Prepare your STEM classroom

Learning goal

Prepare a practical classroom routine for safe, collaborative STEM work.

What you’ll need

• An inventory of available equipment
• A workstation plan
• A visible classroom routine

The activity

1. Check power sources, cables, work surfaces and space for moving prototypes. Keep liquids away from electronics.
2. Organise equipment by group and label reusable components. Check that the tools match student age and supervision.
3. Assign rotating roles such as builder, programmer, tester and documenter.
4. Plan a check-in, a testing area and an end-of-session routine for powering down and returning parts.

Pause and reflect

• Can every group reach the materials they need?
• How will students ask for help and report a damaged part?
• How will you document progress between sessions?

Take it further

Ask students to create a visual equipment-return checklist for their group.