Be prepared for unexpected absences with 12 complete, ready-to-use Grade 3 STEM and engineering lessons designed for substitute teachers, including those without a STEM background. Simply print, organize, and place the lessons in a sub folder for quick access.
The resource pairs with the Grade 3 STEM Full-Year Curriculum, while all lessons are standalone and non-sequential, allowing substitutes to choose any activity without knowing what students have previously learned.
What’s Included- 12 no-prep Grade 3 STEM lessons
- Word-for-word substitute scripts
- Minute-by-minute directions
- Materials lists
- Student recording pages
- Notes-back-to-teacher pages
- Prediction and testing components
- Repeated trials
- Data collection and analysis
- Clear success criteria
- Early-finisher options
- Safety directions
- Emergency 10-minute STEM fillers
- STEM sub-folder cover
- Classroom information page
- STEM Sub Tub setup guidance
- The Variables Warm-Up
- Bridge Efficiency
- Ramp Pattern Prediction
- The Pendulum Surprise
- Friction Ranking
- Insulation Trials
- Paper Aeroplane Lab
- Material Strength Test
- The Outlier Problem
- Design a Fair Test
- Scale It Up
- Claim, Evidence, Reasoning
These lessons move beyond simple crafts by requiring students to identify variables, conduct fair tests, repeat trials, analyze data, calculate results, make predictions, and support claims with evidence.
Students practice:
- Variables and fair testing
- Predictions and repeated trials
- Measurement and data collection
- Data analysis and patterns
- Outlier identification
- Evidence-based reasoning
- Engineering design
- Scientific communication
For example, Ramp Pattern Prediction has students test three ramp heights, conduct three trials for each, predict a result for a fourth height, and calculate prediction error. The Pendulum Surprise investigates different variables separately through repeated timing. The Outlier Problem introduces students to evaluating unusual results within a data set.
Common Classroom MaterialsNo specialized STEM kit is required. Lessons use accessible materials such as paper, cardstock, cups, tape, books, paper clips, rulers, stopwatches, toy cars, string, washers, ice, trays, paper towels, graph paper, and calculators.
A labeled STEM SUB TUB can be prepared in advance with frequently used supplies.
Why It WorksThe resource gives substitutes ready-to-read scripts, structured activities, testing procedures, student recording pages, data-analysis tasks, safety directions, and clear finish lines. Teachers can therefore prepare once and have a reliable collection of emergency STEM lessons available throughout the year.
Students are not simply asked to make something. They are expected to test ideas, collect evidence, identify patterns, analyze results, and explain what their data shows.
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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.
Bundle
K - 5 STEM Sub Plans Bundle | Full-Year Engineering Activities
K–5 STEM Sub Plans Bundle | 72 No-Prep Emergency STEM Lessons with Word-for-Word Substitute Scripts 72 complete, stand-alone STEM lessons across Kindergarten through 5th Grade — each with a word-for-word substitute script, materials list, student page, and a notes-back-to-teacher page — so an unexpected absence never again means a STEM day lost. Every lesson is written for a substitute with no STEM background. The script says what to say. The directions say what to do, minute by minute. The student page says what to record. And because the lessons are non-sequential, the sub can pick any one without knowing what your class did last week. Print once, put it in the sub folder, and it's ready for the whole year. What's Included Six grade-level sub plan sets (333 pages, 72 lessons): Kindergarten STEM Sub Plans (12 lessons, 53 pages) — 20–25 minute lessons in four short chunks, word-for-word carpet scripts, picture-based student pages, and practical sub guidance for five-year-olds: the two-minute cleanup warning, switching to drawing if a build won't work, finishing early rather than rushing. 1st Grade STEM Sub Plans (12 lessons, 56 pages) — full lesson scripts, student pages, notes-back pages, 10-minute emergency fillers, sub folder cover, classroom information page. 2nd Grade STEM Sub Plans (12 lessons, 56 pages) — adds minute-by-minute directions, repeated trials and data collection, early-finisher options, and STEM Sub Tub setup guidance. 