ScienceEngineeringMath

Future Transportation Firm

Grades 6-875-90 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Students compare future transportation choices, like electric, hydrogen, and hyperloop-style ideas, for one real route. They weigh the pros and cons of power, the roads or tracks needed, and pollution in an honest way. It is a big engineering debate based on real numbers.

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

Transportation energy and emissions fact cardsPrintinguse what you have
design brief templatePrintinguse what you have
decision matrix worksheetPrintinguse what you have

Full Experience

Required materials for the class.

$0 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.

Total Transformation

The bigger kit, with every optional item included.

$0 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.

Materials

Real local route (map); Data for two or three transportation choices; Transportation energy and emissions fact cards; design brief template; decision matrix worksheet

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

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

Data for two or three transportation choices
Data for two or three transportation choices
No link

Steps

Pick a real local route and predict which transportation choice, such as electric, hydrogen, or something else, would work best for its distance and land.
Write a design brief with precise criteria (for example, under 30 minutes travel time and 500 riders per hour) and constraints (budget, available land). Cite energy principles (electric motors waste less energy as heat, and making hydrogen takes energy) and impacts on people and the environment (emissions, noise, habitat loss).
Use provided fact cards to estimate energy use per rider, building cost, travel time, and emissions for two or three choices. Record them in a comparison chart.
Score each choice in a weighted decision matrix against every criterion and constraint in the brief.
Find a hidden downside of the top choice, like too few charging stations, re-score it, and adjust the recommendation if the ranking changes.

Standards mapped

NGSS · MS-ETS1-1
Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
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.