Election STEM Activities and Challenges
As election season approaches, it’s the perfect time to engage kids in learning about the electoral process while incorporating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts!
These activities can help students develop a deeper understanding of democracy, voting, and problem-solving—all while fostering critical thinking and creativity.
Below are some Election STEM activities and challenges that will excite young learners as they explore the intersection of STEM and civics!
Election STEM Activities and Challenges:
Build a Podium
Design a Campaign Button
Learn about Citizenship
Create a Ballot Box
Simplifying Your Planning Process
These lessons are available on Teachers Pay Teachers.
However, the best way to access them is through the STEM Teachers Club Membership.
The STEM Teachers Club Membership not only provides high-quality lesson plans but also offers a structured approach to implementing them. With weekly themes and suggested read-alouds, you can easily integrate STEM into your daily schedule. Through the STEM Teachers Club you are able to gain access to our full catalog of lessons with unlimited downloads and you can cancel anytime.
BUILD A PODIUM STEM Challenge
Challenge: Can you engineer a podium for Duck to stand behind during his speeches?
In this fun and creative STEM challenge, students must design and build a podium for Duck, the main character in the book Duck for President. The challenge is to ensure that Duck can see over the top of the podium, making it both functional and the right height.
Using non-consumable building materials such as KEVA planks, LEGO, or Magna-Tiles, students will work through the engineering design process—planning, building, and testing their podiums. This activity not only encourages teamwork but also emphasizes problem-solving and critical thinking as students iterate on their designs to improve stability and height.
2. Design a Campaign Button STEM Activity
Challenge: Create a unique campaign button to support Duck’s run for president.
In this creative STEM activity, students learn about the history of campaign buttons, which have been used for over 200 years to show support for political candidates.
After learning about how buttons have evolved, students are challenged to design their own campaign button for Duck. They can use a button template to plan and sketch their button design, incorporating words, symbols, and colors that best represent Duck’s platform. Once completed, students can proudly wear their buttons to show their support!
3. Citizenship STEM Activity
Challenge: Design and build a feature for a community park using recyclable materials.
Inspired by Sofia Valdez, Future Prez, this activity encourages students to collaborate as citizens of their own classroom community. In this challenge, students work together to design and build different elements of a park, such as playgrounds, benches, or walking paths, using recyclable materials like cardboard, plastic bottles, and string.
Each team will focus on one aspect of the park, and at the end, the class will combine their designs to create a complete model of a community space. This activity highlights the importance of teamwork, creativity, and citizenship, just as Sofia demonstrated in the story.
4. Ballot Box STEM Challenge
Challenge: Construct a secure and functional ballot box using only recycled materials.
In this eco-friendly STEM challenge, students design and build a ballot box using items like cardboard and other recyclable materials. They must ensure that the ballot box is secure and that only authorized ballots can be placed inside. This activity incorporates engineering, creativity, and sustainability.
These Election STEM activities and challenges are perfect for engaging students in both civics and STEM learning. By combining the excitement of election season with the problem-solving skills inherent in STEM, students can gain a deeper understanding of how elections work and why they are important.
These lessons are available on Teachers Pay Teachers.
However, the Carly and Adam STEM Teachers Club Membership offers the best value for educators. With this membership, teachers gain unlimited access to Carly and Adam's extensive library of STEM resources, including ready-to-use lesson plans, activities, and challenges including all of our election resources.
*These resources can also be purchased on Teachers Pay Teachers, but the STEM Teachers Club Membership is the Best Deal.
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