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Teachable Moment is a collection of activities and lessons to help use the precious time of learners and caregivers. Iowa STEM collaborated with the Iowa Department of Education, AEA Learning Online, Iowa PBS and the Iowa Reading Research Center to provide access to educational enrichment options for students, parents and educators.
The lessons and activities are appropriate for the grade level listed and may also be suitable for learners of other ages and levels. Click on the activity title to access the activity or lesson.
The lessons and activities are provided for educational purposes only. There may be risk involved with replicating the experiment or activity. Individuals demonstrating the experiment or activity do so at their own risk. Attention needs to be given to all parts of the video and all steps in the video need to be followed. Children should be supervised by a responsible adult if replicating the experiment or activity.
Back to topPK-Grade 5
*= Unplugged activities and lessons.
Subject: Science
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Astronomical Society of the Pacific* | PK | Research-based, science-rich astronomy activities. |
| Dancing Rice Experiment* | PK-5 | Make rice dance like magic in this super simple kitchen science experiment. |
| Egg Experiments* | PK-5 | Use one egg and a few simple kitchen items for some seriously egg-citing results! |
| Monterey Bay Aquarium | K-5 | See animals live in their own environments through the live cams at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. |
| Muddly Puddly* | PK-5 | Visit this Instagram page for sustainable play ideas and lessons. |
| National Aquarium Virtual Tour | K-5 | Visit the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD from the comfort of home! You can do a one-hour with a guided activity, or map out your own adventure. |
| NASA At Home* | K-4 | Let NASA bring the universe into your home with e-books, activities, games and more. You can even build your own Apollo moon capsule craft or land a spacecraft on target! |
| Science Center of Iowa - At Home* | PK-5 | Experience the Science Center of Iowa at home with fun resources for learners of all ages. Make everything from slime to bubbles with these fun kitchen chemistry experiments. |
| Surface Tension Experiment* | PK-5 | Check out this fun experiment with food coloring, milk and soap that demonstrates how surface tension works. |
| Yellowstone National Park Webcams | K-5 | Learn about the history of the park and view live cameras of popular areas. |
Subject: Technology
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CS Fundamentals* | K-5 | Students will create their own games, art and digital stories that they can share - all while developing problem-solving, collaboration, persistence and computational thinking skills. |
| NASA | 1-5 | Schedule a live virtual field trip at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center. |
| The Tech Interactive* | K-5 | Explore at-home experiments for all ages with The Tech Interactive's free resources. |
| Screen Free Coding* | PK-5 | Teach kids to code with only a deck of cards. |
Subject: Engineering
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DiscoverE* | PK-5 | DiscoverE has several engineering activities to download. The Foil Boats challenge has participants design and build a boat, learning about buoyancy, density and displacement. |
| Lego Challenge* | PK-5 | That Brick Life has put together a 30 days of LEGO play calendar. Challenge your kids to use their imagination and to create something new everyday. |
| Marble Run* | PK-5 | Build a marble run with an unlikely material…play dough! |
Subject: Mathematics
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ST Math | K-5 | Resources to mathematically equip all students, support schools and families, and explore math outside of the classroom. |
| Iowa Regents' Center for Early Developmental Education* | PK-2 | Mathematics games for educators to download, print, cut out and play. STEM in Cooking explores properties of ingredients and how properties changes when mixed, heated or cooling. |
Subject: STEM
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina STEM Curriculum | K-5 | Weekly lesson plans with free resources for science – life, earth and physical. |
| Hand2Mind | K-5 | Downloadable daily lessons and videos by grade level, including this decimals and fractions mathematics activity. |
| National Inventors Hall of Fame | PK-5 | Activities and lessons that will turn any room into a classroom. Take this quiz to find out what kind of inventor you are, then do an activity for each style of inventor. |
| STEM Literacy Blog* | K-5 | STEM book recommendations from librarians and readers. Many of the books are connected to STEM activities, for example the windmill activity. |
Grades 6-8
*= Unplugged activities and lessons.
