Browse by Themes and Topics
Curated collections of hands-on activities and resources by themes and STEM topics.
Browse by Popular Themes
Food Activities
Food is a great way to connect relevance of STEM content to our lives. Activities explore the science of cooking and preparing food, some of the societal choices about how we grow and process food. Activities can be incorporated into events that involve cooking an eating, food festivals, and annual celebrations like Halloween and Valentine's Day.
Science Fiction, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Superheros
There are many ways to incorporate authentic hands-on STEM in science fiction, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Superhero events! A compilation of ways to connect STEM activities to the imaginative and creative world of sci-fi!
Climate Change
A compilation of climate change public engagement and professional learning resources for informal science educators.
Water
A compilation of water public engagement resources and activities; topics include water quality, pollution, supply, hydrological cycle, properties at the small scale including hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, bubbles, ice, and clouds. Also included are resources for annual events including Groundwater Awareness Week, World Water Day, Earth Day, World Oceans Day, National Pollution Prevention Week, Coastal Cleanup Day, Earth Science Week, and Imagine a Day Without Water.
Air Quality
A compilation of educational resources and activities about air, air quality, and pollution.
Earth Day
A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Earth, Earth Day, and Earth science. Resources can be used for celebrating Earth Day April 22, Earth Week, and Earth Month.
Light Activities
A compilation of public engagement activities that explore light visible to our eyes and other wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Glass Activities
Celebrate the International Year of Glass - 2022! A compilation of activities about glass including glass lenses in microscopes and telescopes and scientific images of glass.
Energy
A compilation of energy public engagement resources and activities; topics focus on energy sources, transmission, and storage including: electricity, solar photovoltaic panels, batteries, electromagnetic spectrum, and transmission using graphene. Also included are resources for annual events including Static Electricity Day, Nuclear Science Week, Earth Day, and National Chemistry Week
James Webb Space Telescope
A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope will find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe and peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems.
Astronomy
A compilation of astronomy and space science hands-on activities and resources. Also included are connections to celestial events (meteor showers, lunar eclipses, solar eclipses, full moons, and planetary events) and annual events such as Asteroid Day, Yuri's Night, Astronomy Week, and more.
Moon
A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Moon, the Moon Landing 50th Anniversary, the Apollo missions, and the Artemis missions.
Mars
A compilation of resources for engaging the public in the Mars, Mars rovers, and the Mars Perseverance landing.
Solar Eclipses
A compilation of solar eclipse resources including resources for the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse and the total solar on April 8, 2024.
Lunar Eclipses
Check out the upcoming total and partial lunar eclipse events in the United States. During a lunar eclipse, Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the sunlight falling on the Moon. Earth's shadow covers all or part of the lunar surface.
Asteroids, Comets, Meteors, and Meteorites
A compilation of educational materials about asteroids, comets, meteors, and meteorites including resources for Asteroid Day, meteor showers, and links to NASA missions such as Lucy, OSIRIS-Rex, Psyche, Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), and Near-Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout).
Sustainability
A compilation of sustainability public engagement and professional learning resources. Annual events include: World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, Earth Hour, Earth Day, National Public Works Week, Campus Sustainability Month, and more.
Butterflies
A collection of resources about butterflies that can be integrated into other programs or exhibits on butterflies. These butterfly activities and resources focus on light, color, iridescence, pigmentation versus structural color, and technology inspired by nature.
Halloween
A collection of hands-on STEM activities for creating Halloween spooky science events.
Size, Scale, & Measurement
A compilation of activities and resources focused on size, scale, and measurement.
Resources can be incorporated into annual events including Metric Day, Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month,
World Quantum Day, DNA Day, NanoDays, Earth and space events, and more.
Computer Science
A compilation of public engagement computing and computer science resources. Also included are resources for annual events including CS Week and the Hour of Code.
Genetics
A compilation of resources about genetics including DNA, genes, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology.
