Interesting STEM Activities for High Schoolers
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities must be challenging, hands-on, relate to everyday life, include age- and grade-appropriate materials, require systematic problem-solving, and ideally require learners to work collaboratively. These elements are particularly important for high school students on the verge of making higher education and career choices.
STEM lessons and STEM toys for teens might involve designing and building a device or prototype, writing code for an app that solves a problem in their community, field trips that explore STEM-related careers, and more. Home Science Tools also has high-school STEM curricula worth exploring for this age group!
What is STEM?
STEM is not just about the individual subjects. It’s an approach to learning that encourages students to develop a curiosity about the world around them with lessons and assignments that embrace real life.
A high school STEM activity should be based on the engineering design process. It is similar to the scientific method but asks students to explore their ideas, make mistakes, and try different approaches until they find a solution. More specifically, they are encouraged to think systematically by:
- Defining a problem
- Conducting research
- Coming up with multiple ideas on how to solve the problem
- Creating a solution
- Testing and reevaluating
- Redesigning, as needed
If a student likes to tinker with their car or repair the family lawn mower, they may want to find lessons oriented toward engineering. If a child loves to cook, have them learn about food chemistry and how nutrition affects bodily functions. If a student loves playing video games, learning to code and create online websites or digital tools is a great way to put personal interests into action. This is what STEM education is all about.
Resources for Developing Age-Appropriate STEM Activities
Not everyone has the scientific or technical background needed to guide an older student in the progressively more complex STEM activities at the high school level. This is why Home Science Tools has developed programs that build on technology activities for elementary students and other previous learnings to create meaningful STEM activities for older students.
For example, our Science Unlocked resources target students learning at the eighth through twelfth-grade levels, and our Game of Survival Kit explores natural selections and offers an opportunity for collaboration and friendly competition with other students. You can also take advantage of our homeschool curriculum organized by grade level.
STEM Activities and Beyond
Interesting STEM activities rooted in real-world problems give high schools a solid reason to learn. More advanced students should be encouraged to explore STEM activities for adults in addition to their required subject matter. Students will always be more engaged when they understand how the lesson relates to their lives and future aspirations.
Even those who don’t plan to pursue a STEM career benefit from the communication, persistence, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills nurtured by STEM activities. This enables students to see connections between what they learn and how they live, work, and play!