Subject: Science
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Volcano Observatory | 6-8 | Students can explore active volcanoes in Alaska and eastern Russia through resources and live cams of different sites. |
| Astronomical Society of the Pacific* | 6-8 | Science-rich, astronomy activities, materials and kits with downloadable documents, video and audio links for educators and families. |
| Carnegie Science Center Virtual Field Trips | 6-8 | Engaging virtual STEM programs that align with curriculum and get students excited about science. Carnegie Science Center is your partner for virtual field trips and dynamic online STEM programs! |
| Hot Ice* | 6-8 | Combine baking soda and vinegar to make sodium acetate, or hot ice! |
| NASA @ Home | 6-8 | Explore a variety of cool activities, books, videos, and podcasts from NASA. |
| NASA Wallops Flight Facility* | 6-8 | Schedule a live virtual field trip at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center. |
| Science Center of Iowa - At Home* | 6-8 | Experience the Science Center of Iowa at home with fun resources for learners of all ages. Make everything from slime to bubbles with these fun kitchen chemistry experiments. |
| Virgin Islands National Park Exploration | 6-8 | Virtual tours give you the chance to explore marine life swimming amongst the underwater coral reefs, or investigate the remaining handiwork of the Taino Native Americans with up-close views of the ancient petroglyphs along Reef Bay Trail. |
Subject: Technology
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CS Discoveries | 6-10 | An introductory computer science course that empowers students to create authentic artifacts and engage with computer science as a medium for creativity, communication, problem solving and fun. |
Subject: Engineering
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DiscoverE* | 6-8 | Engineering activities to download for students of all ages. The Foil Boats challenge has participants design and build a boat, learning about buoyancy, density and displacement. |
| Lego Challenge* | 6-8 | That Brick Life has put together a 30 days of LEGO play calendar. Challenge your kids to use their imagination and to create something new everyday. |
| Taking Risks and Iteration* | 6-8 | This activity focuses on risk-taking and the role it plays in that investigation and is part of a toolkit developed as a collaborative project coordinated by the talkSTEM organization. |
| The Tech Interactive | 6-8 | Explore a variety of design and building challenges using household items from The Tech Interactive. |
Subject: Mathematics
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ST Math | 6-8 | Resources to mathematically equip all students, support schools and families and explore math outside of the classroom. |
Subject: STEM
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A-Z Career Lab | 6-8 | Join members of the A to Z Career Lab as they research exciting jobs. |
| Bootstrap | 7-12 | Engaging introductions to computer programming. Integrates with math concepts in prealgebra, algebra and data science with no prior coding experience. Compatible with PCs, Macs and Chromebooks. |
| National Inventors Hall of Fame* | 6-8 | Activities and lessons that will turn any room into classroom. Take this quiz to find out what kind of inventor you are, then do an activity for each style of inventor. |
| Raytheon Technologies* | 6-8 | Get advice directly from today’s innovators at Raytheon Technologies. Make crystal formations, form honeybee hotels and more! |
| STEM Literacy Blog* | 6-8 | STEM book recommendations from librarians and readers. Many of the books are connected to STEM activities, for example the windmill activity. |
Back to top
Grades 9-12
*= Unplugged activities and lessons.
Subject: Science
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Volcano Observatory | 9-12 | Explore the Alaska Volcano Observatory and active volcanos virtually thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey. You can learn the process behind volcanic activity as well as view live cameras of hotspots. |
| Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Foundation High School STEM Curriculum | 9-12 | Learn more about flight, aviation and piloting. |
| Spark of Science | 9-12 | The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, one of America's premiere science museums, produced fantastic (and brief!) videos depicting a variety of science phenomena. |
| NASA for Kids and Students* | 9-12 | Let NASA bring the universe into your home with e-books, activities, games and more. You can even build your own Apollo moon capsule craft or land a spacecraft on target! |
| Science Center of Iowa - At Home* | 9-12 | Experience the Science Center of Iowa at home with fun resources for learners of all ages. Make everything from slime to bubbles with these fun kitchen chemistry experiments. |
Subject: Technology
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Education | 9-12 | Learn more about coding, STEM, and more with Discovery Education's online lessons and resources. |
| CS Principles | 9-12 | Introduce students to the foundational concepts of computer science and challenge them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world. |
Subject: Engineering
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DiscoverE* | 9-12 | Engineering activities to download for students of all ages. The Foil Boats challenge has participants design and build a boat, learning about buoyancy, density and displacement. |
Subject: STEM
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bootstrap* | 7-12 | Engaging introductions to computer programming. Integrates with math concepts in prealgebra, algebra and data science with no prior coding experience. Compatible with PCs, Macs and Chromebooks. Be sure to check out the Think Like A Scientist activity. |
| National Inventors Hall of Fame* | 9-12 | Activities and lessons that will turn any room into classroom. Take this quiz to find out what kind of inventor you are, then do an activity for each style of inventor. |
| Stay At Home With STEM* | 9-12 | Get advice directly from today’s innovators at Raytheon Technologies. Make crystal formations, form honeybee hotels and more! |
Back to top
Iowa Science Phenomena
Explore Iowa PBS's collection of free, relevant, standards-aligned phenomena curated to support Iowa teachers as they continue to support students on a journey toward deeper understanding of the science in the world around them. Since 2019, the Iowa STEM Teacher Externships Program and Iowa PBS have partnered together to grow the Iowa Science Phenomena collection through a project connecting workplace externships with classroom student learning.
