Cool Beans Tech curriculum packet

All curriculum guides
Cool Beans Tech Program overview

Cool Beans Tech curriculum

Hands-on projects in technology and business for ages 10 to 15, with their teacher alongside.

Who it's for
Ages 10–15 (grades 5–9)
Projects
3 to choose from
Subjects
Computer science, Personal finance and entrepreneurship
Devices
Any device with a web browser
Cost
Free

About the program

Cool Beans Tech is a free learning platform for students ages 10 to 15. Students learn real technology and business skills by building projects of their own, one small step at a time, while their teacher follows every student's progress and helps at the right moment. It runs in any web browser and was built in a real after-school program.

Projects at a glance

ProjectSubjectLengthStandards
Build Your BlockA website that's actually yours: a whole block of houses, shops and hangouts.Computer science10 weeks of 60 minutes about 10 hours in all2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standards
Creator ModeA real business: a channel, then a food truck, a spinner shop and your own idea.Personal finance and entrepreneurship16 sessions of 60 minutes about 16 hours in allNational Standards for Personal Financial Education
Curly Brace CrittersA one-of-a-kind critter drawn and animated with nothing but CSS.Computer science1 mission of 45 minutes 45 minutes in all2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standards

How students learn

Learn by making
Every idea is learned by using it to build something the student cares about.
Small steps
Steps take a few minutes each, so progress is steady and every student can start.
Their own pace
Students move through steps at their own speed; the teacher opens each session when the class is ready.
No two alike
Everyone learns the same ideas, then makes choices that make the work their own.
Mistakes are clues
Plan it, build it, try it, make it better: getting it wrong is part of the work.

How progress is checked

Every project gives feedback at each step (each guide says how), and in every project:

Teacher review
Key work goes to the teacher, who approves it or sends it back with what worked and what to try next.
Exit tickets
Each session closes on one question, posted by the teacher and answered live.
Reflections and check-ins
Students say what they made and how it's going, in their own words.
Reports
A progress page for each student, and a program report of how many students worked on each standard, with a spreadsheet.
No grades or scores
Feedback is about the work, never a number, so students keep trying.

Support for teachers

  • A lesson plan for every session: a warm-up, a timed agenda, words to know, what to watch for and a closing question
  • Slides for every session, to present on a projector
  • A live class map: who's building, who's done and who needs help
  • Hints and notes for one student or the whole class
  • Sessions open when the teacher is ready, so a class can stay together
  • A printable certificate for every session a student finishes

Safety, privacy and access

  • Students sign in with a made-up username and a secret word: no email, real name or age is ever asked
  • Only the student and their teacher see their work: no sharing between students, no public profiles
  • No ads, no trackers and nothing sold
  • Runs in a web browser on Chromebooks, laptops and tablets, with nothing to install, and shared devices are cleared at sign-out
  • Designed for access: keyboard navigation, visible focus, readable contrast and calmer motion when a device asks for it
  • Free for schools and programs

Standards

Each project's guide maps its sessions to the standards they work on, word for word. Alignments are our own reading of where each session fits, not an official alignment by the standards' authors.

Cool Beans Tech · coolbeanstech.com/guidesFree for schools and programs
Cool Beans Tech Curriculum guide
Who it's for
Ages 10–15 (grades 5–9)
Subject
Computer science
Length
10 weeks of 60 minutes, about 10 hours in all
Devices
Any device with a web browser
Cost
Free

Overview

Students build a website of their own, a whole neighborhood block of houses, shops and hangouts, in real HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Each week adds a layer: a first page, a shop, a look of their own, a layout, then working buttons and games. They fix a broken site, build a page for a client, and finish with a challenge they plan and build themselves.

What students make
A website that's actually yours: a whole block of houses, shops and hangouts.
Topics
HTML · CSS · JavaScript

Learning objectives

By the end of Build Your Block, students will be able to:

  1. Structure a web page with HTML, choosing elements for what content is: headings, lists, navigation and forms.
  2. Style and lay out pages with CSS: colors, fonts, spacing, flexbox and grid.
  3. Make a page respond to people with JavaScript: events, variables, functions, conditionals and arrays.
  4. Find and fix bugs step by step: read the error, make a guess, change one thing and test again.
  5. Plan and build a page for someone else's needs, and improve their own work toward a goal they set.

