different locations in the world. For this scavenger hunt, you’ll combine geography with technology as they use Google Earth to explore different locations, using coordinates to navigate.

Learn More: Erintegration

5. StoriumEDU

StoriumEDU helps your kids write stories through the lens of video game play! It’s set up so that they can choose different characters and event cards that will prompt them to fill in the blanks and write a whole story. They’ll learn character development and story organization through the exciting gameplay!

Learn more:  Storium EDU

6. Flippity

Flippity is another cool digital resource that your kiddos will love! It’ll show them how to turn a Google Spreadsheet into a collection of games and flashcards. They’ll be able to make their own review games or study materials, all while learning some basic computer literacy skills.

Learn More: Flippity

We love this collaborative digital platform that can easily be implemented in your classroom. Your kiddos can use Sutori to create timelines, informative graphics, and much more. It’s an engaging way for them to express what they have learned through technology and you’ll love the feature where you can give feedback! 

8. Digital Whiteboard

How cool is this? It’s a student-friendly digital whiteboard that is great for storytelling or classroom presentations. Explain Everything is super easy to use and allows your kids to map out their learning by adding photos, images, video, audio, and drawing tools. It’s also a super resource for you to use in your teaching, or to use collaboratively as a class!

Learn More: Explain Everything

9. Virtual Field Trip

We love that technology has given kids all over the world access to a variety of virtual field trips! Discovery Education offers virtual field trips that come with lessons and activities for each virtual discovery. In this one, they’ll learn more about genomics- a branch of science that studies DNA!

Learn More: Discovery Education

10. Digital Breakout 

Get your learners excited to outsmart technology with digital breakouts! This digital content activity is similar to an escape room and your class will use different problem-solving and computer skills to “break out” of the room and win!

Learn More: Sandy Cangelosi

Here’s a game your kiddos will be begging to play every day! Unruly Splats is a coding game that gets them moving and coding at the same time. It uses simple codes to teach them these new skills through play.

Learn More: Unruly Splats

12. Type Racing

Typing is an obvious fundamental skill that your kiddies should be proficient in so we’ve added a great typing game for you to incorporate into your classroom routine! To play Type Racer they’ll compete in a car race as they try to accurately type as many words as they can to move the car along the track! The fastest fingers will win!

Learn More: Type Racer

13. Build A Calculator

Let’s introduce our students to the world of programming by making a simple calculator! This is a cool coding activity where they’ll learn how to make a functioning calculator using coding. Who knows, after teaching them the basics, you might even inspire them to explore coding as a future career choice! 

Learn More: Sphero Edu

14. Mosa Mack

Turns your kids into science detectives with this exciting resource and accompanying lesson plans! The fun videos will help you teach major science concepts and the interactive quizzes and digital worksheets help you to test knowledge. There’s also the opportunity for your kiddies to get hands-on, using real-life examples to demonstrate the concepts being taught.

Learn More: Common Sense Education

15. AI Machine Learning

AI is appearing rapidly and becoming the center of a lot of digital discussion and debate. This machine is a fun way for your middle schoolers to see first-hand how this innovative tech works! They’ll create and photograph a library of hand-drawn faces and use this as learning data to teach an AI how to determine moods based on facial expressions! Cool, right!?

Learn More: Science Buddies

16. Paper Circuit Card

Get crafty with this next tech activity. This video will help you teach your kiddies how to make a circuit card using a few simple materials including some wire, a battery, and a small light! Encourage them to get creative and make cute light-up images using their circuits!

17. Procreate for Kids

Calling all graphic designers! If your kids are interested in learning about digital drawing tools, then this is the activity for them! Bardot Brush has a variety of digital drawing lessons made specifically for kids! We suggest following her on YouTube so that you can access her additional lesson plans to go alongside the videos!

18. Book Trailer Project

Rather than ask your learners to fill out a traditional book report, why not utilize some tech and task them with making a digital book trailer? This site gives you a comprehensive lesson plan complete with a student checklist, a marking rubric, links to the national standards, as well as links to some examples to show to your kiddos!

Learn More: Read Write Think

19. Ancient Egypt Strategy Simulator Game

We’re sure you have some kids in your class who love video games, right? If they’re learning about ancient Egypt, this video game is perfect to add some tech time to their history lesson. The game is based on real facts from Egyptian times and challenges your learners to make strategic decisions to lead their citizens!

Learn More: Clarus Victoria

20. Lego Maze Coding

Lego mazes are a great way to introduce basic coding skills to students of all ages! All they need to do is build a maze using templates provided and legos. Then, it is their job to make a list of commands for their “character” to help them escape the maze. This knowledge can then be transferred to real computer coding in the future! 

Learn More: Research Parent

21. DIY Smart Phone Projector

In this simple yet super fun technology activity, your kids will cut a hole in a cardboard box and attach a magnifying glass to the inside. Then, they can build a resting spot for their smartphone inside the box- and voila! They have a mini projector to play their favorite YouTube videos.

Learn More: The Stem Laboratory

22. Podcasting Projects

Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular as they’re an easily accessible form of entertainment or information on the go. This fantastic site will tell you all you need to know to get your kids podcasting like professionals! They’ll love this fun activity where they’ll get to grow their digital skills as they learn how to record and edit audio about some of their favorite topics.

Learn More: neaToday

23. DIY Projector Shadows

Cardboard projectors are a simple yet engaging project that can be done over and over again! You’ll need basic supplies including toilet paper rolls, plastic wrap, and a flashlight to get started, and have your middle schoolers draw pictures or write words on the clear end of the roll. Turn off the lights, have ‘em power up those flashlights! The results are a spectacular shadow show!

Learn More: Chalk Academy

 24. Pipe Cleaner LED Christmas Decorations

It’s time to make some Christmas decorations! Head to your craft drawer for some pipe cleaners, a small battery pack, and LED bulbs. Your kiddos will have a merry time shaping pipe cleaners into Christmas trees and Rudolph shapes! Explain how the metal in the pipe cleaner will act as a wire and once they connect it to the battery and light, they’ll have their own light-up decoration! 

Learn More: Instructables

25. Harry Potter Wands

A magical take on technology, join in some wand-making action with this Harry Potter-inspired tutorial! For this fun activity, your tech wizards need to stick copper tape along a few popsicle sticks and fasten a small LED light above. Once the battery is in place, their wand is ready to cast the “Lumos” spell!

Learn More: Steam Powered Family

26. Simple Homemade Robot Car

For under eight dollars, this homemade robot car is definitely worth a try, and your kids will be amazed at their robot-making skills! Skewers, foam, straws, and bottle caps will be the foundational materials for a new robotic friend while a small motor with batteries will bring him to life!

27. DIY Morse Code Machines

DIY Morse Code Machines are a great way to inspire your kids to stop texting and try a different way of communicating even if just for a couple of hours! Help them to follow the step-by-step directions to make a wooden box with wiring and battery connectors inside. They’ll have a great time using the buzzer to communicate in Morse code with each other!

Learn More: Surviving A Teacher’s Salary

28. Storyboard Creator

Storyboards are a great way for your students to practice summarizing stories they’ve read! Encourage them to focus on the main events and key story elements to create their own online comic! Storyboard Creator allows them to choose setting backgrounds, characters, and more to virtually bring their summaries to life!

Learn More: Storyboard That

29. Evaluating Websites

Learning to tell good quality online sources from bad ones is a vital skill nowadays. Checking for six criteria, this activity will give your learners practice evaluating websites and the information they present. This is both a helpful skill for school and the real world; it’ll help them decide which websites are quality sources and which ones can’t be trusted!

Learn More: Education World

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50 Best STEM Projects for Middle School Kids

Science Activities for Middle Schoolers

Technology activities for middle schoolers, engineering activities for middle schoolers, math activities for middle schoolers.

• Interactive Learning Stations
• Outdoor Laboratories
• Technology Enhanced Playgrounds
• Innovative Equipment

STEM projects for middle school are an excellent way to engage young minds and spark their curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and math. Research supports that STEM activities positively impact the scientific creativity of middle school students. These exercises give students an enjoyable learning experience and promote critical thinking and problem-solving abilities .

SplashLearn: Most Comprehensive Learning Program for PreK-5

SplashLearn inspires lifelong curiosity with its game-based PreK-5 learning program loved by over 40 million children. With over 4,000 fun games and activities, it’s the perfect balance of learning and play for your little one.

Additionally, middle school STEM programs help foster interest in these subjects, develop skills, improve future job prospects, encourage creativity and innovation, and promote diversity and inclusivity. However, before delving into the exciting projects, it’s essential to understand why STEM programs in middle school are crucial for a student’s academic journey.

5 Essentials Of Middle School STEM Programs

In the modern work market, STEM education has increased. Students in middle school are at a pivotal point in their development, and exposure to STEM education can greatly impact how they grow academically and professionally. The following justifies the necessity of STEM programs in middle schools.

1. Fostering Interest in STEM

Middle school STEM programs offer an interactive and immersive approach to STEM education by providing hands-on opportunities for students to engage in projects and experiments, which can lead to deeper comprehension and enthusiasm for these subjects. The Journal of Pedagogical Research suggests that a STEM-focused learning environment can positively influence academic achievement in science. Moreover, STEM education provides students with practical applications of these topics in the real world, which fosters a heightened curiosity and drive for learning. 

2. Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Problem-solving and critical thinking abilities are emphasized in STEM education. Students’ minds are still developing throughout middle school. Thus, STEM education can aid in the development of the abilities necessary for success in the real world. 

3. Improving Future Job Prospects

Middle school STEM education can provide students with the essential abilities and skills necessary to pursue high-paying professions in the rapidly-growing STEM sectors of the contemporary economy. 

4. Encouraging Creativity and Innovation

Middle school STEM programs have been known to be a catalyst for fostering creativity and innovation among students. This is because these programs equip students with the necessary skills to design, build, and test their projects, which can be quite perplexing. By undertaking middle school STEM programs, children can develop the courage and aptitude to take risks, think outside the box, and solve problems in novel and unexpected ways.

5. Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity

The benefits of STEM education extend beyond just individual development, as it can also promote diversity and inclusivity among students. Regardless of background, all students have equal opportunities to learn and succeed in STEM. By introducing students to a wide range of STEM occupations and showcasing the achievements of underrepresented groups in these industries, middle school STEM programs can inspire kids from diverse backgrounds to pursue their interests in these disciplines.

What Does STEM Education for Middle Schoolers Look Like?

Middle school STEM education is a way of teaching that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s exciting and interactive, aiming to help students become skilled in these subjects. The main goal is to give students the knowledge and abilities they need to handle the many challenges of our ever-changing technology-driven world.

“STEM education is not just about learning scientific concepts and principles; it’s about developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills that will benefit students throughout their lives.” – Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education.

Students are introduced to the fundamentals of STEM disciplines in middle school through practical, project-based learning . They investigate the scientific method, study the fundamentals of engineering and design, and become aware of the wonders of math and technology.

Middle schoolers can develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and creativity through STEM education. Research suggest that STEM activities effectively develop positive views toward interdisciplinary education and 21st-century skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. By engaging in STEM activities , students can also improve their science process skills, STEM career interests, motivation, and views about STEM education. 

50 Best STEM Activities for Middle School Kids

Engaging in STEM activities for middle school kids, students can gain valuable skills and knowledge that will assist them in success in high school, college, and beyond. So, without further ado, let’s explore these best STEM activities for kids!

“STEM learning is vital for the future success of our students and our country. By engaging students in hands-on projects and encouraging their curiosity, we can inspire the next generation of innovators.” – Mae Jemison, former NASA astronaut and founder of the Jemison Group.

