The Classroom Makerspace: STEAM Learning that Sticks
The Classroom Makerspace: STEAM Learning that Sticks
Presenters
- Meaghan Anderson, Ph.D.
- Dr. Shannon Thissen
Description
Build It. Break It. Improve It. STEAM with the Marble Journey Challenge
Give your K-6 classroom a hands-on engineering adventure with this free, self-paced course from Hands On Children's Museum! You and your students will take on the roles of engineers to design, build, test, and improve sections of a class-wide, wall-mounted marble run — using nothing fancier than cardboard tubes, tape, and a little creative problem-solving.
Along the way, you'll learn how to guide students through the real engineering design process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Improve), build their understanding of forces, motion, gravity, and friction through direct experimentation, and foster a classroom culture where mistakes are just part of how engineers learn. Every team's section has to connect to the next, so the whole class succeeds together.
Delivered entirely on Canvas at your own pace, this course includes a ready-to-teach three-lesson plan, a full materials list, and extension challenges for classes ready to go further. Perfect for elementary teachers looking for an engaging, collaborative STEAM unit that turns everyday recyclables into a full-class engineering triumph.
After completing the course, you will receive a notification from pdEnroller allowing you to access and claim your clock hours. Allow up to 2 weeks for internal processing.
Who This Course Is For:
- K-6 educators who want to bring hands-on, standards-aligned STEAM learning into their classroom
- Teachers looking to build student engineering thinking and a growth mindset through a collaborative, low-cost class project
- Educators seeking a ready-to-implement unit they can teach with minimal prep
What You'll Achieve: By the end of this course, you will have learned
- How to facilitate the engineering design process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Improve) with elementary students
- Strategies for teaching forces, motion, gravity, and friction through hands-on experimentation
- Techniques for structuring and facilitating collaborative, team-based problem solving
- How to cultivate a growth mindset classroom culture where mistakes are part of the design process
Course Modules:
- Introduction to Hands On Children's Museum
- Introduction to STEAM Learning
- STEAM in Your Classroom: The Marble Journey Challenge
- Standards & Prework: Teams, Space, and Materials
- SEL Setup: Growth Mindset & Engineering Behaviors
- Lesson Plan (Lessons 1–3: Engage/Explore/Explain/Plan, Build/Connect, Improve/Reflection)
- Engineering Excellence: Questions That Drive Learning Behaviors
- Extensions & Enrichment
- Reflect & Respond
Event Notes
PLEASE NOTE: The registration fee for this course is free. Once the course has been completed and verified by the instructor, you must pay the $3.00 per clock-hour fee and the administration fee. Claiming four clock hours plus a $5.00 administration fee is $17.00. Must complete the course by October 31, 2026. After completing the course, you will receive a notification from pdEnroller allowing you to access and claim your clock hours. Allow up to 2 weeks for internal processing.
Dates
-
Sat, August 8 - Sat, October 31 202612:00 AM - 11:30 PMCanvas
Registration
Event # 213746
- Price
- $0.00
- Registration Ends
- Monday Oct 26, 2026 11:30 PM
Professional Hours
Clock Hour Number: OLAJ0242| 4.00 | Clock Hours | $17.00 |
| 4.00 | STEM | |
| 4.00 | Equity | |
| 4.00 | Educational Leadership |