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K-2 STEM Challenges

 

 

Paper Plate Towers

Objective: Explore balance and stability by building a tall tower.
Equipment: Paper plates, paper towel rolls, tape.
Instructions:

  1. Give each student several paper plates and paper towel rolls.

  2. Encourage students to experiment with stacking the rolls and plates in different ways to create a tower.

  3. Discuss how the size, shape, and placement of the rolls and plates affect the stability of the tower.

  4. Use tape to reinforce weak spots or test adding more layers to increase height without the tower falling.

  5. Ask students to predict how high they can build and what design will make the tower strongest.

 


Egg Carton Bridges

Objective: Investigate the strength of materials by building a bridge.
Equipment: Egg cartons, cardboard strips, tape.
Instructions:

  1. Give students an egg carton and a few strips of cardboard.

  2. Explain the challenge is to build a bridge between two tables or chairs.

  3. Use the egg cartons as supports and cardboard as the surface of the bridge.

  4. Test the strength of the bridge by placing small toys or objects on top.

  5. Discuss which designs work best and why the bridge is or isn't strong enough.

 

 

Plastic Bottle Planters

Objective: Learn about plants and sustainability by creating a planter.
Equipment: Empty plastic bottles, soil, seeds, scissors, markers.
Instructions:

  1. Have students cut the top off a plastic bottle (an adult may need to assist).

  2. Let them decorate the bottle with markers or stickers.

  3. Fill the bottle with soil and plant seeds of their choice.

  4. Water the soil and place the planter in sunlight.

  5. Over the next few weeks, observe the growth of the plants and discuss what plants need to grow (sunlight, water, soil).

 

 

Cup Stack Challenge

Objective: Develop fine motor skills and learn about symmetry and stability.
Equipment: Plastic cups
Instructions:

  1. Provide each student with a stack of plastic cups.

  2. Challenge them to create different cup structures like pyramids or towers.

  3. Encourage them to try different arrangements to see which is the most stable.

  4. Discuss how the shape and position of the cups can affect the overall structure.

  5. Extend the challenge by timing how fast they can build and deconstruct the structures.

 

 

Bottle Cap Boats

Objective: Explore floating and sinking concepts.
Equipment: Bottle caps, straws, tape, paper, markers.
Instructions:

  1. Have students tape bottle caps together to form the base of a boat.

  2. Create a mast using a straw and a small piece of paper for the sail.

  3. Let them decorate the sail with markers.

  4. Test the boat in a tub of water. Discuss whether it floats or sinks and why.

  5. Ask students to modify their design to make it more stable or faster.

 

 

Paper Straw Maze

Objective: Investigate design and problem-solving.
Equipment: Paper straws, cardboard, glue, marbles.
Instructions:

  1. Cut the paper straws into smaller pieces and glue them onto a piece of cardboard to form a maze.

  2. Make sure there’s an entrance and exit for the marble.

  3. Once the maze is built, test it by rolling a marble through the maze.

  4. Encourage students to adjust the maze if the marble gets stuck.

  5. Let students swap mazes and try navigating each other's creations.

 

 

Newspaper Domes

Objective: Learn about geometry and engineering by building structures.
Equipment: Newspapers, tape, scissors.
Instructions:

  1. Roll the newspaper into long, tight tubes and secure with tape.

  2. Use the tubes to create triangles, taping the corners together.

  3. Connect the triangles to form a dome shape.

  4. Challenge students to sit under the dome or see if it can support small objects on top.

  5. Discuss why triangles are strong shapes for building.

 

 

Cardboard Castles

Objective: Practice creative design and spatial awareness.
Equipment: Cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls, glue, scissors.
Instructions:

  1. Give each student a cardboard box and paper towel rolls.

  2. Show them how to cut windows and doors in the box to create a castle.

  3. Use paper towel rolls as towers and glue them to the corners of the box.

  4. Let them decorate the castle with markers, stickers, or other materials.

  5. Have a discussion about the different parts of a castle (towers, walls, gates).

 

 

Bottle Rocket

Objective: Explore propulsion and air pressure.
Equipment: Plastic bottles, straws, balloons, tape.
Instructions:

  1. Insert a straw through a balloon's mouth and secure with tape, making sure no air can escape.

  2. Attach the balloon to the bottle using tape.

  3. Blow up the balloon and let go to see how far the bottle rocket travels.

  4. Discuss how the air escaping the balloon creates thrust.

  5. Experiment with different sizes of bottles or balloons to see how it affects the distance.

 

 

Button Balance Scale

Objective: Learn about weight and balance.
Equipment: Clothes hangers, string, plastic cups, buttons.
Instructions:

  1. Attach two plastic cups to the ends of a hanger using string.

  2. Hang the hanger on a sturdy object (like a doorknob).

  3. Place buttons or small objects into the cups to compare their weight.

  4. Discuss how the scale tips and how weight affects balance.

  5. Try to make the scale balance evenly by adjusting the number of buttons in each cup.

 

 

Recycled Car Race

Objective: Learn about motion and friction by designing a car.
Equipment: Plastic bottles, straws, bottle caps, tape, markers.
Instructions:

  1. Provide students with a plastic bottle for the car's body.

  2. Use straws as axles and attach bottle caps as wheels.

  3. Tape the axles to the bottle and ensure the wheels move freely.

  4. Let students decorate their cars with markers.

  5. Race the cars on different surfaces and discuss how friction affects the speed.

  6. Challenge students to modify their designs to make the cars faster.

 

 

Straw Bridges

Objective: Test structural strength with recyclable materials.
Equipment: Paper straws, tape, toy cars.
Instructions:

  1. Give students paper straws and tape.

  2. Challenge them to build a bridge that spans a gap between two tables or chairs.

  3. Test the bridge by driving a toy car across it.

  4. Discuss which designs are strong enough and why some bridges collapse.

  5. Encourage students to modify their designs for strength and durability.

 

 

Recycled Parachutes

Objective: Explore air resistance.
Equipment: Plastic bags, string, small objects (e.g., toy figures).
Instructions:

  1. Cut the plastic bag into a large square.

  2. Tie strings to each corner of the plastic bag.

  3. Attach a small object or toy to the end of the strings.

  4. Drop the parachute from a height and observe how it floats down.

  5. Discuss how air resistance slows down the fall and compare different parachute sizes.

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Paper Towel Roll Marble Run

Objective: Investigate gravity and angles.
Equipment: Paper towel rolls, tape, marbles.
Instructions:

  1. Cut paper towel rolls in half to create open tubes.

  2. Tape the tubes to a wall or board in different angles to create a path for the marble.

  3. Drop the marble at the top of the run and watch how it moves through the tubes.

  4. Experiment with different angles to speed up or slow down the marble.

  5. Discuss how gravity pulls the marble down and how angles affect its speed.

 

 

Recycled Rafts

Objective: Learn about buoyancy and floating.
Equipment: Bottle caps, corks, plastic straws, tape.
Instructions:

  1. Give students bottle caps and corks to use as the base of their rafts.

  2. Tape the bottle caps and corks together using plastic straws to connect them.

  3. Test the raft in a tub of water to see if it floats.

  4. Challenge students to improve their raft design to carry a small object (like a toy figure).

  5. Discuss why some materials float better than others.

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Balloon-Powered Car

Objective: Learn about force and motion through air pressure.
Equipment: Plastic bottles, straws, balloons, tape, bottle caps.
Instructions:

  1. Give each student a plastic bottle for the car body.

  2. Use bottle caps as wheels, attaching them with straws as axles.

  3. Attach a balloon to one end of the bottle, securing it with tape.

  4. Blow up the balloon and then let it go to propel the car forward.

  5. Discuss how the escaping air creates thrust to move the car.

  6. Encourage students to modify their design to improve distance and speed.

 

 

Paper Helicopters

Objective: Explore how objects can slow down their fall due to air resistance.
Equipment: Paper, scissors, paper clips.
Instructions:

  1. Provide students with a template to cut out paper helicopters.

  2. Have them fold the wings of the helicopter in opposite directions.

  3. Attach a paper clip to the bottom to give the helicopter weight.

  4. Drop the helicopter from a height and watch how it spins down slowly.

  5. Discuss how the shape of the helicopter creates air resistance, which slows its descent.

  6. Test different sizes of paper and wings to see how it affects the spin.

 

 

Recycled Robot

Objective: Practice creative thinking and problem-solving by designing a robot from recyclables.
Equipment: Cardboard boxes, bottle caps, straws, tape, markers.
Instructions:

  1. Give students a selection of cardboard boxes and bottle caps to create a robot body.

  2. Let them design their robot by attaching bottle caps as wheels, straws as arms, and adding other details with recyclable materials.

  3. Encourage students to give their robot a name and describe its function.

  4. Ask students to explain what their robot can do (e.g., clean up toys, fly, or deliver mail).

  5. Allow students to present their robot to the class.

 

 

Wind-Powered Pinwheels

Objective: Learn about wind energy and movement.
Equipment: Paper, pencils with erasers, push pins, straws.
Instructions:

  1. Cut a square piece of paper and fold it diagonally from corner to corner.

  2. Cut along the diagonal folds halfway to the center.

  3. Fold every other corner to the center and secure it with a push pin.

  4. Push the pin through the eraser end of the pencil.

  5. Blow on the pinwheel or take it outside on a windy day to see it spin.

  6. Discuss how wind can create movement and how the shape of the pinwheel affects its spinning.

 

 

Cardboard Marble Maze

Objective: Explore design and engineering principles by creating a maze.
Equipment: Cardboard, straws, tape, marbles.
Instructions:

  1. Provide students with a flat piece of cardboard to use as the maze base.

  2. Cut straws into smaller sections and tape them to the cardboard to create maze walls.

  3. Design a maze with a start and finish for the marble to navigate.

  4. Once the maze is complete, use a marble to test it out by tilting the cardboard.

  5. Encourage students to adjust their design if the marble gets stuck or the maze is too easy.

  6. Let students try each other’s mazes to see whose design is the most challenging.

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