Beyond the subject: Persistence when something breaks · Designing for an audience · Planning and setting goals · Pride in their own work

Scope and sequence

WeekWhat students doWords they learnTime
1Build Your HouseStudents make their first web page: a house on their block with a name, a description, pictures, a link and a door. They learn what HTML tags are and how the browser turns them into a page.tag, element, <h1>, <p>, <img> and src, <a> and href, attribute60 min
2Build a BusinessStudents build a corner shop beside their house: a header, a product list, a menu, opening hours and a signup form. They learn that tags say what something is (a list, a menu, a form), not only how it looks.<header>, <nav>, <ul> and <li>, <section>, <footer>, <form>, <label> and <input>60 min
3Make It YoursStudents give their block its own look with CSS: colors, backgrounds, fonts, borders and spacing. No new HTML this week; lots of experimenting.CSS, <style>, selector, property and value, color and background, font-family, border-radius, padding and margin60 min
4Design the NeighborhoodStudents arrange their houses into a neighborhood: containers with <div>, rows and columns with flexbox, room between them with gap, and a garden with CSS Grid.<div>, container, display: flex, justify-content, align-items, gap, display: grid, grid-template-columns60 min
5Bring It to LifeStudents make their page respond: a door that opens, a light that toggles, a sign that cycles, a visitor counter, night mode and a live greeting. Their first JavaScript: events, variables and changing the page.<script>, event, addEventListener, function, variable (let), getElementById, textContent, console.log60 min
6Build Something FunStudents build an arcade corner: dice, a coin flip, a scoreboard, a guessing game and a mystery prize box. They learn random numbers, if/else, functions that take a value, and arrays.Math.random(), Math.floor(), if / else, === and =, parameter, array, index60 min
7Become a Bug HunterStudents fix an animal shelter's website that ships broken: find, understand, fix and check, six times over, then a boss bug. They learn that finding bugs is a skill, not a sign they did something wrong.bug, loud bug, quiet bug, console, typo, condition60 min
8Build for SomeoneStudents build a page for a youth soccer club on their block: a schedule, a roster, a menu, an RSVP button and a way to reach the coach. They learn to build for someone else's needs.audience, semantic HTML, RSVP, counter60 min
9Expand Your BlockStudents go back to their own block and decide what it needs next: a new place, restyled older pieces, somewhere people can hang out, and a button that does two things. Open goals: the checks look at structure, never wording.remix, selector target, for everyone, event and handler60 min
10Build Your BlockThe Block Builder Challenge: each student picks a goal and builds it from start to finish, then shows it's built, connected and interactive. It ends on "I built this."checkpoint, connected, interactive, responsive60 min

Standards alignment

2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standardsmiddle school, grades 6–8

Standard
MS-ALG-PS-01Algorithms & Design · Algorithmic Problem SolvingDesign an algorithm that includes variables of multiple data types to solve a problem or express an idea.
MS-ALG-PS-03Algorithms & Design · Algorithmic Problem SolvingVerify the accuracy of an algorithm for given inputs.
MS-ALG-IM-09Algorithms & Design · Impacts of Algorithms & DesignEvaluate which human-centered design principles are present or missing in an existing computing technology.
MS-PRO-PD-12Programming · Program DevelopmentUse a procedure to structure code for clarity and reusability.
MS-PRO-PD-13Programming · Program DevelopmentUse reference documentation in program development.
MS-PRO-VD-16Programming · Variables & Data StorageUse variables of multiple data types to store, access, and manipulate data within a program.
MS-PRO-RD-17Programming · Reading & DocumentingAnalyze the roles of iteration, selection, variables, and procedures in a segment of code.
MS-PRO-TR-19Programming · Testing & RefiningUse systematic strategies to test, refine, and document changes to a computing technology to meet the intended purpose.
MS-PRO-TR-20Programming · Testing & RefiningRefine a computing technology based on user feedback to improve its usability and accessibility.

Alignments are our own reading of where each session fits, not an official alignment by the standards' authors.