Science is essential to STEM education and can be incredibly engaging and exciting for middle schoolers. Here are some science-related STEM activities for middle school kids that can inspire young minds to discover the world around them.

• Chemical Reactions: Mix baking soda and vinegar to observe the fizzy reaction. Try other combinations like lemon juice and baking soda.
• Solar Oven: Cut a flap in a cardboard box and line it with foil. Place food inside and keep it in the sun to cook.
• Egg Drop Challenge: Gather materials like straws, paper, and tape. Create a protective structure around an egg and drop it from a height.
• Rock Candy Experiment: Dissolve sugar in hot water and grow crystals on a string suspended in the solution.
• Volcano Eruption:  Build a clay volcano around a small bottle. Mix baking soda and vinegar inside the bottle for an eruption.

• Hovercraft: Glue a balloon to a CD, then inflate the balloon and place the CD on a smooth surface to create a hovercraft.
• Slime Making: Mix glue, water, and borax solution to create slime. Explore different ratios for varying consistencies.
• Bottle Rocket Launch: Fill a plastic bottle partially with water, then quickly attach a cork and pump air inside to launch the rocket.
• Sundial Crafting: Place a stick vertically in the ground, and mark the shadow cast by the sun at different times of the day.
• Plant Growth Study:  Plant seeds in pots with varying amounts of sunlight, water, and soil to observe their growth over time.

• Static Electricity: Rub balloons against clothing to create static charge. Test its effect on objects like paper and hair.
• Dissecting Owl Pellets: Purchase owl pellets and use tweezers to carefully dissect them, identifying the bones of small animals.
• Microscope Adventures:  Collect samples from ponds or leaves, place them on slides, and observe under a microscope to discover tiny organisms.

Now that we’ve explored some exciting science-related STEM ideas for middle school kids, let’s look at engaging technology activities to help students develop important coding, programing and digital literacy skills.

Technology activities for middle schoolers are designed to introduce students to coding, programing, and digital design basics. These hands-on activities are a great way to build technical skills while fostering creativity and innovation. Here are a few technology-related STEM activities for middle school kids.

• Coding Basics: Use online platforms like Scratch or Code.org to start learning coding concepts through interactive tutorials and projects.
• Robotics Challenge:  Provide robot kits with instructions and coding software. Students follow the instructions to assemble the robot and write code to make it perform tasks.

• App Design: Utilize app development tools or platforms like MIT App Inventor to design and prototype mobile apps. Students can create simple apps and explore different features.
• 3D Printing: Teach students how to use 3D modeling software to design objects. Then, print the designs using a 3D printer.
• Website Creation: Introduce HTML and CSS coding languages to build a basic website. Students can experiment with customizing their site.
• Video Game Design: Use game development software like GameMaker or Unity to design and create simple video games with characters, levels, and gameplay.
• Augmented Reality (AR) Exploration:  Explore AR technology using AR apps or platforms. Students can create interactive experiences by overlaying virtual objects on the real world.

• Green Screen Projects: Provide a green screen and video editing software. Students can record themselves against the green screen and use the software to replace the background with any image or video.
• Electronic Circuits: Use a circuit kit with components like LEDs, resistors, and wires. Students follow diagrams to build circuits and learn about electronics.
• Digital Storytelling: Use digital tools like PowerPoint or video editing software to create multimedia stories with text, images, and audio narration.
• Internet Research Challenge: Assign specific research topics, and guide students on using search engines and reputable websites to find relevant information.
• Cybersecurity Awareness: Conduct discussions and workshops on online safety, creating strong passwords, and protecting personal information from online threats.
• Virtual Field Trips: Utilize virtual reality headsets or online platforms with virtual tours to take students on immersive journeys to museums, historical sites, or outer space.

Now that we’ve explored some exciting technology-related STEM projects for middle school kids, let’s shift our focus to engineering. These activities are designed to introduce students to engineering and design principles and provide hands-on opportunities to create and build.

Engineering activities are a great way for middle schoolers to explore design principles, problem-solving, and creativity. These activities help develop important skills that benefit students in all aspects of life. Here are a few engineering-related STEM projects for middle school kids that are both fun and educational.

• Popsicle Stick Bridges: Provide popsicle sticks and glue. Instruct students to design and build bridges using the sticks, aiming to make them sturdy enough to hold weight.
• Hydraulic Lifts: Provide syringes, plastic tubes, and water. Students build a hydraulic lift system using syringes and water to lift objects.
• Spaghetti Towers: Offer uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows as building materials. Challenge students to construct tall and stable towers using the two items.
• Water Filtration:  Teach students about water filtration concepts. Provide various materials like sand, gravel, and cotton balls for them to build their filtration systems and test their effectiveness.

• Egg Parachute Drop: Provide materials like plastic bags, strings, and cushioning materials. Have students construct a parachute to safely drop an egg from a height.
• Catapult Challenge: Gather materials like popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and plastic spoons. Instruct students to build a working catapult and launch small objects towards targets.
• Mini Wind Turbines: Provide students with materials like cardboard, straws, and small motors. Guide them in creating miniature wind turbines to generate electricity from wind energy.
• Simple Machines Exploration: Set up stations with different simple machines like pulleys, levers, and inclined planes. Allow students to experiment and learn how these machines work.
• Sustainable Building Designs: Introduce sustainable building practices to students. Let them design and sketch eco-friendly and energy-efficient buildings or houses on paper.
• Bristlebot Robots: Provide toothbrush heads, small vibrating motors, and batteries. Show students how to assemble these components into tiny robots called Bristlebots that move around.
• DIY Waterwheel: Provide materials like popsicle sticks, cups, and a small water source. Students design and build a waterwheel to harness water energy.

While engineering activities focus on design and problem-solving, math activities for middle schoolers aim to build a strong foundation in mathematical concepts and practical applications. Let’s look at some engaging and hands-on math activities that middle schoolers can enjoy and learn from.

Middle school math activities are made to help kids develop a solid mathematical foundation while also exposing them to real-world applications of mathematics. Through these exercises, students can improve their ability to think logically, solve problems, and appreciate the beauty of mathematics. A few math projects and activities are listed below for middle school students to try out.

• Math Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of math-related items or problems for students to find and solve around the school or outdoors.
• Fraction Pizza: Use construction paper to create “pizza slices,” and have students color in fractions to represent different toppings.
• Math Board Games:  Introduce math-based board games like “Math Bingo” or “Math Jeopardy” to reinforce skills in a fun way.

• Math Art: Have students create geometric art using shapes, angles, and symmetry.
• Math Puzzles: Provide various math puzzles like Sudoku, logic puzzles, or tangrams to challenge problem-solving abilities.
• Real-World Budgeting: Assign students a hypothetical budgeting project to plan for expenses like groceries, entertainment, and savings.
• Data Analysis with Graphs: Present students with real data sets and guide them in creating different types of graphs to analyze the information.
• Math Escape Room: Design a math-themed escape room with puzzles and problems that students must solve to “escape.”
• Geometry Construction: Teach students how to use a compass and straightedge to construct geometric shapes and angles.
• Math Relay Race:  Divide students into teams and create a relay race with math problems they must solve to pass the baton.

• Mathematical Storytelling: Have students write stories or scenarios that involve math concepts and solve problems within the narrative.
• Measurement Olympics: Set up a measurement-based competition, like seeing who can estimate and measure the length of various objects most accurately.
• Math in Nature: Take students outside to explore the environment and find examples of math concepts like patterns , symmetry, and angles in nature.

Engaging in hands-on learning through math activities and projects can help middle school students develop a deep understanding and appreciation for mathematics. Having explored a variety of fun STEM activities for middle school, it’s worth considering how we can integrate STEM learning into other aspects of a student’s daily experience, including during recess or on the playground.

4 Ways To Integrate STEM Activities Into Middle School Playgrounds

Middle school is a pivotal developmental period for students, marked by a strong desire for knowledge acquisition and exploration. In this phase, students indulge in both physical activity and cognitive stimulation, and incorporating STEM projects for middle school can substantially enhance their educational experience. Thus, it is imperative to investigate why STEM activities should be included in the middle school playground, and one promising answer is through interactive learning stations.

1. Interactive Learning Stations

These learning stations offer a unique opportunity for students to learn while simultaneously enjoying themselves via experiential education. Specifically, students can engage in hands-on activities such as building miniature wind turbines or constructing solar-powered vehicles, which can enhance their problem-solving skills and deepen their understanding of STEM concepts.

2. Outdoor Laboratories

Students may conduct experiments and gather data in outdoor laboratories because they are situated in a natural setting. Weather stations, gardens, and animal habitats can all be included as part of these laboratories. Kids can develop a passion for science and receive real-world experience by participating in these events.

3. Technology Enhanced Playgrounds

The utilization of technology-enhanced playgrounds represents a novel opportunity to combine fitness and STEM activities, thereby improving student engagement in the form of augmented reality activities, interactive displays, and sensory tools. The resultant learning experience is distinctive and enriching. By integrating technology into gardening , students can augment their digital literacy in a enjoyable and educationally valuable manner.

4. Innovative Equipment

Innovative tools can be utilized to design fun STEM projects for middle school that pushes kids to think creatively. Programable robots, 3D printers, and virtual reality headsets are a few examples of this equipment. With the use of this equipment, kids can enhance their creativity and problem-solving abilities while learning more about STEM principles.

The academic achievement, physical health, and general well-being of children can all be dramatically impacted by including STEM activities in middle school playgrounds. By giving children the chance to participate in practical STEM activities, we can help them acquire crucial abilities that will set them up for future success.

Middle school completion is an indispensable prerequisite for reinforcing students’ aptitude and mastery in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). STEM challenges for middle school students are boundless and varied. We must encourage them to face challenges and in order to ensure that students are equipped for future prosperity, we must proffer them with diverting, interactive, and engaging STEM-related activities. Integration of STEM education within the middle school curricula can be accomplished through various methods such as interactive learning stations, avant-garde tools, and outdoor laboratories.

By providing middle schoolers with the best STEM activities, we can encourage and kindle their passion, empowering them to create a better future. Let us, therefore, take the initiative and encourage our schools to allocate sufficient funding toward STEM education. This will help our children realize their full potential and have a transformative impact on the world.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can middle school stem instruction aid pupils with learning disabilities.

STEM instruction can be modified to meet the needs of children with varying learning preferences and aptitudes. All pupils can benefit from the promotion of problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.

At what age can you start STEM?

STEM education can start as early as preschool and continues through elementary, middle, and high school. Introducing STEM concepts early helps foster curiosity and lays the foundation for future learning and exploration in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Does incorporating STEM activities into middle school playgrounds come with any risks?

When incorporating STEM activities into playgrounds, safety should always come first. It’s critical to correctly identify risks, train staff members and teachers, and maintain equipment.

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20 STEM Projects That Are Great for Middle School

Krystal DeVille

February 15, 2024

Middle schoolers experience a great time of exploration and learning during these formative years. Explore these middle school STEM projects, designed to enhance STEM education by engaging students in hands-on learning. Pick which ones you want to try first.

Simply click the title of each lesson in the list to get the full lesson plan for these great STEM challenges that align with lessons for middle school science, technology, engineering, and math objectives. Alongside these projects, we also offer a variety of easy STEM challenges that can serve as introductory activities for beginners.

I’ve gone through all the educational subscription boxes for teenagers and put together the best ones in this resource, teenagers’ top STEM subscription boxes.

Table of Contents

STEM Activities for Middle School Students

1.  i breathe what.

Students enhance their problem-solving skills and understanding of the scientific method by exploring air quality through pollen, dust, and particulates using their homemade ‘pollution detectors.’ They will hypothesize what causes the differences and explain why engineers look at the particulate matter when they observe air quality.

