How to plan an inclusive STEM lesson

​​​​Creating an inclusive STEM lesson is more than just adding a fun project to the day. It’s about designing a learning experience that connects science, technology, engineering, and math to real-world problems.

An inclusive STEM lesson engages and supports all students. Plus, it helps them build skills and confidence. 

Read on to learn about the key features of an inclusive STEM lesson.

STEM activities, lessons, and units

First, let’s clarify the difference between STEM activities, lessons, and units. 

A STEM activity is usually a one-time event. While hands-on and engaging, it doesn’t offer the same depth of learning as a full STEM lesson. STEM activities can be valuable, but they don’t have the lasting impact of well-planned lessons and units.

A STEM lesson is part of a larger unit that helps students build their understanding over time. It’s about deep learning that takes place over multiple days or weeks. Students gradually put together the pieces to solve a problem.

A STEM unit is like a chapter book. It’s made up of multiple lessons. Just like each chapter in a book builds on the last, each lesson in your unit should connect to the one before it. The goal is for students to piece together what they’ve learned to understand how everything fits together. This approach keeps students engaged throughout the learning. And it gives them a sense of progress as they move closer to solving the problem.

STEM unit example: Let’s say you’re teaching a unit on blue crabs and ecosystems. Your driving question might be, “How can we design a healthy habitat for blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay?”

Each lesson could explore key topics to help answer the question:

• What blue crabs need to survive

• The impact of pollution

• How living things in an ecosystem are connected

All three lessons build up to a final project: Design a model of a healthy habitat that supports the survival of blue crabs.

This unit works toward the Next Generation Science Standard NGSS 3-LS4-3.

Using the 5E model of inquiry-based instruction

The 5E model is helpful for planning inclusive STEM lessons. It guides students through five phases.

1. Engage: Capture students’ attention with an interesting phenomenon or question.

2. Explore: Students investigate through hands-on activities. 

3. Explain: Teachers help students make sense of their discoveries.

4. Elaborate: Students apply their new knowledge to solve problems.

5. Evaluate: Teachers assess students’ understanding and give feedback to help them grow.

The 5E model encourages students to take an active role in learning. Each phase can stretch across multiple lessons, helping students build knowledge step by step. 

Starting with a phenomenon

A phenomenon sparks curiosity. It might be an event, a problem, or an observation that gets students thinking. In the “Engage” phase, the phenomenon grabs students’ attention and sets the stage for exploration.

Starting with a phenomenon makes learning feel relevant to students’ lives. It also creates a common entry point for all students, no matter their background knowledge. All students begin the STEM challenge together, making learning more inclusive.

A phenomenon also helps students think critically. As they dig deeper, they start noticing patterns and connections. This leads to more questions — and a richer learning experience.

Example phenomenon: The declining blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay 

Pollution, habitat loss, and water quality changes threaten blue crabs. This species is vital to the ecosystem and the economy.

Students can explore what blue crabs need to survive and how human activities affect their habitats. This gives them a deeper understanding of ecosystems. 

Using a driving question

The driving question directly connects to the phenomenon. It’s the central challenge that guides the entire unit. By the end, students should be able to answer it. 

Unlike a yes-or-no question, the driving question is open-ended. It pushes students to think critically and creatively. And it gives students a sense of purpose as they work through the unit.

Example driving question: “How can we design a healthy habitat for blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay?”

Supporting students who learn and think differently

Inclusive STEM lessons support all learners, including those who learn and think differently. Using best practices can help you create lessons that meet the needs of every student. 

Here are four key strategies to include in your planning: 

1. Explicit instruction 

With explicit instruction, you teach in a direct, structured way. You break down complex ideas into smaller, manageable steps. And you check for understanding regularly.

Explicit instruction works well with the “gradual release” model, also known as the “I do, we do, you do” approach. You start by giving direct instructions and modeling what to do. Then you work together, giving multiple chances for practice. And finally you let students practice independently, giving feedback along the way. 

Check out this explicit instruction guide to learn more. 

2. Flexible grouping

With flexible grouping, you put students into temporary groups to work together. They stay in these groups only as long as is needed for them to develop an identified skill or to complete an activity. This strategy allows students to work with a variety of peers, encouraging collaboration and support.

While in these groups, assigned roles can give each student a sense of purpose and responsibility. You can use roles like researcher, designer, presenter, or materials manager for different tasks. 

Learn more about how to use flexible grouping in STEM. 

3. Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework developed by CAST, can help you design lessons to meet the needs of all your students.

With UDL, you consider learner variability and use strategies to remove barriers to learning. That way, all students can access the content. You offer flexibility in the ways students engage with the materials and show what they know. 

Find out how to plan STEM lessons with UDL. 

4. Growth mindset

When planning your STEM lessons, consider ways to help students build a growth mindset. Encourage students to view challenges as learning opportunities. Emphasize effort, perseverance, and the idea that mistakes are part of the learning process, especially in STEM.

Download these growth mindset printables to use in your STEM lessons. 

When you make STEM lessons accessible to all learners, you empower every student to see themselves as a future scientist, engineer, mathematician, and problem-solver. That’s the true power of STEM education.

More resources

• Learn more about kids who learn and think differently and STEM.

• Find out how to use accommodations and supports in your lessons.

• Explore this guide to STEM education.