Education & TrainingLevel 3 · 14–16 hrs11 sessions · 75–90 minutesTeam 4–6 (5 is ideal; see roles)Coming next
Plan and teach a 30-minute hands-on STEM workshop for 12 children in grades 3–5, so every child builds, tests and can explain one idea.
Client scenario
Welcome to the teaching team. The Brookside Elementary Afterschool Program (fictional) runs a STEM club on Thursday afternoons for children in grades 3–5. The director has hired your team as workshop instructors to plan and teach one 30-minute hands-on workshop that the children will remember.
Client: The Program Director (the teacher in role), and through the director, the children and their families.
The STEM club needs a 30-minute hands-on workshop that every child can join in, learn from and enjoy, safely.
Roles
Lead Instructor
Curriculum Designer
Materials Manager
Inclusion & Differentiation Lead
Evaluation & Quality Lead
The twist: Part 1, Director's Note (H3): two days before the workshop, the group has doubled from 12 to 24 children, a third (8) are new English learners, and the room no longer has tables. Part 2, live: at the start of the workshop, the teacher removes half the tape (half the paper clips for the helicopter workshop).
Standards mapped
Mapped means the framework is verified and the teacher confirms the evidence. It isn't a claim that a project meets a standard.
NACE (Dec 2025)
ED Employability Skills Framework
CA Standards for Career Ready Practice
CCSS ELA
Not tagged in this brief: NGSS SEP, CCSS Math, ISTE Students.
Safety, devices and privacy
Simple, low-risk materials only. Straws, paper, paper cups, card stock, paper clips and masking tape. Safety scissors only for "children"; no craft knives or other blades for anyone, and no hot glue.
Marbles are counted out and counted back at the end of every workshop, and stay inside the marble run or a cup, never loose on the floor where people walk.
Straws are building materials only. Nobody puts one in their mouth.
Floor work is planned for. When there are no tables, groups sit in spaced circles with clear walkways, and nobody stands on chairs or climbs to test a build.
School devices only. No phones, and no personal accounts. No phones as timers.
No photos of students. No student names or personal information on any deliverable. Sign work "Team [#]". Check-for-understanding results are recorded as counts ("18 of 24 explained…"), never with names.
Follow the school's usual classroom rules.
Creative Dad On the Job is in-class client project work. It is not a paid, off-campus On-the-Job Training (OJT) placement.
Budget levels
Totals and Amazon links come from the materials sheet.
Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.
Quick Start
Digital downloads only. $0 to buy. Printing is noted separately.
$0 to buy. Printing $3–$6, noted separately.
Quick Start would drop Required items: Plastic straws, Paper cups, 9 oz, White card stock, Marbles — the brief has no print-only version; check it still works
Student time: one class period, one day.
Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.
Scale it
The default plan is one class period on a single day.
Scale back: Fit it into a shorter period, use fewer effects, or run a demo instead of a build.
Scale up: Add one extra effect, or spread the share-out across another day.
Ambiance video
Ambiance video coming soon from Creative Dad Studio
Classroom timer or wall clockBorrow or school has1$0
Full Experience
Up to $25 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).
About $37–$59 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups). Exceeds $25 per class. Can't fit with the default activity mix: about $37–59 even with classroom tape and clips. The brief's own fix: run the paper-helicopter workshop for every team (about $3–6, printing only) or have two teams share one workshop.
Student time: one day.
Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.
Scale it
The default plan is one school day.
Scale back: Fit the build into one period with fewer effects.
Scale up: Spread the work across days, or add more effects.
Sessions, role duties, deliverables, materials, free tools, and the teacher setup use the same Creative Dad account as the project library. There is no separate student login.