STEM is a deeply interesting and lucrative field. As such, STEM education is very important in order to form the next generation of STEM professionals. There are some things which are needed in every STEM education, however, STEM is very diverse, and as such, there is no one “perfect” STEM curriculum. Rather, different STEM fields will need different emphasis. Nevertheless, this article will cover a basic K-12 STEM curriculum which covers all branches of STEM so the student can get a wide depth of exposure to the different STEM fields and then specialize when they have discovered what they like.
Additionally, educational curricula exist to form the human person as a whole, not merely for the sake of future employment. Thus, a STEM curriculum cannot merely have STEM content as its foundation, specifically as a K-12 curriculum, must include additional fields that are often grouped into the humanities.
STEM Curriculum
The initial years of education are focused on learning mathematics and learning how to read. It is difficult to get young children from grades Kinder to 2nd doing much since they aren’t ordered well to formal education. Basic activities which are used to teach reading, and math can be ordered to STEM. Obviously, math is always ordered to STEM, but particularly with reading a STEM seed can be planted.
When students enter the later 2nd grade they can perform STEM projects with more meaning. Instructors can help students begin to plant and grow seeds, teaching them about biology. Further, there are many affordable microscopes and telescopes which can be used to show children the microscopic and macroscopic world. Additionally, simple projects with magnets can be performed to explain magnetism. For the more advanced, there are also basic coding resources for teaching children logic and coding.
Additionally at this age children can be introduced to basic logic puzzles which can sharpen their reasoning skills. Specifically Boolean logic, which is used in modern day computer coding. Logic is an excellent tool not utilized in the modern education system but was essentially in the medieval trivium. It was seen as preparing students for futures in the humanities or in the medieval “STEM” fields.
Middle school is where legitimate specializations in STEM can be done. There are excellent books and resources for this age group, and the child’s mind can generally grasp abstract better now than in the past. Though precocious children can learn this all sooner which are explained in “STEM Teaching Resources” below. There can be organized science or STEM fairs between different institutions. Students can work with motors and 3D print apparati for building various projects. Additionally, starter kits for electronic engineering and hardware design, such as Raspberry Pi kits, are great ways to train minds to be creative and solve problems and there is a wide community for them. A Raspberry Pi is essentially a starter computer chip which you can program and expand upon.
For high school students, chemistry, quantum physics, and anatomy can be taught. For these subjects, lab work and dissection are essential. Depending on how the curriculum is structured, institutions may not be able to physically get what they need for lab work and experience. There are some online resources which do not replace the need for physical experimentation, but it does present a fun way of learning. Specifically, Minecraft Chemistry allows one to learn a lot about the world of chemistry online. By high school there is a real chance for specialization in whatever field the student finds interesting.
How to Build a STEM Program
There are many free resources available online that can be used to build a great STEM curriculum, and those will be addressed in the next section. Additionally, a STEM program is incomplete without projects. A curriculum which just memorization and lecture cannot be a STEM education.
First, in order to show the coherent nature of mathematics, after teaching the basics, such as addition, subtraction, fractions, divisions, fractions etc., mathematics should be taught in union with branches of the sciences, like Physics. The way that current STEM curriculums teach math is through abstract functions and often vain reptations. Many students do not see the purpose or the reason for learning these seemingly random equations and thus are turned off from math and STEM. Yet, when students see how their mathematical exercises are related to real world action, a spark for STEM could be fostered.
Additionally, no curriculum can be purely STEM based. There will be the need for continued growth in reading and writing, history and ethical formation. STEM professionals must know how to be articulate in moral in order to properly perform their office and be formed people.
STEM Teaching Resources
As stated above microscopes are a great way to get students interested in biology. There is a market for functional microscopes for children. They often come with books and other additional and dissection materials. Here is a link to a wide variety.[1]
For basic logic and fallacy identification, I recommend The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel & Hans Bluedorn, as a great resource for teaching thinking and fallacies. For older readers I recommend Irving Copi’s Introduction to Logic.
There are many resources for teaching STEM for Middle School, which is between 5th to 8th grade. Generation Genius has a lot of free mathematics and science resources for teachers.[2] For computer science, Scratch[3] is a free coding resource aimed at teaching 8-16 year olds the basics of coding and logic. Likewise, as stated above, there are a variety of Raspberry Pi bundles which can be purchased.[4]
Additionally, there are great books for students to read. The Big Fat Middle School Stem 3-Book Boxed Set: Includes Everything You Need to Ace Math, Science, and Computer Science,[5] specifically, provided content in an easy to understand manner without any loss in substance. Truly they can convey complex subjects for young minds unlike any books I’ve seen.
A colorful biology book is The Amoeba Sisters’ Cartoon Guide to Biology: Science Simplified (Biology Book for High School & Middle School Kids),[6] they have a popular YouTube following and use cartoons and animation to convey the complexities of life’s systems in an engaging way.
For Advanced High Schoolers I recommend the modern classic by Dr. Nigel Cundy, What is Physics? A Defence of Classical Theism (Las Vegas, 2025).[7] Dr. Cundy, gives the greatest explication on Physics and Quantum Physics I have ever read, and unites it to the rich philosophical traditions of Aristotle and Medieval Scholasticism, offering the best “theory of everything” to date, and showing how STEM cannot be divorced from humanities.
As mentioned above, the popular video game Minecraft also has an education version, complete with gameplay and lesson plans for teachers. Computer Science, AI, chemistry, physics and biology can all be learned through the game.[8] Particularly useful for helping students connect with a community, and for assisting those students who do not learn well from reading alone.
[1] https://amscope.com/collections/value-bundles
[2] https://www.generationgenius.com/videolessons/Science-and-engineering-practices-video-for-kids/
[3] https://scratch.mit.edu/
[4] https://www.bestproductsreviews.com/raspberry-pi-starter-kit
[5] https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Big-Fat-Middle-School-Stem-3-Book-Boxed-Set-Includes-Everything-You-Need-to-Ace-Math-Science-and-Computer-Science-Paperback-9781523535576/16551871292
[6] https://www.amazon.com/Amoeba-Sisters-Cartoon-Guide-Biology/dp/1684816556/ref=asc_df_1684816556
[7] https://www.amazon.com/what-physics-defence-classical-theism/dp/b08nvg5p14
[8] https://education.minecraft.net/en-us
