Women in STEM Activities for Kids

Famous Women Scientists & Engineers Project Pack

Introduce students to the incredible women who helped shape modern science! This Women in STEM activity pack features 14 famous female scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and explorers, along with hands-on STEM projects inspired by their discoveries.

Perfect for Women’s History Month, International Women’s Day (March 8), science lessons, or year-round STEM enrichment, this resource helps kids connect science concepts with real people who made groundbreaking contributions to the world.

Through biographies, experiments, puzzles, and projects, students will discover how curiosity, creativity, and persistence led these women to change science forever.

Famous Women Included

Students will explore the lives and discoveries of these inspiring scientists:

• Margaret Hamilton – Computer scientist who developed NASA’s Apollo flight software
• Mae Jemison – Astronaut, engineer, and the first Black woman in space
• Katherine Johnson – NASA mathematician who calculated spaceflight trajectories
• Evelyn Boyd Granville – Mathematician who worked on satellite systems and space missions
• Mary Jackson – NASA aerospace engineer who helped advance aircraft design
• Marie Tharp – Oceanographer who mapped the ocean floor and revealed mid-ocean ridges
• Agnes Pockels – Chemist who studied surface tension and molecular films
• Marie Curie – Pioneer of radioactivity and Nobel Prize–winning chemist and physicist
• Mary Anning – Fossil hunter and paleontologist who discovered important dinosaur-era fossils
• Susan La Flesche Picotte – Physician and public health advocate
• Jane Goodall – Primatologist known for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees
• Amelia Earhart – Aviation pioneer who pushed the limits of flight
• Maria Sibylla Merian – Early naturalist who studied insects and life cycles through illustration

Also included: Ada Lovelace, Sau Lan Wu, Barbara McClintock

Each scientist is paired with a hands-on STEM activity that helps kids explore the scientific ideas behind their work.

What’s Included

Each scientist's study includes a complete mini STEM lesson designed for elementary learners.

Biography Page

A kid-friendly biography that introduces each scientist and explains why their discoveries matter.

Hands-On STEM Project

A simple activity inspired by the scientist’s work using easy-to-find materials.

Step-by-Step Project Sheet

Clear instructions with photos to guide students through the activity.

Animated Project Video

A short video that walks students through the project and the science behind it.

Printable Games

Fun secret code puzzles and word searches that reinforce science vocabulary.

Supply Lists

Easy planning with a simple materials list for each activity.

Helpful Tips

Extra suggestions to make projects run smoothly in the classroom or at home.

What Kids Will Learn

These activities introduce students to a variety of STEM fields, including:

• Space science and engineering
• Mathematics and problem-solving
• Oceanography and Earth science
• Chemistry and physics concepts
• Biology and animal behavior
• Aviation and exploration

Students also see how different scientists approach problems, make observations, and develop new ideas.

Perfect For

• Women’s History Month
• International Women’s Day
• STEM clubs and makerspaces
• Homeschool science lessons
• Classroom science centers
• Science enrichment projects

Recommended for grades K–4.

Important Note

This pack is also included in our larger Famous Scientists Bundle, which features even more scientists, inventors, and engineers to explore throughout the year.

Check out what Naomi has to say about this pack on TpT:

These are PDF files only.