2. Design a Bridge

This is a fun way of using simple machines and various materials, students design bridges that can hold 100 pennies for 30 seconds without collapsing, teaching them fundamental principles of physics. Review engineering concepts such as load and force with your classes before they get started. Consider using craft sticks as one of the materials, which are great for learning about weight distribution and structural integrity.

3. Spaghetti Soapbox Derby

In this science experiment, pairs of students design, build, and test model vehicles made from dry pasta and hot glue, with the goal of rolling along a ramp and coasting as far as possible. This STEM activity focuses on using somewhat challenging materials in the best ways possible.

For an added challenge, students can use rubber bands to enhance the propulsion of their pasta vehicles.

4. Trail Planning Using Topographic Quadrangle Maps

This earth science activity first calls for familiarity with US Geological Survey quadrangle maps. Working within set guideline requirements, students then use these maps to design a good route for a new recreational trail.

5. Bikini Bottom Genetics

Students apply an understanding of genetics in an analysis of sea creature genotypes that live in SpongeBob SquarePants’ neighborhood. They predict traits of offspring with the use of Punnett squares.

6. Design a Wristwatch for the Visually Impaired

Help your students review the engineering design process. They will then research, model, test and evaluate wristwatches for individuals with visual impairments as an exercise in applying engineering skills in the areas of bioengineering and biomedical engineering.

Take a look at our review of Groovy Lab in a Box . It’s hard to convey, but after reviewing about a dozen educational STEM subscription services, Groovy Lab Box has the most well-thought-out lesson plans!

7. Use Your Shoe!

Teachers collect shoe size data from the class. As a group, they use the data to determine the mean, median, and mode. Students then use that information to make inferences about average shoe size and broader populations. This activity provides a review of how to calculate mean, median, and mode, along with methods to make inferences based on the sample.

While this article focuses on middle schoolers, we also recommend fun and educational STEM projects suitable for elementary students .

8. Mission to Mars

Following a storyline, task your students with completing various STEM challenges, including understanding chemical reactions through a Coke and Mentos experiment as part of a Mars emergency. Teamwork, engineering design, and the use of science topics in real life are all addressed.

9. Snack Time!

Using nutritional information labels from various packaged foods, students will organize and describe that info to show the data in a box-and-whisker plot, bar graph, and pie chart. This activity touches on both math and science standards.

10. No Valve in Vain

Teams of students employ the engineering design process to use tape and plastic tubing to create heart valve models. For this activity, the class reviews the engineering design process and the workings of a one-way valve.

For older kids, particularly high school students looking for more advanced challenges, please check out our article, The Best Science Sets for Teens .

11. Marble Speed Traps with Lego Mindstorms

Students review the formula for velocity . Using drag and drop programming, they code the speed traps to measure the distance between the sensors and time it takes the marble to travel between them. They design the course, write the code, convert units, evaluate, and make changes as needed.

12. The Million Dollar Project

Students imagine inheriting and spending 1 million dollars with specific guidelines of how they may use that money. They research on the internet, record all purchases, learn to write checks, and track all their spending, which reinforces various mathematical concepts.

13. Explore the Law of Inertia using a Fidget Spinner

Review the equations for torque and inertia with students. By removing lights (weight) from spinners, they can explore how the amount of time the device will continue spinning is affected by the mass.

14. Backyard Weather Stations

Working in groups, students describe the current weather and predict future conditions by observing cloud formations. They design backyard weather stations that could gather data for actual forecasting. Technologies for forecasting would be explored, along with weather basics.

15. Leaning Tower of Pasta

Review compression and tension in structure stability with your class. Students use math and engineering concepts to design and build structures with long, dry spaghetti and marshmallows, to find which ones can withstand the largest amount of load.

16. Cleaning the Great Lakes

What better way to understand environmental science than by having students use limited materials to discover how to filter pollutants from dirty water? Teachers may use this challenge activity along with earth science units about water pollution or those concerning local lakes.

17. Soil Biosolarization: Sustainable Weed Killer

Serving as agricultural engineers, students explore the effectiveness of this sustainable weed control technique that uses organic waste instead of poisons. By using seed starter pots, they plant “weeds” and test the use of organic matter, like oatmeal, to see if it kills the weeds, assessing the impact of products and systems.

18. Renewable Energy: Power Your School

In pairs, students use real data to assess the possible use of solar or wind power generation at their school. Using science, math, and engineering concepts, they explore the differences between these two methods, use maps for an analysis of potential, and look at factors related to the feasibility of renewable energy at their location.

19. Generate Your Own Ocean Currents!

Encourage critical thinking and understanding of real-world applications as students design and construct ocean models to study wind-driven currents. Through this challenge project, they will explore circulation patterns, the Coriolis effect, and the transfer of heat from the global ocean convection cycle.

20. Scaling Up Candy Wrappers

Students bring in their favorite candy bar wrappers, choose a scale factor (larger than 5), and enlarge their wrappers to that scale in a drawing on grid paper. Scaling up candy wrappers is not just educational, but also a lot of fun, teaching kids about the math concept of scale factor. They can then color and display their finished projects!

21. Rube Goldberg Machines

What is a rube goldberg machine.

A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately complex contraption in which a series of devices perform simple tasks linked together to produce a domino effect, ultimately accomplishing a simple goal in a highly complex manner. Named after the American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, these machines are fantastic tools for teaching students about physics, engineering, and critical thinking.

Why Include Rube Goldberg Machines in Middle School STEM?

• Encourages Creative Thinking : Building these machines requires students to think outside the box and use their imagination to solve problems.
• Teaches Basic Physics Principles : Concepts like energy transfer, motion, and simple machines come to life in a Rube Goldberg project.
• Enhances Teamwork and Collaboration : Students often work in teams, learning to communicate and collaborate to design and build their machines.
• Develops Problem-Solving Skills : Students learn to troubleshoot and iterate, key skills in any STEM field.

Implementing Rube Goldberg Machine Projects

• Introduce the Concept : Start with a brief history of Rube Goldberg and show examples of Rube Goldberg machines, either through videos or illustrations.
• Define the Project Scope : Set clear goals and parameters. For example, each machine must have a minimum number of steps or complete a specific task.
• Materials : Encourage creativity by allowing a wide range of materials, from household items to recycled materials.
• Documentation : Have students document their design process, challenges, and solutions. This can be in the form of a journal, video, or presentation.
• Presentation and Reflection : Allow students to present their machines to the class. Encourage them to discuss what they learned and how they overcame obstacles.

22. Egg Drop Challenge

What is the Egg Drop Challenge? An engaging physics experiment for middle schoolers, the Egg Drop Challenge involves designing a device to protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a height. It’s an excellent way for students to apply concepts of gravity, impact force, and material properties.

Why It’s Beneficial:

• Encourages creative problem-solving.
• Demonstrates physics principles like momentum and shock absorption.
• Promotes teamwork and collaborative skills.

Implementing the Challenge:

• Materials: Offer materials like straws, balloons, and craft sticks.
• Design and Build: Students design and construct their egg-protecting devices.
• The Drop: Test the devices by dropping eggs from a set height.
• Analysis: Discuss the outcomes, focusing on physics concepts and design strategies.

Curriculum Alignment: This challenge complements the middle school physics curriculum, applying theoretical concepts practically.

23. The Index Card Tower Challenge

What is the Index Card Tower Challenge? The Index Card Tower Challenge is a straightforward yet engaging activity that introduces students to basic principles of physical science and engineering. Using only index cards, students are challenged to build the tallest possible tower. This activity is the best way to demonstrate concepts like balance, gravity, and kinetic energy, making it perfect for kids of all ages, including younger kids.

Why It’s Essential in STEM Curriculum:

• Introduces Physical Science Concepts: Focuses on basic principles like stability and kinetic energy.
• Encourages Creative Problem-Solving: Challenges students to think innovatively using simple materials.
• Accessible to All Ages: Easily adaptable for different age groups, making it suitable for both younger kids and older students.
• Prepares for Future Careers: Develops foundational skills useful in various STEM fields.
• Materials: Provide students with a stack of index cards.
• Build the Tower: Students experiment with different construction techniques to build their towers.
• Discussion on Physical Science: After the activity, discuss how forces like gravity and kinetic energy influenced their designs.
• Real-World Connection: Relate the activity to real-world structures and engineering challenges.

How It Fits Into STEM Courses: The Index Card Tower Challenge is a versatile activity that can be integrated into various STEM courses. It encourages students to apply scientific principles and think critically about engineering challenges, making it a valuable addition to any STEM curriculum.

How To Make The Most Of These Fun STEM Activities for Middle School Students

Whether in STEM labs, at home, or in the classroom, engaging students with discussion questions throughout these hands-on activities is vital.

To connect with students’ interests, some of these STEM activities offer different ways, including the design or analysis of simple video games, blending technology with creativity.

We rounded up these projects specifically because they align with learning objectives and lessons for 6th to 8th-grade students. Ask how this applies to what they’re currently learning in class? What did the project demonstrate?

Let us know in the comments what your favorite Middle School STEM projects! We’d love to hear them.

2 thoughts on “20 STEM Projects That Are Great for Middle School”

I taught bridge building to sixth grade students. The only thing I taught them was information and diagrams about trusses. They had to take notes for their own use during construction. Gave them the materials, formed groups and gave them them help without interfering with their own ideas. The amount of enthusiasm I have seldom seen in middle school. They were so excited they told their other teachers about the project. The bridges were beautiful and so strong. It was great to see the application of the trusses! I am all for STEM activities!

These are some great activities thanks for sharing and I’ll use them at my school.

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Edu News | January 26, 2022

24 stem lessons you can quickly deploy in the classroom.

Calling all teachers pressed for time, substitutes looking for classroom activities that don't require a lot of prep, and others hoping to keep students learning in especially chaotic times: We've got a new collection of lessons and activities that you can quickly deploy.

Read on to explore our collection of Quick and Easy STEM lessons and student activities , organized by grade band. Get everything you need to guide students through standards-aligned lessons featuring connections to real NASA missions and science as well as links to student projects, which can be led by teachers or assigned as independent activities.

Grades 9-12

Explore More

Make a Paper Mars Helicopter

In this lesson, students build a paper helicopter, then improve the design and compare and measure performance.

Subject Engineering

Time 30-60 mins

Student Project: Make a Paper Mars Helicopter

Build a paper helicopter, then see if you can improve the design like NASA engineers did when making the first helicopter for Mars.

What Tools Would You Take to Mars?

Students decide what they want to learn from a robotic mission to Mars and what tools they will put on their robot to accomplish their goals.

Subject Science

Rockets by Size

Students cut out, color and sequence paper rockets in a simple mathematics lesson on measurement.

Subject Math

Rocket Math

Students use rocket manipulatives to help them develop number sense, counting, addition and subtraction skills.

Tangram Rocket

Students use tangrams to create rockets while practicing shape recognition.

Time 1-2 hrs

Student Project: Build a Rover and More With Shapes

Use geometric shapes called tangrams to build a rover and other space-themed designs!

Time Less than 30 mins

Student Project: Build a Rocket and More With Shapes

Use geometric shapes called tangrams to build a rocket and other space-themed designs!

Mineral Mystery Experiment

Students explore the science behind an intriguing planetary feature by creating saline solutions and then observing what happens when the solutions evaporate.

Grades 2-12

Time 2 sessions of 30-60 mins

Student Project: Do a Mineral Mystery Experiment

Dissolve salts in water, then observe what happens when the water evaporates.

What Do You Know About Mars?

