Teacher Resource - Hands On STEM Activities

It's great to try a wide range of activities and explore potential new passions in any subject area. Whether you're seeking simple science activities using inexpensive materials, projects that are more technologically challenging, or citizen science projects where you collect data for an Australian researcher, you’re likely to find something of interest below.

Citizen Science: Australian Museum Centre of Citizen Science
Australian Museum in Sydney NSW aims to engage the public with science in a practical way

Citizen Science: Atlas of Living Australia
Resources and tools for Australia’s biodiversity projects

Citizen Science: ABC Citizen Science Projects
List of Citizen Science Projects organised by the ABC for National Science Week

Coding: MIT Scratch
A free online program from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, USA which allows children to create simple animation using simple coding languages

Coding: CodeClub Australia
A network of coding clubs for Aussie kids aged 9-11

Coding: Computer Science Unplugged
A fantastic range of free resources for teaching computer science without a computer

Maths: Math on the Move
Blog posts by an educator and author who teaches mathematics through percussive dance

Maths: Museum of Mathematics (MoM) Maths Activities
Maths activities developed by the Museum of Mathematics in New York, USA

Maths: Wolfram Alpha Maths Activities
Mathematics lesson plans developed by US-based Wolfram Alpha

Science: National Science Week
A national program of events celebrating science during August each year

Science: CSIRO DIY Science
A broad range of hands-on science activities for primary and secondary students

Science: Science Buddies
A US-based, non-profit group supporting K-12 hands-on science and STEM exploration

Science: How to Smile
US--based website listing hands-on STEM activities that can be searched by topic

Science: RAFT (Resource Area for Teaching)
US-based website listing hands-on STEM activities by topic or search

Science: ABC Splash STEM page
A broad range of STEM-based resources including videos and activities

Science: ABC Surfing Scientist
Australian science communicator Ruben Meerman shares a range of hands-on science experiments using simple materials

Science: ASTA's ScienceASSIST
Science ASSIST is a national online service for school science educators and technicians, developed by The Australian Science Teachers Association

STEM: NSW Department of Education
More than 20 NSW schools have uploaded their cross-curricular STEM units for Year 7 to 10

STEM: Mapping Australia's STEM Education programs
A database of science education activities, events and workshops hosted in cities and regions around Australia

STEM: Exploratorium Afterschool Activities
Broad range of hands-on science and maths activities using simple materials

STEM: Exploratorium activities
A large archive of hands-on science and maths activities organised by topic

STEM: Toys from Trash
Indian educator Arvind Gupta creates science activities and toys using recycled materials that would otherwise be considered rubbish

Technology: The Tech Museum of Innovation
Design Challenge Learning activities developed by the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California USA

Technology: Popular Mechanics
DIY projects for the home using consumer electronics and hardware

Technology: Make Magazine Projects
Technology-based projects that are slightly more advanced, but accessible for people wanting to build whimsical contraptions

Technology: Exploratorium Tinkering Studio Projects
Descriptions of hands-on activities delivered in The Exploratorium's public Tinkering Studio in San Francisco, California USA

Technology: Exploratorium Sketchpad blog
A behind-the-scenes look at activities being undertaken in The Exploratorium's Tinkering Studio in San Francisco, California USA

Technology: Instructables
Online community of projects with instructions, photos and advice on a range of low tech and high tech ‘how to’ projects

Technology: Thingiverse
Online community which shares high-tech projects and instructions using digital technology such as 3D printers

Technology: Northwest Invention Center
Hands-on activities focusing on invention and creativity

MOOCs

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) allow you to participate in a short course online without leaving home. Most MOOCs are free of charge, but all require internet access and some require you to purchase materials to undertake the hands-on activities. MOOCs typically run for a few hours each week over 4 to 8 weeks and are delivered by various universities or online hosts in certain timeframes.

MOOC by The Exploratorium
Tinkering Fundamentals: A Constructivist Approach to STEM Learning

MOOCs by Coursera
Coursera hosts hundreds of MOOCs including subject areas such as computer science, data science, life sciences, math and logic, physical science and engineering