Looking for Easter activities that your students will love but are more than just a craft or activity to pass the time? The Egg-hanced STEM Challenge (or STEAM Challenge) will keep your students engaged in brain-busting work disguised as fun!
The basic premise:
This is a classic egg-drop challenge with optional modifications. Individually or in partners/groups, students will design and build a device to protect an egg from cracking when dropped from a predetermined height.
Note: If you are in a 1:1 classroom, you may prefer the
digital format, compatible with Google Slides ™.
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 Handouts:
- Criteria & Constraints List (in color and B&W; editable version provided)
- Results and Design Analysis (editable; 2-page regular spacing and 4-page expanded) spacing for primary students included in color and and B&W)
- Discussion Questions (editable; color and B&W)
- Extension templates
- – Process Flow Map
– Math Extension
– Egg writing templates
- – Process Flow Map
Sample/suggested materials for each student or group:
(Materials you’ll need to do the activity are easily modified.)
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- Note: The links below are Amazon Affiliate links. Find out more on the disclosure page.
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- 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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- Note: The links below are Amazon Affiliate links. Find out more on the disclosure page.
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.
This resource is available in a digital 1:1 format, compatible with Google Slides (TM), as well as in discounted bundles.
If you prefer to purchase on TpT, click here.
Note: any coupon/promo codes for this site will only work on this site. TpT does not have the option for individual stores to offer promo codes.
Preview Music Credit:
“Carefree” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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