What is STEM?

Looking for unique and engaging first week of school science activities? This Paper Airplane STEM Activity and “What is STEM?” comic combo will make their eyes pop and their jaws drop. This LOW-PREP, PRINT-AND-GO lesson plan is effective and ropes them in because it uses SCIENCE COMICS to teach.

Be the cool teacher and kick off the new school year using a medium they LOVE. Teach science and STEM with comics!

Product Overview

The lesson begins with a one-pager science comic answering the question- “What is STEM?” It dives beyond the acronym and illustrates the variety of skills that relate to STEM. This content comic is accompanied by a guided notes (doodle notes) version allowing students to take notes while you teach.

You will have your choice of many different extension activities. The STEM Career Scavenger Hunt allows students to explore the wide range of STEM careers out there. The STEM Career Project will allow students to take a deeper dive into researching a specific STEM career of their choice.

The Paper Airplane STEM Activity challenges your learners to apply engineering and design skills to compete in a class competition. As a class, they will brainstorm to create a list of testable paper airplane qualities and then team up to create their best prototype. The activity includes visual, comic-style instructions and a lab sheet.

THERE’S MORE…

Google Slideshow

• Within the PDF you will see a link to your own copy of a Google slideshow
• The content comic is separated into individual slides making it easy for you to teach the concepts before they plow through reading the comic
• Editable
• Shareable
• Animated

What is STEM? Comic

• Designed to lay the foundational understanding of STEM
• Both color and black-line versions of each
• Easy to print up and deliver to each student
• Doubles as a science anchor chart poster
• Reading the content can be FUN for everyone in your classroom!

Doodle Notes / Guided Notes

• Words are removed from the content comics creating a fill-in-the-blank activity
• Students can follow along as you utilize the Google slideshow
• Keeps learners involved in the learning process
• Makes note-taking more enjoyable
• Fun to color
• Glue into interactive notebooks

Extension Worksheet

• Designed to reinforce understanding and touch on STEM careers
• Maintains the comic style
• Another great addition to interactive notebooks
• Can be used as classwork or homework
• Provides additional support
• Still fun to color!

Paper Airplane STEM Activity

• Inquiry-based, hands-on, student-lead activity
• The comic lays out the steps using illustrations making it more approachable to students who avoid reading
• Includes a follow-up lab report worksheet

What is STEM Word Search

STEM Careers Scavenger Hunt

• Students are prompted to conduct research in search of a STEM career for each letter of the alphabet
• They are also expected to describe the career

Career Project

• Build on the scavenger hunt and take a deeper dive into a specific STEM career
• Students have the option to create a slideshow or poster
• The project description page includes questions to help guide learners through the research

One-Pager Comic Template

• Students are challenged to create their own one-pager about STEM
• The one-pager template enables learners to make a comic
• The process of drawing what they have learned will help solidify understanding

Easel Activities

• As many aspects of this lesson as possible will be available in an Easel format (worksheets that involve drawing are omitted)
• Upload assignments directly to your virtual classroom
• Makes it easy to assign make-up work
• Another great option for homework or substitutes

Detailed Lesson Plan

• Step-by-step lesson plan template providing ideas as to how you can utilize this resource
• This resource can have a duration of a week or more

Answer Keys and Rubrics for every aspect of this product that needs one!

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