Grades K-5
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Driving Question |
|---|---|---|
| Studying Acoustic Ecology | K | Why are the students recording nature? |
| Spittlebugs of Iowa | K | What was the spittlebug doing? |
| Queen Anne's Lace Invasive Species | 2 | How does a plant that doesn't originate here get here? |
| Several Habitats in One Location | 2 | How can so many different plants and animals live in Iowa? |
| Assessing Water Quality Through Macroinvertebrates | 3 | What can the macroinvertebrates you find tell you about water quality? |
| Foxglove and Bumblebees in Iowa Prairie | 3 | How do the life cycles of flowers and insects depend on one another? |
| Midwest Governors Want Changes to Flood Management Priorities | 3 | What is a possible solution to holding back flood waters? |
| Group Behavior of Ants | 3 | How does it help animals to live in groups? |
| Floods Reveal Devonian Fossil Gorge | 3 | What evidence does the geologist show us to support the idea that these organisms lived long ago? |
| Fossils in Coldwater Cave | 3 | How could sea water fossils be found in a cave? |
| Owl Diversity in Iowa | 3 | What do you think the advantage is for young animals to look different from their parents? |
| Limestone Bluffs of Eden Valley Refuge | 4 | Why are fossils found in limestone bluffs/outcrops in Iowa? |
| Invasive Exotic Bush Honeysuckles | 4 | What characteristics do invasive plant species need to survive? |
| Structure and Function of a Katydid | 4 | How is the katydid responding to its environment? |
| Firat Erdam's Kite Choir | 4 | How can kites make sound? |
| Capturing and Distributing Solar Energy in Rural Iowa | 4 | How do you know that living things obtain energy from the sun? |
| Shovelnose Sturgeon Survival and Life in Iowa's Waters | 4 | What is the shovelnose sturgeon's environment like? |
| Monarch Caterpillars Eating a Milkweed Leaf | 5 | Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment |
| Restored Prairie | 5 | Why is any kind of prairie important to have and maintain? |
| Turkey Vulture Impact on Ecosystems | 5 | How is matter cycled through the turkey vulture's ecosystem? |
| Community Responses to Water Quality Concerns | 5 | Why might native grasses be effective at treating nitrate levels in towns like Remsen, Iowa? |
| Aquatic Plants Live in Oxbows | 5 | What do plants need to grow? |
| Monarch Caterpillars Eating a Milkweed Leaf | 5 | How does a monarch caterpillar eating milkweed change the ecosystem? |
Grades 6-8
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Diversity of Iowa Lichen | 6-8 | What kind of a relationship exists between the two parts of the lichen? How do you know? |
| Declining Population in Bumble Bee Species | 6-8 | What is the human impact on bumble bee populations? |
| Land Use Change in Iowa | 6-8 | How does changing land use in Iowa affect the environment and what can we do to create more sustainable land management practices? |
| Kiko Goats Control Invasive Plants | 6-8 | How do kiko goats support and promote a healthy ecosystem? |
| Refraction in Nature | 6-8 | Why does water distort the way objects look? |
| Algae Abundance in F.W. Kent Lake | 6-8 | What is causing the algae abundance in lakes to change over time? |
| Monitoring Summer E. Coli Bacteria Levels in Iowa Lakes | 6-8 | How can we reduce the number of days there are water quality warnings for George Wyth Lake or at other lakes? |
| Interaction of Pollinators With Native and Nonnative Plant Species | 6-8 | Since native plants are native to our environment, do you think they are a better fit than nonnative plants for our pollinators? Why or why not? |
| Stockbridge Dampers | 6-8 | What is the purpose of a stockbridge damper? |
| Turtle Sniffing Dogs | 6-8 | How do dogs inherit different traits? |
| Backbone State Park Limestone | 6-8 | How did Backbone State Park get so many of these strange limestone rocks? |
| Farming Prairie Flowers | 6-8 | Why don't prairie flowers grow everywhere in Iowa? |
| Clean Water and Farm Pollution Lawsuit | 6-8 | How does farming runoff affect our water? |
| Trumpeter Swan Population Decline and Restoration | 6-8 | What factors caused the loss and revitalization of the trumpeter swan from the Iowa landscape? |
