13-page PDF booklet, plus PDF posters
KS3, KS4
Years 7-11
Why set up a STEM Club?
A school STEM Club is a fantastic way to enthuse pupils in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.
STEM Clubs let both young people and adults enjoy STEM education activities for their own sake, without tying yourself to the curriculum. You don’t need a lot of extra equipment or resources to run a successful STEM Club.
Great ideas for summer STEM Clubs
We’ve included a selection of STEM Club ideas in this download that will increase STEM engagement among your students. They’re also great for special events, like British Science Week.
Lynn Nickerson DPhil, STEM coordinator and science inclusion mentor at Didcot Girls’ School, has created these activities, which:
- are low-cost
- use readily available supplies
- are easy to adapt for use with groups of different numbers, ages and abilities
You don’t need major expertise in STEM to be able to use them, either.
In the download we explain the goal of each activity, the equipment you’ll need, what students need to do and ideas for extending the tasks.
Don’t forget to try out each activity yourself before running it with your STEM Club. This will enable you to be aware of any potential problems and give you a feel for the time and equipment needed.
An example of a fantastic STEM activity designed to boost pupils’ knowledge of STEM included in this pack is a fun pH rainbow activity. Students have to use dilute acid, alkali, water and universal indicator to make a set of solutions of every colour of the rainbow.
How these STEM workshop activities work
We’ve designed these STEM Club activities for you, the teacher, to demonstrate at the start of your session. You can create written instructions if you wish, although these may be a barrier for some students.
Emphasise that in STEM Club everyone can have a go without worrying about making mistakes. If something doesn’t work, help students find out why and then they can try again. That’s when they are being most like a real scientist or engineer.
Doing science at school safely
We’ve designed these activities for use in STEM Clubs under the supervision of a responsible adult.
Before running an activity, always risk assess it for the particular group of young people involved and the context you’re delivering it in.
Some activities use chemicals which are low hazard when used in the amounts and at the concentrations indicated.
Prepare and dispose of any chemicals according to your setting’s guidelines.
Everyone should wear eye protection when using chemicals. Tie back long hair, remove or tuck in loose clothing and stand up. Wipe up any spills immediately and make sure everyone washes their hands at the end of the activity.
STEM posters
Inside this download we’ve also included two STEM posters that you can print out, fill in and display around school to promote your STEM Club. There’s a colour version and a greyscale version to choose from.
