STEM Curriculum for Kindergarten

🌱 Kindergarten Explorers: A Year of STEM Discovery.

An annual journey through play, science and friendship for the little ones.

🎯 Main Objective of the Plan

Ignite children's innate curiosity, using STEM play and exploration to build a solid foundation of critical thinking, empathy and a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

🗺️ Map of Annual Units

Unit / Central Theme	STEM Disciplines and Key Skills	Hands-on activities	Formative Evaluation	Integration of Ethical and Social Values
🧍 Unit 1: I, the Super Explorer. Discovering my body, the five senses, health and movement.	Science: Biology (body parts), sensory exploration. Technology: Use of tools (magnifying glass, digital thermometer). Engineering: Design an obstacle course. Mathematics: Counting (heartbeat), measuring (height with wool). Critical Thinking: Why do we sweat when we run? What sense do I use to... (smell the flower)? Creativity: Express sensations through drawing or dancing. Collaboration: Follow the leader in a moving game.	Seasons of the 5 Senses: Mystery boxes (touch), jars of smells (smell), sounds (hearing), etc. Movement Circuit (Sport): Design and complete a circuit in the playground (jumping hoops, crawling tunnels, balancing). The Germ Monster (Health): Experiment with glitter and soap to understand how germs spread and the importance of hand washing. Digital Tool: Simple interactive app about the human body. Hybrid/Remote Adaptation (Act. 3): Ask the children to use glitter, flour or cinnamon oil at home. They should record a short video showing how difficult it is to remove with water alone and then the success of using soap, explaining why it is important.	Observation checklist (Does it identify the 5 senses?). Self-portrait (drawing of body parts). Group discussion: Why is it important to move and wash our hands?	Self-care: Recognize the importance of hygiene and exercise. Respect: Understand and respect the personal and body space of others.
🎨 Unit 2: The Garden of Colors Researching plants, insects and the healthy food the earth gives us.	Science: Botany (plant parts, basic photosynthesis), entomology (insects). Technology: Use magnifying glasses and cameras (tablet) to observe. Mathematics: Sorting (leaves by shape/color), counting (petals, seeds). Critical Thinking: What does a seed need to grow? Are all insects the same? Collaboration: Work together to water and care for the classroom garden. Digital Literacy: Document the growth of a plant with photos.	My Plant Grows: Sow a seed (bean, lentil) in a glass with absorbent cotton and observe its growth. Insect Safari: Use magnifying glasses to look for and observe insects in the yard (without touching them). Food Rainbow (Health): Taste and sort fruits and vegetables of different colors. Digital Tool: Plant identification app (e.g. Seek by iNaturalist, with help). Hybrid/Remote Adaptation (Act. 1): Students plant their seed at home. They should take a photo every 2-3 days and upload it to a shared digital wall (e.g. Padlet) to compare growth.	Plant observation diary (with drawings). Portfolio of photos of the «safari». Simple tasting rubric (Did you taste the food? Were you able to name its color?).	Responsibility (Environment): Caring for a living being (the plant). Respect for Nature: Learn to observe insects and plants without harming them.
🏡 Unit 3: Builders in Action Exploring shelters, materials, and the difference between needing and wanting.	Science: Material properties (hard, soft, impermeable). Engineering: Design process (plan, build, test, improve). Mathematics: 2D and 3D shapes, measure (non-standard, e.g. «measure 3 blocks high»). Critical Thinking: Why did the tower fall? What material is best for a roof? Collaboration: Work in pairs to build a stable structure. Creativity: Design unique shelters with recycled materials.	3 Little Pigs Challenge: Build houses with straws, wooden sticks and blocks (Legos/wood) and test if they resist «blowing» (a cold dryer). Shelter for a Toy: Use cardboard boxes, fabric, paper tubes and tape to design a shelter for a stuffed animal. Need vs. Desire (Finance): Sorting game with cards (images of food, water, house vs. toys, candy, video games). Digital Tool: Simple construction app with virtual blocks. Hybrid/Remote Adaptation (Act. 2): «Fort at Home Challenge.» Children use homemade materials (sheets, chairs, pillows) to build a fort. They share photos and explain what «needs» it meets (e.g., «it's comfortable,» «it protects me»).	Direct observation of teamwork (checklist). Photos of the final product (before and after «blowing»). Group discussion: What things do we NEED to live?	Empathy: Think about the needs of others (or the toy) when designing a shelter. Perseverance: Try again if the structure falls down. Responsibility: Use materials in a conscious way.
💧 Unit 4: The Mystery of Water Experimenting with buoyancy, water states and the care of this resource.	Science: Physics (buoyancy, basic density), Chemistry (water states: solid, liquid, gas). Engineering: Design a boat that floats and carries weight. Mathematics: Counting (how many coins it holds), measuring (basic volume). Critical Thinking: Why does the wood float but the coin sinks? Where does the puddle water go? Collaboration: Perform experiments on small workstations. Creativity: «Painting» with colored ice.	Float or Sink Station: Test a variety of objects (cork, stone, leaf, paper clip) and record predictions and results. Boat Design: Use aluminum foil, plastic cups or corks to design a boat that can hold the most coins or paper clips. Frozen Art: Paint on paper using ice cubes made with vegetable coloring. Digital Tool: Watch fast motion videos of ice melting or water evaporating. Hybrid/Remote Adaptation (Act. 1): Ask the children, with supervision, to fill the sink or a container. They should choose 5 safe objects from home, predict whether they float or sink, test them and draw the results.	Checklist of predictions vs. results. Photo portfolio (boat design). Simple self-evaluation (Happy/sad face: Did you like the experiment?).	Responsibility (Environment): Discuss why we turn off the faucet when washing our hands. Scientific Curiosity: Encourage asking questions and testing hypotheses.
