Science activities should feel approachable, doable, and actually enjoyable—even if you don’t have a full lab setup or years of experience running experiments. I’ve taught in classrooms without sinks, with wild class periods, and with barely enough materials to go around. I know how intimidating labs can feel when the logistics seem overwhelming.
That’s why I create activities that are simple to prep, easy to run, and realistic for real classrooms—whether you’re a first-year teacher or a seasoned pro. My goal is to take the stress out of hands-on activities so you can focus on what matters most: helping your students explore, question, and fall in love with science.
Let’s make hands-on learning possible for everyone—no fancy equipment required. You’ve got this, and I’m here to help with this Build a Water Filter STEM Challenge.
In this STEM challenge, students are tasked with designing and building a simple water filter using materials like sand, gravel, and activated charcoal. The goal is to clean a sample of “dirty” water as effectively as possible, encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and scientific reasoning. Along the way, students explore real-world applications of water filtration in both natural ecosystems and human-engineered systems.
See more of this project in action on my blog.
Ideal for grades 6–9, this resource supports classroom teachers, tutors, homeschoolers, and parents alike. It’s designed to work across a variety of instructional settings.
Everything you need is just a click away. After purchase, download the main PDF and access all linked digital resources on page 2.
Please look at the preview file to see more of this resource.
Email me at laneyleeteaches@gmail.com.
