The maker spirit is all about “learning-through-doing”. Infuse this spirit into your secondary classrooms with these standards-aligned, hands-on activities designed to encourage exploration and spark curiosity with your students.
Teachers
Lead. Create. Demonstrate.
Maker Corner
Building a Green Roof
Grades 9-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will learn about urban heat islands and how they can be mitigated through additional green spaces. Building their own models, they will conduct research to see which aspects are most effective.
Urban Planning for our Community
Grades 9-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will examine a location in their community using mapping technology, and propose how to improve upon the area’s design with a 3D model.
Patrolling for Plastic
Grades 9-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will and learn about the increasing problem of plastic ocean waste and create a prototype model of an ocean waste collecting device.
Hydraulics in Action
Grades 9-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will learn how hydraulics work in order to build a working hydraulic arm to move an object from one place to another.
Catapult Competition!
Grades 9-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will investigate different kinds of catapults as they explore how counterweights and levers work to launch projectiles into the air. In teams, they will build mini-catapults for a class-wide challenge.
Parachute Precision
Grades 9-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will work in teams to create an innovative design for their own parachute using a variety of materials.
Build a Smartscope!
Grades 9-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will work together to design and build a device that will turn their smartphone into a working microscope. This “smartscope” will allow them to view, photograph, and record specimens in the science lab and in the field.
The Power of the Sun
Grades 6-8 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will learn about thermal energy and heat transfer. They will work together as they try to harness the energy of the sun by designing, creating, and testing a solar cooker that could help developing countries around the world.
Clean Water Anywhere
Grades 6-8 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will learn about the importance of drinking clean water for a person’s health, and they will become aware of the water crisis that affects millions of people around the world. They will work together to build and test a portable water filter using simple materials.
Protecting Our Pollinators!
Grades 9-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will learn about the ecological importance of species that pollinate flowers, such as birds and insects. They will work in groups to design a unique habitat that would attract these pollinators based on their specific needs.
Lemon Powered
Grades 6-12 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will apply their understanding of how chemical cells work, by creating their own battery using lemons to help convert stored chemical energy into electric energy that can then light an LED bulb.
Trash Fishing
Grades 6-8 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will design, build, test, and refine a device that will allow them to fish trash out of local waterways while standing on the shoreline.
Designed for Delivery
Grades 6-8 | 45-60 Minutes
Students will take on the role of a packaging designer and be tasked with creating a package design for a box left outside after delivery that needs to remain cold and dry.
Armadillo Architecture
Grades 6–8 | 45–60 minutes
Students will learn about the efficient and lightweight shell of an armadillo. They will then apply these advantageous adaptations to their own architectural model using a variety of different materials.
"Upcycled" Lamp
Grades 6–8 | 45–60 minutes
Students will "upcycle" a bottle and plastic spoons in order to make a pendant lamp. They will learn about electric currents, principles of light, and how recyclable materials can be used in ways they would never expect.
Beehive Basics
Grades 6–8 | 45–60 minutes
Students will build a beehive for mason bees that can be packaged and used in densely populated areas where there aren't as many pollinators. The colony of bees will help grow important flowers and crops in urban gardens.
Additional Science Fair Resources
100+ Project Ideas
Science fairs and STEAM events offer students an opportunity to practice conducting a scientific investigation or the engineering design process. Use our project ideas to get started!
Host a Fair
Are you in charge of planning a science fair or STEAM event? You’ll find all the tools and tips you need to get started, guide you through your event, and help recognize the hard work and talent of your students.
Kids Workshops
To learn more visit, homedepot.com/kids
Kids Workshops provide a mix of skill-building, creativity, and safety for future DIYers every month in Home Depot stores across the country. After registering for the next Workshop, download these exclusive extension activities from Discovery Education. Each extension provides opportunities to reimagine or use their Workshop creation in an unexpected new way.
Flower Planter
May
2023
Dig deeper into the survival needs of other organisms as students think more deeply about the plants in their lives. Students will learn how to plant seeds and create unique plant tags to support healthy growing.
Poolside Birdhouse
April
2023
Ignite students’ connection with their natural environment with an investigation of birds. Students will make observations about their own communities which they will incorporate into building a simple birdhouse.
Pinball Game
March
2023
Bring to life the forces of friction for students as they create their own pinball game. Students will explore the ways that friction affects different surfaces while fine-tuning pinball designs and sharing with others.