These resources may be useful for incorporating into annual events such as DNA Day and events focused on human health, genetics, and biology.
National Chemistry Week
National Chemistry Week is a community based program of the American Chemical Society (ACS). NISE Network has compiled a set of resources and activities suitable for National Chemistry Week, Chemists Celebrate Earth Week, and chemistry events.
NanoDays Kit
Public programs, hands-on activities, and professional development resources about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology and their impact on society.
Early Learners
A collection of activities and resources for young learners and early childhood educators.
Do Science at Home!
The National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network) and its partners have developed a variety of hands-on STEM activities designed for use in museums and science centers. Most of these hands-on STEM activities listed below can be done with materials you may already have in your home.
STEAM - Creative Expression
A collection of STEAM hands-on activities and resources that integrate creative expression including the arts (humanities, language dance, drama, music, visual arts, design and new media).
Books, Reading, and Storytelling
A compilation of STEM read-aloud storybooks, storytelling, companion hands-on activities, lists of STEM books and biographies, library collaboration resources, and annual events such as Summer Reading Programs and National Children's Book Week. Also included are resources for STEM tactile and Braille books for visually impaired participants.
Outside Activities
A collection of activities designed for use in the outdoors or those that can be easily adapted to use outside. These activities can work well in different outdoor settings including nature centers, summer camps, parks, and playgrounds.
Citizen Science
A compilation of citizen science resources; these community projects enable people from all walks of life to participate in and advance scientific research.
Brain and Neuroscience
A collection of public engagement and professional development resources about the brain, neuroscience, and neuro-ethics. Also included are resources for annual events including Brain Awareness Week, World Brain Day, Mental Wellness Month, and more public engagement events.
Engineering
A compilation of engineering hands-on educational and professional development resources. Also included are resources for annual events including National Engineers Week, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, National Robotics Week, International Women in Engineering Day, and more.
Quantum
A compilation of quantum public engagement and professional learning resources. Also included are resources for annual events including World Quantum Day held April 14.
Health and Medicine
A compilation of health and medicine public engagement resources. These resources may be useful for incorporating into annual events such as World Health Day, DNA Day, Mosquito Awareness campaigns, and events focused on human health.
Biomimicry
A collection of biomimicry resources and examples of how technology can imitate natural phenomena and processes. Public engagement biomimicry activity examples include: self-cleaning surfaces and fabrics inspired by the lotus leaf effect observed in some plant leaves, sticky materials inspired by gecko feet, photonics crystals using structural color similar to the iridescent properties of some insects, bird feathers, and shells.
Senses
Hands on activities related to the senses - vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. The sensing organs associated with each sense send information to the brain to help us understand and perceive the world around us.
Plants
A collection of NISE Network resources related to plant science including hands-on activities and resources. Topics include include biomimicry technology that can imitate natural phenomena and processes such a self-cleaning surfaces and fabrics inspired by the lotus leaf effect observed in some plant leaves.
Microscopes and Tools for the Small
We use special tools to detect things we can't see with just our eyes. A compilation of microscope resources focusing on revealing things too small to see with just our eyes. Resources include activities and images about magnification, light or optical microscopes, Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM), and Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM).
Telescopes and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
We use special tools to detect things far away that we can't see with just our eyes. Many tools use different wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) including visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, and radio waves. Other tools may detect magnetism—such as the magnetic field lines around the surface of the Sun.
Societal Aspects of STEM
Public engagement programs and professional learning resources that provide opportunities for conversations and consideration of the relationship between science, technology, and society.
Carbon
Elemental carbon has many different structural forms including graphite, diamond, carbon nanotubes and buckyballs. The arrangement of atoms at the nanoscale dramatically impacts a material’s macroscale properties and behavior. Hands-on activities explore: observable phenomena such as conductivity of graphite; molecular model-building of different forms; and how new technology may affect society.
Camps
Resources for educators creating activities and themes for summer camps, holiday camps, and school break camps.
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