Can you believe it’s already November? I’ve been brainstorming a list of fun November STEM activities, and I think I’ve created the best!
If your class is anything like mine, they’re probably running on a lot more energy than you can manage to keep up with (or drink).
I’ve put together a list of super-fun November STEM activities for you!
These activities will require your students to use their energy to solve these problems. PLUS, they’re standards-based! If you’re curious why you should try these, here’s a list of benefits your students get from STEM activities!
November 2 – Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) STEAM Activity
November 2, 2022, is the Day of the Dead or Dia de Los Muertos! Sugar skulls are inspired by papel picados and are so cute; students create their sugar skulls using symmetry.
This resource includes a printable for younger students to learn about a paper art called layering. They’ll learn about the tradition and celebration of the Spanish holiday and so much more with this STEM activity.
I’ve also included reading and math worksheets to help you integrate more!
November 11 – Veterans Day STEAM Activity
Veterans Day is November 11. Did you know Veterans Day is to celebrate all veterans? Although we certainly remember our fallen heroes, it’s not a memorial day. This STEAM activity is a great way to teach students about the history of Veterans Day.
This lesson also teaches students about capillary action, time, and the scientific method. Your students will love creating poppies for veterans!
Click here to learn more about Veterans Day STEM activities!
November 24 – Thanksgiving
Candy Corn Maze
This activity is so much fun for all grades! Who doesn’t love a good corn maze? Students create a corn maze using paper, glue, and candy corn in this activity. For students with allergies, substitute the candy with mini-erasers.
The goal is to have as many turns as possible on one page. The kids got creative with these! Here’s one example (pictured above).
Click here to learn more about Thanksgiving STEM!
Design a Drum
During the first Thanksgiving celebration, participants played music. Check out the Music of the First Thanksgiving here. Then, have your students create their very own drum. These are super easy to create and a lot of fun! You can connect this with science by discussing the size and different pitches each drum makes.
Click here to learn more about Thanksgiving STEM!
Create a Rainstick
Continue teaching music and sound with this rainstick STEM activity. You can create a rainstick using either a poster board tube or a smaller cardboard tube. Place chicken wire inside or hammer in nails. Then, have students place various beans, rice, and grains inside. They sound majestic!
Popcorn STEAM Activities
I love learning about popcorn during Thanksgiving. Students find it fascinating that Native Americans discovered popcorn many years ago. Some believed a demon was living inside the kernel, making it pop. We use the book Popcorn by Tomie dePaola to learn how popcorn was invented.
Of course, we enjoy popcorn while reading the story, and then students get a take-home project and a bag of popcorn. These go home for Thanksgiving break and aren’t necessary, but I send them home if they want to experiment and have fun.
Students engineer with popcorn, experiment, and more! I have these take-home projects in a flipbook or a single sheet of paper. You can get this activity free when you subscribe to my weekly blogs.
Wampanoag Canoe
Yes, the Mayflower is fun, but we continue with our Native American research with Wampanoag Canoes. These were the main modes of transportation along the river for Wampanoag Native Americans.
Learn about how Wampanoag Native Americans carve out, scrape, and burn the canoes here. Then, have students create a canoe to hold the most pieces of candy corn. You can connect this activity to science by discussing buoyancy, rivers, or weight.
Where Can I Get These?
Glad you asked!
These activities are super simple and fun for elementary students. You can grab the November STEM Bundle from my TPT shop. The
The k-2 Thanksgiving STEM bundle is a collaboration with my friend Lisa Taylor from Lisa Taylor Teaching the Stars a few years ago. You can find it in her shop here.
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