| Mussel Contribution to River Ecosystem | 6-8 | What do mussels need to live and grow that is found in the river ecosystem? |
| Reclaiming Iowa's Abandoned Mines | 6-8 | How have human interactions changed the environment of Southern Iowa? |
| Bighead Carp Changing the Missouri River Ecosystem | 6-8 | Why are Bighead Carp a concern to a river ecosystem? |
| Decreasing Ruffed Grouse Habitat | 6-8 | What is the relationship between the number of ruffed grouse and the percentage of available habitat? |
| Prescribed Burning in the Loess Hills | 6-8 | How do burns like these help maintain biodiversity? Why do burns maintain biodiversity? |
| Reflections in Water | 6-8 | How can water reflect light? |
| Lichen Reproduction Process | 6-8 | How do lichens reproduce? |
| Storm Chasers Describe Rapidly Changing Storm | 6-8 | How did changes and interactions in air mass lead to the powerful tornado that hit Parkersburg? |
| White-Nose Syndrome in Bats | 6-8 | How does the white nose fungus impact bats? |
| Measuring Water Quality at Chichaqua Bottoms | 6-8 | How can we measure and improve water quality? |
| Pony Truss Bridge Design | 6-8 | What forces are acting on the pony truss bridge? |
| U-Shaped Oxbows at Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt | 6-8 | How did the oxbows get to be such a funny shape? |
| 17-Year Cicada Swarm | 6-8 | How does the cicada "sing"? |
Grades 9-12
| Activity Title | Grade Level | Driving Question |
|---|---|---|
| Impacts on Changing Monarch Populations | 9-12 | What has been causing the changes in the monarch population at Indian Creek since 2017? |
| Phosphate Changes at FW Kent Park Lake | 9-12 | How does water quality change over time? |
| Properties of Brass and Steel Alloys | 9-12 | Why are brass tools, rather than steel tools, used in combustible environments? |
| Reed Canary Grass on the Banks of the Mississippi River | 9-12 | How does reed canary grass affect plant diversity on the Mississippi River floodplain? |
| Dissolved Oxygen Levels at F.W. Kent Lake | 9-12 | What is causing dissolved oxygen amounts to decrease over the course of the spring and summer? |
| Avian Influenza Infects Dairy Cattle | 9-12 | How can avian flu be transmitted to dairy cattle? |
| Impact of Tree "Dead Zones" Along Mississippi River Shores | 9-12 | How can we reduce the effects of tree death and stabilize ecosystems along the Mississippi due to human impacts? |
| Clearing Musk Thistle from the Tall Grass Prairie | 9-12 | Why is it important to manage the presence of non-native (invasive) species instead of allowing nature (natural selection) to take its course? |
| Urban Runoff After Rain Event | 9-12 | How does urban runoff affect Iowa's freshwater? |
| Cooking Pasta "Al Dente" for Nutrition | 9-12 | How does pasta cooked "al dente" ensure nutritional value for human consumption? |
| Floating Wetlands to Reduce Runoff | 9-12 | How can floating wetlands help increase the bee population? |
| Testing to Determine Water Quality | 9-12 | How do we evaluate and make decisions about our water based on its effects on all Earth systems? |
| Lake Red Rock Filling with Mud | 9-12 | How can we limit sedimentation into the Lake Red Rock Reservoir? |
| COVID-19's Impact on Waste Management | 9-12 | How has the pandemic impacted the environment? |
| Challenges and Misconceptions of Recycling | 9-12 | How are juice boxes made into drywall? |
| Ecosystem Restoration: Oak Savanna | 9-12 | How have humans impacted ecosystems? |
| Wind Farm Controversy | 9-12 | Why are people upset about having wind farms in their area? |
| Soybean Protein Levels | 9-12 | Why is the protein level in soybeans decreasing only in the United States? |
| Frog Call Monitoring | 9-12 | What could be causing the decline of amphibians in Iowa? |
| Gitchie Manitou State Preserve and Sioux Quartzite | 9-12 | What makes this area of Iowa unique? |
| Invasive Species in Iowa's Forests | 9-12 | How can we prevent invasive plant species from harming native plants? |
| Legislative Efforts to Encourage Clean Water | 9-12 | What other solutions could be proposed to protect water but still allow humans to farm? |
| Prairie Plants and the Carbon Cycle | 9-12 | Why are prairies important? |
| Radio-Tagged Northern Pike | 9-12 | What kinds of waves are used in our everyday lives? |