USM STEM Scientists in YOUR Classroom
Grades K-2
Life in the Marine Environment
Have you ever wondered why pelicans have a pouch on their throat or why live oaks have acorns every other year? Explore plants and animals along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and design your own fish.
Approximate time needed: 45-60 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: L.K.1B, L.1.4, L.K.3B, L.K.4, L.2.3A, L.2.4
Renewable Drinking Water
Students explore clean, renewable drinking water, and build their own water filtration system.
Approximate time needed: 45-60 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: E.1.10, E.2.10
Be a Friend to Trees
Students will learn about all the ways humans use trees and the importance of their conservation.
Approximate time needed: 30-40 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: L.2.3B.1; E.3.10.2
Mirror Mirror
Students will investigate how light is reflected to allow us to see objects. A hands-on investigation with mirrors.
Approximate time needed: 40 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: P.1.6A.1
Paper Cup Telephone
How does sound travel? Students will use a paper cup telephone to investigate the role of vibrations in sound.
Approximate time needed: 30 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: EP.1.6B.1
Scientific Method
Can you use inquiry and the scientific method to Save Fred? Find out in this hands-on investigation!
Approximate time needed: 30-40 minutes
Roller Coasters
Students will investigate physics through roller coasters to learn about gravitational force.
Approximate time needed: 45 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: P.2.6.3, P.3.6.1, P.3.6.2
Mineral Identification
How do scientists identify minerals? Students will be given a short lesson on the importance of minerals and learn to identify them based on their physical properties.
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: P.5.5A.3, ESS.2A.3
Solar Eclipses
Students learn how and why solar eclipses occur, then view the Great North American Eclipse on April 8, 2024. Note: This will be a pre-recorded video lesson.
Approximate time needed: 30-45 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: E.5.8B.2, E.6.8.6*
*Lesson can be adjusted for all grade levels.
Grades 3-5
Mystery Powder Analysis
Investigate who stole the class pet using your knowledge of properties of matter and chemical interactions.
Approximate time needed: 45-60 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: P5.5
Microplastics
Time to take out the trash! Join us in an investigation of marine debris and its impact on the marine environment
Approximate time needed: 45-60 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: E.3.10, E.4.9C, E.5.10
Adaptations in Marine Environment
Follow the life of the Piping Plover to learn about adaptation mechanisms, survival responses, and density distribution.
Approximate time needed: 45-60 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: L.3.4, L.5.3B
How Does Your Brain Control Your Body?
Students complete the “Think Fast!” activity to explore the brain’s role in receiving information from the senses, processing that information, and controlling the muscles to enable movement.
Standards: MS CCRS: L.4.1, L.6.1
Owl Pellets
Students will determine an owl’s diet by dissecting owl pellet.
Standards: MS CCRS L.5.3B, L.6.1, L.6.3, L.7.3
Phases of Matter
What parameters control the phases in which matter exists? Is it just temperature or are there other parameters to consider?
Approximate time needed: 45-60 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: P.3.5, P.3.5.1, P.3.5.2, P.5.5, P.5.5A.2
Roller Coasters
Students will investigate physics with roller coasters to learn about gravitational force.
Approximate time needed: 45 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: P.5.6.1, P.5.6.2, P.5.6.3
Paper Chromatography
Use forensics to apply your knowledge of mixtures and solutions and solve the case of the missing phone. A hands-on investigation.
Approximate time needed: 45-60 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: P5.5
Shark Teeth
Students will examine, compare, and contrast the teeth of different types of sharks.
Approximate time needed: 45 minutes
Standards: MS CCRS: L.5.3B, L.6.1, L.6.3, L.7.3, L.8.4B, L.8.4A, L.8.4B
CADing a New Dimension to Volumes of Rectangular Prisms
Students explore volumes in an online CAD environment with real world applications.
Standards MS CCRS: 5.MD.3, 5.MD.4, 5.MD.5
Circles Explorations - Circumference and Area
Students will use circular objects to explore the relationship between circumference and area.
Standards: MS CCRS 3.MD.5, 3.MD.6, 3.MD.7, 3.MD.7, 3.MD.8, 6.G.1, 6.G.3, 7.G.4, 7.G.6
Scientific Method
Can you use inquiry and the scientific method to Save Fred? Find out in this hands-on investigation!
Approximate time needed: 30-40 minutes
Volume of Prisms, Cylinders, and Cones.
Students will explore the methods used to find the volume of the most frequently used solid figures: prisms, cylinders, and cones.
Standards: MS CCRS 5.MD.3, 5.MD.4, 5.MD.5, 6.G.2, 7.G.6, 8.G.9
Perimeter and Area
A hands-on activity that teaches students how to differentiate perimeter and area.
