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LessonKind

5-day lesson plan

STEM & Coding — Topic Week

Hands-on science investigations, coding, computing concepts.

A printable 5-day plan using LessonKind resources. Designed for upper-elementary classes — adjust as needed.

How to use this plan

Each day has a clear focus, 1–2 suggested resources from the LessonKind library, and a teaching note. The plan is designed to take 30–45 minutes per day, but every section can be expanded into a full hour-long lesson by adding discussion, paired tasks, or extended writing. Feel free to swap, skip, or rearrange — the plan is a starting point, not a recipe.

Day 1 — How scientists think

Introduce the scientific method.

Resources

Teaching note: Start by demonstrating the method — pick a question (does sugar dissolve faster in hot water?). Walk through the 6 steps as a class. Tomorrow, students plan their own investigation.

Day 2 — Run an investigation

Plan and carry out a fair test.

Resources

Teaching note: Hands-on day. Pick one of the three state-of-matter experiments. Use the investigation template to record. Stress fair testing: change ONE thing, keep everything else the same.

Day 3 — Logical thinking

How computers approach problems.

Resources

Teaching note: Computers don't think — they follow algorithms. Introduce decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithms. Use everyday examples: tying laces is an algorithm; sorting laundry is decomposition.

Day 4 — Code it

Apply computational thinking in code.

Resources

Teaching note: If you have computers, do the Scratch tutorial. If not, do logic puzzles unplugged. Both build the same skills. Stress: errors aren't failures, they're how you find out what's wrong.

Day 5 — How AI works

Demystify the AI children are surrounded by.

Resources

Teaching note: End the week with a discussion about AI — what it can and can't do. The fact file gives a friendly introduction. Discuss: should there be rules about what AI can do? Who should make them?

After the week

Wrap up with one of these:

  • A short class assembly or presentation showcasing what students learned.
  • A piece of independent writing — "the most interesting thing I learned about stem & coding".
  • A reflection circle — what surprised you? what would you still like to know?
  • A class-built poster or display summarizing key facts and ideas.