STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) can be one of the most exciting parts of learning, but it can also involve a lot of pricey supplies and equipment. Taking advantage of free STEM resources allows you to save your funds for must-have tools and materials instead. Add these resources to your toolkit – you’ll be amazed at how many no-cost options there are!
For educators in smaller, community-based settings like Microschools, these free resources are especially valuable. They offer a way to enrich the learning experience without stretching a limited budget. From interactive online platforms to open-source projects, these tools can inspire creativity and foster a love of STEM.
Top 10 Free STEM Resources for Microschools and Beyond
Annenberg Learner
- Resource types: Educational video programs, with accompanying print and digital activities
- Grades: K-12
This site offers a wide range of multimedia materials, including videos, interactive activities, and lesson plans on an array of subjects. Teachers will find complete courses they can use or share with students, which is especially helpful for topics you may not be an expert in yourself.
Core Knowledge
- Resource types: Curriculum and lesson plans
- Grades: PreK-8
This site provides open access to content-rich materials and complete curriculum programs in a variety of subjects, including science and math. Search by subject and grade level to find the materials you need.
Khan Academy
- Resource types: Online lessons, courses, and activities
- Grades: PreK-12
Khan Academy is a powerhouse in providing free, detailed educational resources across the curriculum. From early science lessons to advanced calculus and physics, this no-frills site is a Microschool teacher’s best friend for accommodating multiple ages and interests in one classroom.
NSTA (National Science Teaching Association)
- Resource types: Lesson plans, book excerpts, professional development
- Grades: PreK-12
In addition to providing professional development and information for science teachers, NSTA offers free lesson plans and book excerpts you can use with students. They also post weekly roundups of freebies and opportunities for STEM teachers and schools.
OER Commons
- Resource types: Lesson plans, printables, activities, videos, and more
- Grades: PreK-12
OER stands for Open Educational Resources, and this site is a place for educators to share their resources freely with each other. You’ll find lessons and activities for just about any subject here, and you can post your own for others to use too.
OpenStax
- Resource types: Digital textbooks
- Grades: 6-12
Get access to quality digital texts across the curriculum for free! Books are mainly geared toward secondary students, covering subjects like algebra, chemistry, physics, and more.
Science Buddies
- Resource types: Science experiments and projects, video lessons, STEM challenges
- Grades: K-12
This is THE place on the web to find science fair projects and classroom demos, categorized by age, subject, difficulty, and more. They’ve also added more free STEM resources for teachers like video lessons, STEM fair tools, and hands-on activities.
Didax
- Resource types: Virtual math manipulatives
- Grades: K-8
It can be costly to build up a collection of classroom math manipulatives. Instead, turn to this site full of free math tools, from ten frames and rekenreks to geoboards and algebra tiles.
Code.org
- Resource types: Lessons, tutorials, activities, professional development
- Grades: K-12
Sponsors of the popular Hour of Code project, Code.org has been helping students and educators alike learn to code for years. If you feel a little nervous about tackling coding in your Microschool classroom, start here.
General Free STEM Resources
National Science Digital Library
- Resource types: Lesson plans, articles, videos, activities
- Grades: K-12
The National Science Digital Library provides high quality online free STEM resources for teaching and learning. They aggregate thousands of resources from several major STEM sites, including NASA, Illustrative Mathematics, and TeachEngineering.
National Geographic Society Education Resources
- Resource types: Lesson plans, articles, videos, activities
- Grades: K-12
In keeping with their Explorer Mindset Learning Framework, National Geographic provides interactive maps, live classroom events, lessons, articles, science activities, and more on a variety of subjects.
Science Friday
- Resource types: Podcasts, lesson plans, activities
- Grades: K-12
The popular PBS podcast has partnered with educators and scientists to build a huge library of free science resources for all ages.
Kids Discover
- Resource types: Lesson plans, infographics, leveled reading articles
- Grades: K-8
Kids Discover offers a nice selection of free resources, including detailed lesson plans. You’ll have to wade through their diverse offerings in a variety of subjects to find the free science resources, but the quality makes it worth the effort.
DOGO News
- Resource types: Leveled reading articles and activities
- Grades: K-8
Find kid-friendly articles on STEM-related news in English and Spanish. Articles also included highlighted keywords with definitions, and accompanying games and activities.
Education.com
- Resource types: Lessons, printables, activities
- Grades: K-8
This wide-ranging site is chock-full of educational resources for STEM and beyond. Basic membership includes a limited number of free resources per month; get unlimited access for a small fee.
Education World
- Resource types: Lessons, printables, activities, articles, professional development
- Grades: K-12
From lesson plans and activities to education-related news and professional development, this site is a wealth of resources and information for all teachers.
HMH
- Resource types: Lessons, videos, activities, articles
- Grades: K-12
Textbook publisher HMH shares free lessons, hands-on activities, and more resources in math and science for all grade levels.