Students decide what they want to learn from a robotic mission to Mars.

Melting Ice Experiment

Students make predictions and observations about how ice will melt in different conditions then compare their predictions to results as they make connections to melting glaciers.

Parachute Design

Students design and test parachute landing systems to successfully land a probe on target.

Planetary Poetry

In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.

Student Project: Write a Poem About Space

Are you a space poet, and you didn't even know it? Find out how to create your own poems inspired by space!

Ocean World: Earth Globe Toss Game

Students use NASA images and a hands-on activity to compare the amounts of land and surface water on our planet.

Simple Rocket Science Continued

Students gather data on a balloon rocket launch, then create a simple graph to show the results of the tests.

Spaghetti Anyone? Building with Pasta

Students use the engineering design process to build a structure to handle the greatest load and gain first-hand experience with compression and tension forces.

Student Project: Building With Spaghetti

Use spaghetti to build a tower modeled after the giant structures NASA uses to talk to spacecraft.

Simple Rocket Science

Students perform a simple science experiment to learn how a rocket works and demonstrate Newton’s third law of motion.

Soda-Straw Rockets

Students study rocket stability as they design, construct and launch paper rockets using soda straws.

Student Project: Make a Straw Rocket

Create a paper rocket that can be launched from a soda straw – then, modify the design to make the rocket fly farther!

Rocket Activity: Heavy Lifting

Students construct balloon-powered rockets to launch the greatest payload possible to the classroom ceiling.

Design a Robotic Insect

Students design a robotic insect for an extraterrestrial environment, then compare the process to how NASA engineers design robots for extreme environments like Mars.

Student Project: Design a Robotic Insect

Design a robotic insect to go to an extreme environment. Then, compare the design process to what NASA engineers do when building robots for Mars!

How Far Away Is Space?

Students use measurement skills to determine the scale distance to space on a map.

Student Project: How Far Away Is Space?

Stack coins and use your measurement skills to figure out the scale distance from Earth's surface to space.

Planetary Travel Time

Students will compute the approximate travel time to planets in the solar system using different modes of transportation.

The Ring Wing Glider

In this simple engineering design lesson, students turn a piece of paper into an aircraft wing and then try to improve upon their design.

Student Project: Make a Paper Glider

Turn a piece of paper into a glider inspired by a NASA design.

How Do We See Dark Matter?

Students will make observations of two containers and identify differences in content, justify their claims and make comparisons to dark matter observations.

Grades 6-12

Let's Go to Mars! Calculating Launch Windows

Students use advanced algebra concepts to determine the next opportunity to launch a spacecraft to Mars.

Find our full collection of more than 250 STEM educator guides and student activities in Teach and Learn .

For games, articles, and more activities from NASA for kids in upper-elementary grades, visit NASA Space Place and NASA Climate Kids .

Explore more educational resources and opportunities for students and educators from NASA STEM Engagement .

TAGS: Lessons , Teachers , Educators , Parents , Substitutes , Activities , Students , Science , Engineering , Quick and Easy

Kim Orr , Web Producer, NASA-JPL Education Office

Kim Orr is a web and content producer for the Education Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her pastimes are laughing and going on Indiana Jones style adventures.

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Stem for middle schoolers: a guide for teaching stem at middle school, how to inspire confident stem learners, engage middle school students in hands-on learning activities, and other resources for middle school stem teachers..

The middle school years mark the transition from elementary school to high school. In these few formative years, students transition from a single teacher to multiple teachers, from general studies to more focused subjects, and from a class of peers to multiple classes with numerous peers.

These transitions form the background of their STEM education and depending on how well a student adjusts, can influence the rest of their educational career.

STEM in middle school gives students opportunities to dive deeper into STEM subjects and explore more challenging concepts. Students at the middle school level can be introduced to complex engineering, robotics, prototyping, intermediate mathematics, computer science, and more.

Creating a middle school STEM program where students can thrive is essential to inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• Why building STEM identity in middle school is so important (and how to do it)
• Middle school STEM activities that are engaging, hands-on, and designed to be challenging yet fun
• How to find the right STEM curriculum for your middle school

Ready to lead confident STEM students? Let’s jump in.

Building STEM Identity in Middle School

Once students reach middle school, they typically have a solid foundation and familiarity across most school subjects and now have the opportunity to explore those subjects in-depth. New concepts, courses, and interests quickly evolve alongside budding social lives that can also potentially affect students’ academic success.

Professionals in school counseling and psychotherapy have noted the “ drops in confidence, performance, and academic self-identity ” that middle schoolers face during these years of early adolescence, which is why strong STEM mentors are more necessary than ever in middle schools.

What is STEM Identity?

STEM identity describes how an individual sees themselves within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

Some middle school students may have had early and sustained exposure to STEM subjects at the elementary level and come into their middle school STEM classes with confidence, curiosity, and ambitions to pursue a career in STEM. Others may feel like they’ve already struggled with science or mathematics earlier in their academic careers and that they’re “just not a math person.”

Many students exist somewhere within the spectrum when reaching middle school and can shift quickly and dramatically through social pressure, class difficulty, teacher influence, or any combination of the many changes happening at this time.

The great news is that STEM identity is not fixed! Students of all ages can build their STEM identities through mentorship, engaging and fun STEM activities, and positive learning experiences that build their confidence and curiosity in STEM subjects.

How to Build STEM Identity in Middle Schoolers

In middle school, students need engaging activities that activate their curiosity and challenge them in new ways. They also look for activities that are relevant to their lives, as in— How does this apply to the REAL world?

Here are a few ways to build and encourage STEM identity in middle school students:

• STEM Mentors

For students without a strong connection to STEM subjects, a mentor can make all the difference. Positively reinforcing students’ efforts, encouraging them to approach new challenges, and celebrating their successes can build better STEM identities and inspire students with the confidence they need to continue their own pursuit of STEM subjects.

STEM mentors also play a powerful role in introducing diversity within STEM. Our schoolbooks, media influences, and communities might portray a limited view of who traditionally plays a role in science, technology, engineering, or math. Introducing students to a diverse array of STEM mentors from underrepresented groups helps students of all backgrounds, genders, and abilities see themselves as future leaders in the world of STEM. 

• Diverse Challenges

Building STEM identity includes keeping students engaged with new STEM activities while keeping them at their learning edge . 

What is the learning edge? When we are faced with new concepts that are too challenging, we often experience feelings of frustration, anxiety, or confusion. The learning edge is a place within our comfort zone of learning that provides just enough of a challenge to be exciting and fun without posing too large a challenge to be discouraging.

Middle school students who are approached with too many challenges beyond their learning edge might handle these feelings by withdrawing, giving up, or acting out in other ways that prevent them from learning. To continue to build their STEM identity, students need diverse challenges that keep them on their learning edge.

• Engaging STEM Activities

All students, but especially middle school students, are interested to know how a classroom lesson applies to the real world. Are they really going to use math outside of school? When will they ever need these scientific facts after graduation?

A great way to preemptively answer these types of questions is by introducing engaging hands-on STEM activities that immediately immerse these subjects into the real world. Rather than reading and recitation, students get to see the real-world applications of STEM concepts and stay engaged while having fun in the classroom.

Middle School STEM Activities

With these helpful tips on supporting middle schoolers on their STEM journey, let’s explore some considerations and ideas for STEM activities in the middle school classroom.

Science doesn’t have to be all worksheets and balancing electrons. Have fun with hands-on STEM activities for your middle school students. Science builds critical thinking, problem solving, analytical thinking, and experimentation in students. Keep it fun by relating each subject to the real world and letting students do some experimenting of their own.

• Scientific Challenges

To encourage middle schoolers to explore concepts and experiment on their own, allow ample time for scientific challenges in the classroom. This might include letting students design their own science experiments using the scientific method, solving a mystery or hypothesis in groups or as a class, or exercising students divergent thinking by encouraging them to find as many creative solutions to solve a problem.

Scientific challenges are often built into curriculum activities ( like Kid Spark’s STEM comprehensive programs ) where students can apply a convergent learning skill they’ve just learned and can apply it to a new problem, finding numerous creative solutions. 

Challenges can also be constructed by teachers themselves, adding a game element or creative element to a scientific concept to move beyond memorization and into hands-on learning.

• Tie in the latest science news

There’s no better way to highlight a science lesson’s relevance than to directly tie into what’s happening in the world of science today. 

NASA provides helpful professional courses for educators K-12, online STEM toolkits, and STEM lesson plans on their STEM engagement website . Here, you can find several different resources for both teachers and students to explore STEM subjects related to what’s currently happening in science news. 

Middle school students are especially interested in technologies that are relevant. With the fast pace of technological advancements, this can be a challenge for many teachers to find new ways to engage students in technology-focused STEM activities. Here are a couple of ideas for the classroom in 2023:

• Leverage what they already know: computers

Middle schoolers are already well-versed in computers, and might already be familiar with computer science (CS) and coding on their own. Regardless of their familiarity, the application of computer science is something that is likely already aligned with their interests.

Google for Education offers resources for K-12 educators and CS activities for students in the classroom. The middle school level is a great time to introduce these concepts and provide creative activities for students to explore computer science.

• Connect technology to the real world

In one unit of Kid Spark’s middle school STEM program , students build an airplane model, then design and 3D print their own propeller. Over the course of multiple lessons, students learn to navigate a CAD system, design a three-dimensional prototype, and eventually print their custom airplane propeller. 

This process connects modern technology to a hands-on learning activity with both convergent and divergent activities included. Complete with comprehensive lesson plans, student workbooks, video tutorials, and unit assessments, teachers have all the tools they need for an engaging integrated STEM activity that keeps middle school students participating.

Engineering

It’s going to take more than legos to get middle schoolers engaged in engineering. Luckily, there are several ways to introduce more complex engineering schools that keep students challenged and at their learning edge.

• Think “movement”

Flying rockets, speeding soapbox cars, and engineering a soft landing to keep an egg intact are all examples of hands-on engineering activities for middle school. Exploring the concepts of inertia, velocity, and acceleration opens up a fascinating world of learning activities that combines both convergent and divergent learning.

When approaching engineering concepts like these in text, try to find a physical example to illustrate the concept in the classroom. If you or your students are limited in supplies or resources, consider participating in one hands-on activity as a class, dividing students into groups, or using recycled materials to illustrate these engineering concepts.

• How things work

Our natural curiosity enjoys learning about how things work. Introducing the inner workings of engineering can make students see the world in an entirely new way. So how do we explore these concepts? 

Structured engineering lesson plans with hands-on learning activities are a great way to introduce simple and complex mechanisms and machines. Because of the sequential nature of engineering concepts, we recommend a more structured and progressive approach to introduce new concepts, then let them build upon each other until students have a comprehensive understanding of how things work and can apply a variety of engineering principles to a single problem on their own.

This is best seen in our middle school STEM program where students work with reusable engineering components to build simple machines like levers, wheels, screws, and pulleys then move into compound machines with motors, motions, and gears.

For a sneak peek at what these lesson plans look like, click here .

Mathematics

Middle schoolers don’t typically enjoy the two-dimensional world of math on paper. To make mathematics fun and relevant, try to incorporate hands-on learning activities where students can apply their math knowledge to real-world problems, like:

• Geometry with their own engineered models

In a simple machines lesson of Kid Spark’s 6th-8th Grade Stem Program , students assemble a screw and learn how to calculate its mechanical advantage by measuring the different attributes of a circle. Through this hands-on activity, students have three-dimensional models to understand radius, diameter, and circumference, how to measure each, and how each makes a difference in the mechanical advantage of a screw.

