In this unit of study students learn about adaptations and how they help animals survive. They will apply this knowledge to design new technologies. This unit integrates nine STEM attributes and was developed as part of the South Metro-Salem STEM Partnership's Teacher Leadership Team. Any instructional materials are included within this unit of study.

Students will plan and design an imaginary organism that lives in the Temperate Deciduous Forest, Tropical Rainforest, or Desert. Students will then identify three adaptations of this animal, and determine how the adaptations of that animal may respond to a change in the ecosystem.

In this unit of study students learn how an animal's body structure and behavior help it survive in its habitat. This unit integrates nine STEM attributes and was developed as part of the South Metro-Salem STEM Partnership's Teacher Leadership Team. Any instructional materials are included within this unit of study.

In this unit of study students learn about different types of bridges and how to design and build their own bridge. This unit integrates nine STEM attributes and was developed as part of the South Metro-Salem STEM Partnership's Teacher Leadership Team. Any instructional materials are included within this unit of study.

Students will design, build, and test a spring-powered pontoon boat using common materials that must travel at least 20cm. Students will then use video software to analyze the motion of their craft.

Students will explore changes in Earth's atmosphere over the past few centuries, then design, build, and analyze a structure that control internal temperature without using additional energy.

Students will construct a model of the carbon cycle to explore the cycling of matter in decomposition. Students will design a process to compost food waste and recycle products used during lunchtime to reduce the amount of garbage the school produces.

Students will explore Newton's laws of motion through a variety of activities, including an investigation that involves collisions.

Students will use Sphero 2.0 to impart a collision to study force, motion, and momentum in physical systems.

Students will explore the relationships and patterns among the Earth, Sun, and Moon system in our solar system. Students will design, build, and test a model of a lunar rover.

In this unit of study students learn about energy and energy transfer. They focus on how to use energy transfer to solve a problem. This unit integrates nine STEM attributes and was developed as part of the South Metro-Salem STEM Partnership's Teacher Leadership Team. Any instructional materials are included within this unit of study.

Students will use a Scanning Electron Microscope to observe and classify lichen. Students will design a field-based investigation to determine the relationship between an abiotic factor and lichen.

Students will design and build a machine to lift "barrels" of volatile chemicals from a "dangerous" spill area to a "safe" area.

Students will conduct a number of investigations involving density and buoyancy to understand the forces applied to objects and the resulting interactions among them.

Students will construct a model of a cell in order to identify organelles and their function as they build an understanding of the increasing complexity of tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms.

Students will construct an argument based on evidence regarding their position on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Students will conduct an inquiry investigation in Mendelian genetics using Wisconsin Fast Plants.

Students will investigate renewable and non-renewable energy options as they develop a plan to reduce the energy consumption of their household.

Students will compare and contrast renewable and non-renewable resources, and construct an argument from evidence showing how human populations affect the consumption of natural resources.

Students will develop basic skills in programming by using loops, control structures, and variables. Students will use the Tynker platform.

Students will investigate different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy as they evaluating competing claims about humans' sources of power.