3rd Grade STEM Sub Plans (12 lessons, 56 pages) — adds variables, outliers, prediction error, and claim–evidence–reasoning. 4th Grade STEM Sub Plans (12 lessons, 56 pages) — adds measurable criteria, costing, percentage improvement, means and ranges, and source evaluation. 5th Grade STEM Sub Plans (12 lessons, 56 pages) — adds optimization, load-to-mass ratios, conservation of mass, energy chains, and flowchart/pseudocode communication. The Lessons K: Cup Tower · Paper Bridge · Float or Sink · Ramp Roll · Strong Shapes · Magnet Hunt · Chair for a Bear · Keep It Dry · Count and Build · Fix It · Sort the Box · Draw It, Build It 1st: The Ten Card Tower · Paper Bridge Challenge · Ramp Investigation · Shape Strength Test · Boat Cargo Challenge · The Great Egg Drop · Paper Airplane Lab · Build a Better Chair · Magnet Sort and Maze · Shadow Investigation · Sound Makers · Design a Solution 2nd: The Efficient Tower · Material Property Test · Ramp Trials · Shape Strength Lab · Boat Cargo Trials · The Insulation Test · Paper Airplane Lab · Build a Marble Sorter · Friction Surfaces · Parachute Trials · The Sound Barrier Test · Design for Everyone 3rd: The Variables Warm-Up · Bridge Efficiency · Ramp Pattern Prediction · The Pendulum Surprise · Friction Ranking · Insulation Trials · Paper Aeroplane Lab · Material Strength Test · The Outlier Problem · Design a Fair Test · Scale It Up · Claim, Evidence, Reasoning 4th: Write a Better Criterion · The Costing Challenge · Mean, Range and Whether It Matters · The Angle Lab · Percentage Improvement · Design a Fair Test · Scale It Up · The Source Test · Collision Protection · Encode a Message, and more 5th: Improving Is Not Optimising · Define the Real Problem · Four Ideas Before You Judge · Ratios, Not Differences · Conservation of Mass · Identify the Unknowns · The Energy Chain · Where Is Earth's Water? · Gravity and Air Resistance · Distance and Brightness · Flowchart and Pseudocode Relay · Report It So Someone Can Act Every Lesson Includes Word-for-word substitute script Step-by-step (1st) or minute-by-minute (2nd–5th) directions Materials list drawn from a standard classroom: paper, cups, tape, cardstock, books, toy cars, rulers, string, magnets, foil, water Student recording page Notes-back-to-teacher page so you know what happened Clear finish line and success criteria Safety directions Early-finisher options (2nd–5th) What Comes With Each Set A sub folder cover, a classroom information page, emergency 10-minute STEM fillers for when the lesson finishes early or the schedule shifts, and setup guidance for a labeled STEM Sub Tub — a bin of the common supplies so nothing depends on the sub finding materials. What Students Do, K–5 Predict, build, test, count, and try again (K) → build, test, measure, and record (1st) → repeated trials, fair tests, and data tables (2nd) → variables, prediction error, outliers, and CER (3rd) → measurable criteria, load per pound, percentage change, and whether a difference matters (4th) → optimization, ratios, trade-offs, and writing a procedure another pair can execute without help (5th). These aren't crafts to keep a room quiet; students collect data and explain what it means, even on a sub day. Format 6 PDF files, 333 pages total Print-and-go; designed to live in a sub folder or binder all year 12 lessons per grade, approximately 20–25 minutes each in K and a full STEM block in 1st–5th Materials are common classroom supplies; no kit required Teaching duration: 1 full school year per grade Sub Plans vs. the Other Short Activities The K–5 STEM Task Cards and K–5 STEM Early Finishers bundles are 5–10 minute activities students run themselves. Sub Plans are full lessons a substitute runs — scripted start to finish, with a class-wide structure and a page that comes back to you. If you're covering an absence, this is the one. The weekly engineering challenges are in the K–5 STEM Challenge Cards Bundle, the student recording pages in the K–5 STEM Journal Bundle, and the unit capstones in the K–5 STEM Projects Bundle. Teacher lesson plans for the regular year are in the K–5 STEM Curriculum Bundle, and everything together is the K–5 STEM Mega Bundle. Every sub plan set works on its own — no other purchase needed. Why Buy the Bundle Six sets bought separately cost $59.94. This bundle is $41.96 — and gives a STEM specialist, a grade-level team, or a whole elementary building a scripted STEM lesson ready for any sub, in any classroom, on any day of the year. Print once. Prep once. Be ready for the unexpected — K through 5.