By combining a real-world application and hands-on activity, this mathematical lesson comes to life and gives students an engaging STEM experience that is more memorable and impactful than measuring shapes in a textbook.

• Baking with fractions and ratios

Following a baking recipe provides a fun (and delicious) way to explore fractions, ratios, and conversions. Different variations of mathematical baking lessons might include following a no-bake recipe together as a class, having each student bring a recipe to convert and scale to then bake and share with the class, or forming groups of students to work together on a single recipe.

A real-world application of these mathematical concepts helps further cement the lessons of measurement, scale, ratios, and conversions while providing students with a fun and engaging activity.

Bring Kid Spark Education’s STEM Program to Your Middle School

Are you looking for an all-in-one solution for your middle school STEM program? Kid Spark Education can help plan your program today. 

At Kid Spark, we believe that accessibility and consistency to STEM education closes the divide in STEM inequities. With our comprehensive and progressive STEM programs from Pre-K through Grade 8, we provide all the tools you need as an educator including curriculum tools, engineering components, professional development, and complete lesson plans that meet NGSS standards. 

Explore our programs or connect with us today to learn more about Kid Spark’s STEM kits for your middle school.

Topics: STEM mentors , STEM Activities , STEM Education , middle school stem , Kid Spark Education , middle school , math , stem , 6th grade , 5th grade , science

Written By Jordani Sarreal

Would you like to receive more information about starting a kid spark stem program for your students , go beyond the buzzword with kid spark..

At Kid Spark Education, STEM isn't a buzzword: it's a powerful way to nurture students' natural curiosity; build confidence and skills in science, technology, engineering, and math; and foster abilities in collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. You, their teachers, are our most important partner in achieving our mission of preparing all children for a lifetime of learning about science and technology. The Kid Spark Blog is written by educators, for educators to be a resource in your toolbox so you can feel confident and capable in teaching STEM to your elementary students. 

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9 Collaborative Technology Projects Your Students Will Love!

If your classroom is far from a 1:1 environment (more like 1:32), it can be hard to find great technology projects that really work.

If your classroom is far from a 1:1 environment (more like 1:32), it can be hard to find great technology projects that really work. Here are some simple tech tools students can use to create awesome projects. Students can work together in cooperative learning groups or independently depending on your access to technology in your school district. Bonus: They’re all free!

Inkle   is a fun digital storytelling tool for students. Rather than having students use Microsoft Word, change things up by having them create a digital book. Students will love adding images to make their story come to life! Cooperative learning idea: Students can collaborate and create a Choose Your Own Adventure story! Each child adds a paragraph to the story and at least two options for readers to choose from. They insert images by adding the link to an image they like online. This Web 2.0 tool is free and the children’s work can be saved and shared.

2. Story Bird

With Story Bird , kids can choose images and invent their very own unique story to go along with the pictures. Students must use their inference skills to depict an image. What is the character feeling? Where does the story take place (setting)? What’s the plot? It’s up to kids to decide after they carefully examine every detail of their image. There is no right or wrong answer.

Cooperative learning idea:  Have students share a computer and agree on an image. Then they go off and depict the image as they see it. The students can then compare and contrast their results.

3. Build Your Wild Self

New York Zoos and Aquarium / Wildlife Conservation Society has an interactive game called  Build Your Wild Self!  Students choose different body parts and limbs for their creature. Then, they choose a habitat. When they’re all finished, the site describes each attribute they chose. For example, orb spider eyes: “You have six eyes, but you can’t see very well. You use your keen sense of touch to track down prey.” 

Cooperative l earning idea:  Have students work together to build a “wild self” and write a paragraph describing what their animal would eat, their animal’s habitat, exceptional characteristics and talents, as well as their unique adaptations. You could also group students into teams to create a habitat that would be suitable for all of their animals!

4. Blabberize

Blabberize is a free tool that makes photos come to life! Students upload a photo, create a mouth and record whatever they would like their image to say!

Cooperative learning idea: Students can take turns talking. This tool can be used to give a history or science report. Students could describe an animal’s adaptations by making the animal they researched talk!

5. Little Bird Tales

Students can create digital books, add or draw photos and insert their very own voice with Little Bird Tales ! You could have each student create a page to create a class book. Click here for an example.

Cooperative learning idea: Older students can work in teams and create a digital book for a presentation. This is a great project for students who don’t enjoy giving oral presentations.

6. What if? Genie

If students aren’t feeling inspired, have them ask the story genie ! The genie randomly generates a “what if?” question for kids. The “what if?” questions are crazy and imaginative, ones kids would have a blast writing about! Hit the genie square to generate a question.

Cooperative learning idea:  Students can share a computer, generate a “What if?” question, then go off and write! Then they can compare and contrast their results.

7. Free Rice

Have students make a difference by practicing their math, chemistry, anatomy, geography, foreign language, vocabulary, grammar, humanities and even for the SAT. “For each answer they get right, 10 grains of rice is donated  through the World Food Programme to help end hunger.”

Cooperative learning idea: Students can go on Free Rice and calculate how much rice they donated as a group and create a graph to show their weekly results. This can be an ongoing project throughout the year. Groups can compare and contrast their results.

A free Animoto account lets students create 30-second videos, which can be challenging!

Cooperative learning idea: Have students explain something in 30 seconds through music and images. Above is an example of a water cycle video.

How many letters can you chain together to form a word? Point value: 3 or 4 letters = 1 point, 5 = 2 points, 6 = 3 points, 7 = 5 points, 8 or more = 11 points. Goal: Try to form as many words as you can before time runs out! Visit  Teacher Led  for a free letter generator!

Cooperative learning idea: Have students work in teams to create words. Then as a math project, they can create fractions (words created / how many times they rolled the dice) or graphs (compare/contrast the number of words created).

Erin Bittman is a designer turned teacher. Check out her blog E Is for Explore ! You can also find E Is for Explore! on Facebook and Pinterest .

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50 STEM Activities for Kids of All Ages and Interests

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45+ Technology Activities for Kids: Computer Science, Coding, and Tech Fun!

Posted on Published: July 20, 2020  - Last updated: July 22, 2022

We definitely put the “T” in STEAM at our house. Tech is our jam! Find more than 45 computer science, coding, and technology activities for kids with a round-up of some of our favorite tech activities that are sure to teach computational thinking, basic coding skills, and more!

On Thursdays this summer, we are going to explore all things computer science, coding, and tech! These technology activities for kids are paired with other STEAM disciplines for some great hands-on learning opportunities!  

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Our Family Code earns from qualifying purchases. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more details.

Why is Technology an Important Part of STEAM?

Computer science, coding, and technology activities for kids help prepare kids for life and encourage the development of logic, programming, problem solving, and creative thinking.

Kids can learn a lot with technology activities. In these technology activities, kids can learn: programming skills, electrical engineering, logical sequences, game design, patterns, coding, how to use technology appropriately, data collection and analysis, computational thinking and so much more!

Supplies for Kid Technology Activities

Simple tools such as a paper, printer, and pencils, are needed for these computer science, coding, and technology activities for kids.

There are quite a few unique activities in the bunch, so there are some additional supplies needed. You’ll find a list of these unique supplies below!

Some supplies you’ll need for these technology activities include:

• origami paper
• Fuse Fuse Beads & Pegboards
• building bricks
• paper mosaic squares
• battery pack
• LEDs (light emitting diodes)
• Lithium 3V coin cell batteries
• Copper tape
• Beebot , Botley , Dash , or other robot (Check out our robot gift guide !)
• Conductive thread
• paper tubes
• plastic cups
• sewable battery holder
• CR 2032 Coin Cell Battery
• 9V batteries
• AA batteries
• Alligator clips
• Copper wire

Summer of STEAM

Techie Thursdays are part of our Summer of STEAM Series. I love activities that are super low-prep! That makes it even easier to get things set up quickly!

We are big on routines at our house, so we’ve sorted our activities into different “themed” days to keep the learning going all summer long!

Check out our Summer of STEAM activities for kids filled with Math Mondays , Tinker Tuesdays , Wonder Wednesdays , Techie Thursdays, and Foodie Fridays !

Why are STEAM Activities Important?

STEAM is the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Like STEM, STEAM is an integrated approach to learning that encourages learners to make connections between the concepts they are learning and how they apply them to real-world problems .

STEAM helps students ask questions, problem solve, think creatively, and produce innovative solutions.

Many schools have adopted STEAM learning activities into their curriculum, but it’s never too early to start building critical thinking skills.

We love  low-prep STEAM activities at our house and have a blast doing activities designed for toddlers all the way to tweens!

STEM Technology Activities for Elementary and Middle School

The computer science, coding, and technology activities below are designed for kids ages 6 and up. Keep scrolling to find Preschool and Early Learning tech activities for kids in the following section!

Learn about variables, sequences, algorithms, and loops and code a volcano ! Learn how to communicate with a robot with clear steps and commands from Our Family Code.

Make squishy mermaid circuits with this project from STEAMsational

Sudoku is a great activity to strengthen logical reasoning skills and decomposition skills while working with a simple algorithm, or a series of instructions for solving problems. This Letter Sudoku activity is a way to introduce kids as young as preschool to the rules and the use of logical reasoning to solve a problem from Our Family Code.

Learning about computational thinking and gain skills important for computer programming with this unplugged coding LEGO activity from Brain Power Boy. 

This Fitness coding game teaches kids coding concepts, including conditionals and variables from Our Family Code.

These LEGO mazes , which can be solved with “code” using paper rather than a computer, illustrate 4 levels of difficulty and include a variety of programming concepts from Research Parent.

This tech + art activity helps build map skills while making hometown artwork from Our Family Code.

These origami firefly paper circuits are a great way to pair math + tech + art for a great STEAM project from Teach Beside Me.

This patchwork heart resist art activity is filled with logical thinking and creativity by pairing science, art, and technology to create artwork from Our Family Code.

Build electric circuits with these STEM challenge cards from Teach Beside Me.

This rocket ship decomposition unplugged coding activity is designed to teach kids the concept of decompositions and algorithms from Our Family Code!

Make light-up alligator circuits with the tech + art activity from Teach Beside Me.

This Pi Necklace coding activity is the perfect combination of math, binary, and hexadecimal coding for upper elementary and middle school students from Our Family Code.

This activity takes the If Then statement and turns it into a fun and active game with an  If-Then Backyard Coding Game for Kids from Left Brain Craft Brain.

Color by Hexadecimal Rainbow Coding Activity  with free printable from Our Family Code

Reverse engineer a recycled toy robot with this activity from Brain Power Boy!

This Algorithm Art Love Tree activity is a great unplugged coding activity for kids K-8 to learn how actions can be turned into algorithms from Our Family Code. 

This firefly sewn circuit craft is a great way to get crafty with STEM and tech activities from Teach Beside Me!

This math + art + technology activity is designed to show how JavaScript programs can be used to make drawings and introduce kids to the coordinate system used. Learn how to code a rectangle with JavaScript and ProcessingJS, and then try it yourself in the editor boxes from Our Family Code.

Find out how to make an art bot from Science Sparks!

Make easy play dough circuits with this project from Teach Beside Me.

Explore the layers of the rainforest and code the correct animals to each layer using logical reasoning from Our Family Code!

Make a DIY iPhone speaker from The Craft Train.

Turn a pi skyline activity into a color coding mosaic pi cityscape activity that works on basic programming skills while introducing Pi from Our Family Code. 

Learn how to code your name in binary code from Mama Smiles.

This graph art activity is a great way to pair tech + art to illustrate data from Go Science Kids.

This math + art + technology activity is designed to show how JavaScript programs can be used to make drawings and introduce kids to the coordinate system used. Learn how to code a circle with JavaScript and ProcessingJS, and then try it yourself in the editor boxes from Our Family Code.

