Resources for educators

Lesson Plans

Free, standards-aligned STEM lesson plans for K–12 classrooms. Search by topic, grade level, or standard code, then download everything you need to teach.

These classroom-ready resources were created by Army STEM Teacher Fellows and inspired by their hands-on summer research alongside Army scientists. Each lesson plan features a real scientist's story and follows an engaging 5E Model of Instruction, making it easy to bring authentic STEM experiences directly to your students.

Lesson plan results

116 lesson plans

  • 6–8

A-head of the Game

Students will design, build and test a protective football helmet to reduce the severity of impact in hopes of preventing concussions.

  • Engineering
  • 9–12

Algal Blooms

Students describe actions that can be taken to reduce the impact of harmful algal blooms by calculating the rate of algal growth to predict how oxygen…

  • Biology & Life Sciences
  • Ecosystems & Environmental Impact
  • 9–12

Analog Computing

Students will learn the principles of analog computing and its historical significance, then apply these concepts using "The Analog Thing" or virtual…

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning & Robotics
  • Physics & Physical Science
  • 6–8
  • 9–12

Atomic Structure & Nuclear Fusion

Students connect the structure of an atom, how protons identify an element, and the nuclear fusion process/reaction to create an infographic on how changes…

  • Chemistry & Matter
  • Energy & Materials Science
  • 9–12

Battery Building Challenge

Students will describe how electrons move in an atom and how they relate to other subatomic particles (protons and neutrons), discuss how electronegativity…

  • Energy & Materials Science
  • 9–12

Biodegradable Plastic

Students will identify the criteria and constraints of their biodegradable plastic production and investigate the rate of decomposition between…

  • Energy & Materials Science
  • Engineering
  • 9–12

Bioluminescence

Students will investigate the interaction(s) between cells and light which create the effects of bioluminescence and biofluorescence and explain at least…

  • Biology & Life Sciences
  • 6–8

Biomimicry

Students investigate their favorite animal’s influence in the modern world by collecting and curating information into a Google Sheet and creating an…

  • Energy & Materials Science
  • Engineering
  • 6–8

Body systems and Bots

Students will investigate and model how biological systems in the human body process and respond to stimuli, and will draw connections to how robots and AI…

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning & Robotics
  • Engineering
  • 6–8
  • 9–12

Can a hybrid power grid be used during…

Students research and present information related to a hybrid power grid and produce a model of their idea of a hybrid power grid that can be used after a…

  • Chemistry & Matter
  • Energy & Materials Science
  • Engineering
  • +1
  • 6–8

Chemistry and Foam

Students use chemistry to create foam insulation in football helmets.

  • Chemistry & Matter
  • Energy & Materials Science
  • 6–8
  • 9–12

Circuits

Students will compare and contrast series and parallel circuits using conductive and insulating materials and be challenged to build a working electrical…

  • Chemistry & Matter
  • Energy & Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • +1
  • 9–12

Clean Water, Safe Communities

The purpose of this unit plan is to help students explore the sources and effects of water contamination, analyze the environmental and public health…

  • Ecosystems & Environmental Impact
  • Engineering
  • Water Quality & Watersheds
  • 6–8
  • 9–12

Corrosion of Metals

Students will investigate the rate of corrosion to conclude which inhibitors are the most effective at preventing corrosion from occurring and explore…

  • Energy & Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • Physics & Physical Science
  • 6–8

Creating Bias in AI

Students will train Google’s Teachable Machine using data sets and then revise the learning data to reduce bias and increase accuracy. Students will…

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning & Robotics
  • Engineering
  • 9–12

CSI

Students will compare DNA fingerprints from gel electrophoresis to determine the suspect in a crime scene.

  • Biology & Life Sciences
  • Other / Miscellaneous
  • 9–12

Deep Learning

Students create a basic neural net that will simulate personality for an artificial intelligence platform by using sequence, selection, and iteration in an…

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning & Robotics