$41.96
Bundle
3rd Grade STEM Bundle | Full-Year Engineering Activities
3rd Grade STEM Bundle | Full-Year STEM Curriculum | Engineering Activities, Projects, Task Cards & More Make STEM instruction engaging, hands-on, and easy to plan all year long with this comprehensive 3rd Grade STEM Curriculum Bundle! This collection brings together seven complementary STEM resources designed to give third grade students meaningful opportunities to explore engineering, solve problems, design solutions, test ideas, and reflect on their learning. With a full-year STEM curriculum, challenge cards, STEM journals, projects, task cards, early-finisher activities, and substitute plans included, this 3rd Grade STEM Bundle gives teachers a flexible collection of resources for daily instruction, enrichment, independent practice, and those unexpected classroom moments. What's Included This bundle includes 7 third grade STEM resources: • STEM Curriculum — 36 weekly challenges across 6 units, 5 sessions each • STEM Journal — 180 student recording pages • Challenge Cards — 96 student-facing cards including 36 Level Up extensions • STEM Projects — 6 unit capstones plus 12 standalone mini-projects • Task Cards — 80 math, science and coding skill cards • Early Finishers — 40 no-prep challenges with choice board and bin labels • Sub Plans — 12 emergency lessons with word-for-word scripts Together, these resources provide multiple formats for introducing, practicing, applying, documenting, and extending STEM and engineering learning throughout the school year. How It Works in the Classroom Use this 3rd Grade STEM Curriculum Bundle for: • Daily or weekly STEM instruction • Engineering design challenges • STEM centers and stations • Whole-group lessons • Small-group activities • Hands-on STEM projects • Independent STEM practice • STEM journals and reflection • Early-finisher activities • Substitute teacher plans • STEM enrichment and extension • Flexible classroom learning Use the curriculum for structured instruction, challenge cards and task cards for shorter STEM experiences, projects for hands-on application, journals for documenting and reflecting on learning, and early-finisher resources for meaningful extension. Standards & Learning Goals Students strengthen important STEM and engineering skills through engaging, age-appropriate activities, including: Engineering Design • Identifying problems and needs • Brainstorming possible solutions • Designing and building • Testing and evaluating ideas • Identifying improvements • Refining solutions Problem-Solving • Thinking creatively • Using logical reasoning • Exploring multiple solutions • Learning from mistakes • Applying strategies to new challenges STEM Thinking • Observing and investigating • Asking questions • Making predictions • Analyzing results • Applying knowledge to real-world challenges Communication & Reflection • Explaining ideas and solutions • Sharing designs and strategies • Recording observations • Reflecting on challenges • Communicating how solutions can be improved Why Teachers Love It * Uses common classroom and recycled materials — full materials list included * Complete third grade STEM resource collection * Seven complementary STEM resources in one bundle * Full-year engineering activities * Multiple formats for flexible STEM instruction * Supports hands-on learning and creativity * Builds problem-solving and critical-thinking skills * Includes curriculum, projects, task cards, challenge cards, and journals * Provides meaningful early-finisher activities * Includes substitute teacher plans * Flexible for whole-group, small-group, center, and independent learning * Saves valuable planning time Instead of searching for separate STEM resources throughout the year, teachers can use this 3rd Grade STEM Bundle as a flexible resource library for instruction, practice, projects, enrichment, early finishers, and substitute days. Download Today Add this 3rd Grade STEM Curriculum Bundle to your classroom and give students a full year of opportunities to explore, design, build, test, problem-solve, and think like engineers! Whether you need a structured STEM lesson, a quick challenge, a hands-on project, an independent activity, an early-finisher option, or a substitute plan, this bundle gives you resources to support STEM learning throughout the school year.
$49.00
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