Learn about boolean and comparison operators with this Guess the Animal boolean coding activity ! Boolean logic sounds like a pretty complex concept, but it’s actually very easy to understand. Booleans are a type of data that has two values either true or false that can be used to evaluate logical questions from Our Family Code.

This activity uses programming to move a Beebot around a board game based on the roll of your dice. This beebot challenge of chance game showcases number recognition, sequencing, coding and chance all in a fun and engaging way from The Stem Mum.

Pair this pirate algorithm activity with the Magic Tree House! Use your coding skills to find the treasure in this treasure hunt unplugged coding activity from Our Family Code!

Build habitats for Hexbugs using different building blocks to explore STEM principles from The Stem Mum.

Build your own mini robot with Unruly from Red Ted Art.

Coding and a knowledge of computer science is an essential part of our children’s education. One of the ways we can facilitate this learning is through educational apps like Swift Playgrounds by Apple. 

Make a Valentine’s lightbulb corner bookmark from Red Ted Art.

This Fibonacci coding tech + math + art activity is the ultimate project to learn some coding and explore Fibonacci rectangles from Our Family Code.

Find out the easiest way to learn binary code and crack the code with this free printable and activity from Our Family Code.

This unplugged coding activity is a great introduction to the basics of programming and is ideal for Kindergarten through 3rd graders. After completing the activity, kids can work together to create their maze and communicate their written program to help navigate their peers (or siblings in our case) through the maze. Grab this great free printable from Our Family Code.

This pumpkin paper circuit is a great STEAM activity to learn about simple circuits and parallel circuits and then apply that circuitry knowledge with some artistic flair to make pumpkin paper circuits from Our Family Code! 

Preschool Technology Activities

These computer science, coding, and technology activities for kids are geared to preschool age kiddos. These are the perfect way to introduce young children to basic computational thinking and coding skills.

Grab these Lucky Sequences Preschool Unplugged Coding Activity worksheets to practice sequencing today and finish writing sequences with Lucky Charms™ cereal from Our Family Code.

Learn coding concepts with legos  from Team Cartwright.

You can’t go wrong with Tinker Trays! Check out these great Tinker Tray ideas from Hands-on Teaching Ideas that create a great invitation to make and create! Our favorite is the Mechanic Tinker Tray!

Make a Kids Upcycled Mini Maker Kit for kids to organize loose parts and build open-ended projects from Happily Ever Mom! 

This unplugged coding activity takes the concept of programming and makes it tangible for young kids even toddlers! The whole point of this activity is for you to give directions (algorithms) for making drawings and to help my young kids understand how to translate movements into programs and practice communicating those ideas through codes and symbols from Our Family Code.

Create an algorithm on the grid that follows the events of the story, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt , with this unplugged coding activity from JDaniel4’s Mom.

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Friday 11th of September 2020

These are some great technology related activities which you have shared to teach the basic coding concepts to kids. As we all know, coding is a skill which can be only mastered through practice. I think it is a perfect idea to engage kids in such practical projects which gives them hands on experience of coding. TechyKids Canada aim to provide the kids with various program & tech based courses which makes learning of coding for kids lot more fun & interactive. I must say this a best blog which I have read till now. Keep sharing such interesting blog with us.

25+ Technology Activities for Kids that Don’t Use Screens!

STEM technology activities are a part of our world today and won’t be going away anytime soon. But when it comes to STEM, the “T” in STEM, technology, can be hard to teach!

Use these technology activities for kids to help explore the technical side of STEM and prepare children to live and work in a society steeped in technology and change.

Kids will love these coding activities and technology STEM activities for kids !

STEAM Technology Activities for Kids

Kids will love how amazing and simple it is to learn with technology using these technology activities for kids!

What are STEM Technology Activities for Kids?

A STEM activity uses elements of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math to solve problems.

All STEM activities are inquiry-based, which means they are designed to answer a question (often a question the child creates herself). STEM activities encourage children to see subjects like math and science in a new light, and how to use those subjects to solve their day to day problems and the problems that they might face as adults.

All STEM activities should contain elements of at least two disciplines in STEM, and all of them when possible!

As critical thinking and creative thinking become more and more important, STEM activities provide a safe and fun way for children to explore the concepts of science, math, engineering, and technology in a kid-friendly and fun way.

Even if a child never goes into a STEM field as an adult, engaging in STEM activities will encourage problem-solving, logical thinking, and creativity in any industry.

TRY IT: The Complete List of STEM Activities for Kids

Why Should Kids do Fun Technology Projects?

Many schools require some form of STEM education in the classroom. But you don’t have to be a teacher to do STEM activities with kids.

You can also try some at home, during school holidays or over the summer.

Not only do STEM activities help children learn how to solve problems on their own, but it also allows hands-on kiddos to learn in a way that makes sense to them.

Children who need to touch and feel to learn effectively will thrive in a STEM-focused classroom or home.

You May Also Like: 31 Creative STEM Activity Ideas for Kids

What are Technology Projects for Elementary Students?

A technology activity is an activity that has a big technology element. This could include weather technology, science equipment like microscopes, computers, tablets, phones, video cameras, or any other piece of technology.

A technology activity helps children learn more about how to use technology to solve problems, rather than just for entertainment.

Each technology activity should include a teaching portion helping children learn how to use that piece of technology in a better or safer way.

Technology activities teach kids how to use technology for good, rather than just as a way to socialize or have fun.

Don’t Miss: Science Experiments for Kids

Why are Technology Lessons for Kids Important?

Technology is a part of our world and won’t be going away any time soon. Kids require technology to exist in the world today. The more you introduce children to technology in a safe, supervised environment, the better off they will be and the easier time they will have as they grow.

Technology activities give kids an advantage over kids who don’t use screens, helping them design and shape future technology from the safety of the classroom or home.

What Will Kids Learn doing Technology STEM Projects?

Kids can learn a lot with technology activities. In these technology activities, kids can learn:

• Programming
• Electrical engineering
• Game design
• How to use technology
• Creating games
• Logical sequences
• How to give directions
• Familiarity with computers and technology
• Data collection and analysis
• Specific programs

You’ll Also Love: Quick STEM Activities for Kids

How to Technology Activities Fit into STEM?

Each STEM activity includes elements of science, technology, engineering, and math. We use technology to record data, analyze data, make predictions, and make changes.

Every STEM project will include some elements of technology, but these technology activities have a larger tech-theme than some of the other STEM activities on this site.

These technology activities can be used to learn many different things, from how the world works to new ways to solve specific problems in our world today and in the future.

Children shouldn’t be afraid to use technology!

Don’t Miss: STEM Activities for Elementary Kids

CODING BOOKS FOR KIDS

The Complete List of Technology Activities for Kids

Try these technology activities for kids any time of year!

Technology Activities for Preschoolers

Try these screen-free technology activities with preschoolers!

Secret Message Coding Bracelets are a fun way to introduce binary to preschoolers and share secret messages, too!

Make Science Discovery Bottles and discover the basics of science, like seasons, magnets, sink and float, density, and more!

Learn How to Make Recycled Paper at home and transform old paper into new!

Build a Color Mixing Flower and teach preschoolers the basics of color theory.

Technology Activities for Kindergarten

Even kindergarten kids can get in on tech action with these coding activity ideas.

Make Edible Plate Tectonics and show kids how the earth plates move over time.

These Kid-Friendly Resources for Learning to Code introduce the concept of coding to kindergarten kids.

Teach Kids to Navigate using techniques like pirates did log ago!

Build Map Skills for Kids and teach them how to read a map.

Technology Activities for Elementary Students

Try these technology activities with your elementary students.

Elementary kids will love these coding gifts for kids.

Learn How to Use Squishy Circuits and start electrical engineering at home or in the classroom.

Try the Energy Efficient Window STEM Challenge and learn what the most energy-efficient way to shade a window is.

Build a Minecraft Chessboard right inside the game.

Tech Activities for Middle School

Middle schoolers will love these tech activities for middle school!

Don’t miss these free coding apps for kids!

Make your own Jellybean Stop Motion Video . You can also use LEGO or anything else you have lying around.

Create your own circuit Light-Up Circuit Unicorn !

Middle schoolers will have fun with these Ozobot Evo Coding Activities

Make a 3D Carbon Atom Model using a 3D pen.

Create a 3D Skate Park with a 3D pen!

TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES FOR SPRING

These spring technology activities are perfect for warmer weather!

How to Make Recycled Paper

Build a Color Mixing Flower

Make a Raining Rainbow

Animal Diet Classification

Tornado in a Jar

TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER

During the summer, try these fun summer technology challenges.

Squishy Circuit Projects: Mermaid Edition 

Flashlight Constellations

Marshmallow Constellations

Solar System Mobile

Patriotic Discovery Bottle

Exploding Minecraft Creeper Rockets

Solar System Sun Catcher

TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES FOR FALL

This fall, try these technology activities for fall!

Salt Crystal Leaves

Halloween Catapult

TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES FOR WINTER

These winter technology activities will fit into any STEM activity!

Coding Caterpillar Challenge

Light-Up Programmable Christmas Tree

Squishy Circuit Shamrock

Light-Up Valentine

Light-Up New Year’s Ball

Valentine Coding Bracelets

Binary Name Ornaments

Magnetic Valentine Discovery Bottle

Share this project with a friend!

50 Activities for Middle School

Hands-on ideas to engage digital learners in meeting standards and learning goals.

Using a device to fill out a digital worksheet isn't any more compelling than using a pencil to fill out a paper version. Encourage students to show what they know and capitalize on their interest in technology by creating digital projects on classroom topics using media formats that abound in the world around them.

Explore fifty ideas for using a digital approach to help middle school students meet standards and learning goals, divided into sections for:

Language Arts

Social Studies

• Arts & SEL

Use a digital approach to engage middle school students in reading comprehension and provide authentic opportunities for listening, speaking and writing in narrative, informational and argumentative form.

1. Design a new book cover

Have students create a new cover design for a book they are reading to demonstrate comprehension and explore character, plot, setting, symbolism, and conflict.

Explore a Book Cover Design lesson plan

Small, but mindful, changes can move a task beyond remember and retell. For example, replace a typical character trait cluster assignment with the task of developing a coat of arms for a story's protagonist that represents traits of the main character.

Creating a coat of arms provides students with an opportunity to think about objects, colors, symbols, and mottos that reflect a character's personality, passions, strengths, and experiences.

Wixie has a Coat of Arms template that makes it easy to add color, text, and images to show comprehension.

Explore a Character Scrapbook lesson plan

4. Create a Book Trailer

Much like the movie trailers students are familiar with, ask students to create a short, fast-paced book trailer that shares information about characters and events in a way that would motivate others to read the book.

Share the book trailers with the rest of the class or play them on the morning announcements to encourage others to read the books.

Explore a Book Trailer lesson plan

5. Visual Poetry

Blackout Poems

To write a blackout poem, the author covers up words on a page of text until the leftover words form a poem. Digital tools, like Wixie, include blackout poetry templates that contain a page of text from Tom Sawyer ( template ), Shakespeare ( template ), Lewis Carroll ( template ), and more. 

Students read the text and circle words they find interesting, then read them again to hear the resulting poem. Students can circle additional words to fill out the idea and then blackout the rest of the words and add additional decoration.

Video Poetry

Poetry's purposeful word choice encourages close, careful reading. Have students create visual versions of poems to demonstrate their comprehension of the author's word choice and intent.

Ask students to create a project and then type a poem from their favorite poet or one they have written, adding stanzas to each page. Students can add illustrations and record themselves reading it.