Standards: MS CCRS 3.MD.5, 3.MD.6, 3.MD.7, 3.MD.8, 6.G.1, 6.G.4, 7.G.4, 7.G.6
Mineral Identification
How do scientists identify minerals? Students will be given a short lesson on the importance of minerals and learn to identify them based on their physical properties.
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: P.5.5A.3, ESS.2A.3
Root Beer Floats and Phases of Matter
Students enjoy learning about liquids, carbonation, solids, ice cream, and yummy foam in this fun lesson!
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: P.3.5, P.3.5.1, P.3.5.2, P.5.5, P.5.5A.2
Shark and Ray Biology: Our Neighbors from the Sea
Students will be given an in-depth tour of the biological features of Sharks and Rays.
Approximate time needed: 45 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: L.3.1, L.3.1.1, L.3.1.3, L.3.4
Solar Eclipses
Students learn how and why solar eclipses occur.
Approximate time needed: 30-45 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: E.5.8B.2, E.6.8.6*
*Lesson can be adjusted for all grade levels.
Genetics and Heredity in the Animal Kingdom
Join an investigation of how genes and inherited traits have shaped animals all around the world.
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: L.3.2, L.3.2.1, L.3.2.5, L.3.4, L.3.4.1, L.3.4.2, L.3.4.3
Grades 6-8
DNA and You
We are all individuals, with a DNA recipe. This hands-on experiment explores how to extract your DNA and teaches about the importance of DNA Technology.
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: L.6.1, P.7.5, P.7.5B, P.7.5B.1, P.7.5B.3, L.8.2, L.8.2A.1, L.8.2A.2
The History of Plagues
Take an historical journey to uncover some key biological features about plagues and pandemics throughout history.
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: L.6.1, L.6.1.1, L.6.1.2, L.6.1.4, L.6.1.5, L.6.1.6, L.6.4.5, L.8.4, L.8.4A.2
Dichotomous Keys
The natural world can be confusing. We want to show you how to use a dichotomous key so that you can see one way to make sense of the world around you.
Approximate time needed: 45 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: L.6.1, L.6.1.1, L.6.4
CADing a New Dimension to Volumes of Rectangular Prisms
Students explore volumes in an online CAD environment with real world applications.
Standards MS CCRS: 6.G.2, 6.EE.2
Intermolecular Forces
* CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE *
Why doesn’t oil mix with water? Can you make them mix? How and why? Explore these questions in a hands-on exploration of polarity and surfactants.
Standards MS CCRS: P.7.5 P.7.5A.1, P.7.5A.3
Mineral Identification
How do scientists identify minerals? Students will be given a short lesson on the importance of minerals and learn to identify them based on their physical properties.
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: P.5.5A.3, ESS.2A.3
Exploring Newton’s Laws of Motion
What are Newtons’ Three Laws of Motion and why are they important? We will explore practical uses of these laws by designing a Newton car and testing variables.
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: P.6.6.5, PHS.5.4, 6.SP.5 c.
Owl Pellets
Students will determine an owl’s diet by dissecting owl pellet.
Approximate time needed: 45 minutes
Standards: MS CCRS L.5.3B, L.6.1, L.6.3, L.7.3
Mystery Powder Analysis
Investigate who stole the class pet using your knowledge of properties of matter and chemical interactions.
Approximate time needed: 45-60 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: P7.5A
Volume of Prisms, Cylinders, and Cones
Students will explore the methods used to find the volume of the most frequently used solid figures: prisms, cylinders, and cones.
Standards: MS CCRS 5.MD.3, 5.MD.4, 5.MD.5, 6.G.2, 7.G.6, 8.G.9
Perimeter and Area
A hands-on activity that teaches students how to differentiate perimeter and area.
Standards: MS CCRS 3.MD.5, 3.MD.6, 3.MD.7, 3.MD.8, 6.G.1, 6.G.4, 7.G.4, 7.G.6
Root Beer Floats and Phases of Matter
Students enjoy learning about liquids, carbonation, solids, ice cream, and yummy foam in this fun lesson!
Approximate time needed: 1 hour
Standards MS CCRS: P.7.5 P.7.5A.1, P.7.5A.3
How Does Your Brain Control Your Body?
Students complete the “Think Fast!” activity to explore the brain’s role in receiving information from the senses, processing that information, and controlling the muscles to enable movement.
Standards: MS CCRS: L.6.1
Circle Exploration - Circumference and Area
Students will use circular objects to explore the relationship between circumference and area.
Standards: MS CCRS 3.MD.5, 3.MD.6, 3.MD.7, 3.MD.7, 3.MD.8, 6.G.1, 6.G.3, 7.G.4, 7.G.6
Solar Eclipses
Students learn how and why solar eclipses occur, then view the Great North American Eclipse on April 8, 2024. Note: This will be a pre-recorded video lesson.
Approximate time needed: 30-45 minutes
Standards MS CCRS: E.5.8B.2, E.6.8.6*
*Lesson can be adjusted for all grade levels.