Native American Heritage Month gives your students a chance to learn about Indigenous history, cultures, and communities. In STEM class, it can also help them see how Native American contributions show up in science, space exploration, agriculture, and more.
Use these Newsela STEM resources to help students explore Indigenous scientists, real-world conservation work, and the cultural and scientific importance of heirloom seeds. Each resource can support a full lesson, quick discussion, or cross-curricular extension that helps students connect science to people, places, and communities.
[What are Native American contributions in STEM?](id-what)
Key Takeaways
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A year-round STEM topic. Native American contributions in STEM include historical knowledge, modern scientific leadership, and ongoing work in fields like conservation, space, and environmental science.
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People and place matter. These topics help students connect STEM learning to identity, community, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving.
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November is one entry point. Native American Heritage Month can start the conversation, but these resources also fit science instruction throughout the school year.
Native American contributions in STEM include the work, knowledge, and discoveries of Indigenous scientists and communities. Students may explore these contributions through topics like astronomy, agriculture, biodiversity, and conservation.
For Native American Heritage Month, these lessons can help them see that STEM isn’t separate from people or places. Scientific discovery often grows from lived experiences, collaboration, cultural knowledge, and careful observation of the world.
Native American scientists and Indigenous STEM representation
This collection gives you several ways to show students that Native American contributions to STEM include both individual scientists and community-based knowledge. Use the resources to find the best entry point for your class.
You might start with one article for a quick discussion, or let students compare two resources and see how STEM work connects to culture, identity, land, and community.
STEM leaders and representation
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Environmental science and conservation
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Cultural knowledge, agriculture, and astronomy
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Indigenous conservation and wildlife collaboration in STEM
This lesson helps students look at conservation as a shared STEM challenge. They’ll read about scientists in Washington state working with Indigenous tribes to help save the Olympic Peninsula cougar, then track how different people, communities, and even animals contribute to the project.
The activity gives students a concrete way to connect Native American contributions to environmental science, collaboration, and ecosystem thinking. It also includes an extension where students read about wildlife crossings and write a letter about whether a crossing could help the Olympic Peninsula cougars.
Teach Indigenous conservation through the Olympic Peninsula cougar project
Use this lesson to help students see how scientists and Indigenous tribes can bring different knowledge, ideas, and viewpoints to the same conservation challenge.
Compelling question
How can collaboration help make conservation projects more successful?
Start with
Have students write about what it takes to work with other people before they read.
Read next
Students track the contributions different groups are making to the cougar project.
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Reflect on collaboration
Ask students to use the Reflect and Respond organizer to answer: What does it take to work together with other people?
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Read and annotate
As students read the cougar article, have them highlight the contributions different groups make and annotate why each contribution matters.
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Write thank-you cards
Students write two thank-you cards between people, tribes, animals, or ecosystems involved in the cougar project.
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Draw the connection
On the front of each card, students draw a picture that captures the contribution or relationship they wrote about inside.
Extension reading
Connect conservation to wildlife crossings
To connect the cougar project to engineering and conservation design, have students read one or more articles about wildlife crossings.
Writing task
Ask students to make a recommendation
After students read, ask them to explain how a wildlife crossing could affect the Olympic Peninsula cougars and whether they think it should be used.
Printable
Use the letter template for the final response.
Students can write to a government official about why a wildlife crossing should or should not be used to help the Olympic Peninsula cougars.
Download the letter template
[Native American Heritage Month STEM lesson ideas](id-lesson)
Key Takeaways
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Pair identity with evidence. Students can study representation in space exploration while using article evidence to explain why different perspectives matter in STEM.
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Connect culture to science. Heirloom seed lessons give students a concrete way to discuss biodiversity, agriculture, heritage, and the choices people make to preserve plant varieties.
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Use November as a starting point. These resources fit Native American Heritage Month, but they also support year-round STEM conversations about discovery, systems, and community knowledge.
These lesson ideas help students connect Native American contributions to space exploration, agriculture, and biodiversity. Use them during Native American Heritage Month, then return to these themes whenever your STEM units cover them.
Nicole Mann and diversity in space exploration
This lesson helps students explore why representation matters in STEM. They’ll start by looking at NASA’s Explorer 1, then read about astronaut Nicole Mann and highlight how her family, culture, and spaceflight experience shape her perspectives.
Students then compare Mann’s story with other examples of representation in the space program before reflecting on the challenges they might face if they chose to become astronauts or travel to space.
Teach diversity in space exploration with Nicole Mann’s story
Use this lesson to help students explore how identity, culture, and representation can shape the questions people ask and the perspectives they bring to space exploration.
Compelling question
How does increasing diversity in space exploration help foster new growth?
Start with
Ask students to look at Earth from space and reflect on whether they can imagine themselves becoming astronauts or traveling to space.
Read next
Students highlight Mann’s thoughts about spaceflight and how her family or culture influenced her.
Use for reflection
Students list challenges they might face in space exploration and possible ways to overcome them.
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Preview Earth from space
Have students explore NASA’s photo gallery and write what they think it would feel like to see Earth from above.
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Read Nicole Mann’s story
As students read, ask them to highlight Mann’s thoughts and feelings about spaceflight in one color and family or culture connections in another.
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Compare another astronaut or engineer
Students choose one additional article and highlight why that person’s work in the space program is important.
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Reflect with a T-chart
Students list possible challenges of becoming an astronaut or traveling to space, then brainstorm ways they might overcome each challenge.
Comparison reading
Let students choose another space story
After reading about Nicole Mann, students choose one additional article to compare how different people bring new perspectives to space exploration.
Final reflection
Bring the question back to students
At the bottom of the T-chart, have students answer two reflection questions:
- Do you think you will ever travel to space? Why or why not?
- How does increasing diversity in space exploration help foster new growth?
Heirloom seeds, Indigenous culture, and biodiversity
This lesson helps students connect heirloom seeds to culture, agriculture, biodiversity, and evidence-based writing. They’ll start with a 3-2-1 reflection, read about heirloom okra, and write a blog post about why heirloom seeds matter to both people and plant biodiversity.
The extension lets students choose an additional article about seed preservation, including Native American seeds being reunited with their tribes. They’ll use a paired-text analysis worksheet to explain why preserving plant varieties worldwide matters.
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Start with a 3-2-1 reflection
Ask students to list three fruits or vegetables they eat often, two questions they have about heirloom seeds, and one analogy that connects plants or seeds to a person’s culture or daily life.
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Write with article evidence
Students use the blog post planner to explain why heirloom seeds matter for culture, agriculture, and plant biodiversity.
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Extend with a second text
For the extension, students choose another article about seed preservation and use the paired text analysis worksheet to answer: Why is it important to preserve seeds from plant varieties all over the world?
Keep teaching STEM all year with Newsela Learning Suite
Native American Heritage Month can be a meaningful starting point for these STEM conversations, but it doesn’t have to be the only time your students explore Indigenous contributions in science.
With Newsela Learning Suite, you can find science resources, activities, and assessment tools that help students connect STEM topics to real people, places, and communities year-round. Use these lessons in November, then return to the same themes when your class studies conservation, space, exploration, agriculture, or the ways culture and science shape each other.
If you’re not a Newsela customer, sign up for free. Then start your 45-day trial of premium content to access even more resources for teaching Heritage Months, historical events, holidays, and high-interest STEM topics.
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