Lesson Plans

The purpose of this project is for students to solve an authentic problem in their community (the school). Teachers should help students identify a problem area in the school that gets much too noisy (e.g. the cafeteria). The lack of acoustic absorption leads to sounds reverberating and amplifying. Because of the noise level, students may be punished with silent lunch. Is it possible to make a positive change before it even becomes a problem?

Students are posed with this problem as the basis of their learning. “How can we use our understanding of sound energy to create sound absorbing materials?” Throughout the course of the unit, students will learn through lectures, guided studies of videos and articles, and hands-on investigations. Students will also be given ample time to work in their groups of 3-4 to create technology that will lower the volume of sound in a room.

Author: Philip Carey

• Science

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This is a two-day lesson that incorporates direct instruction about variables with a hands-on experiment for students to conduct. The lesson teaches students about variables and how they contribute to the results of an experiment or process. To introduce students to variables, they will make paper airplanes to understand independent and dependent variables, as well as control groups. The lesson also integrates what students already know about magnets and magnetism with an experiment on day two. Groups of students will change different variables in a magnetic slime recipe.

Then as a class, they will compare the magnetism, viscosity, and other elements of the slime to see how changing the different variables affects the slime. Students will learn how to document their process and assess the data at the end of the experiment. To assess understanding, students will complete an assessment, demonstrating their knowledge of experimental design and variables.

Author: Carson Anderson

• Science

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Have you ever wondered how we can introduce elementary students to as much STEM curriculum as possible? Do you wish you could get help from the outside world? As a 5th grade teacher interested in preparing my students for their future, the idea of participating in the Kenan Fellows Program was incredibly appealing to me. I was looking for ways to professionally advance as well as learn new techniques for reaching today’s tech savvy generation. My year as a Kenan Fellow has helped me create a plan to do just that. By combining modules created by IBM in addition to collecting school-centric activities, I have created a curriculum to walk even the most hesitant educator through hosting a STEM club at their school. Not only will your students develop collaboration and problem solving skills through learning the design thinking process, but they will also learn to approach the solving of globally relevant problems from a STEM lens. In addition to the resources provided through my internship at IBM, I have curated a collection of lessons from fellow educators that will help you run a successful STEM club.

Author: Megan Peterson

• Engineering
• Math
• Science
• Technology

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Students will be able to explain why overfishing has occurred in our oceans, describe the effects of overfishing on fish stocks, and create a plan to manage overfishing. Students will be able to graph changes in a population over time. Students will create a visual public service poster,  set a purpose, consider audience and develop focused ideas for a specific purpose and exhibit personal style, voice, and design to enhance the written informational content.

Author: Stephanie Titzel

• Agriculture
• Science

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POGIL is an acronym for Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning.  POGIL is a tool that allows for the simultaneous teaching of core content and higher-order thinking skills.  This lesson includes content regarding DNA structure and storage in the cell, as well as its use in coding for proteins, and thereby determining phenotype.  Models are based on data and procedures used in the Roberts lab at NC State University.  Two possible timelines for implementation are provided.

Author
April Bernier

• Biology
• Science

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The One Health Initiative is a local, national and global collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for people, the environment, and animals. In this lesson plan, students who complete in the One Health Challenge will use their knowledge, skills, and interests to try and make a positive global impact by brainstorming, designing, and marketing a wearable device to monitor a health condition for humans, animals, or the environment.

Author
Peter Styliadis

• CTE
• Technology

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This lesson/project is a culminating activity designed to reinforce the concepts learned about linear regression, as well as demonstrate the mastery of learning these concepts. The teacher will have covered all notes regarding linear regression and the students will have had some practice with these concepts.

Author
Angela Stabler

• Math

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Students will work in groups to compare data and construct picture graphs and bar graphs. Students will be presented with data examples from the Vidant Medical Group’s Home Health division. The data will detail examples of their patient enrollment numbers.

Author
Keshia Speight

• Math

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What affects the Rivers Basins more …. Humans, Farms, or Industries?

• Students will compare the water quality of different rivers in North Carolina.
• Students will trace the path that each river travels
  • Towns
  • Industries
• Students will determine which waterway is more polluted and why?

Author
Michelle Shephard

• Earth Science
• Science

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Students will explore the the electric grid and smart grid. They will compare and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the current and future power systems. They will focus their exploration on Photovoltaic energy (solar).  Armed with this background knowledge students will explore the features of commercial solar phone chargers and use this research to design their own solar chargers. As an extension students will build their own solar chargers. This mini unit may be done as stations or small group activities.

Author
Deborah Scherr-Freedman

• Science

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After touring a local solar farm and learning about solar energy as a renewable resource, students will work in teams help to set up a solar panel and build a portable solar generator. Based on their observations and experiences during the lesson, students will evaluate and discuss the benefits and disadvantages of using solar energy to generate electricity.

Disclaimer: This project was made possible through grant funding.

Author
Justin Jones

• Earth Science
• Science

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Students will learn basic coding and embellish apparel (Shirts, Bags, Hats, etc.) with Lily Pad components like LED lights and other sensors.

Author
Ty Jeffery

• CTE
• Technology

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This lesson is geared toward helping students understand the importance of conservation and stewardship practices. As aligned with the state standards issued by the Department of Education for North Carolina, students will begin to understand the importance of crop rotations and cover crops in the field of agriculture. Students will also be able to understand the importance of water filtration and its impact on families around the world. This lesson plan aims to focus on the 8th grade Energy: Conservation and Transfer unit of the North Carolina Essential Standards.

Author
Mitch Harper

• Environmental Science
• Science

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Through this lesson students will be introduced to many different STEM careers in the industrial and manufacturing world. This unit plan contains a variety of lessons that all align to the 7th Grade Common Core Math Standards, specifically to the Ratios and Proportions domain. This plan is meant to be introduced at the beginning of the Ratios and Proportions unit, then cycled back throughout the remainder of the school year.

Author
Samantha Haislip

• Math

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In this lesson, students will use different types of materials to collect Solar Energy to stay warm and protected. The project will introduce the different ways to collect solar energy.  The students will be researching information about The Last Great Race, how solar energy works, the materials they are given, and how long the musher and dogs can be out in the elements before suffering from a serious injury.

Author
Heather Clevenger

• Geometry
• Science

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