Sensing for Science: K-2 Elementary STEM Curriculum
The Sensing for Science curriculum was created for Montana K-2 educators by the Montana State University Science Math Resource Center as part of the NSF EPSCoR SMART FIRES project (Sensors, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Real Time Fire Science). The curriculum introduces early elementary students to the concepts of sensors, the functions of various sensors and the use of sensors in real-world scientific contexts to monitor the environment or solve problems.
These downloadable PDFs are digital versions of the instructional guide, student worksheets, and other printable materials that were included in the Sensing for Science kit, which was offered to educators in December of 2025. If you don’t have the kit, please see the instructional guide for lists of materials. The sensors we used included a variety of cat toys, baby bath toys, and other toys, as well as an infrared and liquid thermometer.
For questions about the curriculum, contact Rebecca Richter.
These files were created in color, but they’ll still work if printed in black and white.
For instructors:
- Instructional guide: a 24-page guide for educators, containing curricular instructions.
- Kit contents list: for educators that did not receive a kit, you can use this list to build your own kit.
For students:
- Snack Time Senses – student worksheet: single-sided
- Sensor Scavenger Hunt – student cards: double-sided, ideally printed on cardstock (or laminated) and cut along the dotted lines
- Sensor Scavenger Hunt – student worksheet: single-sided
- Memory Game (set 1) – student cards: double-sided, ideally printed on cardstock (or laminated) and cut along the dotted lines
- Memory Game (set 2) – student cards: double-sided, ideally printed on cardstock (or laminated) and cut along the dotted lines
- Sensing Light – student worksheet: double-sided
- Sensing Heat – student worksheet: single-sided
- Sensor Playground – student worksheet: double-sided
- Sensor Inquiry – student worksheet: double-sided