STEM Education Resources for Engaging Science Teaching
Marshmallow and Toothpick STEM Activity, a Great Back To Sch
Challenge Your Students to Create The Tallest Tower!
This activity is super fun for both younger and older students. It is easy to prep for, but my most important word of advice is to make sure your marshmallows are fresh and separate easily. If the bags get squashed together, or too warm it makes for a sticky mess!
For younger students, you could focus on making basic 2-D shapes such as triangles, squares, rectangles, and hexagons . Once they get the hang of this, they could progress to 3-D shapes such as cubes, pyramids, triangular prisms and rectangular prisms.
For older students (3rd -6th Grade) I like to ask them to think like engineers and use the terms criteria and constraints. I also introduce the stages of the Engineering Design Process.
For the full unit on Marshmallow and Toothpick STEM Activities, please visit my Teachers pay Teachers STEM Voyage Store.
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NGSS Standards for Engineering Grade 3-5
Any Engineering Challenge can be related back to the NGSS Standards
For any fun engineering challenge I give my older students, there is always an opportunity to relate what they are doing to the current NGSS.
For example, here is one of the Engineering Performance Expectations.
3-5-ETS1-1 Engineering Design - Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
The Science and Engineering Practice is Define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system and includes several criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
The Disciplinary Core Idea is Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints). The success of a designed solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria). Different proposals for solutions can be compared on the basis of how well each one meets the specified criteria for success or how well each takes the constraints into account.
In summary, In any engineering challenge it is important for students to define what is the problem, and to understand both the criteria for success, and the constraints of the challenge.
Below I will explain how I approach this in my lessons.
What is an Engineer?
During Engineering Challenges, I ask my students to think like an Engineer.
- Engineers solve problems!
- Students should define their problem as: Building the tallest tower from marshmallows and toothpicks.
For each design problem, all Engineers have to work with specific criteria and constraints.
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Engineering Criteria
Understand the terms Criteria and Constraints is hard even for my 5th grade students. I try to practice using theses terms as often as I can, but it still causes difficulty for many children.
Engineering Criteria: These are the things your design must do to be successful.
I will talk about a structure in the classroom, such as a desk or a baseball cap, and ask the students to tell me what the object has to do to be successful. For example, a baseball cap needs to keep the sun off a person's face, it should feel comfortable to wear, it should look cool! etc. A desk should provide a smooth surface to work on, it should be the right height for someone to sit at, it should have a storage area where kids can put their supplies etc.
I will then as the students to define the criteria for their engineering challenge.
Criteria: To build the tallest free standing tower you can.
Engineering Constraints
Engineering Constraints: They are the limitations of the design.
I tell the students that all engineers, whether they are designing the latest iPhone, race car, skyscraper or baseball cap, all have to work within limitations or constraint. For example, time will always be a constraint . Engineers will always have. a time limit to solve a problem. The students probably only have one or two lessons to create their marshmallow and toothpick tower.
Another constraint is always the materials or budget that the engineers have to solve the problem. Professional engineers will be given a budget to work within, and only some materials will be suitable for use.
I will then as the students to define the constraints for their engineering challenge.
Constraints: You may only use 50 marshmallows and 75 toothpicks. You will have 50 minutes to plan and build your design.
I tell them that they may use a ruler to measure the height of their design, but they cannot use it as part of their structure.
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The Engineering Design Process
Engineers Solve Problems By Designing Solutions
For older students (3rd grade and above) I always introduce the steps of the Engineering Design Process, and have them go through the steps while designing and building their engineering structures. I like to have students work in groups of 3 for this type of activity.
Here are the steps:
1. Ask What is the Problem? - Have the students discuss what problem they are trying to solve. In this case, it is how to build the tallest tower from toothpicks and marshmallows.
2. Imagine a Solution - Have students discuss what sort of structure/shape might work best.
3. Plan your Design - Have each students draw a labelled plan in pencil on paper or in their science notebook. Then have students share, and choose on a final design.
4. Build your Design - At this point, give the students their materials, and let them start building. I always tell them that, if their original design is not working then they can make changes and improvements.
5. Test your Design - It becomes pretty obvious early on when building with toothpicks and marshmallows, which shapes are more stable and able to withstand the weight of other marshmallows and toothpicks on top of them. Encourage your students to embrace failure! If the design fails, they have now learned what doesn't work, and that is useful information.
6. Improve your Design - Students should be encouraged to try new designs, rather than sticking with the original if it is not working.
I introduce the ideas of Criteria, Constraints and the Engineering Design Process using illustrated Google Slides.
Let's Get Started!
How to Build with Marshmallows and Toothpicks
I would start the challenge by demonstrating how to connect the marshmallow and toothpicks together. I show students a Google Slide with some simple 2-D and 3-D shapes made with toothpicks and marshmallows.
For younger students, I would have them practice 2-D shapes first, and then move onto more complex 3-D shapes.
With the 3-D shapes I would show students how to build them upwards from a stable base.
They will soon find that triangular prisms and pyramids are much more stable than cubes and rectangular prisms.
Build the Tallest Tower from Toothpicks and Marshmallows
You know what to do, Follow the stages of the Engineering Design Process to solve the problem!
For older students, I would now have them use the Engineering Design Process to imagine, design, build, test, and improve their structures!
For younger students, I would just let them build!
Tips for Success!
- Work on a flat, stable surface.
- Create a stable base.
- Try not to squeeze the marshmallows too much.
- Take care with the sharp end of the toothpick.
- Push the toothpick gently into the marshmallow about half way in.
The Complete Unit: Marshmallow and Toothpick STEM
Visit the TPT STEM Voyage Store
All the resources needed for the Marshmallow and Toothpick STEM Activity can be found on my STEM Voyage TPT store.
They include:
- Google Slides: An explanation of the Engineering Design Process, graphic and how to use the process specifically for the marshmallow challenge.
- Google Slides: A beautifully illustrated, and detailed set of instructions to guide your students through the engineering challenge.
- A Teacher Information Guide.
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