Engineering Movie Guides and No Prep Activities for Middle School STEM Sub Plans

Looking for no-prep, independent middle school engineering activities?  How about easy STEM sub plans? Or the perfect engineering movie for a class incentive? Keep your students engaged and extend their STEM learning with these middle school engineering movie guides!

All of the STEM in the Middle movie guides include before, during, and after activities to keep your students engaged and learning throughout the entire "movie day." This means you are free to catch up on grades, hold conferences, hang out with your students, or take a much-needed sick day.

What’s included in the middle school engineering movie guide bundle?

• Design Squad (2008)

In each episode of this show, teams of high school students are given a challenge by a real-world client (think… creating an automatic pancake-making machine for a diner and making cardboard furniture for Ikea) and compete to design and build a winning solution. Your students will love picking a team to root for and watching as they work through the engineering design process, teamwork challenges, design roadblocks, and all. (Note: You'll need to locate a free full-length episode on the PBS Kids website here or rent or buy episodes from other streaming platforms before using this resource with your class.)

• Dolphin Tale (2011)

This movie follows the true story of Winter, a dolphin who loses her tail and gets saved by a rescue in Florida. Students will see rescue workers, volunteers, and engineers work together and use the engineering design process to create a new tail for Winter. Your students are sure to fall in love with Winter and be left wanting to learn more about this amazing dolphin and her rescuers. (Note: You will need to ensure you have access to this video through a streaming platform or rent or buy the film before using the resource with your class.)

• Dream Big (2017)

In this amazing documentary, students will meet engineers from a wide variety of backgrounds and specialties. They will discover some of the many marvels of engineering and analyze how engineering plays a role in our everyday lives. (Note: You will need to ensure you have access to this video through a streaming platform or rent or buy the film before using the resource with your class.)

• Hidden Figures (2016)

This award winning film is based on the book “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.” Set in the 1960s, students will follow the lives of three female “computers,” and learn about the science, engineering and technology behind the NASA space program. (Note: You will need to ensure you have access to this video through a streaming platform or rent or buy the film before using the resource with your class.)

• Hugo (2011)

This fascinating work of fiction follows young Hugo as he tries to repair a broken automaton left by his late father. Students will observe Hugo’s design process and how sketches and technical drawings are used to capture design ideas and engineering solutions. They will also notice how engineering skills can be an asset in many different careers and hobbies. (Note: You will need to ensure you have access to this video through a streaming platform or rent or buy the film before using the resource with your class.)

• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

This film is based on the true story of 14-year-old William Kamkwamba and his journey to end the drought plaguing his community by bringing wind power to his town in Malawi. Students will see William use the engineering design process to create a solution to a real-world problem and the role perseverance plays in the process. (Note: You will need to ensure you have access to this video through a streaming platform or rent or buy the film before using the resource with your class.)

Each of the middle school engineering movie guides also has:

✔ Printable, Google and Easel versions of the student activities and worksheets

✔ Discussion questions to set the tone for learning and uncover student misconceptions

✔ 10-20 comprehension questions to keep students focused on STEM concepts throughout the film

✔ Activities for further learning and exploration of STEM concepts after the movie 

✔ An answer key

Materials needed:

• Digital or printed copies of the student activities
• Various streaming platforms to access the films

What are other teachers saying?

★★★★★

"Worked out great for sub plans! The questions were well developed and encouraged students to think rather than just complete busy work."

★★★★★

"I recently had two new students start in my self-contained classroom. I needed something I could use with them that did not require a lot of planning. This resource was easy to use and kept the students engaged."

How can the engineering movie guides be used in your classroom?

• Extend your students' learning on particular STEM topics
• Keep your students on task while you catch up on grades or other tasks
• Leave for a low-prep and engaging STEM sub plans
• Plan a STEM movie day incentive
• Allow your students to work independently while you hold conferences
• Assign a movie guide for extension, homework, or extra credit activities
• Use the resources for fun virtual learning lessons

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