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Fun National STEM Day Activities for Any Classroom
Christy Walters
October 9, 2025
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math (and sometimes, we even add an “A” for art and get STEAM!). These disciplines help students apply what they learn to the real world, build critical thinking skills, and stretch their creativity when problem-solving and working through challenges.
Each year, on November 8, educators observe National STEM Day to promote STEM education and encourage students to explore careers in these fields. Looking for ways to bring STEM education to your classroom to join in the national celebration—or to work on STEM concepts all year? We’ve got you covered!
[Invite students to get hands-on with seasonal STEAM projects](id-seasonal)
Create a fall theme around your National STEM Day activities with these hands-on lessons for the changing season and holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Choose from projects like:
[Discover diverse representation in STEM careers](id-diversity)
More than just exploring the fundamentals of different academic disciplines, National STEM Day is also an opportunity to recognize the contributions of influential people with careers in these fields. Add diverse perspectives to your lessons by exploring:
How a forest ecologist is turning regular Barbie dolls into scientist dolls.
How teenage scientist Gitanjali Rao became “Time” magazine’s first Kid of the Year.
Why an 82-year-old woman started coding her own apps.
Jewish representation in STEM
From pioneering research to transformative inventions, invite students to learn more about how Jewish innovators have influenced STEM. Explore content about:
Inventor and scientist Albert Einstein, one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century.
Rosalind Franklin, a pioneering researcher of DNA.
Scientist Lise Meitner, who helped discover nuclear fission.
An article examining the history of women at NASA.
An article about a coloring book that shows jobs available for women scientists.
Biographies of scientists like Marie Curie, Maria Mitchell, and Grace Murray Hopper.
Even more representation in STEM
It can be difficult for students to visualize themselves working in STEM fields. But with more representation, it becomes easier. Show students how even more groups of people have contributed to STEM with articles focusing on scientists like:
Carla Curran, a teacher making STEM subjects and scientific concepts more accessible for blind students.
Astronaut Nicole Mann, the first Indigenous woman in space.
Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in space, and a former director of Johnson Space Center.
[See how other teachers are bringing STEM into their classrooms](id-community)
Want to know what other teachers like you are doing to bring more STEM lessons to their students? Explore some of our science text sets created by teachers in our Newsela Community on topics like:
[Encourage students to explore their favorite topics with STEM articles](id-articles)
Don’t see your students’ favorite STEM topics covered in any of the suggested lessons? Let them do some independent reading by choosing their favorite STEM articles. They can explore stories about:
How esports may be a pathway to boosting diversity in STEM careers.
How the TV series “Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove” helps young students view STEM fields as viable career options for women.
How Olympic swimmer and gold-medalist Katie Ledecky used her platform to promote STEM education programs for students.
Make real-world science relevant with Newsela STEM
Newsela STEM with Generation Genius elevates K-12 science education, seamlessly weaving in technology and engineering concepts, with math as a complement. It’s your tool to fuse STEM and literacy, thanks to great features like:
Engaging science content: Boost students’ interest in and knowledge of science concepts with real-world phenomena, timely news, and Generation Genius videos.
Aligned Curriculum Complements: Enhance and support the curriculum materials you already use with content aligned to top science resources.
AI-powered tools: Use Luna, your AI teaching assistant, to generate lesson plans, translate text into 40+ languages, define Tier III vocabulary words, generate graphic organizers, and more!
Deeper learning supports: Tuva interactive datasets, Generation Genius 5E lessons, Claim-Evidence-Reasoning prompts and activities, and science courses for every grade band allow students to dive into deeper learning driven by critical thinking.
Embedded scaffolding: Make complex science texts and concepts accessible with embedded scaffolding tools like adaptive leveling and read-aloud mode.
Skill-building resources: Support the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) with ready-to-go activities, performance tasks, and teacher supports.
Everything you need to accelerate learning across ELA, social studies, and science
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