Hi, I'm a NSW primary teacher with 10 years experience. STEM is the lesson students ask for most and the hardest one to pull together on a busy day. There are materials to collect, a room to set up, then the clean-up. Too often it gets pushed to next week. So I made a free set of challenges that use what's already in your room: paper, building bricks, dice and counters, and the everyday things on every desk.
How it works
Pick a material group, choose a card and set a timer. Students plan, build, test and improve, then share with the class. K-2 cards take about 10 to 15 minutes, and Years 3-6 cards about 15 to 25. Every card ends with a Think about question, so students explain what they changed and why.
Use it again and again
Run one card with the whole class, set up four rotations, or keep a tub of cards for early finishers. Every Years 3-6 card has a Level up, so students can try again with a harder goal, and some cards include a class challenge to finish the lesson.
What's included
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32 challenge cards: 16 for K-2 and 16 for Years 3-6, in four colour-coded material groups.
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Think about and Level up: a discussion question on every card, plus an extension on every Years 3-6 card.
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How-to-use page: timings, four ways to run it (whole class, rotations, early finishers, pairs and teams), team jobs, printing tips and a safety note.
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Classroom poster: the plan, build, test, improve loop for your wall.
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Curriculum links page: linked to the NSW Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2024), which NSW schools start teaching in 2027.
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Original artwork: every icon and illustration is drawn by Ponder.
No colour printer?
Each material group has its own icon and label, so the cards still work in black and white. No printer at all? Read a card aloud or pop it under the visualiser.
No card asks students to throw things, stand on furniture, or use food or balloons, and scissors are optional on every card.
Made for
- Classroom teachers who want hands-on STEM without a big set-up
- Casual and relief teachers who need a lesson that works in any room
- Early finisher tubs, rotations and wet-weather breaks
- STEM, library and RFF teachers
Format: PDF, 14 pages. Grades K-6.
Meet the teacher
Hi, I'm Jorgia! I've been a primary school teacher in Sydney for 10 years. In that time I've taught as a K-6 classroom teacher, worked as a casual teacher, and led as a Stage 3 Assistant Principal. That mix means I know the classroom from every angle, from walking into a new school with no work left, to supporting teachers and planning for a whole stage.
I also have lots of experience implementing and teaching with technology, particularly Apple devices and Smartboards. I love helping students and teachers use technology in ways that make learning more engaging.
- Fully accredited teacher
- Stage 3 Assistant Principal
- Certified Apple Classroom Teacher
If these cards get your class building, I'd love a review. It helps other teachers find Ponder and tells me which cards to make next.