Evidence of learning

What students finish with

  • A website of their own design, built and expanded over ten weeks
  • Interactive features: an opening door, night mode, dice, a scoreboard and a guessing game
  • A repaired animal shelter site and a page built for a youth soccer club
  • A final challenge build, shown to be built, connected and interactive

How progress is checked

At every step
Each build step checks their code as they write it and says what's missing in plain words. Bigger builds go to the teacher, who sends back what worked and what to try next.
Cool Beans Tech · coolbeanstech.com/guides/build-your-blockFree for schools and programs
Cool Beans Tech Curriculum guide
Who it's for
Ages 10–15 (grades 5–9)
Subject
Personal finance and entrepreneurship
Length
16 sessions of 60 minutes, about 16 hours in all
Devices
Any device with a web browser
Cost
Free

Overview

Students start and run four businesses over one semester: a video channel, a food truck, a spinner shop and a business of their own design. Each runs for a year of monthly Market Days, where their choices on price, stock, marketing and money play out with clear, honest math. They follow Tennessee's real steps for starting a business, with small made-up amounts.

What students make
A real business: a channel, then a food truck, a spinner shop and your own idea.
Topics
Value · Profit · Marketing · Running a business

Learning objectives

By the end of Creator Mode, students will be able to:

  1. Explain value, cost, price and profit, and set a price that covers costs and fits what customers will pay.
  2. Budget a business's income into expenses, pay, savings for growth, taxes and giving, and explain why money that comes in isn't all money to keep.
  3. Describe the steps that make a business official, from an LLC and an EIN to permits and sales tax, and why each one matters.
  4. Compare a loan with interest to an investor who takes a share, and justify a choice for funding growth.
  5. Plan marketing for a target audience, and explain how awareness, trust and standing out from rivals affect sales.
  6. Write a system someone else can follow, and review a year of results to decide what's next for a business.

Beyond the subject: Professional communication · Dressing for the setting · Honesty with customers · Planning ahead · Pitching an idea

Scope and sequence

SessionWhat students doWords they learnTime
Creator sessions 1–5
1The big ideaStudents find a channel idea where what they love meets what people in town want, then make their business official with the state and the IRS.value, LLC, EIN60 min
2Launch dayStudents spend their first money on gear, launch their first video in September's Market Day, learn fixed costs and break-even, and build a brand.fixed cost, break-even, brand60 min
3Getting paidStudents earn their first ad money, learn revenue vs profit, set up money jars and pay themselves, choose a sponsor honestly, and start marketing to the right people.revenue, profit, sponsor, awareness60 min
4Rivals and rough monthsStudents face a rival and a copycat, learn to stand out and protect their name, then weather an algorithm change, a copyright strike and burnout.competition, copyright, burnout60 min
5Merch and year-endStudents sell their first physical product, feel cash flow and leftover stock, file their yearly paperwork, look back at their year and decide what's next.stock, cash flow, annual report60 min
Food Truck sessions 6–9
6Back in businessStudents pick a food truck idea from what hungry people in town want, make the truck official (including the health department and the fire department) and run opening month.spoilage, health permit, commissary60 min
7Location, weather and helpStudents learn that where and when you sell decide who buys, feel the limit of their own hours, and hire their first employee with a system they wrote down.capacity, supplier, system60 min
8Busy season and a rivalStudents market a business that moves, keep a promise they can deliver, pass a health inspection, stand out against a cheaper rival, and apply for a loan to grow.catering, interest, loyalty program60 min
9Winter and year-endStudents decide on a loan, plan for a slow season, hand off months to a manager who follows their system, and close out the truck's year.slow season, manager, delegate60 min
Spinner Shop sessions 10–13
10Design it, source itStudents design a product from what customers told them, pick a supplier, register to collect sales tax, and sell their first batch.prototype, supplier, sales tax60 min
11Batches, quality and storesStudents manage stock that keeps, catch defects before customers do, decide whether to buy more capacity, and choose where to sell (including a wholesale deal).inventory, quality control, wholesale60 min
12A rival and money to growStudents answer a cheaper rival without losing money on every sale, keep a promise to a customer, and compare a loan with investors before pitching the investor panel.investor, share, pitch60 min
13The holiday rush and year-endStudents choose how to fund growth, stock up for the holiday rush, send the state its sales tax, decide whether to scale, and close out the shop's year.scale, cash flow, valuation60 min
Your Own Business sessions 14–16
14Your idea, your planStudents choose their own business (things, a service, content or a mix), check it with a customer, put it on one card, get the plan approved and launch.business model, business plan, margin60 min
15Run it and grow itStudents run their own business through six months, using every tool from the first three runs on their own: marketing, hiring, standing out, handling customers and funding growth.fixed cost, variable cost, feedback60 min
16Your year and pitch dayStudents write the system that lets their business run without them, finish their business's year, pitch it, and put together their Founder's Book from all four businesses.pitch, founder60 min