Explore a Visual Poetry lesson plan

6. Modernize a Myth or Legend

Rather than merely retelling stories, ask students to adapt, extend, or create new versions of the stories they are reading. Students can modernize an ancient myth to make it more relevant to their lives today, comparing similarities and differences along the way.

7. Cool Word Vocabulary

Visuals help form connections to words and help students better remember the meaning of the word.

Digital tools make it easy to combine words and pictures and publish flash cards and posters you can use to improve vocabulary.

Explore a Cool Word Vocabulary lesson plan

8. Publish a personification story

Have students personify an object, and then use a digital tool like Wixie to write, illustrate and publish it as an eBook.

Students should brainstorm feelings the object would have to develop the conflict that will drive their story and begin writing. Scaffold their work further by asking them to identify character traits, determine setting, and codify the plot diagram or at a minimum the beginning, middle, and end.

Explore a Personification Stories lesson plan

9. Product: Fictitious Interviews

Creating a digital story in the form of an interview helps you engage students in writing and makes work with informational text come alive. Ask students to craft fictitious interviews between characters in a novel they are reading to demonstrate comprehension of the traits and behaviors.

Fictitious interviews are great ways to summarize and deepen comprehension for informational texts as well, making them perfect for science and social studies classrooms. For example, you can ask students to interview a figure from history, an animal, or even an artifact.

More ideas for conducting interviews

10. Product: Wanted posters

Creating a Wanted poster is a great way to get students thinking about the traits, experiences, and motivations of the characters in the stories they are reading.

It is often the antagonist that makes a story interesting or gives a plot direction. Have students create wanted posters for villains in the stories they are reading to evaluate comprehension and help them consider how they might craft a villain to add impact to their own writing.

Creating Wanted posters can also help students clarify their thinking about definitions related to math , atomic elements and molecules , and figures from history .

Digital tools can provide a platform for middle school students to apply mathematical thinking and engage in standards of mathematical practice as they practice procedures, create visual models, and solve problems.

11. Work with Ratio and Rate

Use word problems ( ratio and rate ) to give students a sense of the ways that ratio and rate connect to the world around them.

Ask students to extend their understanding by writing their own word problems and challenging peers to solve them using strategies like a double-number line .

12. Putt Putt Polygons

Measuring the perimeter and area of polygons requires knowing and applying formulas like the Pythagorean Theorem. Give students a fun context for practicing by asking them to design a hole for miniature golf!

13. Math Backgrounds

Math can be frustrating for some students, especially when erasing mistakes makes equations or coordinate planes unreadable. This problem only adds to the challenge of tackling complex equations and data.

Use backgrounds like grids , plots , or coordinate planes , and have students use paint tools to write equations, fill areas, or plot lines.

14. Design a Dream Home

Ratio and rate also apply to scale in architectural drawings. Even if they don't want to be an architect, most students would love to dream up a bedroom, a tiny house, or even a mansion design.

Have students use a grid to create architectural designs to scale.

15. Play with Probability

You can teach students the rule of probability, but they will retain the information more if they come up with the mathematical rules on their own.

Have students calculate experimental probability by using dice or a specific spinner to do a task 40 times. Have students tally their results and use the data to calculate the experimental probability.

After establishing experimental probability, challenge students to come up with the theoretical probability for other toys. Bonus if they can generate a mathematical model for predicting probability.

16. Collect, analyze, and showcase data

Using data to make predictions, analyze and communicate information is becoming an essential skill for future success. While there are other steps in the data science process, students need to know how to collect and display data in ways that make it easy to visualize and understand.

Wixie makes this process easy with its design tools and templates, whether students are creating bar graphs (categorical), histograms (numerical), or other data displays.

17. Explore Geometric Transformations Through Tessellations

Tessellations are geometric patterns that repeat forever with no gaps or overlaps. Squares can tessellate easily. The word tessellate comes from the Greek word tesseres, which means four.

Inspire students with the work of M.C. Escher or Islamic tiling, and then have them create their own rotation or reflection tessellations.

Explore a Tessellation lesson plan

18. Online Math Academy

Showcase student expertise by asking them to create tutorials to teach others how to calculate, measure, solve and more.

19. Product: Explainer Video

What can your students teach others? Procedural writing is an excellent way for students to become experts in a topic and feel confident about their ability to share the information with others. This process of deconstructing and reorganizing information helps students cement concepts and provides an opportunity for you to pinpoint misconceptions.

So whether students are sharing content, a process they struggled to understand, or something they are passionate about, a how-to assignment is the perfect task to cement learning and inspire others. 

20. Inform with Infographics

Have students research information, conduct surveys, or collect data on a topic. Then, students can create charts and graphs, analyze the information, and develop an infographic to display their findings.  

Explore a Creating Infographics lesson plan

Digital tools provide a fun way for students to share ideas and explain scientific understandings for Life, Physical, Earth and Space and Engineering concepts.

21. Body System Beats

Ask students to create a music video to inform others about how a body system works, its functions, and how it interacts with other systems for optimal health.

Explore an It's My Body lesson plan

22. Cell Function Similes

Evaluate student understanding of animal cells by asking them to compare how various cell parts, including the nucleus, cell wall, cell membrane, chloroplast, and mitochondria, function like elements on a farm or parts of a school .

By illustrating these comparisons, students not only gain a deeper understanding of cellular structures and their functions but also develop their ability to make meaningful connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.

23. Model Scientific Processes

Actively engage students in scientific exploration by creating simulations and visual representations that model chemical reactions and scientific processes.

By encouraging them to create visual representations, students can deepen their understanding of complex concepts.

24. Expert Interviews

Students can create expert interview videos that delve into scientific concepts and discoveries. By conducting interviews with scientists or experts in the field, students can explore complex ideas and present their findings in an engaging and accessible format; fostering a deeper understanding of science among their peers.

Don't have access to an expert? Craft a fictitious interview!

25. Write Informational Texts

Ask students to create informational science texts to inform or share learning with others. Through these books, students can convey their understanding of various concepts.

26. Terminology Journals

Students benefit from explicit vocabulary instruction, especially terminology linked to a specific discipline or topic. Collecting, defining and refining are easy with digital terminology journals.

27. Animate a Scientific Process

Labeling and diagramming are great, but modeling a process through animation can help students better understand the macro- and micro- scopic processes. For example, ask students to animate a chemical process or geologic cycle, illustrating the stages and processes involved.

Read more about Animating in Secondary Math and Science

28. Connect Physics to Fun

Help students see physics as more than rules and equations by connecting it to a favorite sport or physical activity.

Explore a Fastballs, Free Throws, and Physics lesson plan

29. Publish Informational Comics

The limited amount of space in a comic's panels requires students to choose key points in a process or important factors in chemical reactions as they work to design and illustrate them.

30. Raise Awareness of Environmental and Health Issues

Students in middle school are starting to have the capabilities and passions to change the world. Have students produce public service announcements (PSAs) to raise awareness, inform, and change behavior.

When developing a public service announcement (PSA), students have a chance to practice and apply persuasive writing skills in a real-world, authentic context. A short PSA targeted at a particular audience also encourages students to focus on writing organization, as well as voice and word choice.

Explore a Here's to Your Health lesson plan

Engaging middle school students in deep thinking about history and community helps to develop citizens who have powerful inquiry and critical thinking skills.

31. Biographies

Using a digital storytelling approach to biographies helps prevent their writing from becoming a list of unrelated facts. Having students combine their research results with imagery, sound, and other media can help them better combine aspects of narrative and informational writing for a more compelling script.

Biographies aren't always books, either. There are even entire cable television channels devoted to biographies. Consider having your students create video biographies, too.

Explore a Video Biography lesson plan

32. Historical Journal

To help students think deeply about how events, circumstances, culture, and leaders in the past affect the lives of human beings, ask students to create a series of fictional journal entries that indicate how events in the past might have affected the life and perspective of a specific person living during that time. ( template )

Explore a Historical Journal lesson plan

33. Make a Map

Have students use paint tools and text labels to create maps to show the geographic features, regions, and/or economy of an area, country, or civilization.

34. Produce the News

Our students have grown up watching shows, but not necessarily the news. Challenge your students to develop a news report they would actually want to watch based on the content they are learning.

Writing a news report requires students to organize and summarize information and use new vocabulary and terminology in context.

Explore a News Broadcast lesson plan

35. Interview a Community Leader

Ask students to interview a community member to expand their knowledge and experience, as well as encourage listening, curiosity, and empathy skills.

Encourage students to change the order of questions or the order of the answers shared so that the story " unfolds a lesson learned ." In other words, what is the moral of this person's story, or what can it teach the rest of us?

36. Explore the Issues

Students in middle school are idealistic and often passionate about current issues. While they may simply want to proclaim their ideas on a billboard , use this opportunity to ask them to back up their opinions with claims and evidence .

37. Develop a Virtual Museum

Have students design an online museum, displaying artifacts and stories to engage others in the heritage of their community or a specific region.

Explore a Virtual Museum lesson plan

38. Host a Tourism (Geography) Trade Show

To help students better understand the unique features of a place, have them develop materials for a virtual tourism trade show where students promote and pitch that location to attract visitors.

Explore a Tourism Tradeshow lesson plan

39. Publish a Historical Newspaper

Have students create a newsletter or newspaper to show what they have learned about the events, politics, and cultures of a different time in history.

Newspaper creation helps students better understand the perspectives of those in different times and cultures.

Explore a Day in the Life lesson plan  

40. It's a Postcard Point of View

After learning something new, have students tell someone else using a postcard! They could write a postcard from a specific time in history or a unique geographic or cultural destination.

Arts and Social-Emotional Learning

Wixie provides a canvas for students to set goals, explore emotions, and express themselves through art and music.

41. Set SMART goals

The simple act of writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them, so have students take some time to set personal goals to accomplish this school or calendar year. Developing goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely) can help even more.

Have students use the goals as a home screen on their devices so they see a daily reminder of what they are working to achieve.

Explore a SMART Goals lesson plan

42. Design a Vision Board

A vision board provides inspiration and motivation to reach dreams and goals. Students can choose a goal and add pictures of what they think achieving them looks and feels like.

Digital tools, like Wixie, make it easy to combine images. When vision boards are complete, print or export an image so you can post to a place you are everyday, like on a desk or phone lock screen, for a daily motivator.

Explore a Vision Boarding lesson plan

43. Create an Arcimboldo-inspired self-portrait

Giuseppe Arcimboldo is an Italian Renaissance painter known for his portraits of people that use objects like fruit and books. Challenge students to create Arcimboldo-style self-portraits by combining clip art images in an imaging tool.

Explore an Arcimboldo-Inspired Self-Portraits lesson plan

44. Play Music

While you may not be teaching music theory, expressing one's feelings and emotions through music is both fun and therapeutic. You can try the online keyboard below or give students options like:

• a xylophone
• percussion tubes

45. Write a Classroom Constitution

Involving students in creating a class constitution makes them part of the process of government, giving them a vested interest and responsibility in following and upholding the laws they have determined.

Explore a Classroom Constitution lesson plan

Inform students about surrealism. You might inspire them by reading a book like Pish, Posh, Hieronymus Bosch .

Have students use paint tools to illustrate bizarre creatures juxtaposed around a normal self-portrait and then write a poem about the way the surrealism makes them feel.

This example takes advantage of the mirror symmetry options for the paint brush in Wixie .

Explore a Surreal Symmetry lesson plan

47. Explore Collaboration Skills

In All in the Same Boat by Wilkie Martin, a greedy rat is shown how no one wins when success is achieved at the expense of others.

