2nd Grade STEM Sub Plans | Full-Year Engineering Activities

Be prepared for unexpected absences with 12 complete, ready-to-use Grade 2 STEM and engineering lessons designed for substitute teachers, even those without a STEM background. Simply print, organize, and place the lessons in a sub folder for easy access when needed.

The resource pairs with the Grade 2 STEM Full-Year Curriculum, while each lesson is standalone and non-sequential, so substitutes can choose any activity without needing knowledge of previous instruction.

What’s Included

• 12 no-prep Grade 2 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 and data collection
• 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

12 Emergency Lessons

• 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

Authentic STEM Thinking

The lessons go beyond simple crafts by requiring students to predict, test, measure, record data, compare results, identify patterns, and improve designs.

For example, Ramp Trials involves testing three ramp heights with three trials at each height and recording all nine results. The Efficient Tower challenges students to build a tower that can hold a book while considering both height and material efficiency.

Students develop skills in:

• Making predictions
• Conducting fair tests
• Repeating trials
• Measuring results
• Recording and comparing data
• Identifying patterns
• Improving designs
• Explaining results

Common Classroom Materials

No specialized STEM kit is required. Activities use accessible materials such as paper, cardstock, straws, tape, books, toy cars, pennies, foil, water, ice, fabric, cotton wool, magnets, craft materials, boxes, tubes, rubber bands, plastic bags, and rulers.

A labeled STEM SUB TUB can be prepared in advance so essential supplies are available whenever an absence occurs.

Why It Works

These plans provide substitutes with clear scripts, structured activities, student recording pages, safety guidance, data collection, and defined endpoints. Teachers can save planning time while ensuring students continue engaging in meaningful STEM learning.

The lessons also treat unsuccessful trials as useful data. Students can examine what happened, identify a possible reason, make a focused change, and test again.

Overall, this resource provides a practical, reusable system of hands-on Grade 2 emergency STEM lessons that keeps students investigating, measuring, designing, and thinking like engineers even when their regular teacher is absent.