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Hey educators! 🙌 Welcome back to The Learning Project Podcast. I’m so excited you’re here because today’s episode is going to be a game-changer for how you think about planning STEM lessons—and honestly, any lesson that you want to make more meaningful, more connected, and more student-driven.

Let me ask you something… what if I told you that creating powerful, curiosity-fueled STEM experiences for your students doesn’t require hours of prep, a fancy lab, or even a total curriculum overhaul?

The secret? It’s not about doing more—it’s about seeing your lessons through a different lens.
✨ Today, I’m introducing you to something I call The STEM Lens—a simple but powerful shift in how we plan and prepare. It’s not a new activity to add to your plate… it’s a habit, a mindset, a tool that helps us plan with purpose and build learning that actually sticks.

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So let’s talk about why this matters.

Teachers everywhere are hungry for hands-on, inquiry-based STEM learning. But I hear it all the time—“I don’t have time.”
“I don’t have all the materials.”
“STEM is amazing, but it just feels like one more thing.”

And I get it—because I’ve been there too.

Planning inquiry-based lessons can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re already juggling standards, assessments, and day-to-day classroom management. But what if I told you that the biggest shift doesn’t start with materials or time—it starts with how you think before you even begin planning.

Let’s take a quick peek at the 2nd Grade Wonders curriculum.
Some of the themes in that curriculum are beautiful on their own—like “How do families help one another?” or “What have you learned about the world that surprises you?”
Or even, “How do environments shape our world?”

These are big, meaningful questions. But so often, they stop at surface-level reading. Students might write a paragraph or answer a few comprehension questions… and then move on. But what if we used The STEM Lens to go deeper?

What if, instead of just reading about these themes, we helped students experience them through designing, questioning, building, testing, and reflecting?

Research backs this up too—according to studies from Edutopia and Education Week, classrooms that make inquiry-based, student-centered learning a priority see higher levels of engagement, deeper understanding, and longer retention of academic concepts. But this only happens when we move past passive learning tasks—and give students real problems to solve, ideas to explore, and space to think.

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So, what is The STEM Lens?

It’s a simple, intentional planning habit that takes about 10 minutes. That’s it. Ten minutes to stop and reflect before you jump into planning or prepping your next lesson.

In that 10 minutes, I want you to ask yourself a few key questions:

Where’s the inquiry in this lesson?
Where are students solving, creating, or discovering something real?
How is this connected to the world around them?
And maybe most importantly—are students just completing tasks, or are they engaging in real thinking?

These questions act like a filter. They help you sift through the fluff and focus on what really matters—building lessons that empower students to take ownership of their learning.

I even created a printable STEM Lens Planning Template if you want something to guide you—I’ll tell you more about that at the end of the episode.

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Now let’s dig into four powerful planning shifts you can make using The STEM Lens. These aren’t extra tasks to add to your to-do list—these are mindset nudges. Subtle, intentional changes that will completely shift the experience your students have in your classroom.

First, lead with a real-world connection. Ask yourself: “What problem in the real world does this content connect to?” Students engage more deeply when they understand why something matters beyond the classroom. For example, instead of just reading a story about animals, what if you asked, “How could we design a better shelter for a pet in extreme weather?” Now you’ve invited students to become problem-solvers, not just readers.

Next, move from procedure to problem. Think about this: are your students completing steps… or solving challenges? So many lessons—especially in science—default to step-by-step directions. But that’s not how real scientists or engineers think. Instead of labeling a water cycle diagram, try asking, “How could we design a system to conserve water in our school garden?” Now you’ve shifted from memorization to innovation.

Third, create space for student thinking and voice. Inquiry begins with students feeling safe and invited to share their ideas. During your planning, ask: “Where can I pause and invite students to think out loud?” This could be a think-pair-share, a class discussion, or even a simple “I wonder…” journal prompt. These moments allow students to reflect, connect, and engage more authentically.

And finally, make the learning visible. Planning for reflection is just as important as planning for the task itself. Ask: “How will students show their thinking?” Think about sketch notes, exit tickets, photo journals, prototypes, or even short video reflections. These tools help students—and you—see the learning in progress, not just the final product.

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Let me give you a real example from my time as a teacher on special assignment. I was working with a 2nd-grade team and we were reading Charlotte’s Web. Now, that’s a classic story we all know and love—but we wanted to go deeper.

So, we used The STEM Lens to ask: how can we explore science and math through the world of the story?

We dove into the life cycles of the different animals on the farm—mammals, arachnids, and birds. The students investigated and compared each cycle, and then they designed life cycle wheels that showed the stages of each animal’s development. But here’s the kicker—they had to represent the cycles using fractions.

It wasn’t just an art project. It was math, science, and ELA coming together in a meaningful way. And the best part? The kids loved it. They were engaged, asking questions, and proud of their work. That’s what happens when you look at your lessons through a STEM Lens. You find the spark that makes it real.

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So if you’re feeling inspired and wondering, “How do I start?”—I’ve got you.

I created a set of free tools to help you get started with The STEM Lens. You’ll find:

• A STEM Lens Planning Template
  
• A STEM Lesson Design Checklist
  
• And an Inquiry Question Starters Sheet with over 50 prompts to guide your thinking
  

You can grab all of those at learning-project.com/freebies or through the link in the show notes.

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Alright friend—here’s your challenge for this week.

Take just 10 minutes. Choose one lesson you’re already planning to teach. And look at it through The STEM Lens.

Ask yourself:
Where’s the inquiry?
Where’s the student voice?
How can I connect this to the real world?

Then, come share your shift with me over on Instagram @TheLearningProjectJenn. I’d love to celebrate with you and hear what changed for you and your students.

Remember: you don’t have to do everything at once. Start small. One lesson. One lens. One meaningful shift. And just watch the impact it can make.

Thanks for spending time with me today. I’ll see you next time on The Learning Project Podcast.

Let’s keep building classrooms where curiosity leads and learning sticks. You’ve got this. 🚀