Free printable PDFs · answer keys included

STEM worksheets for Class 6, 7 and 8 (middle school)

22 free worksheets made from real science news, with new ones as stories are published. Print, learn and check the answers.

All worksheetsK to Class 2Class 3 to 5Class 6 to 8HindiSpaceAnimals & natureHuman bodyTechnology & inventions

For ages 11 to 14 (Class 6 to 8 and middle school), these worksheets use the fuller version of each story, with real names, numbers and how the science was done: who ran the mission, what the researchers measured, why it matters. That makes them good practice for reading informational text and linking classroom science to the real world.

Extension idea: after the quiz, ask your child to find the original article (credited at the bottom of each sheet) and spot one extra fact.

Class 6 to 9Technology

New Method Helps Quantum Computers Make Fewer Mistakes

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Phys.org

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What does magic state cultivation do for quantum computers?A. It cleans errors inside qubits to help them work better
  2. How much did magic state cultivation reduce errors?B. By about 40 times
  3. What is kickback tomography used for in the experiment?B. To check for errors with fewer measurements

Big word: qubit

Class 6 to 9Humans 2.0

How Space Changes Our Genes and Bodies

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Universe Today

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What problem does space cause for astronaut's bodies?A. Muscle loss
  2. What machine do scientists use to pretend there is no gravity?A. Random Positioning Machine
  3. What does the genome mostly consist of?A. DNA molecules

Big word: genome

Class 6 to 9Earth 2.0

The Oldest Shipwreck Found Underwater in Turkey

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Phys.org

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What did scientists find that helped them learn about the ancient ship?B. Pottery vessels from the ship's cargo
  2. Where was the oldest shipwreck found?B. Off Turkey's coast
  3. About how old is the shipwreck?A. Around 4,500 years old

Big word: amphorae

Class 6 to 9Beyond Earth

Listening to the Eagle Nebula Pillars in Space

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: NASA

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What are the tall pillars in the Eagle Nebula made of?A. Gas and dust
  2. How far away is the Eagle Nebula?B. 6,500 light-years
  3. What tools did scientists use to make the sounds from the Eagle Nebula?A. Hubble and Chandra telescopes

Big word: nebula

Class 6 to 9Earth 2.0

How cuttlefish use colors to catch their food

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Live Science

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What do cuttlefish use to change their colors when hunting?A. Chromatophores and other special cells
  2. Why do cuttlefish change colors when they are close to their prey?B. To confuse or stop the prey
  3. What is hypnosis according to the story?B. A mental state of relaxation mostly in humans

Big word: chromatophores

Class 6 to 9Technology

New AI Helps Scientists Find Better Materials by ‘Seeing’ Crystals

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: MIT News

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What special ability does the new AI have?A. It can see and describe crystals in 3D.
  2. Why is it helpful for AI to ‘see’ crystal structures?A. Because shape helps understand properties.
  3. What kind of materials did the AI help find better examples of?A. Materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Big word: crystal

Class 6 to 9Technology

Tesla's New Car Can Fly Using Special Thrusters

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: TechCrunch

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What special feature helps Tesla’s new Roadster jump and spin in the air?A. Cold-gas thrusters
  2. How fast can the Roadster go from 0 to 60 miles per hour?A. One second
  3. What is stored in the Roadster to power its thrusters?A. Compressed air

Big word: thruster

Class 6 to 9Beyond Earth

NASA Looks for Moon Caves to Help Astronauts Live There

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: ScienceDaily

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What is one thing NASA is looking for on the Moon that can help astronauts stay safe?A. Hidden caves
  2. What is the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station used to watch for?A. Micrometeoroids hitting the Moon
  3. Why is ice on the Moon important for astronauts?C. It helps plants grow

Big word: micrometeoroid

Class 6 to 9Energy

Mercedes Shows a Super Fast Electric SUV

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Electrek

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5

Answer key
  1. What kind of car did Mercedes-AMG make?A. A super fast electric SUV
  2. How many horsepower does the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV have?B. 1,153
  3. When will the new Mercedes-AMG GT SUV be in US dealerships?A. Summer 2027

Big word: axial-flux motor

Class 6 to 9Startups

A new company makes tiny chips that prove things are real, not fakes

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: TechCrunch

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. What does the Veritas chip do?B. Shows an item is real
  2. What is a counterfeit?A. A fake copy made to look real
  3. Which items is Veritas now putting chips into?A. Jewellery, trophies and perfume bottles

Big word: counterfeit

Class 6 to 9Startups

A young inventor built a tool to make braiding hair quicker

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: TechCrunch

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. How long can one braided hairstyle take?B. About eight hours
  2. What is the name of Aisata's company?A. Tressfecta
  3. What does Plait Pilot help braiders do?A. Separate hair before braiding

Big word: startup

Class 6 to 9Earth 2.0

Jonathan the tortoise is about 194 years old, and his genes may explain why

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Singularity Hub

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. About how old is Jonathan?C. 194 years
  2. Where does Jonathan live?A. The island of St. Helena
  3. How did the vet get Jonathan's cells?A. From inside his mouth

