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stem lessons

ND EPSCoR offers free curriculum modules that are based on scientific research occurring in North Dakota’s higher education institutions and that are aligned with the ND Next Generation Science Standards. These lesson plans provide the opportunity for you and your students to connect to the research that scientists are conducting in North Dakota.

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We also provide access to STEM activities for middle and high school students that have been used as part of the Sunday Academy program.

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ND EPSCoR’s goal in providing these resources to teachers is to help them enrich classroom learning experiences and spark interest in K-12 students to pursue STEM careers.

Lesson: includes learning objectives, educational standards met, and activities

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Activity: includes activities; may also include learning objectives and educational standards met

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Archived: lesson or activity provided as a reference; material may be out of date

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High school lesson or activity

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Middle school lesson or activity

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Elementary school lesson or activity

Adaptation and Climate Change (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Biology

Three to four 50-minute class periods (depending on introduction/extension options)

Adaptation and Climate Change (MS)

Middle school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Adaptations, climate change, genetics, evolutionary change

Three 50-minute class periods

All About Winter Weather (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Regional Climate Studies

Six 50-minute periods (two additional periods for the extension activities)

All About Winter Weather (MS)

Middle school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Regional Climate Studies

Four 50 minute periods

Ancient Northern Plains Native American Engineers (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering

6 hours

Archived: Food Safety and Farms (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Food safety

6 hours

Balloon Lab (ES)

Elementary school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Physical Science

35 minutes

Bio-Assessment of Local Water System (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Water, biology

6 hours

Biobased Materials (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Physical Science

Four 50-minute lessons

Biodomes (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Ecosystems

6 hours

Bioinformatics: Through the Lens of COVID-19 (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Biology and Computer Science

Three to five 50-minute class periods

Bioinformatics: Through the Lens of COVID-19 (MS)

Middle school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Biology and Computer Science

Five 50 minute class periods

Boolean Algebra (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Mathematics, logic

6 hours

Building Materials (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering

6 hours

Building Structures (ES)

Elementary school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering

Three 30-minutes periods

Candy Engineering (HS)

High school activity from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering

6 hours

Candyland Ecology (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Biology

6 hours

Carbon Dioxide: Source and Sink (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Climate change, carbon dioxide

6 hours

Cellular Biology: The Spectacular Cell (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Cellular biology

6 hours

Characterization of Gold Nanoparticles with a Papercraft Spectrometer (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Light, matter, nanoparticles

6 hours

Characterization of Gold Nanoparticles with a Papercraft Spectrometer (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Chemistry

Two 50-minute class periods

Circulation: get pumped! (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Circulation, cardiovascular system

6 hours

Clean Energy (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering, Chemistry

50 minutes per topic (2 topics)

Climate Instrumentation (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Climate, weather, climate change

6 hours

Colors and Light (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Color, light

6 hours

Combustion and Fuels: Efficient Use (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Techology

6 hours

Communication Signals and Radio Receiver (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Technology

6 hours

Composting: Don’t Waste Your Waste! (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Composting

6 hours

Cotton Ball Launcher (ES)

Elementary school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Physical Science- Motion and Stability: Forces and Interaction

Two 20-minute periods

Counting Equilibrium and Le Chatelier’s Principle (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Chemistry and Biology

23-30 minutes per lesson

Counting Equilibrium and Le Chatelier’s Principle (MS)

Middle school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (Lakota)

Digital Preservation of Natural and Cultural Preservation (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Technology

Two to three 50-minute class periods

Digital Preservation of Natural and Cultural Resources (MS)

Middle school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Digital imaging, culture, values, natural resources

Three 50-minute class periods

Engineered Composite Building Products (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Physical Science and Engineering

3 hours

Engines (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering

6 hours

Evaluating Whether to Enter a Building During a Fire (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering

Evaluating Whether to Enter a Building During a Fire (MS)

Middle school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Thermal Imaging

Two 50 minute lessons

Evolution and Natural Selection (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Natural selection, evolution

6 hours

Floating Paperclip (ES)

Elementary school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Motion & Stability: Forces and Interactions

30 minutes

Food Safety and Food Science: Preservation (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Research

6 hours

Fundamentals of Drinking Water Treatment (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Earth science, water treatment

6 hours

Game Theory (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Mathematics

6 hours

Garden Ecosystems (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Ecosystems

6 hours

Gold Nanoparticles (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Chemistry, physical science

2 50-minute class periods

Hydro-Electric Energy (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Electricity, hydroelectricity, engineering

Hypothesis and Product Testing (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Hypothesis testing

6 hours

Influenza Outbreak (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Epidemics, public health, viruses

6 hours

Insulate and Waterproof Construction (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering

6 hours

Insulin Signaling (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Insulin, hormones, diabetes

6 hours

Intelligent Computing Circuits and Systems (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Programming, technology

6 hours

Let’s Make Ice Cream (ES)

Elementary school

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Physical Science

35 minutes

Let’s Make a Helicopter (ES)

Elementary school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Engineering and Technology

45 minutes

Life Cycle Assessment and Renewable Energy from an Indigenous Perspective (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Environmental Engineering and Chemical Engineering

Two 50-minute class periods

Life Cycle Assessment and Renewable Energy from and Indigenous Perspective (MS)

Middle school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Chemical engineering, biofuels, food production and food waste, energy conversion, sustainability

Two 50 minute sessions

Life Cycle of Lytic Bacteriophage (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Microbiology- Lytic Bacteriophages

120-180 Minutes

Light Energy (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Physics

6 hours

Lightbulbs and their capabilities (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Electricity

6 hours

Make Your Own Pie Cell (ES)

Elementary school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Matter and Its Interactions

Two 30-minute sessions

Making Biodiesel (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Biodiesel, technology

6 hours

Making Slime and Bouncy Balls Using Household Polymer Materials (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Polymers

6 hours

Meat Safety and Preservation (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Chemistry

4 hours (including prep)

Mendelian Genetics (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Genetics

6 hours

Mercury (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Chemistry

6 hours

Microbiology: Small Things can be a Big Deal (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Microbiology

6 hours

Nanoscience and Biotechnology Activity (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Nanotechnology, biotechnology

6 hours

Natural Gas (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Natural gas

Oil Pollution: Clean It Up (HS)

High school activity from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Chemistry

6 hours

Perspectives of Conservation (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Biosphere, computer programming

6 hours

Phase Change Materials for Heat Storage (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Physics

6 hours

Phase Change: Solid, Liquid, and Gas (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Phases of matter

6 hours

Phylogeny (HS)

High school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Phylogeny, biology

6 hours

Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Plate tectonics, volcanoes

6 hours

Plate tectonics (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Plate tectonics

6 hours

Polymer Synthesis (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Chemistry

Three 50-minute class periods

Polymer Synthesis (MS)

Middle school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Polymers, recycling, natural and synthetic resources

Three 50-minute class periods

Probability, Games and Sentiment Analysis (MS-HS)

Middle and high school lesson from Sunday Academy

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Mathematics, probability

6 hours

Protein Denaturation (HS)

High school lesson

Topic(s)

Topic(s):

Protein Denaturation

120-200 minutes