Weekly Tech Challenge (#10)

Good Day Students and Parents,
This week’s challenge is:

Build Rock Tower

Supplies: Collect a dozen small rocks

Challenge: This is an simple, but possibly difficult one. Your job is to build the tallest tower you can, with just a single stack of rocks

Tips:  The flatter the rocks the more success you will have... 
Although...

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#9)

Good Day Students and Parents,
This week’s challenge is:

Build a Space Lander

Supplies: Paper/Plastic Cup, Something solid to place inside the cup (ex. Marshmallows, Ping Pong Balls, ect..), A sheet of card-stock paper (or cardboard), 6 plastic straws, Tape, Scissors, any other optional material you choose.

Challenge: Design and build a device that will allow your cup to be dropped without spilling its contents. 

Tips: Tape the cup to a piece of card-stock and attach materials to the bottom to stabilize and cushion the landing. 

Examples:

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#8)

Good Day Students and Parents,
This week’s challenge is:

Build a Conveyor Belt

Supplies: Milk Carton (or a small rectangular box), Two Pencils/Pens, Paper, Tape, Scissors. 

Challenge: Build a working conveyor belt, that you can use to move small items.

Tips: You can use these instructions for how to build a conveyor belt.

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#7)

Good Day Students and Parents,
This week’s challenge is:

Build Paper Plate Pinball Challenge

Supplies: Paper Plate, Marble, Glue/Tape, Paper/String, Scissors

Challenge: Using your own creativity design and build a pinball challenge inside a paper plate, using string and strips of paper as obstacles/channels.

Tips: Use a marble as your pinball, and you can mark a start and finishing point.

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#6)

Good Day Students and Parents,
This week’s challenge is:

Build A Kazoo

Supplies: Toilet Paper Roll, Wax Paper (or Tin Foil), 2 Rubber Bands, Scissors, (Optional paint and paint brush for decoration)

Challenge: Build a working musical instrument (specifically a kazoo), that you can play. 

Tips: 
Step 1. Decorate: Paint you TP roll.
Step 2. Membrane: Use a bowl to trace a circle on wax paper and cut out your membrane.
Step 3: Assemble:  Center the wax paper with the toilet paper roll. Then fold it down so it is tight on the top. Use your other hand to to secure the wax paper with a rubber band.
Step 4: Hole: Poke a hole midway down one side if the TP roll

You can experiment with different sizes of cardboard rolls and different material for the membrane

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#5)

Good Day Students and Parents,
This week’s challenge is:

Build An Unsinkable Boat

Supplies: Tub with water (or lake), supplies to build boats, items to test flotation

Challenge: Build a boat that floats and can’t be sunk! Using recycled items and
supplies from around your house, build boats that will float in a tub of water while holding a 284ml can of soup.

Tips: You could challenge yourself even further, build a boat with only a 12 inch square of aluminum foil.

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#4)

Good Day Students and Parents,
This week’s challenge is:

Build A Paper Bridge:

Supplies: Paper, tape, coins/buttons, and two stacks of books the same height.

Challenge:  Set up two stacks of books and build a paper bridge that spans an 8 inch gap. Test the bridge with the weight of coins or buttons. 
.
Tips: Test the strength of the paper bridges by adding coins to it. You can also compare other bridge building materials such as tin foil, wax paper, construction paper, or card stock!

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#3)

Good Day Students and Parents,
This week’s challenge is:

Catapult Design Challenge:

Supplies: Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, bottle cap, glue, items to launch.

Challenge: How far can you launch something with a homemade popsicle stick catapult? Which items fly the farthest? Plan, design, and build a working catapult.

Tips: Use our this popsicle stick catapult design to help you understand how catapults work.

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#2)

Good Day Students and Parents,

I have seen some of the works created in last weeks challenge and was excited to see all the hard work that was shown. I hope you enjoyed working through the process.  I still don't want to overload families so this week's challenge will be a similar format to last week. Students need not feel obligated or stressed to have them completed, however they should be fun and not require much in the way of supplies or time.

This week’s challenge is:

The Egg Drop Challenge

Supplies: Raw Eggs, recycle bin items, and any other simple supplies on hand like bubble wrap, tissue paper, or straws.

Challenge:Protect a raw egg from harm! Using a variety of materials on hand, design, build, and test a contraption that will protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a height of 4 feet.

Tips: To reduce mess, incorporate zip lock bags into the design process.

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.

Weekly Tech Challenge (#1)

Good Day Students and Parents,

I don't want to overload families during this time, however I understand that students may require extra stimulation. As such I will be posting weekly technology challenges every Monday. Students need not feel obligated or stressed to have them completed, however they should be fun and not require much in the way of supplies or time.

Thant being said this week’s challenge is a:

Marshmallow and Toothpick Tower

Supplies Needed: mini marshmallows, toothpicks, measuring tape (or ruler)

Challenge: How high can you build? Using 100 marshmallows build the tallest tower possible

Tips: Have student count out 100 marshmallows. Draw out a plan to get started.

You can download a Stem Journal PDF that can be printed for students to plan their design and reflect on their learning.