Standards alignment

National Standards for Personal Financial Educationgrade 8

CreatorFood TruckSpinner ShopYour Own Business
Standard
Earning Income 8-5cExplain how taxes impact take-home pay.
Earning Income 8-9aInvestigate the motivating factors to being self-employed or working as an independent contractor in the 'gig' economy.
Earning Income 8-9bDiscuss why starting a new business could be riskier than other career choices.
Earning Income 8-9cResearch common reasons for new business failures.
Spending 8-1bCreate a budget that includes expenses and savings out of a given amount of income.
Spending 8-2cIdentify misleading or deceptive information about consumer goods or services found in online and print sources.
Spending 8-2dDiscuss ways to verify a claim expressed in advertising for an age-appropriate product.
Saving 8-2dDiscuss how savings decisions can affect financial well-being.
Investing 8-4bExplain the potential risks and rewards of investing in corporate stock.
Managing Credit 8-3aDescribe the effect of higher interest rates and longer loan terms on the total cost of a loan.
Managing Credit 8-6cJustify the use of credit for a specific purchase.
Managing Credit 8-7bPredict the possible consequences of having a lot of debt payments relative to income.
Managing Risk 8-5aGive examples of how people manage the risk of financial loss through risk avoidance, reduction, retention, and transfer.

Standards © 2021 Council for Economic Education and Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. Reproduced for noncommercial educational purposes.

Alignments are our own reading of where each session fits, not an official alignment by the standards' authors.

Evidence of learning

What students finish with

  • Four businesses, each with a year of monthly results: money in, costs, profit and their best month
  • Business forms filed with their teacher, who plays the government office and approves or returns them
  • Brand designs: logos, thumbnails, flyers, billboards, menus and packaging
  • A Founder's Book with every business's plan, brand, rules and story

How progress is checked

At every step
Every choice shows its result: Market Day plays out the month, and a coach names the one reason it went the way it did. Students guess first, so the gap between guess and result is the lesson.

Safety, privacy and access

In Creator Mode: Business forms ask only for made-up company details. Where a real form needs a Social Security Number, students are told to type it only on the real IRS site, with a grown-up.

Cool Beans Tech · coolbeanstech.com/guides/creator-modeFree for schools and programs
Cool Beans Tech Curriculum guide
Who it's for
Ages 10–15 (grades 5–9)
Subject
Computer science
Length
1 mission of 45 minutes, 45 minutes in all
Devices
Any device with a web browser
Cost
Free

Overview

A one-session introduction to CSS, the language that styles every website. Students draw a creature with nothing but code: a color, rounded edges, two eyes and a wiggle. Then they change the values to make a critter no one else has, and take it home.

What students make
A one-of-a-kind critter drawn and animated with nothing but CSS.
Topics
CSS · Animation

Learning objectives

By the end of Curly Brace Critters, students will be able to:

  1. Write CSS rules with selectors, properties and values.
  2. Shape elements with border-radius and style a group of elements with a class selector.
  3. Animate an element with @keyframes and the animation property.
  4. Predict what a change to a value will do, try it and adjust.

Beyond the subject: Trying, checking and adjusting · Creative choices · Reading code closely

Scope and sequence

MissionWhat students doWords they learnTime
1Meet Your CritterStudents style a critter with CSS: a color, rounded corners, two eyes and a wiggle, then change it to make it their own.property and value, border-radius, class selector, @keyframes, animation45 min

Standards alignment

2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standardsmiddle school, grades 6–8

Standard
MS-PRO-PD-13Programming · Program DevelopmentUse reference documentation in program development.
MS-PRO-TR-19Programming · Testing & RefiningUse systematic strategies to test, refine, and document changes to a computing technology to meet the intended purpose.

Alignments are our own reading of where each session fits, not an official alignment by the standards' authors.

Evidence of learning

What students finish with

  • An animated critter of their own design, written entirely in CSS
  • A page they can take home that opens in any browser

How progress is checked

At every step
Each build step checks their CSS as they write it, and the critter changes on screen the moment they run it. Their finished critter goes to the teacher for notes.
Cool Beans Tech · coolbeanstech.com/guides/curly-brace-crittersFree for schools and programs