PBS LearningMedia
- Resource types: Videos, lesson plans, interactive activities
- Grades: K-12
Find science and math lessons across multiple topics and grade levels from a trusted source of free quality educational resources.
TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers)
- Resource types: Lesson plans, worksheets, classroom printables
- Grades: PreK-12
Don’t ignore TPT when you’re looking for free resources! Just narrow your search to “Free,” and you’ll find all sorts of STEM lessons, printables, and more that won’t cost you a penny.
Teacher Created Resources
- Resource types: Lesson plans
- Grades: PreK-8
As the name implies, all the resources here are lesson plans created and tested by real teachers. Find complete lessons for a variety of subjects in math, Earth and space science, life science, and more.
We Are Teachers
- Resource types: Free printables, articles
- Grades: PreK-12
We Are Teachers has lots of free resources for teachers, including an ever-growing library of free downloadable printables like math worksheets, multiplication charts, and scientific method graphic organizers, just to name a few. Plus, check out their big collection of STEM challenges and science fair ideas.
Share My Lesson
- Resource types: Lessons, printables, activities
- Grades: Grades K-12
Think of this like TPT, but everything is free! Teachers generously share their lessons and activities with one another, and you’ll find plenty of free STEM resources here.
PhET Interactive Simulations
- Resource types: Online interactive simulations
- Grades: K-12
In smaller schools, you don’t always have access to all the equipment and materials you need for hands-on STEM exploration. The free simulations on this site help you bring learning to life, plus you’ll find accompanying lesson plans and ideas for using them.
Free STEM Resources for Science (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Astronomy, and More)
Nature Lab
- Subjects: Environmental education, nature
- Resource types: Monthly activity guides, virtual field trips, lesson plans, activities
- Grades: K-12
The Nature Conservancy worked with 1000+ scientists to create Nature Lab. Its goal is to help students learn the science behind how nature works for us, through free science activities, lesson plans, virtual field trips, monthly newsletters, and more.
Project Noah
- Subjects: Wildlife, citizen science
- Resource types: Wildlife photos and information
- Grades: K-12
This site is a worldwide community for photographing and learning about wildlife, and one of the biggest citizen science projects. Submit your own photos for crowdsourcing ID, or help others identify their mystery sightings.
UC Museum of Paleontology
- Subjects: Paleontology, geosciences
- Resource types: Virtual fieldwork experiences, lesson plans, online modules
- Grades: K-12
Find an incredible compilation of free science resources here, from virtual field trips to dig sites to lesson plans and activities on evolution, fossils, dinosaurs, and many more related subjects.
NASA Climate Kids
- Subjects: Climate and weather science
- Resource types: Online games, videos, information library, science activities
- Grades: K-5
Explore the complicated subject of climate change and its effects on people and our planet, at a level that younger students can easily understand.
Audubon for Kids
- Subjects: Birds, wildlife, habitats
- Resource types: Lessons, online modules, activities
- Grades: K-8
Find a big collection of resources related to birds and wildlife habitats from the Audubon Society, including the classroom curriculum Audubon Adventures.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Subjects: Birds, citizen science
- Resource types: Curriculum, lesson plans, hands-on activities
- Grades: K-12
Take your bird learning a step deeper and combine it with citizen science projects like FeederWatch, sponsored by one of the biggest names in the birding world.
NASA Space Place
- Subjects: Astronomy and space
- Resource types: Online learning modules, games, activities
- Grades: K-8
Learn about space and Earth science in a fun and interactive way with games, puzzles, hands-on activities, articles, and multimedia content from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
WWF Wild Place
- Subjects: Wildlife and nature
- Resource types: Lessons and activities
- Grades: K-8
The World Wildlife Fund provides free all-in-one downloadable classroom toolkits on animals and environmental science topics, along with professional development videos for teachers.
Smithsonian Science Education Center
- Subjects: Wildlife and nature
- Resource types: Curriculum programs, lesson plans, professional development
- Grades: K-12
With multiple free curriculum programs available, the Smithsonian supports students and teachers across a variety of science subjects.
Free STEM Resources for Technology and Computer Science
Common Sense Education
- Subjects: Digital citizenship
- Resource types: Curriculum and activities
- Grades: K-12
Responsible use of the internet and connected devices is an absolutely vital topic for every student today. Common Sense’s free curriculum has lessons for all ages on topics like health effects of screen time, online privacy, and online bullying.
Scratch and Scratch Jr.
- Subjects: Scratch programming language
- Resource types: Lessons and activities
- Grades: K-12
These popular sites teach kids how to program in Scratch, through fun activities and games. You can see what others have created too. Scratch Jr. is geared toward the early elementary crowd (K-2). Then they’re ready to move on to Scratch itself.
Code Monster
- Subjects: Coding
- Resource types: Hands-on activities
- Grades: 3-8
Get an intro to coding in a step-by-step, accessible way through this site’s simple interface. Follow the Code Monster’s directions, and you’ll be coding in no time!