Discuss what makes a great teammate and then ask students to create their own Team Member ID Card to let future group members know a bit about how they work collaboratively.

48. Send a virtual compliment

Show your appreciation for a classmate, family member, or friend with a compliment card. This is a great idea for a random acts of kindness promotion.

Tools like Wixie let you print multiple copies or pages onto a single sheet of paper, making it easy to print, fold, and then drop in a classmate's lunch box or backpack.

49. Make a playlist for your future

Students likely already have playlists for their favorite songs, and many have playlists for different moods. Use this as a jumping-off point to ask them to "audiolize" what their future sounds like by creating a playlist .

Students can add songs they know or create new artists and bands and write descriptions for them.

50. Compose a melody

Use music production or notation software to have students compose their own music.

Have students record themselves singing their melody or playing their compositions on a recorder or keyboard.

Once they have experience with digital projects, let students choose the product or way they will demonstrate understanding… simply make them argue their case before they begin. No matter what you or they choose, transfer as much responsibility as possible to students to motivate and empower them to control their own learning.

by Melinda Kolk

Melinda Kolk ( @melindak ) is the Editor of Creative Educator and the author of Teaching with Clay Animation . She has been helping educators implement project-based learning and creative technologies like clay animation into classroom teaching and learning for the past 15 years.

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FREE Modern Technology Worksheets

Since modern technology plays an important role in our lives, you should include the topic in some of your lessons. there are 307 free, printable modern technology worksheets to choose from that focus on technology and you can even narrow your search as there are several subsections. this is a nice worksheet designed to introduce some sms abbreviations to your students . it would be an especially good exercise to do with intermediate level high school students because they will be able to relate to the content of the worksheet the best. by asking your students for their opinions, you can engage them in the material more than if you only ask them to answer multiple choice and true or false questions. if this is not a good fit for your esl class, consider using one of the other available worksheets. the extent to which you cover this topic in your course will depend a lot on your students. if you are teaching at a school with limited resources where none of your students have cell phones or personal computers, some basic vocabulary will probably be sufficient while if these things play a pivotal role in the lives of your students, they will be of more importance. you can talk about the amount of time students spend using different pieces of technology with any level learner and should consider asking advanced students to explain both the advantages and disadvantages of technological advances. read more... ...less.

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Let your students create their very own personalized stories using a variety of colorful and vibrant Illustrations that ignite creativity. Story Bird and Story Jumper are two great websites that allow students to bring creative writing into the 21st century with technology.

In these websites (which are especially great for students who are not good at drawing), students write and illustrate a story using the wide assortment of backgrounds by simply dragging and dropping a series of images onto the page.

With a classroom account, teachers can create assignments, and review and comment on submitted stories. They’ll also be able to arrange for printing and purchase of any student created work. Talk about becoming young authors!

2. Create their Own Quiz

Challenge your students to create their own quiz using Kahoot !

Kahoot is a student-response gamifying tool that lets teachers create multiple-choice quizzes and polls and is a great way to incorporate fun and games in the classroom! It provides quick, real-time results and gives students instant feedback on their devices without anyone being called out individually.

I use this platform mainly to review concepts and vocabulary. My students always ask to play Kahoot again and again so I decided to establish a Kahoot day for quick revision and informal assessments. I also have them write their own test questions and allow them to create their own Kahoot quiz and take lead during the game.

3. Produce Book Trailers

Book Trailer Project is a digital storytelling activity for middle school or high school students after they finish reading a book. Students need to take the key idea from the book to create a short video that persuades people to check out a book they have read.

Doing the book trailer project requires students to summarize, synthesize and analyze the book and put that analysis in their trailer. Furthermore, having students create book trailers is a great way to incorporate technology in the classroom and encourage reading. Thus, book trailer project is a great alternative to boring book report assignments, and can easily be done individually or in groups.

Check out this post to read the step-by-step guide in doing the Book Trailer Project.

4. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Students are handed a list of things that can be found within school grounds ranging from very easy (ex: a world map) to moderate (ex: a student reading a book) to difficult (ex: a lizard). Vary the amount of points for each level of difficulty.

Then, students are instructed to take photos on their smartphones or tablets and cross off the items they have found.  They can form teams or work individually. Each team should decide who’s phone or camera will be used to take scavenger hunt photos. It should be the same phone for all of the team photos.

The winner is the player or team that find the most items on the list.

Optional: I try to combine this activity with the elements of the Treasure Hunt game. For example, I give clues or unlock new challenges when a team has successfully emailed their photo to me.

If you want to take photo scavenger hunt to the next level, you might want to check out Goose Chase !

5. Web Quest

Webquest is an inquiry-based approach to learning and a perfect way for teachers to begin integrating Internet searches into their curriculum.  It provides an authentic, technology-rich environment for problem solving and information processing.

A web quest guides students to search the Internet for specific information. For example, in a webquest called What Is the Most Serious Problem Facing Earth? , student teams vie for funding from the fictional Help Our World (HOW) Foundation. Each team builds a case for a critical environmental concern. Which threat is the most  critical? Which team should be awarded the foundation’s $1 million grant? (see more here ).

There are tons of already-constructed webquests out there like these ones from Zunal.com or you can create your own based on your lessons. A well-designed webquest lets you turn your students loose on the web for a specific project and get results that both you and your students will love.

ALSO READ: CLASSROOM DEVICE MANAGEMENT

6. Hunt for QR Codes

This game is similar to the classic treasure hunt game except that students have to search the school for QR codes which contain questions or clues to the game.

Playing this fun activity is easy. First, I prepare a list of questions from the topics that I want my students to learn or revise. Then I create and print the QR code for each question and place them across the school.

Students are put into small teams or pairs with one person owning a mobile device. They need to download a QR code reader first which is free on App Store or Google Play. Internet connection is not required once they have the app since the QR codes decode as text files.

Now, students need to search the school for these clues and scan each QR Code to get each question. They must then work together to find the answer to this question. The team that brings the most number of answers wins the game

Try this Pokemon Go-inspired QR Hunting activity that I made!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: No-prep ESL Vocabulary Games for Young Learners

7. Generate Word Cloud

A word cloud is a list of words arranged randomly and forms into a shape. It is a great way for students to summarize information, increase vocabulary and make connections between concepts. I love creating word cloud with my students because they are fun and easy to make!

There many word cloud generators online but the ones that I like the most are ABCYa  and Word It Out .

8. Sing with Lyrics Training

Lyrics Training is an awesome website to learn a language with music! Students will watch and listen to a music video and fill in the missing lyrics of the song. The website has a huge collection of songs in all genres and caters to different proficiency levels such as beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert.

9. Present Using Infographics

Incorporating infographics in the classrooms is one of the best ways to engage students in the lesson while having fun at the same time.

Allow your students to digest complex information they have learned by creating eye-catching infographics. It can help students learn to interpret data, organize ideas, and make important connections. There are different free web-based applications that students can use to create infographics such as Piktochart  and Venngage , but my students find Easel.ly very user-friendly.

10. Celebrate Diversity via e-Pals

Help students develop real-life writing and learning experiences, learn the format of a friendly letter and the proper etiquette of online communication. By integrating a letter-exchange program in the classroom, they can also learn about other cultures, languages, and geographic areas that align with the curriculum in your school.

There is a website called  ePals connects K-12 classrooms in more than 99 countries to share content and ideas and collaborate on projects (including pen pal exchanges). Teachers create a profile with a brief description about who they’re hoping to connect with and why; and can search for partner classrooms by language, age, and keyword, and can also factor in region/country and class size. Once connected, classes can communicate through a private workspace on the site.

Setting up classes is time consuming but once they are in you are good to go. Finding classes to work with can also be time consuming and frustrating due to the lack of responses from my requests but once you are connected it is so worth how excited your classes become.

Or, in the spirit of letter exchanges, you may want to join our yearly Holiday Card Exchange Project .

11. Scene it with Storyboard!

12. Be Creative with Social Media

Using the concept of social media is one awesome way to engage students in the lesson, topic or theme. With a little creativity, teachers can bring the visual power of photos into the classroom! I developed Instagram and Facebook templates so that students can have real social media learning experience without actually having the need to log in to their accounts!

Using the Instagram template , students can create their Instagram post directly in a word processing document or hand out the blank templates to have them draw their photos.

With the Facebook template , students will be able to construct a Facebook profile for a person of study – whether a fictional character or a famous historical figure. This is a fun and highly motivating activity that will encourage your students to think deeply about characters, encourage cooperative work and great discussion, and keep students on task.

13. Publish an e-Newsletter or e-Magazine

Creating a classroom newsletter can be an excellent way for students to develop their language skills and to learn how to work cooperatively. They build vocabulary through writing and through interacting with others in the class.

Let students create a list of topics that they wish to write about in their newsletter. Allow them to work in collaborative groups and assign students roles such as “writer,” “editor,” “researcher,” or “graphic artist.”

There are many apps and websites that students can use to create their newsletter. Microsoft Publisher is the oldest one I know that is easy to use and free. It has the emphasis on page layout and design rather than text composition and proofing. Other web-based apps that are worth looking are Adobe Sparks and Canva .

They can print out the newsletter or convert it to PDF and attached to an email to share their newsletter with the school and with family members.

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EN101 Author

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Article comments.

Great activities! I am excited to do the Qr code hunting with my middle school students. Thank you for sharing!

greg_faraldo

Kahoot is always a class favourite! I also let my students use online dictionary that doesn’t need an internet connection (to avoid cheating when writing essays, etc). Have you tried Wordle? It’s also a good app for making word cloud.

The digital age challenges us to use technology in ways that facilitate language learning. When teachers use technology responsibly, both teachers and students will benefit from technology in its supporting role not only in the ESL/EFL classroom but in other subjects as well.

Melchor Bernardo

You’re absolutely welcome! Let us know how your activity goes 🙂

Hi Greg! I love the offline dictionary idea! And yes, Wordle is also great on laptops. I don’t know why but it’s quite spotty (technical issues) on iPads or tablets.

to that I agree! cheers!

Thanks for this post because for some strange reason I had not been able to locate a working site that did not ask me for a lot of information about myself just to use the “word cloud” app.

You’re welcome @ghoskins I know the struggle! Sometimes its hard for students to get into or save the word cloud because some apps require too much info from the user. Word It Out is one of best and easiest app to use!

lots and lots of web 2.0 tools…truly amazing

Thank you, Fozia!

Firmansyah Kusasi

Hi Amazing, and full of inspiring activities I’ll try the web quest, qr code hunt and infogrphics which are more suitable to my class. Just suggestion..Why dont’t you give a try to video projects, and prezi presentation, and let’s see the students anthusiasm.

Thanks for the suggestion! Actually I have some videos but putting them together for a presentation takes a lot of time. I will definitely do that in the future!

And I’m glad you love the activities! Let us know how it worked for you 🙂

La caza de codigos QR me parecen interesante los empezare usar. Pero necesito mas sugerencias

Bertha Sillas

I may be teaching ESL in middle school and I appreciate the information, ideas, and resources you provide on the website.

Wow enjoy! Teaching in middle school super fun! 🙂

I will try Piktochart with my students

Wonderful suggestions! I’d love to try Lyrics Training with my music class. Thanks for your ideas ? ❤️

i think it will be very useful!!!

Syeda umme Humera

I teach history and geography to grade 8th students. The class strength is 39. Help me in different activities .specially project based. Thank you .

Radhika Jadhav

Thanks for the suggestion! Actually I will definitely do that in the future!

And I’m glad you love the activities! Let us know how it worked for you ?

Thank you 🙂

Great to hear that!

Great! Good luck with the activity!

You’re welcome! Have fun!