Looking for Easter activities that your students will love but are more than just a craft or activity to pass the time? The Basket Bounce STEM Challenge (or STEAM Challenge) will keep your students engaged in brain-busting work disguised as fun!

The basic premise: 

Individually or in partners/groups, students will design and build a basket that will hold and contain Easter eggs as they participate in a bouncy relay race.

• Directions to conduct the race based on whether students design baskets in groups, partners, or individually are included.

 

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Note: Click here for the printable version of this resource.

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Resource includes:

• NGSS aligned standards, Grades 2 – 8

• Teacher Tips:
  • Links to my 5-part video series on getting started with STEM challenges
  • Materials and timing
  • Criteria & Constraints (including modifications to increase difficulty for older students)
  • Measuring results
  • Universal STEM Challenge Notes & How to Use Student Handouts
  • Post-design extension activities list
  • Link to a video walk-through of the challenge

• Student Slides:
  • Criteria & Constraints List (editable slide provided)
  • Results and Design Analysis
  • Discussion Questions

• Extension templates
  • Compare and Order numbers_v1: whole numbers to hundreds
  • Compare and Order numbers_v2: decimals to thousandths
  • Fraction mix-up: unscramble numerators & denominators to create addends for a given sum
  • Number puzzles: identify what sets of numbers have in common
  • Math Extension: create your own world problems
  • Synonyms and antonyms
  • Process Flow Map

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Sample/suggested materials for each student or group:

(Materials you’ll need to do the activity are easily modified.)

• • Note: The links below are Amazon Affiliate links. Find out more on the disclosure page.
    • • Straws (10 – 20)
      • Pipe cleaners (10 – 20)
      • Plastic eggs (6)
      • Craft sticks (5 – 10)
      • String/yarn (12 – 24 in.)
      • Tape (12 – 24 in.)
      • Rubber bands (5 – 10)
      • Scissors
      • Design analysis handouts (included)

      Optional: 

      • Small cups or bowls 
      • Paper plates 
      • Cardboard or card stock

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Benefits of this STEM Design Challenge:

• Focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and application of learning
• Helps students develop growth mindset traits like persistence and resilience
• High levels of student engagement
• The potential to hit upon all NGSS ETS standards depending on the depth and number of iterations you choose to implement in your classroom (modifications included)
• Highly flexible and differentiated for materials, timing, grade levels, and rigor.

Each design iteration should be planned for ~60 min. if you are including data gathering and analysis rather than just building for fun. If you add extension activities, you will need to adjust timing accordingly.

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This resource is available in a printable format, as well as in discounted bundles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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