Big word: DNA

Class 6 to 9Earth 2.0

Mantis shrimp can see a kind of red light most animals cannot

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Phys.org

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. About how many visual pigments does a mantis shrimp have?B. About 30
  2. How many colour pigments do human eyes have?A. 3
  3. Where does the mantis shrimp live?A. In the sea

Big word: pigment

Class 6 to 9Beyond Earth

Tiny salt crystals could tell us about a hidden ocean on Saturn's moon

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Phys.org

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. Where is the ocean on Enceladus?A. Under thick ice
  2. What sprays out near the south pole of Enceladus?A. Jets of water and icy bits
  3. What can the salt crystals trap as they freeze?A. Tiny pockets of water

Big word: crystal

Class 6 to 9Humans 2.0

Your pupils change size depending on how you are thinking

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Popular Science

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. What happened to people's pupils when they counted out loud?A. They got bigger
  2. What did volunteers do in the experiment?A. Counted out loud and silently
  3. Which country were the scientists from?A. Japan

Big word: dilate

Class 6 to 9Earth 2.0

Scientists rescued a baby walrus from a faraway Alaskan beach

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Popular Science

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. Where did the scientists keep the walrus safe from the storm?B. In an empty building
  2. How far away was the animal hospital?A. More than 800 miles
  3. Who did the scientists ask for permission to help the calf?A. The local Inupiaq community and wildlife officials

Big word: orphaned

Class 6 to 9Information Age

Does AI make us smarter or not? It depends on how we use it

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: Science News Explores

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. When can AI help our skills grow?B. When we learn from its feedback
  2. When does AI most likely weaken our skills?A. When it simply does the work for us
  3. Where does Trent Cash work?A. University of Waterloo in Canada

Big word: resilient

Class 6 to 9Mars

Japan is sending a spacecraft to grab a scoop of a Mars moon

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: ESA

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. Which moon is MMX going to visit?B. Phobos, a moon of Mars
  2. Which country's space agency leads the MMX mission?A. Japan
  3. What will MMX bring back to Earth?A. A sample of Phobos

Big word: sample

Class 6 to 9Energy

AI helped scientists in India find new ways to turn CO2 into fuel

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: ScienceDaily

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. Which metal did the reactions happen on?B. Copper
  2. Where did the scientists in this story work?A. Indian Institute of Science
  3. How many chemical steps did they find?A. 9,389

Big word: catalyst

Class 6 to 9Future

Steps just one atom high can steer tiny whirlpools inside special materials

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: ScienceDaily

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. What did the one-atom-high steps act like?A. Railway tracks
  2. What can superconductors do when they are very cold?A. Carry electricity without losing energy
  3. How much more easily did the swirls move along the steps?A. More than 1,000 times

Big word: superconductor

Class 6 to 9Beyond Earth

NASA's new space telescope is seeing even more sharply than planned

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: ScienceDaily

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. How much did engineers move the mirror?B. One-sixteenth the width of a hair
  2. How much better are Roman's pictures than expected?A. Nearly 30% better
  3. What will Roman help scientists study?A. Dark matter and dark energy

Big word: telescope

Class 6 to 9Humans 2.0

Scientists found how deep sleep helps your body grow

Ages 11 to 14 · Source: ScienceDaily

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Also: K to Class 2 · Class 3 to 5 · हिंदी

Answer key
  1. What does growth hormone help build?A. Muscles and bones
  2. When does the body release growth hormone?A. During deep sleep
  3. Which university did this sleep research?A. University of California, Berkeley

Big word: hormone

How to use Osmo worksheets

  1. Read together first. Read the story aloud, or let your child read it to you. Pause on the big word.
  2. Circle the answers. Three questions check understanding. The answer key is on each card above.
  3. Do "Your turn". The drawing, building or experiment task is where the learning sticks. Ask "why?" and "how do we know?"
  4. Write a question. The last box is for your child's own question about the story. Curiosity is the point.

Worksheet questions parents ask

Are these worksheets really free?

Yes. Every worksheet on this page is a free PDF you can print at home or for your class. Osmo Plus subscribers can also print a worksheet for every new story in the Osmo app.

Where are the answers?

Each worksheet card has an Answer key button showing the correct option for all three quiz questions. The "Your turn" activity is open-ended, so there's no single right answer.

Which class or grade should I choose?

Kindergarten to Class 2 sheets suit ages 5 to 7, Class 3 to 5 suit ages 8 to 10 and Class 6 to 8 suit ages 11 to 14. The same story is written at each level, so siblings can do the same topic together.

Where do the stories come from?

Each story is based on a real article from a science publisher such as NASA, ESA, ScienceDaily or MIT News, rewritten for kids with the help of AI and approved by a person. The source is credited at the bottom of every sheet.

Can teachers use them in class?

Yes. Printing worksheets for your own students and showing them on a classroom screen is fine. Please don't resell them or republish them on other websites.

More free resources: printable science worksheets guide · reading comprehension for Class 3 to 5 · the Osmo blog

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