Looking for a fun Christmas or winter activity that incorporates science, technology, engineering, and/or math? Winter STEM / STEAM Challenges are the perfect activities because they engage your students in brain-busting work disguised as fun!
The basic premise:
Working against a criteria/constraints list individually or in partners/groups, students will design and build the tallest free-standing snowman possible. (Option 2: Students design and build a snowman of greatest volume possible.)
Note: This is the digital format, compatible with Google Slides ™.
For the print version, click here.
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 Slides
- Post-design extension activities list
- Link to a video walk-through of the challenge
- Student Slides
- Criteria & Constraints List (editable)
- Design Analysis
- Discussion Questions
- Extension templates
- Process flow map
- Create & solve math problems based on designs
- Video/website linked slides
- Design an Experiment for Melting Ice
- Walks students through the steps of the scientific method to design an experiment to melt ice. Sample answer key included.
- Observation recording slides for melting ice experiment
Sample/suggested materials for each student or group:
(Materials you’ll need to do the activity are easily modified. You don’t need to provide all of the following materials. Select a subset and/or add in your own ideas.)
For each student or group:
- Bag of cotton balls and/or 3 pieces of tissue paper and/or 5 sheets of copy paper
- Straws (5 – 10)
- Pipe cleaners (5 – 10)
- Tape (24 in.)
- Scissors
- Ruler or measuring tape
This resource is also available in print format and as part of the Christmas/Winter and the Mega STEM Challenge bundles. Click through below:
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