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Future Transit Authority

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Grades 6-875-90 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Teams compare transit route options for a growing city, weighing energy use, passenger capacity, and accessibility to recommend the best system.

Budget levels

Amazon prices checked Oct 9-10, 2026 and may change

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 noted separately.

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

  • Printed city grid map with household countsPrintinguse what you have
  • stringBorrow or school hasuse what you have
  • decision matrix worksheetPrintinguse what you have

Full Experience

Required materials for the class.

$5.99 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

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.

  • energy and build tokensRequired1 x 500 chips500 chips$5.99Amazon

Total Transformation

The bigger kit, with every optional item included.

$5.99 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

Student time: one day (one session, one-day event).

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one session, a one-day event.

Scale back: Shorten the event, or run a demo for a smaller audience.

Scale up: Spread the build and the event across days, or invite a bigger audience.

Choose your version

Every level teaches the same core idea — pick the one that fits your time, budget, and energy today.

Student time: 45 min, one class periodTeacher prep / build-ahead: 10 min$0 to buy. Printing noted separately.One table or a clear section of floorBeginner-friendly

Setup

Print or hand-copy the essential prompt for Future Transit Authority, then set out only paper, pencils, and the common or recycled items needed for one test. Use a tabletop representation whenever the original version mentions a room, specialized device, or digital tool; the learning comes from the decisions and evidence, not elaborate scenery.

Activity

  1. Study a city map and predict which transit route would serve the most riders for the least energy cost.
  2. Design two competing transit route plans, marking stops, capacity, and estimated energy use for each.
  3. Score both plans against accessibility and capacity requirements, find one plan fails a key requirement, and revise it.
  4. Pitch the winning transit plan to a mock city council with data comparing both options.

Ambiance video

Ambiance video coming soon from Creative Dad Studio

Done when: The group has completed Future Transit Authority when it can pitch the winning transit plan to a mock city council with data comparing both options and point to the observation, measurement, comparison, or trial that supports its conclusion.

Materials

large city map printout, string, markers, sticky dots, ruler, poster board; Printed city grid map with household counts; energy and build tokens; decision matrix worksheet

Shown for the Quick Start version — switch tabs above to see what changes.

Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change.

As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.

Steps

  1. Study a city grid map with four neighborhoods and household counts per block, and predict which transit route would serve the most riders for the least energy cost.
  2. Write criteria and constraints: serves at least 3 of 4 neighborhoods, every stop within a 10 minute walk (4 grid squares) of at least 80 percent of homes, wheelchair accessible at every stop, energy use under 30 energy tokens per day, and a budget of 20 build tokens. Note why each one matters to riders.
  3. Design two or three competing route plans, marking stops, vehicle capacity, and estimated energy use.
  4. Measure each plan on the map: count households within walking range of a stop, measure walk distances with string, calculate energy tokens (route length times number of trips), and total the build cost. Record all results in a data table.
  5. Score each plan in a weighted decision matrix against every criterion and constraint using the data table, mark any plan that breaks a constraint, and total the scores.
  6. Revise the losing or failing plan to fix its weakest criterion, remeasure it, and rescore it in the matrix.
  7. Pitch the winning transit plan to a mock city council with the data table and matrix comparing all options.

Standards mapped

  • NGSS · MS-ETS1-2

    Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.