STEM Education Resources for Engaging Science Teaching
Save Fred STEM Activity, a Saving Fred Team Building Challenge
Exciting and Engaging Team Challenge Saving Fred the Gummy Worm!
This is a fantastic activity to start the school year. It's easy to prep for, and is an excellent team building activity. I like to group students in 3's or 4's. Students can only successfully complete the challenge if they work together. It is impossible for one person to completed it alone. Students have to talk to each other, cooperate and work together. They also have to overcome frustrations, especially if other teams are being successful, and they have not managed to complete the challenge yet.
Engaging Students Before Saving Fred!
Fred's Ocean Adventure
At the beginning of this activity I read my students a fun, beautifully illustrated story about Fred, the gummy worm, who loves to sail in his boat, but never learned to swim!
This gets them excited about completing the challenge, and I find even my 5th Graders love having a story read to them!
For the full set of resources for the Save Fred challenge, please visit my Teachers Pay Teachers STEM Voyage Store.
Materials and Set up Needed for Saving Fred!
Materials Per Group:
Set Up:
1. Put Life Saver gummy underneath the plastic cup.
2. Put Fred the Gummy Worm on top of the cup.
3. Put 4 paper clips next to the cup.
Rules for the Save Fred Team Challenge
To be successful students should
- Use the 4 paper clips, turn the cup (boat) the correct way around, and put Fred in his lifesaver. Fred cannot touch the water.
- They cannot touch Fred, the lifesaver or the cup directly with their hands. If this happens then they must start again from the beginning again.
Tips for Success!
- Use the paper clips to move Fred.
- You may bend the paper clips.
- Do not damage or pierce Fred or the lifesaver with the paper clips.
- Work as a team, and give each member a task to perform. You will only be successful if you work together!
Successfully Saving Fred!
A Successful Save
A completed challenge should result in an undamaged Fred the gummy worm inside the plastic cup. Fred should be inside an undamaged gummy life saver.
After the challenge, I ask students to evaluate their challenge by reflecting on how their team worked together to complete the activity.
I will generally provide each team, or each student a worksheet with the full directions on, and the evaluation questions.
Evaluate the Team Challenge
I think it is important for students to evaluate how their team completed the challenge, and what they would do differently to be more successful in the future.
The Complete Unit for Teaching 'Save Fred'
Visit the TPT STEM Voyage Store
All the resources needed for the Save Fred challenge can be found on my STEM Voyage TPT store.
They include:
- The Illustrated 'Fred's Ocean Adventure' story on Google Slides.
- A Google Slide of full directions for Saving Fred, complete with photos to show to the class while completing the challenge.
- A printable worksheet of directions and reflection questions to evaluate the activity.
- A Teacher Information Guide.
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Save Fred Activity. Bending the paper clip.