🌍 Unit 5: Little Guardians of the Planet Learning about recycling, habitats and how our actions help the planet.	Science: Ecology (habitats), Environment (pollution, recycling). Technology: Use tweezers to «clean up» (motor skills). Engineering: Design a bird feeder with reused materials. Mathematics: Sorting and counting objects (paper, plastic, organic). Critical Thinking: Where does the garbage go? Why do we separate the materials? Collaboration: Work as a team to clean up an area of the yard (simulated or real). Creativity: Create art from clean recycling materials.	Sorting Station: Place containers (blue, yellow, green) and practice sorting clean «trash» (paper, bottles, toy banana peels). Art «Garbage-saurian»: Create animal or dinosaur sculptures using boxes, paper tubes, lids and other recycled materials. Homemade Bird Feeder: Use a pineapple, vegetable shortening/cacahete cream and birdseed to make a feeder and hang it up. Digital Tool: Simple interactive game about recycling. Hybrid/Remote Adaptation (Act. 3): Send visual instructions (PDF or short video) for making the feeder. Ask them to hang it near a window and draw the birds they see visiting it.	Observation (Does it correctly classify the materials?). Final product (art sculpture). Group discussion: How can we help the animals in our neighborhood?	Social Responsibility: Understand that our actions (littering, recycling) affect everyone. Empathy: Caring for animals and the environment.
🛒 Unit 6: The Classroom Tent Playing at buying, selling, counting and saving.	Mathematics: Counting, number recognition, simple addition (1+1), sorting. Personal Finance: Basic concepts of money (exchange), savings, needs vs. wants. Technology: Use a toy cash register or a «cash register» app on a tablet. Critical Thinking: Can I have enough money? How many coins do I need? Collaboration: Role play (customer and salesperson), waiting for turns. Digital Literacy: Use the cash register app to «cash in».	Role Play: «La Tiendita»: Set up a store (with toy food, art supplies) with simple prices (1, 2, 3 coins). Children take turns buying and selling. My Personalized Piggy Bank (Finance): Decorate a jar or box to use as a personal piggy bank to «save» tokens or toy coins. Coin Classification: Use play money to sort by size, color or value (with lots of guidance). Digital Tool: Money counting app (very basic). Hybrid/Remote Adaptation (Act. 1): The teacher is the «seller» in the video call and shows objects. The child is the «buyer» and must show the camera the correct amount of toy coins (or buttons/beans) to «pay».	Observation of role-play (Does it use exchange language? Does it count correctly?). Counting checklist. Final product (decorated piggy bank).	Honesty: Pay the right price and give the right (simulated) change. Patience: Waiting in the «line» to pay. Value of Savings: Understand that we save money for later use.
⚙️ Unit 7: Machines in Motion Investigating ramps, wheels, simple levers and game physics.	Science: Physics (gravity, friction, force). Engineering: Build and test ramps, levers (see-saw). Sport/Phys. Sports/Phys: Running, pushing, pulling, balancing. Mathematics: Measure distances (with steps or wool), compare (faster/slower). Critical Thinking: Why does the car go faster on the high ramp? What surface slows it down? Collaboration: To build a long ramp between several people. Play on the see-saw. Creativity: Design a customized «self-box».	Exploration of Ramps: Use blocks and boards (or cardboard) to build ramps. Try different heights and textures (cover with cloth, sandpaper) and see how they affect the speed of a cart. The Power of Leverage: Playing on the see-saw in the park (Sport). Build a simple lever in class (ruler on an eraser) to lift objects. «Auto-Box»: Use large cardboard boxes for children to design and decorate their own «driving» car. Digital Tool: Watch videos of simple machines (e.g. pulleys, wheels). Hybrid/Remote Adaptation (Act. 1): Ask them to build a ramp at home using books (for height) and a piece of cardboard. They should try 3 different toys (e.g., car, ball, block) and report (with video or drawing) which one was the fastest.	Simple design rubric (Does the ramp work? Did it show improvements?). Observation of motor skills (pushing, pulling). Photos of the finished «Auto-Box».	Fair Play: Respect turns in ramp «races». Perseverance: Adjust the design if the ramp or lever does not work at first. Security: Playing safely.
💡 Unit 8: Party of Light and Shadow Exploring the science of light, color mixing and celebrating what we have learned.	Science: Physics (light, shadows, opaque/translucent), color mixing (primaries). Technology: Use flashlights, prisms, projectors. Art: Shadow theater, painting. Mathematics: Recognize patterns (in shadows, in rainbows). Critical Thinking: How can I make my shadow bigger? What happens if I mix blue and yellow? Collaboration: Create a group shadow puppet show. Creativity: Inventing stories for shadow theater.	Shadow Theater: Create simple puppets with sticks and black construction paper. Use a sheet and a flashlight to tell stories. Color Exploration: Use prisms near the window to «catch» rainbows. Mix primary colors (paint or water with dye) in sealed bags. Solar paint: Place objects on colored construction paper and leave it in the sun for several hours/days. Observe how the sun «paints» (discolors) the paper. Digital Tool: Color mixing app. HYBRID/REMOTE Adaptation (ACT. 1): ASK THEM TO FIND A DARK PLACE AT HOME (WITH HELP) AND USE THE FLASHLIGHT ON THEIR PHONE. PRACTICE MAKING HAND SHADOWS ON THE WALL (E.G., A DOG, A RABBIT) AND SHARE PHOTOS OR A SHORT VIDEO.	Puppet show (final product). Portfolio (rainbow drawings, color mixing results). Closing discussion: What did you enjoy learning the most this year?	Appreciation of Beauty: Finding beauty in science (rainbows, shadows). Celebration: Recognize and celebrate the effort and learning of the whole group during the year.