Abstract
Access to quality STEM education and hands-on experiential learning opportunities remains unequal across the United States. To address this gap at a local level, a total of five events were held with 8th grade students at West Branch Middle School in West Branch, Iowa. The first event was a general lecture about STEM, and the next four events were hands-on activities relating to science, technology, engineering, and math, respectively. Specifically, students completed a strawberry DNA extraction lab, an LED circuit lab, a spaghetti tower building competition, and a math escape room. ChatGPT was a key resource utilized while developing age-appropriate lesson plans and activities to fit the allotted time (about 50 minutes per class period). A science teacher at West Branch Middle School served as a partner to the project, assisting in facilitating the activities and scheduling the events. Before and after participating in the activities, survey data was collected to assess the students’ understanding of STEM topics and gauge their interest in STEM. Results show that about 29% reported an increased interest in STEM, and about 80% reported enjoying the experience, overall demonstrating that the project was effective among these students.
How to Cite
Vlk, S. M., (2026) “Hands-on STEM Activities and Lesson Plans for Middle School ”, Synthesis: A Digital Journal of Student Science Communication 7(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/2643-8410.35032
Funding
- Name
- Latham Science Engagement Initiative
- Funding Statement
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This project was supported by the Latham Science Engagement Initiative at the University of Iowa. The content is the author’s independent work and perspectives and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Latham Science Engagement Initiative or the University of Iowa.
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