No Prep Sub Plans: Extreme Jobs — Oil Rig Worker (STEM Design Series)No Prep Sub

No Prep Sub Plans: Extreme Jobs — Oil Rig Worker (STEM Design Series)
Bring real-world engineering into your classroom with this engaging Extreme Jobs STEM challenge! Students explore the dangerous and fascinating world of offshore oil rig workers while completing a hands-on engineering design challenge to build a floating offshore platform model that can survive wave testing.

This lesson combines research, critical thinking, teamwork, engineering, and problem-solving into a highly engaging activity perfect for science, STEM, engineering, sub plans, enrichment, or project-based learning.
Students will investigate how offshore oil rigs work, the dangers workers face, and how engineers design massive platforms capable of surviving huge ocean waves and storms. Then, teams will design, build, test, and improve their own offshore platform prototype.

Perfect for:
- STEM & Engineering
- Science classes
- Sub plans with hands-on learning
- Project-Based Learning (PBL)
- Makerspaces
- Early finishers & enrichment
- Career exploration units
- Team-building activities

What’s Included
- Teacher Directions page
- Flexible 1-Day, 2-Day, and 3-Day lesson plan ideas
- Suggested materials list
- Preparation and setup guidance
- Student Research & Initial Planning Page (Color & Black & White)
- Student Design, Testing & Reflection Page (Color & Black & White))
- Online resource list for student research
- Reflection questions
- Engineering design challenge
- Real-world STEM career connections

This resource is designed to work well as:
- an engaging emergency sub activity,
- a STEM extension lesson,
- or a multi-day engineering project.

Light prep/setup may be required depending on materials used and testing setup. Flexible pacing allows the challenge to fit into 1–3 class periods.
Your students will LOVE the combination of real-world extreme careers and hands-on engineering design!