Grade 3 STEM Full-Year Curriculum | 36-Week Engineering & Science Investigations
This Grade 3 STEM Full-Year Curriculum provides a complete 36-week program of hands-on engineering and science investigations designed to develop stronger scientific thinking, data analysis, problem solving, and evidence-based reasoning. Students move beyond simply collecting data to designing fair tests, identifying variables, analyzing results, and improving solutions.
The curriculum includes 36 weekly investigations across six units: Engineering Design, Forces & Motion, Matter & Materials, Life Science, Earth & Space, and Engineering for Communities. Every challenge follows the six-step process Ask → Imagine → Plan → Create → Test → Improve, giving students a consistent framework for solving authentic problems.
Students learn to define testable questions, conduct research, generate and compare solutions, identify independent, dependent, and controlled variables, plan investigations, create prototypes, conduct repeated trials, analyze data, and improve designs based on evidence. The curriculum includes 18 data investigations, 18 unplugged coding activities, six capstone investigations, decision matrices, conditional logic, algorithms, loops, debugging, and Claim → Evidence → Reasoning activities.
Each investigation is designed for approximately 45–60 minute sessions, with CREATE and TEST sharing the fourth session. Students work individually, with partners, or in teams while recording results and explaining their conclusions.
The program aligns with NGSS 3–5 Engineering Design standards, including 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, and 3-5-ETS1-3, alongside relevant CCSS Math and ELA standards. Math connections include multiplication, division, fractions, measurement, area, perimeter, and data. ELA connections include research, informational writing, collaboration, speaking, and evidence.
Challenges use accessible classroom or recycled materials and include engaging real-world topics such as bridges, wind-powered vehicles, solar ovens, water filtration, ecosystems, weather stations, earthquake-resistant structures, accessibility, and community problems.
A complete 36-week pacing guide, materials lists, preparation guidance, and weekly standards alignment make implementation straightforward while reducing planning time.
Throughout the year, students develop the ability to ask better questions, design fair tests, interpret evidence, defend conclusions, and recognize that effective solutions improve through systematic testing and revision.
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K - 5 STEM Curriculum Bundle | Full-Year Engineering Activities
K–5 STEM Curriculum Bundle | 216 Weekly Engineering Challenges | Full-Year Teacher Lesson Plans for Every Grade Six full-year STEM curricula — 36 weekly engineering design challenges per grade, one for every week of the school year, in six units with a five-session structure — 1,074 pages of teacher-facing lesson plans from Kindergarten through 5th Grade, using materials you already have. This is the backbone of the K–5 STEM program: the lesson plans a teacher opens on Monday. Every other resource in the store — the challenge cards, journals, projects, task cards, early finishers, and sub plans — is built to sit on top of these six curricula. Buy this and you have the year planned. Add the companions when you want them. What's Included Six complete grade-level curricula (1,074 pages, 216 weekly challenges): Kindergarten STEM Curriculum — 36 challenges on an Ask → Imagine → Build → Share routine, sized for five-year-olds. Ends with an Invention Convention. 1st Grade STEM Curriculum — Units: Engineering & Design · Materials & Structures · Forces & Motion · Plants & Animals · Weather & Earth · STEM Problem Solving. Capstone: Young Engineers Showcase. 2nd Grade STEM Curriculum — Units: Engineering Design · Matter & Materials · Forces & Motion · Living Systems · Earth & Weather · Human Solutions. Capstone: STEM Problem Solvers Showcase. 3rd Grade STEM Curriculum — Units: Engineering Design · Forces & Motion · Matter & Materials · Life Science · Earth & Space · Engineering for Communities. Capstone: STEM Investigators Showcase. 4th Grade STEM Curriculum — Units: Engineering Design · Energy · Waves & Communication · Earth Systems · Life Science · Engineering Our World. Capstone: STEM Designers & Innovators Showcase. 5th Grade STEM Curriculum — Units: Engineering Design & Innovation · Matter & Chemical Systems · Energy · Earth & Space · Ecosystems & Sustainability · Technology & Future Solutions. Capstone: STEM Innovators Showcase. The Challenges Six units per grade, six challenges per unit, one per week. A sample from each year: K: Tower Power · A Chair for Teddy · Bridge for a Toy Car · Ramp Racers · Boats Afloat · Magnet Movers · Rain Shelter · Stop the Flood · Playground Designers 1st: Tallest Tower Challenge · Windproof House · Earthquake-Proof Tower · Balloon-Powered Car · Seed Dispersal Device · Erosion Barrier · Pulley Power · Design a Playground 2nd: Design a Stronger Bridge · Design a Water Filter · Build a Marble Run · Design a Parachute · Pollinator Garden Model · Erosion Control Engineers · Design a Water-Saving Device · Design for Everyone 3rd: Design a Bridge · Build a Wind-Powered Vehicle · Create a Solar Oven · Build a Model Ecosystem · Design a Weather Station · Create an Earthquake-Resistant Structure · Engineering for Water Access 4th: Solar and renewable energy · Communication systems · Erosion protection · Earthquake-resistant buildings · Biomimicry · Product design 5th: Water purification · Solar-powered devices · Wind turbines · Energy grids · Earthquake-resistant structures · Mars habitats · Assistive technology · Sustainable cities How a Week Runs From 1st Grade up, each challenge follows the same five-session structure — Ask, Investigate/Imagine, Plan, Build & Test, Improve & Reflect — so students learn one routine and use it all year. Kindergarten runs a simpler four-step routine in shorter sessions. Every challenge has a driving question, criteria, constraints, and a prediction before building; from 2nd Grade up, required trial counts and data to record; from 4th up, a client scenario and a budget. How It Grows, K–5 K: count, compare, build, and try again — Ask · Imagine · Build · Share 1st: change one thing and test again; measure in cm; simple data 2nd: three ideas before choosing; repeated trials; graphs; numbers as evidence 3rd: independent/dependent/controlled variables; fair tests; efficiency; claim–evidence–reasoning; unplugged coding 4th: measurable criteria; budgets and cost per unit; weighted decision matrices; source reliability 5th: trade-offs and optimization; ratios and rates; technical summaries; flowcharts and pseudocode By Week 36 of 5th Grade, students independently define a problem, research it, run the full engineering process, and report a recommendation someone could act on. Format 6 PDF files, 1,074 pages total Teacher-facing lesson plans; print-and-go All challenges use everyday classroom supplies — cups, straws, tape, paper, string, blocks — with a materials list for every challenge and no kit required Teaching duration: 1 full school year per grade Build Out From Here Each curriculum has six companion resources, all built on the same 36-week sequence and unit colors: K–5 STEM Challenge Cards — the student-facing card for every weekly challenge, plus Level Up extensions and Quick Builds K–5 STEM Journals — the student recording pages for every weekly challenge K–5 STEM Projects — the six unit capstones per grade, extended into full team projects, plus 72 mini-projects K–5 STEM Task Cards — 5–10 minute skill practice with answer keys K–5 STEM for Early Finishers — a self-managing routine for independent time K–5 STEM Sub Plans — scripted lessons for absence days All seven, for all six grades, are in the K–5 STEM Mega Bundle. Why Buy the Bundle Six curricula bought separately cost $142.94. This bundle is $89.99 — and gives a STEM specialist or a whole elementary building one 216-week engineering sequence, K through 5, with every companion resource designed to plug straight in. Ask. Imagine. Plan. Build. Test. Improve — 36 weeks, every grade.
$89.99
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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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