Got winter activities? Winter STEM Challenges (or STEAM Challenges) engage your students in brain-busting work disguised as fun! There are five challenges: 3 purely winter STEM activities, 1 Black History Month/ Women’s History Month, and 1 Groundhog Day STEM challenge!

The basic premise: 
Students work in partners or groups against criteria & constraints lists to design and build various items using science, technology, engineering, and math skills to complete the tasks and extensions. Modification suggestions are included to make these challenges engaging and productive for students in grades 2 – 8.

There are five STEM design challenge events included in this bundle:

• Snow Scoop
• Frosted Forest
• Winter Waiter
• Groundhog Graffiti
• Functional Furniture

This bundle saves you ~40% off the cost of buying each challenge separately. What a bargain! ☺

See the preview below:

Note: This version is for use with Google Slides in 1:1 / paperless classrooms.

If you prefer to print and have students complete work with paper/pencil, you’ll want to look at the printable version instead.

If you have questions about which version is right for you, please feel free to reach out with a question: [email protected].

Materials you’ll need to do the activity are easily modified. Materials lists can be found in the product descriptions for each individual challenge linked above.

• Overall STEM Tips
– Suggestions on timing and whether or not to treat these challenges as competitions
– What to say (and what not to say) during STEM Challenges
– 5-event Data Tracker handout (color and B&W) & slide

Plus, each challenge comes with:

• NGSS aligned standards, Grades 2 – 8

• Teacher Tips
– Links to STEM Challenge “How-to” Videos
– Links to challenge-specific video walk-throughs
– Materials and timing
– Criteria & Constraints (including modifications to increase difficulty for older students)
– Measuring results
– Post-design extension activities list

• Student Slides
– Criteria and Constraints list (editable versions provided)
– Results and Design Data Analysis
– Discussion Questions

• Extension templates
– Process Flow Map
– Math Extension
– Additional handouts vary by challenge

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 – 90 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.

NOTE: You can save even more by purchasing this bundle as part of the
STEM CHALLENGE YEAR-ROUND MEGA-BUNDLE!!!

This resource is also available in print format!

If you prefer to purchase on TPT, click here. 

Note: Any coupon codes you received for subscribing to the email are for this site and will not work on TpT.