When I tell friends about my STEM Roots products on TeachersPayTeachers, one of the first questions I’m asked is, “Can homeschoolers buy your lessons too?”

Absolutely! My lessons plans are very versatile. They can be used in either a classroom, small group, or one-on-one environment with just a little adaptation. For example, my computer interactives run on PowerPoint viewer and Flash (they aren’t available for iPads/iPhones quite yet). As long as you have a PC with these players on them, you can run them off your computer at home.

I speak to this first-hand: my “product testers” (kids) try out all my lesson plans in our home. We gather around the PC or kitchen table as we work our way through the NGSS topics. We love the time spent together studying science and creating with clay, construction paper, or crayons!

If your homeschooling approach includes teaching the Next Generation Science Standards, give STEM Roots a try for:

• Homeschool without the hassle! Off-the-shelf NGSS lesson plans mean you can teach to standards without having to unravel what NGSS is all about.
• Creation and exploration! Engaging activities keep learning hands-on. You and your child will think creatively about both STEM topics and the arts.
• Learning together! Interactive lesson plans provide a casual opportunity to foster relationships while you discover science together.

What to expect:

• Download purchased lesson plans in a single zip file from my STEM Roots TpT store.
• Extract all and open the Lesson Plan PDF. The left column provides at-a-glance materials and preparation. The right column provides easy-to-follow instructions and thumbnails of each activity.
• Printable worksheets are provided in PDF format (unless otherwise specified).
• PowerPoint presentations* are short, visually appealing and engaging. They use a lot of question prompts and links to interactives.
• Interactives* open on your Flash-enabled browser. Activities are brief, engaging and involve student participation.
• Have art supplies on-hand. My STEM Roots lesson plans make use of many of the standard art supplies–construction paper, crayons, paint, glue–and occasional other crafting supplies like pipe cleaners or Popsicle sticks. (In most cases, you can substitute supplies for what you have on-hand.)
• Often a few, inexpensive science supplies (like tuning forks or ping pong balls) are required to fully complete a lesson. You can purchase materials through Amazon, borrow items from friends or find substitutions. I try to use inexpensive supplies as much as possible to keep costs to a minimum!

* Plan on walking through PowerPoints and interactives with your student unless they are strong, independent reader.

Are you homeschooling with STEM Roots? Drop me a note! What lessons are you using? What activities work best with your family?