STEM Lesson Plans For Middle School Students

STEM is an approach to educating students in four specific disciplines – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – in an interdisciplinary and applied way.  Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a coordinated curriculum based on real-world applications and hands-on student participation.

NanoSonic, Leidos Inc., and STEM teachers in Giles County, Virginia, have worked with support from the U.S. Department of Transportation through a "Small Business Innovative Research" (SBIR) program to develop these lesson plans.  The lessons may be used as stand-alone projects or several of them may be taught in sequence during a semester-long after-school STEM program.  Many of the lessons require small parts and supplies that you may already have in the classroom or at home.  Others use commercially available science supplies and kits that can be purchased on-line.

The lessons use advanced transportation systems as a central theme, in part because transportation involves many of the subjects of greatest student interest in STEM programs – robotics, coding, math, electronics and communication systems.  Several of the lessons combine activities in these areas to demonstrate “Intelligent Transportation Systems,” (ITS), “Connected Vehicles,” (CV), and “Automated Vehicles” (AV).  Most of the lessons emphasize hands-on student activities and learning through experimentation.

Please click on the title of the document you wish to download, not the icon. If you have questions about the lessons, the SBIR program, or NanoSonic, please email us at info@nanosonic.com.

Introductory Lesson Plans for Middle School Students

+ MODULE 1: CRASH PREVENTION - LESSON 1 - PHYSICS AND REACTION TIME: Hands-on student experiments to determine reaction time; calculations of reaction time; playing on-line reaction time video games.

Physics and Reaction Time Lesson Plan
Physics and Reaction Time Laboratory Worksheet

+ MODULE 1: CRASH PREVENTION - LESSON 2 - STOPPING DISTANCE AND CRASH AVOIDANCE: Hands on student experiment to measure stopping distance using model vehicles on a ramp that simulates different roadway conditions.

Stopping Distance and Crash Avoidance Lesson Plan                     

Stopping Distance and Crash Avoidance Laboratory Worksheet

+ MODULE 1: CRASH PREVENTION - LESSON 3 - ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS: Hands-on student experiment using temperature, light and weight sensors instrumented using an Arduino microprocessor board; basic coding; assembly of electronic systems

Road Weather Information Systems Lesson Plan

Road Weather Information Systems FARS Demonstration

Road Weather Information Systems FARS Activity Worksheet

Road Weather Information Systems Arduino Activity Teacher Resource

Road Weather Information Systems Arduino Laboratory Worksheet

+ MODULE 1: CRASH PREVENTION - LESSON 4 - TRAFFIC CONGESTION: Hallway experiment to demonstrate traffic congestion; online computer traffic games; YouTube videos.

Traffic Congestion Lesson Plan

+ MODULE 2 : CONNECTED VEHICLES : Introduces students to the basic ideas of how vehicles can be interconnected to each other and transportation infrastructure. Hands-on programming with Sphero suggested to demonstrate connected vehicle (CV) ideas.

 Connected Vehicle Lesson Plan

Connected Vehicle Sphero Programming Activity

+ MODULE 3: SCHOOL ZONE SAFETY AUDIT : Learn Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) solutions through performing a safety audit of the school and surrounding areas

School Zone Safety Audit Lesson Plan

+ MODULE 4: TRAFFIC SIGNAL DESIGN: Hands-on learning about Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) through studying intersections and designing a traffic signal using Arduino.

Traffic Signal Design Lesson Plan

Traffic Signal Design Laboratory Exercise

Traffic Signal Design Arduino Laboratory Exercise

Traffic Signal Design Arduino Code

Traffic Signal Design Lesson Plan Excel Graphs

+ MODULE 5: SUSTAINABLE AND INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION: Students investigate ITS-based solutions for reducing fuel consumption and calculate their carbon footprint.

Sustainable and Intelligent Transportation Lesson Plan

Sustainable and Intelligent Transportation Web Quest

Sustainable and Intelligent Transportation Web Quest Worksheet

Sustainable and Intelligent Transportation Trip Scenarios

Sustainable and Intelligent Transportation Reference Tables

+ MODULE 6: CONGESTION PRICING: Hands-on programming activity to understand the benefits of congestion-based toll pricing.

Congestion Pricing Lesson Plan

Congestion Pricing Flowcharting Worksheet

+ MODULE 7 - ROAD TRIP GAME: Available for download from your App Store

+ MODULE 8 - RADAR AND LIDAR SYSTEMS IN INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS: Hands-on learning using modular robotics kit to simulate how autonomous technology systems work by designing and constructing a connected vehicle that interacts with the surrounding environment.

RADAR and LIDAR Systems in ITS Lesson Plan

RADAR and LIDAR Systems in ITS Activity Worksheet (Teachers)

RADAR and LIDAR Systems in ITS Activity Worksheet (Students)

+ MODULE 9: DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS: Hands-on learning using the Makey Makey a circuit board to design and program sensors to simulate a Dynamic Message System.  Activities in this Module can be combined with the autonomous vehicle in Module 8 to create an Intelligent Transportation System Highway.

Dynamic Message Signs Lesson Plan

Dynamic Message Signs Activity Worksheets

+ MODULE 10: INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS - SMART WORK ZONES: 

In the Module 10 lessons, students will explore connected vehicle applications that currently exist for work zone areas and consider what future technologies could be developed to increase the safety of both oncoming drivers and highway personnel within the work zone area.  Students will specifically examine how sensor technology could be implement within the work zone area and as part of the connected vehicle technology to improve safety.

Note: The lesson plans are intended to be used in sequential order and are not stand alone activities.

Lesson 1: Smart Work Zones

Lesson 2: Introduction to Lily Pad Arduino

Lesson 3: Developing Smart Suit Sensor Technology

Lesson 4: Putting It All Together