Assign Activity

Subject: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)

Lesson Length: 30 - 40 mins

Topic: STEM Careers

Grade Level: 4, 5

Standards / Framework:

STEM learning goals

Brief Description: Students will create a STEM superhero based on one of the components of STEM. Students will craft a scenario for their superhero based on their traits and area of expertise.

Know Before You Start: Experience with STEM challenges and lessons is beneficial, but not necessary.

Hook:

  • What do the letters of STEM stand for?
  • Have students use Post-It notes to jot them all down. When they’re finished, have them turn to a partner and compare their notes.

Activity:

  • Discuss the subject areas that comprise STEM.

    • How is science important in our everyday lives?

    • How does technology make our lives easier?

    • What do engineers do?

    • How do you use math in your everyday life?

    • How can math be used when you are doing something creative?

  • Brainstorm a list problems involving each of the four STEM disciplines.

    • Help students think about how a superhero might be helpful in these situations.

    • Share the sample comic. Talk about which STEM subject the hero is focused on and how they solved the problem.

  • Have students will create a STEM superhero comic. Students should include:

    • Name (something creative, interesting, and related to their STEM subject).

    • Character traits based on their STEM subject.

    • The problem the superhero is facing.

    • How the problem was solved.

Closure:

  • Have students will share their superhero comic with a partner.

Differentiation:

  • Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
  • Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
  • Provide sentence stems when answering questions, e.g., "Science is important because ___."

  • Allow students to work with a peer model.

  • Provide STEM Superhero examples from which to choose.

Resources: