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5 Ways to Celebrate National STEM Day

Posted by Meredith Holidays, Engineering, Middle School, STEM, Upper Elementary No Comments

National STEM Day is November 8th! If you are already seasoned in STEM activities, you probably already have a few ideas of ways to celebrate. If you are looking to try something new, read on and you may find something that fits the bill.

5 Ways to Celebrate National STEM Day with Students

Why Celebrate National STEM Day

National STEM Day is a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Its primary goal is to inspire and engage students in these fields, sparking an interest in future STEM careers and innovations.

Why should we celebrate National STEM Day with students? Well, aside from being a fantastic excuse to have some fun, it’s a great way to inspire and engage young minds in these disciplines. By celebrating this day, we can show students that STEM is more than just complicated equations or boring textbooks; it’s about creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.

1 – Learn About Important STEM Pioneers

The first way to celebrate National STEM day is by learning about STEM pioneers! Read a book, watch a movie, or research online about an important person in STEM or interesting inventions. So many modern conveniences that we take for granted only exist because of a STEM pioneer! Use one of the names in the image or check out the links below.

National STEM Day idea - learn about a famous STEM person
  • 15 Great Women in STEM from Interesting Engineering
  • 10 Black Innovators Who Have Made an Impact in STEM from Engineering for Kids
  • 40 Famous Inventors Who Made Their Mark on History from Biography
  • Periodic Table of STEM – Research or Create a STEM Display for your Classroom (shown below)

Looking for STEM books? I have a list on Amazon you’ll want to check out. There are a number of books about amazing STEM innovators! (Please note, if you purchase a book from this list I may earn a commission as an Amazon affiliate. You can read my full disclosure here).

Create a display of important STEM inventors, engineers, and innovators.

Why a STEM Innovators display? When students can “see themselves” in these fields, it turns the idea of a STEM career into a possible reality for them! This display includes a diverse group of people with a strong emphasis on STEM women!

Get the Innovators Display here! List of innovators included: STEM Innovators Included in this Display

✅ Astronomers, Biologists, Anthropologists

  • Galileo Galilei
  • Charles Darwin
  • Louis Pasteur
  • Margaret Mead
  • Rachel Carson
  • Vera Rubin
  • Jane Luu
  • Hayat Sindi

✅ Chemists

  • Jöns Jacob Berzelius
  • Marie Curie
  • Alice Ball
  • Rosalind Franklin
  • Mario Molina

✅ Computer Scientists

  • Charles Babbage
  • Grace Hopper
  • Alan Turing
  • Betty Holberton
  • Annie Easley
  • Margaret Hamilton
  • Nasir Ahmed

✅ Engineers

  • James Watt
  • Robert Fulton
  • Nikola Tesla
  • Neil Armstrong
  • Mae Jemison
  • John Herrington
  • Kalpana Chawla
  • Diana Trujillo

✅ Inventors

  • Leonardo da Vinci
  • Benjamin Franklin
  • Samuel Morse
  • Alexander Graham Bell
  • Thomas Edison
  • George Washington Carver
  • Wilbur Wright
  • Orville Wright
  • Garrett Morgan
  • Hedy Lamarr

✅ Mathematicians

  • Copernicus
  • Isaac Newton
  • Leonhard Euler
  • Wang Zhenyi
  • Ada Lovelace
  • Katherine Johnson
  • Julia Bowman Robinson
  • Evelyn Boyd Granville

✅ Physicists

  • Lise Meitner
  • Albert Einstein
  • Luis Walter Alvarez
  • Chien-Shiung Wu
  • Maggie Gee
  • Sau Lan Wu
  • Stephen Hawking
  • Shirley Ann Jackson
  • Sally Ride

✅ Entrepreneurs and STEM Pioneers

  • Steve Jobs
  • Bessie Coleman
  • Mary Sherman Morgan
  • Amelia Earhart
  • France A. Córdova
  • Martine Rothblatt
  • Bill Gates

2 – Celebrate National STEM Day with a STEM Challenge

This one may seem obvious but I’m going to recommend a few of my favorite, low-prep challenges that are always super engaging and fun! Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete the challenges following the engineering design process. Things may not go perfectly the first time through, but the best part of a STEM challenge is the iterative process where students can keep modifying and re-testing their prototypes!

Try a simple STEM challenge to celebrate National STEM Day.

My favorite low-prep STEM challenges:

  • Paper Airplane STEM
  • Design a Paper Clip STEM
  • Paper STEM Challenges (free)

3 – Meet a STEM Professional

Invite guest speakers from STEM fields to share their knowledge and experiences. These experts can give students a glimpse into the real-world applications of STEM and inspire them to pursue careers in these fields. Plus, it’s refreshing for students to see that there’s a world of opportunities waiting for them beyond the classroom, and to hear it from someone “new” to them. Ask local companies or parents who might be willing to either stop by or do a virtual visit!

4 – Try Coding with Your Students

Not all students will love coding, but with so many options to try, there are sure to be some options that work for everyone! I have a list of several coding sites and apps below, as well as an unplugged coding activity if you don’t have access to tech.

Beginner coding websites and apps to try:

  • Scratch
  • Code.org
  • Tynker
  • Lightbot
  • MakeCode
  • Hour of Code
  • Kodable
  • Osmo

Older students or more advanced coding websites and apps:

  • Grasshopper
  • Code Combat
  • Code.org
  • sololearn
Coding apps and websites for kids

5 – Watch a Movie for National STEM Day

There are dozens of amazing STEM movies for kids. Why not pop some popcorn and check out a STEM movie together? Want to make it even more STEM-tastic? Have students design a “drive-in” car or seat to watch the movie! For ideas, head to this post from Modern Mom Life.

Watch a Movie for National STEM Day

15 Awesome STEM Movies for Kids

  • Wall-E (G)
  • Hugo (PG)
  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (PG)
  • The Iron Giant (PG)
  • Flubber (PG)
  • Big Hero 6 (PG)
  • Ralph Breaks the Internet (PG)
  • The LEGO Movie (PG)
  • Dolphin Tale (PG)
  • The Mitchells vs. the Machines (PG)
  • Hidden Figures (PG) –> I have created a STEM movie pack for this movie! You can find it here.
  • Apollo 13 (PG)
  • Contact (PG)
  • The Martian (PG-13)
  • The Imitation Game (PG-13)

National STEM Day is an excellent opportunity to celebrate and promote the wonders of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. By embracing the five celebration ideas mentioned and exploring the suggested websites and apps, students can engage with STEM in a meaningful way, discover their passions, and potentially lay the foundation for future careers in these essential fields. Together, let’s inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. I hope you have a STEMsational National STEM Day!

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About Meredith

Meredith Anderson is a STEM education advocate and former homeschooling parent. A mechanical engineer by training, her passion is creating STEM educational resources for elementary through secondary students around the world.

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