Codecademy
- Subjects: Coding
- Resource types: Lessons, hands-on activities
- Grades: 6-12
Teens can skip the cutesy games and dive right into coding skills on this site. Start at the very beginning, or try more advanced learning modules to build complex programming.
CS First
- Subjects: Computer science
- Resource types: Curriculum, video tutorials, hands-on activities
- Grades: 4-8
If you’re not sure where to begin with a computer science curriculum, this should be your first stop. CS First empowers educators to teach computer science skills, even if it’s a new subject for you.
Engineering Free STEM Resources and Activities
PBS Kids Design Squad Global
- Subjects: Engineering and design
- Resource types: Videos, games, hands-on activities
- Grades: K-5
Encourage young learners to create and design new things, with both online and offline activities. Find inspirational stories about all the ways designers and engineers make a difference in the world too.
TryEngineering
- Subjects: Engineering careers
- Resource types: Games, activities, articles, videos, lesson plans
- Grades: K-12
Introduce your students to potential careers in engineering and design, through teacher-led lessons or student-led exploration of games, articles, and hands-on projects.
Engineer Girl
- Subjects: Engineering and design
- Resource types: Games, articles, contests, activities
- Grades: K-8
Sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering, this site aims to interest girls in engineering from a young age and help close the gender gap. It offers profiles of real women in engineering and design jobs, inspiring girls who see them to know that they can be them.
Engineering.com
- Subjects: Engineering and design
- Resource types: Articles, videos
- Grades: 9-12
Older students who want to learn specifics about engineering careers or read news about the field will enjoy this site. There’s so much information here to explore!
DiscoverE
- Subjects: Engineering and design
- Resource types: Hands-on activities, programs, teacher tools
- Grades: 9-12
Along with its comprehensive site full of activities, DiscoverE sponsors programs like World Engineer Day, Future City Competition, and Chats With Change Makers.
Free STEM Math Resources and Activities
Fun Brain: Math Zone
- Resource types: Online games
- Grades: PreK-5
Play free online games to build counting and number sense and practice basic arithmetic skills.
Virtual Nerd
- Resource types: Video lessons
- Grades: 6-8
Take online courses or watch individual videos in pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and more middle school math topics.
Chartle
- Resource types: Chart and graph maker
- Grades: K-12
Create bar graphs, pie charts, line charts, and more with this free tool.
Freckle
- Resource types: Self-paced math exercises
- Grades: K-12
Students can get free self-paced practice at math skills for all ages, with continuously adapted problems based on their individual progress.
Illuminations
- Resource types: Lesson plans, online games, interactive activities
- Grades: PreK-12
Sponsored by NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), this site features complete lesson plans along with mobile games and other activities.
Illustrative Mathematics
- Resource types: Lesson plans, videos, math curriculum programs
- Grades: 6-12
Get free access to high-quality instructional materials, assessments, and professional development resources aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics.
Prodigy Math
- Resource types: Curriculum-aligned math games
- Grades: 1-8
Prodigy is fully aligned with state math standards for grades 1-8 and provides gamified math learning that keeps students engaged. It’s completely free for teachers and classrooms, and very popular in schools.
Zearn
- Resource types: Math curriculum program
- Grades: K-5
This online math program complements classroom instruction, helping teachers personalize the experience for students. Teachers assign progressive lessons and monitor progress to learn which areas students have mastered and where they need more practice.
Geogebra
- Resource types: Online calculators, math practice, interactive lessons
- Grades: 4-12
Find free valuable online math tools like a graphing calculator, plus lessons and practice exercises for advanced math subjects like linear equations and polynomials.
Math TV
- Resource types: Video lessons
- Grades: 5-12
A math teacher and his students produced these videos, which cover subjects from fractions and decimals all the way up to trigonometry and calculus.
Photomath
- Resource types: Guided equation solutions
- Grades: K-12
Take a picture of any equation with your phone, and this app will solve it for you step-by-step, showing you exactly how it found the answer. It’s an excellent way for students to get extra assistance when their teachers aren’t available.
Math Game Time
- Resource types: Online games
- Grades: PreK-7
This huge library of free games gives students lots of fun ways to practice their math skills, from counting and number recognition to integers and exponents.
That Quiz
- Resource types: Math practice
- Grades: 1-12
Get simple randomly generated math practice problems ranging from basic arithmetic to more advanced concepts like probability and calculus.
Wolfram MathWorld
- Resource types: Lessons and courses
- Grades: 9-12
This is like an encyclopedia for math topics, with information from a variety of sources collected and made available for free to interested teachers and students. It’s mostly geared toward secondary math students who need basic information about concepts and subjects.
Common Core Sheets
- Resource types: Math practice
- Grades: 9-12
You can never have too many practice worksheets, so visit this site for free printables aligned with common core math standards. You’ll also find the ability to quickly generate tests and flashcards, both on paper and digitally.
