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Marshmallow Tower Challenge

Estimated Time Required: 30 minutes

Themes: teamwork, construction principles, trial and error

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Learning Points

  • Understand the importance of teamwork and failure in science and engineering

  • Some shapes are stronger than others

  • Even weak materials can be made stronger with good design techniques

  • Understand why some models are stronger than others

Materials

  • Tape measure

  • Timer

  • Materials for each team:

    • 20 sticks of dry spaghetti

    • one yard of string

    • one yard of tape

    • one marshmallow

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Construct the tallest spaghetti tower that has a marshmallow on the top.

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Rules 

  1. You will have 20 minutes to complete the challenge. 

  2. The marshmallow must be on the top of the tower when time is called.

  3. You may only use the materials provided. 

  4. You may not use any other materials to assist in the support of your tower. 

  5. Tower height is a vertical measurement from the table top up. 

  6. You may stick masking table tape to the table top. 

  7. Spaghetti may be broken into smaller pieces.  However, once broken, pieces may not be replaced.

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During the Activity

  1. Monitor the teams' progress and remind them of the rules if necessary.

  2. When two minutes remain, give an announcement that there are two minutes remaining.  Then again at one minute.

 

Completion of Activity

  1. When time is called, measure the height of each team's tower.  Declare a winning team!

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  1. What do you think the secret to success is?

  2. What were your challenges?

  3. What would you do differently next time?

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What To Do

Discuss

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