NGSS & STEM Activities

The next generation science standards (NGSS)  and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) create new paradigms for teaching science. Rather than being told what scientists know and do, students discover science through their own investigations and explorations. Performance expectations are created from an integration of disciplinary core ideas (science content), crosscutting concepts (like patterns, cause and effect, and stability and change), and science and engineering practices. Acorn Naturalists has created a series of easy to use, grade-specific Nature Circles® NGSS cards, designed for educators. These cards offer a rich array of schoolyard-based activities aligned to specific NGSS content. Supplemental blackline masters can be downloaded from our website. Many other STEM and NGSS resources are also found in this section.